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I sighed and brushed the hair off of her face. “You’re right. I’m inherently hot. All the time. Cuddling makes me sweat.” I paused. “But that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t cuddle you if you wanted it. You’d just have to deal with my sticky body pressing to yours.”
She snickered.
“I think I’m okay,” she said. “When I need you, I’ll find you.”
With those words, she reached up, pressed a kiss to my surprised mouth, then rolled back to her side. “’Night, Lock.”
I tugged her covers up to her chin and said, “’Night, baby.”Chapter 11Not to be dramatic, but it’s only fucking Tuesday.
-Lock’s secret thoughts
Lock
“We have a new guy starting today.” Captain Morgan dropped his booted feet to the ground beside his desk. “I want you all to welcome him. Treat him like you would any of the rest of the guys here. But also, swear to Christ, don’t stare at him.”
I frowned.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I asked. “And is this the one that was supposed to start months ago but never showed?”
Captain Morgan rubbed his tired face.
“Yes,” he confirmed. “Man suffered from some severe PTSD. Plus, he had a bit of recovering to do that they didn’t realize he had to do.”
“They?” I asked.
“The doctors that released him for duty.” He paused. “He’s healthy. Just…for God’s sake, don’t stare at him.”
It wasn’t until I was standing in the hall waiting for my partner for the day that I realized what he meant.
The man heading my way was tall, broad-shouldered, and looked strong.
That was until he came closer and I could see his face.
It was fucked. Up.
The man had scars all along his body. On his hands. Every inch of exposed skin. Hell, he even had scars on his head. The black of his hair was doing a fairly good job at concealing those, though.
The rest, though?
Not so much.
The man’s eyes caught mine as he continued to walk, and I could tell that he was cataloging me just the same as I was cataloging him.
I held my hand out when he got close, and the man took my hand, shaking it firmly twice before dropping it.
“Malachi Stokes,” Captain Morgan said. “This is your partner for the day, Lock Downy. Lock, this is Malachi.”
I nodded once at Malachi.
Something about him seemed familiar, but I couldn’t tell what.
“Nice to meet you,” I said. “You done any police work before?”
Malachi’s eyes went from me to Captain Morgan then back.
“Guess he didn’t explain,” Malachi muttered.
My brows rose. “Explain what?”
Malachi sighed and squeezed his eyes shut, blocking out his intense, strange silvery/gray gaze for a long moment before reopening them. “It might be easier, Captain Morgan, if you could just tell everyone what’s fucking wrong with me so I don’t have to tell the story twelve times.”
Captain Morgan grunted. “I will if you want me to. But son, just sayin’, they’re curious little fuckers. Me talking to them won’t stop them from wondering. Won’t stop them from asking more questions.”
Malachi sighed. “I suppose that’s true.”
I was utterly curious now.
I wanted to know what in the fuck they were talking about.
Captain Morgan crossed his arms over his chest as if he was contemplating what to say.
“I can’t remember any of my life,” Malachi said, surprising me. “Up until about three months ago when I woke up in a hospital bed in Germany. The only thing I had on me was my credentials, my dog tags, and the knowledge that I was fucked up…but didn’t know why.”
I blinked.
“You don’t remember anything?” I asked in surprise.
“Nothing,” he confirmed. “Not my life before. Not my life during captivity. Not my life after. Not a goddamn thing.”
Well, that just fuckin’ sucked.
“I went the police officer route since my background showed that I was already a licensed peace officer. I went ahead and took a refresher course since I couldn’t remember any of it.” He paused. “And I came here because apparently that’s where my emergency contact and last known address is.”
I nodded to his face. “That happen during captivity?”
He nodded. “It did,” he said, not looking offended in the least. “Apparently they had me for a little over a year.”
He sounded so unsure that it fuckin’ hurt to see.
“Shit,” I said. “That’s just a goddamn shame.”
Malachi burst out laughing. “Don’t I know it. Don’t I know it.”
Captain Morgan bid us a good day and left, leaving me to show Malachi the ropes.
“You have a place here?” I asked as I walked toward the door that would lead us to our motorcycles.
“No. Well, yes, now I do. When I arrived, no. My parents were here, then moved once I enlisted. They live in Florida, so I’m just here, I guess. Wasn’t sure where to go. Thought being ‘home’ might jog my memories. So far, nothin’,” he mumbled. “I rent an apartment right outside of town.”
