KelseaN: I'm really sorry about what happened at my apartment. I've never allowed a woman to sleep over, because I was scared of what would happen. When I was a teenager, I would wake up with my hand tight around a pillow. I've never given myself a chance to see what would happen with someone else…until you.K: I told you, I'm not upset with you, I'm sorry you have those memories and I would do anything to help you get over them, if you would allow me to.I bite my thumb nail, wondering how he's going to respond to what I've said. With him, I'm not ever sure how he will react.N: Shrinks don't work with me. Back when I first came to live with my parents, they sent me to a shrink, who put me on some medication. The medicine took away my feelings totally. I was like a zombie and I hated it.K: So how did you convince them to take you off of it?N: I told them I was better, that I hadn't had a nightmare in a long time.Oh my God, he lied to them, and he's been dealing with
NickI'm just about to clock out for my shift when a call comes over the radio, advising us of a disturbance at the Urgent Clinic. My adrenaline spikes because I know that's where Kels is. It worries me since we've been texting most of the day, but she didn't describe a disturbance. "Dispatch, show me as responding."Flipping the lights and shoving my foot against the pedal, I feel the acceleration, gripping the steering wheel tight. If there's one thing I appreciate about my job, it's the ability and permission to drive just on this side of out of control. Approaching an intersection, I slow, checking to make sure I'm seen, before driving through it. "Three minutes out," I inform dispatch. "Right behind you." I hear Ransom's voice come over the radio. Hearing him gives me a feeling of safety, knowing my best friend has my back. If I were to ever have a partner on the job, it would be him. The three minutes it takes me to get there feels like years. Ransom pulls up right b
Kelsea"So what's the plan?" I ask, moving my hand down Nick's arm before grabbing his hand in mine. He's an anchor, keeping me solid when all I want to do is rage at the injustice of all of this. "There has to be a plan." Glancing a look over at him, I can see he looks just about how I feel – like I'm going to throw up right here on the floor. Or maybe scream, just to get the nerves out. This moment is so crucial. A child's life remains in the balance of what happens in this one set of circumstances that probably will end up being a few short seconds of his entire life. I feel the pressure as I take a deep breath, blowing it out slowly, hoping to relieve some of the tension."He'll go into foster care," Nick says, his voice monotone, his body tight. "Right?" He barks so harshly that I feel sorry for this woman. "You'll put him in some group home, or with a couple who only take children because they get the kickbacks from the government.""There are many options…""Don't give m
Ryan (Renegade)As soon as I see my son walk through the doors of my shop, I know something's wrong. His shoulders are dejected, his eyes have an anger in them I haven't seen in years. I'm worried, even though I know he's a man now. Hell, he's been a man since he was a teenager. I still worry though, really worry that he'll never be able to overcome the way he was brought into this world."Hey, Dad." He waves slightly before turning to shut the door."Hey," I answer back, not stopping the crib I'm working on."Did Stella and Ransom tell you?" He nods to the piece in front of me.I can't help the wide smile that spreads across my face. "Yeah, shoulda known they told you first. You and Stella have always had a close relationship.""We have." He walks over to the refrigerator I keep in here. Carefully I watch him open the door, pull a beer out, then come sit down on one of the empty benches. He's still in full gear, and no matter how badly I want to press him, I know I shou
Kelsea"What are you going to do with your apartment?" Dad demands as I sit in the living room telling him about the decision Nick and I have made.It feels a little like I'm being interrogated by Officer Harrison right now. While I can understand why he's suspicious, it's still uncomfortable for me. I've never been the type of person to make waves."We're still in preliminary stages right now, but the plan is for Cutter to take over the lease, and he'll keep the furniture. We'll see what the future holds as far as all of that goes."I look between my mom and dad as they share a conversation between their eyes. I'm proud to say I've never been the type of kid who did something to embarrass or disappoint them. For the most part I've been a good kid most of my life. I'm beginning to think I'm about to get yelled at."Kels." Mom crosses her legs, leaning forward with her elbow on her knee. "Do you think this is a good idea? We all know how you feel about Nick, have known it for
WhitneyI'm nervous as I stand outside the door of my son's apartment. Anyone probably would be, especially if they were about to bulldoze their way into his life. My stomach churns as I knock on the door, not because I'm scared of him, but because I know he's so private. He likes to live his life on his terms, has been like that since we adopted him.The door opens, and a slight grin kicks up the side of his mouth. The smile I've only seen him smile at me. Sometimes I get the feeling he tolerates certain people, but I truly believe this kid loves his family. "Momma?""Hey." I give him a smile back. "I hope you aren't busy."His eyes are wide, and I can tell he wants to be busy, but knowing him, his apartment is immaculate. "Can I come in?" He can never tell me no, and I'm fully aware of it."Sure." He holds the door open for me. I go in, immediately sitting on the couch. "Your dad told me what's going on with this boy. I have to tell you, Nick, what you're doing is am
KelseaThe last two days have been the longest of my life as Nick and I have prepared to go before the judge. From what we heard, his dad was served and he'll be appearing. I'm not sure how I feel about that exactly. He's always been a faceless enemy to me.Nick and I sit in the court room; we're not allowed to sit next to our attorney, but we're in the front row, right behind him. Nick looks spectacular in his uniform, and I took extra care with my dress and curling my hair this morning. Yesterday we had the home visit, which expedited us to serve as foster parents to Darren, and I'm scared to death we won't leave here with him today. "You okay?" Nick asks as he leans in. "Scared to death they'll think we aren't the best thing for him," I admit, my hand shaking slightly as I smooth my dress over my thighs. He reaches over, grabbing my hand in his. The warmth feels fills a spot in my body that's been cold for longer than I can remember. "We've got this." He smiles widel
NickTo say I'm nervous would be an understatement. Darren rides in the back seat of my extended cab truck. I wasn't precisely sure if we'd leave court with him today, but after meeting with the foster family who was taking care of him at the attorney's office, here we are.I'd be lying if I said we were completely comfortable with one another right now. To be honest, this ride is downright painful. Luckily for me, Kels can talk to a fucking brick wall."Are you excited to start a new school? You'll have quasi-relations there. My niece and nephew go to the one you're going to go to, and my mom teaches for the district. She used to teach high school, but last year she took a position that allows her to go into all classes and observe. So you may see her, too. Eventually you'll meet everybody, but I can assure you my niece and nephew are the cream of the crop." She grins proudly back at him. I can see that even from where I sit."That's good." Darren speaks softly. "I didn't have
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