"So, you're telling me as an officer, thatyou want her to ride a motorized vehicle without a helmet. Is that what you'resaying to me right now, Officer Ortega?!" Luis asked provokingly.
"Guys," she interrupted holding herhands, cutting off Victor before he could respond. "It's no bigdeal," she looked pointedly over to Luis. "It's not like I'm gettingon the street with it."
"Like hell you're not," Cade mumbledand she ignored him.
Turning back to Victor, she gave him a smile."Okay, let's just try it."
Nodding, Victor turned from the guys and held thebike steady as she got on. Putting one foot onto the pedal, she braced herselfwith the other as she felt the rest of the people quiet behind her and payattention to what she was doing. Feeling a little self-conscious at theattention, she focused on Victor's instructions to where he wanted her to rideto and turn around at.
With one last nod, Maritzia turned on the bikeand began to pedal. Proud of herself for immediately remembering how to balancethe bike between her legs, she twisted the throttle on the handlebar and feltthe bike kick up beneath her.
Everything happened really fast. One second, shewas riding slowly away from the group and the next she was already at the endof the street, not slowing down at all where she was supposed to. Panicked, shestared at the oncoming intersection as she sped towards it.
"Maritzia, brake!" The booming commandof Cade's voice acted like a jolt to her system. Letting go of the throttle,she clutched the lever underneath her left hand and pulled the bike to a hardstop at the curb's edge.
"Put the kickstand down and get off the damnbike." The deep angry command was closer now and she turned to see himjogging towards her followed by the crowd.
Embarrassed, she looked down and carefullycomplied with the command, making sure to set the bike up steady beforeswinging her leg off.
"My God, you’re talking to me like asuspect," she laughed nervously, glancing up at Cade's stony face, heartwas still pounding. She wasn't sure which was scarier, Cade's angry tone or thenear accident.
"I'm talking to you like a man who almostwatched you kill yourself," Cade growled reaching out for her.
But Victor was already there, wedging himselfbetween her and Cade, pulling her into a hug.
"Babe, are you okay?" Victor let out anervous laugh, his eyes filled with worry. "I nearly had a heart attackback there. You went directly for the street."
"Your gift nearly got her killed," Cadecorrected furiously.
Feeling Victor's hand tense against her shequickly spoke up. "Yeah, I'm fine, but I don't think my bike skills haveimproved," she laughed and stepped back. Looking to Cade she frowned."Besides, what was that? Your dom voice or something?"
Cade's eyes went wide as some of the othersaround them started laughing. Blinking in surprise, a slow handsome smile brokeout over Cade's face and Maritzia was happy to see the furious anger in hiseyes fade away.
"My what?!" he laughed, his eyesdancing with humor. "We go to one sex dungeon on a case and now you're anexpert enough to throw around the lingo?"
"I think I am, becausethat,"she wiggled a finger at his gorgeous face, "was not a voice I have everheard you use before. It was terrifying."
"Itwasvery commanding,"Valerie added with a wink.
Cade had the nerve to blush while giving them adimpled smile. "Regardless, you scared the hell out of me," hemumbled, turning around with a hand on the back of his neck. "If you mustride that damn thing, do it in a park. A very big, flat park while wearing agiant helmet."
Behind them, a few of Victor's cousins beganplaying with the bike and she could hear Victor turn to argue with them sayinghe should be next.
Walking alongside Cade, she gave him a playfulsalute. "Roger that."
~*~
Opening her front door, Maritzia carefully pulledthe jangling keys from the lock and stepped inside to set them quietly on theside table.
The lights clicked on around her.
"Maritzia, where have you been?"Standing in the middle of the living room, Victor stood in his boxers andt-shirt with his arms folded, glaring accusingly at her.
Maritzia didn't bother suppressing the sigh.Lifting her water bottle, she shook the half-empty yellow plastic bottle athim. "I went downstairs to the gym," she explained dismissively asshe let the keys drop heavily onto the glass table-top from her hand, no longercaring how much noise they made.
She was surprised yet proud at herself how shedidn't feel the usual sense of dread at his anger. Honestly, she just didn'tcare what he felt like anymore. Not after the argument they had earlier thatnight. An argument so intense she found herself wide awake at midnight juststaring at the ceiling in their bedroom as he slept soundly by her side.
Was this what forever was going to feel like? Thequestion had begun as a whisper deep in her mind and turned into a never-endingchant ringing throughout her head. Earlier that day, she had gotten off of workhappy. She and Cade had completed all of their cases for the week and had a veryeasy-going day. The sun had been bright and the crisp air had felt revitalizingthrough her open windows on her drive home. She had felt good.
