Shelby"You're not telling me what I wanna know, Ransom." I blow out a breath, annoyed at the man standing in front of me. He adjusts his stance, crossing his arms over his chest. Rambo whines, sitting at attention. The dog knows me, I reach out and give him a pet on the head. When I look back up at Ransom, he's side-eyeing me. "Shelby, if it were up to me, I'd give you the info you want, but you have to make an open records request. It's an ongoing investigation.""That's horseshit and you know it. If I'd been listening to the scanner, I would've heard it.""Then I suggest you get a scanner, or talk to your BFF Sullivan and see if he can help you."This time I cross my arms over my chest, tilting my head to the side. "I have a scanner. Don't be a dick, Ransom."He chuckles, uncrossing his arms and running a hand down his face. "Not my intention, Counselor.""Don't call me that," I snap."But it's okay for Sully to call you that, huh? I'm tellin' ya. Go talk to him,
Sullivan"If my mama found out, she'd kill me." I wave off the money Shelby is trying to force into my hand. "Besides, you brought the drinks." I pick my cup up, downing it as I make my way to the door. The doorbell rings again. "Coming.""That'll be twenty-three even."I put thirty in the delivery guy's hand. "Keep the change."Shelby's at my kitchen counter again, mixing herself another drink. "You sure you want a second one so quick?""Today's been a real shit day, Sully." She uses her finger to stir, before bringing it up to her mouth. The way she closes her lips around the tip goes right to my dick. I know she didn't mean for it to, but I'm a man who finds her attractive. I can't seem to help it. Walking over, I grab her hand, before bringing it up to my lips. "Why don't you let me make it better for you?"Her eyes are dark as she watches my movements, seeming to take in every single one. "Oh yeah?" She brings her bottom lip in between her teeth. "What would you
ShelbyEverything on my body shakes as Sullivan stands, dragging me along with him. I'm almost positive my brain is somewhere on the kitchen floor beneath us when he grabs hold of my hair, pushing me down to my knees.His hand wraps around the back of my neck, before bringing it down, tilting my chin up. The gravel in his voice is enough to put goosebumps on every inch of my exposed skin.His thumb rubs over my lips, both harsh and gentle at the same time. "If you feel uncomfortable, let me know. I'll never go further than you allow, but I warn you, Counselor, I can be overwhelming."Sucking his thumb between my lips, I run my tongue around the tip before letting him withdraw. "Maybe I want overwhelming."Eyes the color of coffee cloud with a desire I've never seen from any other man I've been with. Male hands answer with jerky movements unbutton his jeans and slide the denim along with his boxers to the floor. "You ready?" The tone dark, sexual, and every bit as dangerous
Sullivan"You've got a weird grin on your face.""Am I not allowed to grin?""You're normally not this jovial.""I always am when I'm with you, Ro." I throw my arm around my sister's neck, pulling her in tightly as we stroll through downtown Laurel Springs. It's cold today, our breath visible in the daylight. She snuggles in closely, allowing me to block the wind. "Don't give me bullshit, Sully. What's got you smiling so much?"We're in the square, and my eyes inadvertently go to Shelby's office. There's no denying it when Ro squeals, turning fully to face me."You and Shelby?""It's new." I hold my hands up, surrendering. She's a better interrogator than I am. "I'm not even sure what's going on with us.""What do you mean? You should be positive about this woman."Shoving my fists in my uniform pants, I shrug into myself. "If there's anything I've learned, I can't be positive until I know for sure.""I'm sorry about things ended with you and Candice."I haven'
SullivanI make sure I don't turn my back on the two of them as I escort her toward my patrol car. When we get there, I lean against it so I can keep an eye on what's occurring over at the door."Can you tell me what happened here tonight?" I ask her carefully."Nothing." She folds her arms over her chest, effectively trying to shut me out.With eyes that have watched too many other women in this situation, I see it all. The dried tears along her cheeks, the makeup she's tried to put on in a rush to conceal what's been done to her, the smeared mascara. The signs are all there, but there's one that gets me every time.The eyes.They always tell what the mouth won't. The fear, sadness, isolation, and hopelessness of a situation they can't seem to change."You're safe.""I know I am." She raises her chin slightly. "My husband would never hurt me."I wonder how many times she's told herself those words as she cleans up her face, or puts a homemade splint on a sprain.
ShelbyGlancing at the clock, I blow out a relieved breath when I see it reads five. This has been one of the longest work days ever. Probably because my night with Sullivan ran late.A smirk plays along my lips as I think about what Sully and I did in his apartment. Today I haven't heard from him, but that's not completely unusual. More than likely he's been busy, just like I have.My phone buzzes with a text, and I grab it as if it could walk away at any second.K: We still on for coffee?S: YES! Will be there ASAP, closing up the office right now.Coffee with Karsyn. I can't believe I forgot. Start thinking about Sullivan and everything else leaves my brain. Quickly, I grab my briefcase and purse, throw my coat over my arm, and hurry to the door. I guess I'm lucky A Whole Latte Love, the new coffee shop in town, is about a block from my office. Setting the alarm is second nature, and then I'm on the sidewalk. There aren't many people out and about today. As I shive
Sullivan"Pass the fuckin' ball, Ransom." I hold my hands up, showing I'm open. He glances over at me, trying to find a place where he can do as I've asked. He's being double-teamed by Cutter and Devante. "Whatcha gonna do now?" Cutter talks shit to his brother. "We're all on you like white on rice.""Get a new analogy." He lobs the ball over his head, about as far from me as he can get. Since they're both surrounding him though, it allows me to make a break for it, but so does Tank, who's on their team. I see him diving for it, so I do the same, knowing I'm taller than him and have longer arms. We hit the hardwood floor together, but I manage to tip the ball in favor of my team.This will fucking hurt tomorrow, or maybe even tonight, but I can't deny how good it feels to get physical on the court. This is something I needed, especially after having to deal with Frank Gentry.The two of us push ourselves up on shaky arms."You alright?" he asks, bending over at the wais
ShelbyAs I leave the bathroom, I chance another look back at Sully. He's already rested his head against the tub, and seems to be deep in his thoughts. I can't help but wonder who takes care of him, after he takes care of the rest of the world. My heart speeds up to scary levels when I realize I want to be that person for him. It's the first time I've ever had those thoughts about someone else. I would have to have them during one of the most transitional points of my life. Shaking my head, I walk to the kitchen, trying to figure out what I can make him for dinner. I haven't been grocery shopping in a while. I'm very much content with cereal and a banana for dinner more often than not, but I know that won't do for the man in my bathroom. Rifling through the cabinets, I spot some rice. Pulling it out, I check the expiration date, because I'm pretty sure I brought this from my old apartment. Sweet, two months to go. "He'll want something to off-set the carbs." I look behin
MenacePresent TimeIt's been a hell of a day. One where I got here late in the afternoon because I had meetings. Something I've learned since taking this position a few months ago is that it's mostly meetings. It's keeping people happy and kissing a lot of ass. My legs ache to get back out on the street, to do a couple laps around downtown, or to drive a car fast. To chase a speeder with the lights bright and the siren blaring. I miss it more than I thought I would. It's close to midnight and I know Rina will be wondering where the hell I am, but I wanted to get a look at what went on today by reading the reports of the officers. This is something I do everyday so I can try to gauge how my officers are doing. It's important for me to know if there's an issue in town. If someone is a nuisance, do we need to step up patrols in certain areas? Community policing is the name of my game and I take it seriously. Reading the last report, submitted by Caleb
ArcherA Year And A Half LaterNerves make circles in my stomach as I stand outside of Laurel Springs Medical waiting for Alisa to come out. She doesn't know I'm here and, the truth is, I didn't know I was going to be either. I've been carrying this ring around in my pocket for the last year and a half of the two years we've been together. Waiting. For what, I'm not sure. The right time? The perfect moment? We live together. I could've done it a million times, but there's something different about these stars against the inky blackness of the sky. They aren't crazy bright, but they aren't muted either. They're sparkling. The perfect backdrop to the plan I have. Tonight, as I helped a woman leave a dangerous domestic violence situation, I realized I'm wasting precious and valuable time. Even after dealing with Calvert County, it didn't hit me that seconds are to be treated with the same reverence as the big events in life. Lo
Alisa"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" "Yes." I nod as I sit before the grand jury to give my testimony about what happened with Officer Fugate. "Please tell us when you first met him," the attorney instructs. Archer is sitting in the back row, all hot in his uniform. I don't know how he managed to be here, but he has and it's one of the sweetest things he's done for me. I'm not sure I could be doing this without his dark eyes staring back at me. "I met him when he brought a suspect into the ER. It was obvious that man had been beaten badly and it didn't happen only once. After that day, it happened on a regular basis…"ArcherUshering Lis into the station is like sending a babe into the belly of the beast. She's never been here before, doesn't know how things work, and could honestly be scared, given everything she's dealt with. I'd like to kill Officer Fugate with my own two hands.
ArcherIt's a gully washer tonight, as my instructor at the Academy always said when it rained hard. Visibility fucking sucks and I've worked more accidents tonight than I have in the previous three months. It's as if when it rains, no one can remember how to drive. It's hard to even see out of my windshield but, as I pass one of the abandoned gas stations on the outskirts of town, I see another cop stopped.They're an eyesore and, at the next city planning meeting, there's going to be a vote on demolishing them. They're a breeding ground for drug use and criminals. We've put up cameras to show what happens at night when there aren't patrols going back and forth. Since it's raining and dark, I figure I'll hit them, just to make sure nothing's going on that shouldn't be.As I round the corner. I'm surprised as fuck to see Alisa's car parked next to a Calvert County patrol SUV. She's kneeling in front of a cop who has a taser pointed at her. My heart gallops in my chest as I wonder
Archer"Chief Harrison wants to see you," Tank tells me as I make my way into the squad room. I have no idea what I've done and am immediately questioning what the hell is going on. I try to do everything by the book and I can't remember anything I might've done that was untoward. My stomach rolls as I head toward his office. I've never been called before him before and, truth be told, I never wanted to be. When I reach the door, I knock with a double tap. "C'mon in." Opening it enough so that I can sneak my head in, I glance at the Chief. "You wanted to see me, Sir?" "Yeah, come in and have a seat. There's a few things we need to discuss." I don't like the sound of this shit at all. Going in, I have a seat in the chair facing his desk and prepare to get my ass handed to me. "Officer Fugate has made a complaint and I'm bound by state laws to investigate those complaints." "I told you what happened," I defend myself. "He'
Alisa"Thank you for coming tonight," he says as we enter my apartment. "You don't have to thank me. You've saved me more times than I can count." I grin, taking my jacket off. "Come sit over here on the couch with me. You look a little stressed." "They do that to me." He waves his hand toward the street where his parents have just left. "They always make me feel like I'm not good enough, as if I should've done something different with my life." "I know how that feels." I beckon him over with a crook of my finger. "Let me take care of this tension for you, Archie. Let me show you what the fuck your parents are missing." Something about the way they don't appreciate their son has me wanting to show him just how much I do. How important he is to my life. One of the ways I can think of showing him is with my body. Fuck if that isn't exciting. Reaching for my shirt, I pull it over my head, motioning for him to do the same. In a lazy game o
ArcherI'm heading into the squad room at the station to pick up some supplies when the phone in my pocket rings loudly. There aren't many people I have set ringtones for, but this one? I hate when it rings. It's my parents. Not wanting to make whichever one this is wait, I hurriedly answer. It's always struck me as odd. They were so quick to get me out of their lives, yet they do everything together, including share a fucking cell phone. That's right, they share this phone, which means I never know who I'm going to talk to when I put it to my ear. Talk about a surprise every time I answer. "Hello?" I wait for the response. It's always delayed as if they're on some far away phone line. "Archer, it's Dad." No fucking shit. "Hey Dad," I answer, wondering if he'll continue on or if I'll have to pull the words from him like teeth. "What's going on?" "Your mom and I will be in Laurel Springs tonight. We'd like to have dinner w
AlisaHis body over mine is equal parts hot and hard in all the right places. Our naked skin slides together as he leans down to take the tight bud of my nipple in his mouth. "Yes." I tilt my head back against the pillows, allowing him full reign over my body. "Please don't stop," I beg as I rake my hands over his strong back before digging my fingers into the hair on his head. "Never gonna stop," he promises as he sucks at the prominent tip, before letting it go and moving further down. I'm still unsure of how we got our clothes off. All I know is they're in a pile next to the bed. He moves down my body, kissing my stomach before he drops onto his knees and pulls me to the edge. Separating my thighs, he props them up on his shoulders, gazing up at me with those dark eyes before he dips down. His warm mouth covers my pussy, going straight for my clit and lapping against the trembling flesh. "Archer," I moan, lifting my hips to meet his mouth. "It's been so fucki
Archer "Look guy." I hope me using that term pisses him off. "This isn't even your jurisdiction. What the fuck right did you have to pull her over?" "It's Officer Fugate," he corrects me, before continuing on. "She failed to signal a turn." I'm real annoyed. "You got that on your dash cam?" I point to where his camera is mounted on the dash. "It wasn't on." He shrugs. "How fucking convenient for you." I smirk, shaking my head. "It's something the garage knows about, but the budget is lean over in Calvert County." He eyes me. My gaze is on Alisa who's sitting in her car with her hands locked around her steering wheel. She's white-knuckling as he and I stand out here, yelling at one another. "I'm not allowing you to ticket her without proof. Did you radio it in?" His cheeks go red, which tells me all I need to know. "You son of a bitch. You think you can intimidate her? Officers like you give the rest of us a bad name." Going in