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“Um, are you guys really going to keep watch over me?” I asked cautiously.
“Yeah. Our shifts aren’t the same, so we can take turns. We don’t mind.” Alex answered.
“Okay. I just don’t want to impose. None of us really asked for all this. I was just walking my dog and all of a sudden, I’m in the middle of a James Patte
rson novel. Parker is all jumpy because he thinks he is working again.”
“Working?” Max asked.
“Oh. Yeah. He was a troop in Afghanistan. My good black Lab, Parker.” I smiled to myself. Damn, did I love that dog. I mean really; besides Dina and Martha, he was my only friend. A very loyal, good dog. They were hard to come by, but I appreciated it.
“That’s fucking cool, Rose. How did you happen to get him? If you don’t mind my asking,” Alex asked me.
“Parker was the only thing my dad had left to leave to me when he died. But Parker is kind of famous, in a way. Sometimes the guys from his old squad stop by and see him. I think I’ve dated at least all of them, kind of weird. I have no idea why I said that out loud.” I started laughing, but I realized it could have been my subconscious hinting that I was okay with…whatever I was feeling between the three of them.
“I like your candidness, people berate me for mine all the time.” Nate sighed like he was actually hurt, making me laugh. He was very funny.
And his hand was still burning a hole in my thigh. I wondered if he would be at all offended by me not touching his thigh back. Or touching him in some place.
“How old is Parker?” Max asked.
“Uh, I don’t really know. I never met him until…until he was given to me. I might ask the vet the next time I go. Do you guys have pets?”
“Besides women, no.” Nate deadpanned. I couldn’t hold back my gasp and I turned to look at him.
Alex and Max were laughing. “I’m joking,” Nate clarified. I visibly relaxed and also started laughing.
It was almost the ride of my life. I had never been glad to live so far away. But we were finally about ten minutes out.
“So, with this case, could it really be a serial killer? I mean, what if people are just being targeted and have no idea. It honestly didn’t look like the victim had done anything wrong. It was almost like he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe a robbery or something, probably why he was dressed so nice. Was his wallet on him?” I realized I had gone off on another tangent, but I couldn’t help it at this point. Besides, they thought it was cute. I didn’t have to apologize for it anymore.
“Uh…that’s a good question. Blues?” Alex asked Max and Nate. They both shrugged.
“We weren’t first on the scene. But that is something we can consider. What with the similarities in the victims, if it ends up being connected.”
“Why the strangulation though?” Max asked, but Alex gave him a look that kind of shut him up. I realized it was because I was present.
“I understand. You don’t want to scare the civilian. Don’t worry. I won’t get my feelings hurt or anything.”
I leaned back and stared out the window. Nate squeezed my thigh as if in appreciation or something. I continued to stare out the window, and watch the skyscrapers pass by. We were almost to my place, and I already saw some yellow tape coming up.
“Alex do you not have an exciting story to tell me? It could be my bedtime story.” I was tired, and flirting, and unapologetic. But I knew Alex was obviously the quieter of the two, and less animated.
I guess that was the problem. They were all so characteristically different, and physically different too. It made me wonder what the hell I really wanted in a man, to be able to be attracted to three different men. Alex was dark and mysterious, a truly brooding man with delicious muscles to match. And Max was like the level headed, yet fun loving guy with movie star looks and muscles. Nate…he just made me giggly. And he was so delicious too, his face having a permanent stubble on it I could run my fingers through. His body was solid, and his hand pressed on my thigh like it had the greatest purpose known to man. It was running right to my core.
Then I started to wonder what could be wrong with me. I mean, I was thinking about having all three of them in my apartment. That was insane. And exciting. Mostly exciting, but still weird. Oh, and I couldn’t forget the fact that we were in the middle of an unknown crime. It could be a serial killer, it could be an accident, it could be a shit storm the media would spin until they ran dizzy with themselves. So much unknown and I did not have enough space in my head for all of it.
Work wasn’t that taxing, it stayed at work when I left. But I had my own things going on in my head. Everything was just piling on too fast.
“I don’t really have one.”
“Oh, come on. Give me something to think about when I’m in my bed, trying to fall asleep tonight.” I giggled a bit at my forwardness.
I glanced at him in the rearview mirror. God, his eyes were so intense. They ran right to my core, and it was…unnerving.
“I don’t know, Rose. I’m kind of a…chips-fall-where-they-may type of guy. I was doing nothing until I just came across the academy. Then I met dumb and dumber over here…”
“Cry me a river, detective,” Nate teased him. They all laughed, and it was genuinely sweet to see such close friends together.
