For Love and Donuts

by McKenna Rogue

  She frowned. “Of course. Is everything okay?”

  “Honestly, I’m not sure. I just can’t seem to get my past to leave me alone.” I grabbed my purse and keys and headed out.

  The drive to the hospital seemed endless. The longer I was in the car, sitting in Jubilee rush hour traffic, the more questions I had. Why did Michael still have me in his phone as his emergency contact? What had happened to him? Who did he get into a fight with?

  Then there was Damon. He hadn’t answered my phone call or any of my texts, which was unlike him. Had something happened between the two of them? I couldn’t help but think the worst. Had Damon found Michael or had Michael found Damon? Was that why Damon wasn’t answering his phone? Was he somehow worse off than Michael? Could he be lying somewhere, dead or dying while I was headed to the hospital to check on a man who didn’t deserve my sympathy?

  By the time I arrived at the hospital, I was in a tizzy. I couldn’t find the ER. I felt like I was roaming around in circles, and it was so busy, there wasn’t anyone to ask. I could’ve been wandering forever if I hadn’t heard Michael’s voice.

  “His name is Damon Langley.” Michael’s voice was strained and raw.

  “Officer Damon Langley?” the officer asked.

  “Yeah, that’s him. He fucking did this to me.”

  The officer questioning him cleared his throat. “Why don’t you start at the beginning?”

  “What does it matter?! Langley fucking did this to me. And this isn’t the first time he’s put me in the hospital.” The officer shifted just enough, I got a good look at Michael. He was definitely beaten up. The bruises hadn’t even started to come in, but they would. He had a split lip, a couple of abrasions on his cheeks and jaw. He looked like he was in a lot of pain from how he was holding himself.

  I stepped off to the side of the room and listened, afraid to go in. Michael’s enraged voice was painfully familiar. If he wasn’t nursing a bunch of bruises and cuts, he’d probably be swinging at the cops.

  “It’s a serious offense to accuse an officer of assault.”

  “I want to press charges!”

  I worried on my lower lip. Was Michael telling the truth? Had Damon attacked him? It wasn’t like Damon didn’t have motive to do so. I’d seen firsthand what the tensions between the two of them could do. Michael even tried choking Damon. But what did it mean? Had Damon gone looking for revenge?

  I sat down on a plastic chair outside of the room and just stared at the tile floor.

  “You really think Langley did this?” The officers came out of the room together, leaving Michael alone.

  “Not without a good reason. The guy is an asshole, maybe that’s all the reason he needed,” the other cop muttered.

  The first officer took notice of me. “Are you Cherry Maraschino?”

  I nodded.

  “Cherry! Are you out there? You should come and see what your fucking prick of a boyfriend did to me.”

  I let out a frustrated sigh. “What happened?” I stood up and addressed the police officer.

  “Ma’am, we’re still trying to put the pieces together. You don’t have any idea what happened?”

  “Michael is my ex-boyfriend. And Officer Langley is the one who helped me leave him six months ago. The night of the storm, Officer Langley helped me stormproof my bakery as best we could. Michael entered my bakery that night without an invitation. There was definitely some tension. Michael tried to choke Damon, er…Officer Langley.”

  The officer raised an eyebrow. “Officer Langley didn’t file a report to my knowledge.” He glanced over at his partner, who shook his head.

  “Do you think Officer Langley did this?”

  “I don’t know.” I shook my head, but I honestly didn’t know the answer. “They have a history. They apparently knew each other when they were teenagers or something.”

  “Ma’am, would you please stick around? We’re going to try to see if we can track down Officer Langley. Maybe he can shed some light on this whole thing.”

  “I can do that. Do you know where his partner is? Karina Union?”

  “I can’t give you that information.”

  “Of course. I’m just going to go sit in the waiting room. That’s where you’ll find me.”

  One of the police officers went back into Michael’s room. “Sir, where did Officer Langley attack you?”

  Michael rambled off some address I couldn’t place.

  The two police officers took my information and headed out.

  “Cherry? Are you going to come in here?”

  I didn’t want to. I didn’t know if he was telling the truth about Damon, and either way, I didn’t want to hear what he had to say.

  I stole a deep breath, then charged into the room. Putting my hands on my hips, I stood at the foot of his bed.

  “What really happened, Michael? Did you hurt him? Is he lying in a ditch somewhere?”

  “That guy is crazy, Cherry.” He held up his hands even though his face scrunched together in pain as he did so. “I know I screwed up. And even if you never want to see me again, I would never hurt you. This guy is unhinged. He will kill you.”

  My heart jumped into my throat. What if Michael was right? I’d trusted my instincts before, and they proved to be completely untrustworthy. Had I found another abusive man who would eventually just kill me? Was Michael merely the warm-up?

  What was wrong with me?

  I really didn’t think that was the case. I couldn’t believe it was. Either way, Michael wasn’t without blame here.

  “He wouldn’t just do that! You tried to kill him in the bakery. It’s not like you’re some innocent—”

  “You’re right,” Michael cut me off. “I lost my shit that night. I knew I’d lost you, and I went crazy with jealousy. I didn’t want that guy touching you. And he kept looking at you like you were his personal apple pie. It made me crazy. But when I was sitting in your storage room by myself, I realized what an idiot I’d been. I walked away. Then today, I was minding my own business, and he just attacked me.”

  “Without being provoked?”

  “He hit me with his gun from behind. Does that sound like a guy who knows how to play fair?”

  I didn’t respond.

  “Tell your story, Michael. I want the truth. And if I find out that you lied to me…”

  He held his hand over his heart. “Hand to God.”

  8

  Damon

  Six hours earlier…

  Jamal texted me an address but nothing more. Jubilee Falls was a safe place, but it wasn’t devoid of a criminal element by any means. The address he sent me was for a warehouse that was known for shady people doing less than civilized things. I’d broken up a prostitution ring there and busted several drug deals. I could only imagine what the hell Jamal was doing there. When the hell was he going to smarten up and stop getting into these situations? I couldn’t always be there to save his ass, especially if he screwed up badly enough, Jenny and Dan decided they couldn’t keep him.

  I was out of uniform, but I had my badge on a chain around my neck over my Coyotes baseball shirt. I’d driven around the perimeter a couple of times, but I couldn’t tell anything from the outside. I was going to have to go in blind. I just hoped whatever was inside, I wasn’t going to regret not calling for backup. I didn’t want the kid to have a record, especially if he’d asked for help.

  I went in through the east entrance. It was locked, but a little jimmy popped it right open. I had a flashlight in my back pocket, but I didn’t want to use it unless I had to. There was just enough light streaming in through the murky window in the door, I could make out enough not to break my neck.

  I could hear voices, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I kept moving forward toward a light shining down into the hallway from an open door into the main part of the warehouse. I’d been here enough to know the layout.

  I kept moving down the hallway, trying carefully to avoid the debris litterin
g the floor. I didn’t want to give up my position before I knew what was going on.

  “Come on, you little punk. Hand it over.”

  I knew that voice. It wasn’t Jamal, but it was someone who was on my list right now. Michael Grove. What the hell was he doing here? And what was Jamal doing with him?

  “Man, don’t give him those. Miss Maraschino is nice. She always givin’ us free donuts and shit.” Jamal was trying to talk his friend out of doing the wrong thing.

  Clearly, it was falling on deaf ears. “Shut up, you fucking pussy.” Another voice barked. I was pretty sure it was the punk kid who was in charge of Jamal’s little gang. “He paid us to do a job.”

  “You ain’t going to like these pictures, bro. She be all over that cop.”

  “That stupid bitch. Hand them over.”

  I heard the clap of heavy paper slapped into another set of hands. What the hell did the kids take pictures of? I hoped there was nothing graphic, for Cherry’s sake. She didn’t need her privacy smeared all over Jubilee.

  I pulled my gun out of its holster and waited for my moment, wanting to get a sneak peek before I drew everyone’s attention. I edged toward the opening, hoping the shadows would keep me concealed.

  Jamal and the gang leader had their back to me. Michael was facing toward the north wall as he flipped through the pictures. Why had he needed to hire a few punk kids to take pictures of Cherry? That didn’t make any sense. Michael slipped the envelope into his jacket pocket before he turned toward them.

  I dipped back into the hallway, waiting for my moment.

  “Did you get the other stuff?”

  “Yeah, his mom didn’t even notice I swiped the key to get a copy made,” Jamal’s friend said.

  Copy of a key?

  I heard the tinkle of a key tapping against another metal.

  “Don’t give him the key,” Jamal said.

  Good kid. I needed to get Jamal away from this dude, once and for all. Jamal deserved better than this. I wondered if any of the other kids at school would give Jamal a chance or if he really was as much of an outsider as he believed. I knew how hard it was for him to hang with the kids who had families. But if Jamal would just stop trying to be the bad boy he thought he should be, maybe his life would be different. I already knew Jenny and Dan liked him. If he could just get his act together, he might see the family he was living wanted to keep him.

  I needed to focus on the problem at hand.

  The key had to be to Cherry’s apartment. Whatever reason he had for wanting in there, it wasn’t happening. He’d get to her again over my dead fucking body. I didn’t know who the hell this guy thought he was, but he’d been bad news since we were kids. How the hell Cherry ended with such a fucking asshole, I’d never understand. I was just glad a neighbor called the police that night. If they hadn’t, Cherry might’ve ended up another battered woman. Or worse.

  I spied around the corner again, waiting for my opening.

  “This is what he paid for, Jamal. If your balls are shrinking back into your stomach, you can go.”

  I wanted to knock this kid’s head off.

  “Give him the money back. It’s wrong, V.C.”

  V.C.? I knew that name. Shit. That was the punk who had been robbing the mini mart at the edge of the town. Karina was sure it was one of the kids always vandalizing around town. Looks like he was right. V.C. had been spray painted on the side of the building the last time the mart had been robbed. Maybe I could snag both snakes for the price of one and get Jamal out of this bullshit friendship before he ended up serving real time.

  Michael stomped his foot. “Give me the fuckin’ key, kid. I’m not fucking around. You can grow balls another time.”

  V.C. handed over the key to Michael.

  Jamal grabbed his head with both hands and shook it back and forth. He was stressing out. He knew he was caught in a bad situation, but he didn’t know what else to do.

  But then Jamal lunged at Michael for the key.

  Michael punched the thirteen-year-old, sending him to the ground hard.

  V.C. grabbed his mouth with one hand and pointed at Jamal, letting out a hyena-like cackle.

  I shot out of my hiding spot, my gun trained on Michael.

  “Hands up,” I said. “Jubilee Falls Police. You’re both under arrest.”

  V.C. took off running.

  I didn’t care. I knew what he looked like. I’d be able to track him down. V.C. wasn’t my problem now.

  Michael, however, needed to be taken down. I was just itching for him to give me a reason to shoot. I didn’t want to kill him; death would’ve been too easy. He needed to suffer.

  “Jamal?”

  He didn’t respond.

  “You’re such a fucking bastard, you have kids doing your dirty work?” I slowly moved toward him. I didn’t dare lower my weapon.

  Michael’s eyes darted around. His lips twitched. His feet kept moving. He looked like a rat who’d been cornered. I watched as he slipped the key into his pocket.

  “Freeze. Get your hands where I can see them. I will shoot you if you don’t comply.”

  “I’m not doing anything wrong, Officer Langley.” The smug look on his face said otherwise.

  “Really? That’s not a key to Cherry’s apartment in your pocket?”

  “Nope. That’s my key. Even if was Cherry’s, what makes you think she didn’t give it to me? We were involved not so long ago. Remember, Officer Douchebag, I fucked that fine pussy many a times before you. She’ll come back to me, and when she does, I’ll make sure she remembers who it belongs to.”

  It took everything I had not to pull the trigger. I had to keep this clean. I wanted this guy to go away for a long time. Even after he did, I was going to make sure Cherry got a restraining order.

  “Give me the key. Then get on the floor and put your hands behind your back.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “And now I’ve got you for resisting arrest. Give me another charge to stick on you. Just means you’re going to have to learn how to hold the soap.”

  Michael took another step back. He seemed to think that he had a way out, even with a gun aimed at him. Or was he going to make a break for it whether he had a clean exit or not? This guy made me crazy. He was too twitchy.

  I nudged Jamal with my foot. “Hey, buddy.”

  The kid stirred, and a breath of relief escaped me. I didn’t want him to end up in the hospital because of this prick.

  “Jamal?”

  “Yeah,” he breathed finally.

  “You doing okay?”

  “The dude hit me. What the hell, man?” Jamal rolled onto his back. My guess he was probably seeing stars right now. Michael didn’t hold back when he smacked him down.

  “Just stay there. Take it easy.”

  I shifted my glare back to Michael just as he lunged. I backpedaled, but not far enough. I raised my arm with the gun. The safety wasn’t on, and I didn’t want to accidentally pull the trigger. If I was going to put a bullet in this guy, I’d do it on purpose.

  Michael hit me like a CU player going after a Cornhusker, his shoulder hitting me square in the gut, instantly knocking the wind out of me. We both headed for the cement floor, but I had no time to brace myself. We hit the ground hard. My already sore body absorbed the hit and cushioned Michael’s fall.

  Michael jabbed his fist into my ribs the second we were on the ground. He wasn’t as strong as me, and we both knew if he was going to keep the upper hand, he’d have to be relentless.

  No way in hell was I letting him win. I crashed the butt of my gun into the back of his head as hard as I could from this angle. One hit barely deterred him. I hit him three more times before he finally rolled away from me.

  I rolled onto my side, trying to get a lungful of air, but I couldn’t inhale, I couldn’t exhale. My lungs seemed to be frozen, nothing moving in and out. My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. I clutched at my ribs, willing my insides to work. I crawled, rocked,
bent, and flailed, trying to get oxygen where it belonged. Blood rushed through my ears. I was completely unaware of what was going on around me, I just needed my body to breathe. I wasn’t supposed to have to think about breathing.

  Then little by little, my body started to remember how to work. I sucked in air like I was trying to get milkshake through a straw clogged by a chunk of strawberry. The lightheadedness kicked in as air started flowing in and out like it was supposed to. I scrambled to my feet, swaying a little as vertigo set in. I had expected Michael to be long gone, but he was still on the ground, holding his head. There was a fair amount of blood staining the cement, but I couldn’t tell how bad it was. Head wounds bled worse than other wounds, but I wasn’t taking any chances.

  Jamal had gotten up too, and I could hear the concern in his voice as he put his hand on my shoulder. “You okay, man?”

  I nodded, still watching Michael carefully.

  When Michael realized I had the upper hand, he scurried to stand, puffing out his chest like I should’ve been afraid of him.

  “I should’ve killed you the night of the storm. You were touching Cherry like she belonged to you.”

  “She doesn’t belong to anyone but herself. Especially not you,” I growled.

  “She don’t love you,” Michael sneered, curling his lip up. “She never will. She’ll always be missing me.”

  “All you are is a stalker who won’t let a bad thing end.”

  Michael reached behind him and yanked out a gun I didn’t know he had.

  And mine? It was three feet away from me on the ground. Fuck.

  He waved the gun around. “Who’s laughing now, fuckface?”

  “Neither one of us. Put the gun down, Michael. You have a rap sheet. Shoot a cop? What is that going to get you? You really want life in prison, go right ahead,” I sneered at him. “But you’ll only get off one shot. All it’s going to do is make sure Cherry will bring all the donuts I want to my bedside.”

  “Not if I shoot you in the fucking head.”

  “Either way, you go to jail forever, Michael. You think they’re not going to find you? My partner is going to make Detective next month. She’s amazing. I dare you to try to take her on. You gonna kill a kid too? Because Jamal isn’t afraid to do what’s right.”