AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I let out a snort and throw my head back before moving to the sounds of the band’s cover ofBang Bang. I’m not going to lie. This cover band is kind of amazing. I’m having a great time shaking my ass and hips all over this dance floor. A few guys have approached me to dance and I’ve let them since they’ve allbeen respectful and kept their hands to themselves. This was just the kind of night I needed to let loose and stop thinking about the piercing green and hazel eyes of my neighbor.
After a few more drinks and dances, I’m about ready to leave and look around for Jenna who is no longer on the floor in front of the band. I do a quick scan and see her in a dimly lit corner making out with her very own personal Clark Kent.
I smile and head towards her. I clear my throat a few times to get her attention but neither one of them seems to notice me, so I reach in and tap her on the shoulder. She reluctantly removes her mouth from her companion’s and I swear I can hear a gross suction sound.
“Hey, I’m gonna head home if you’re alright.” Her brows furrow and she starts to extract her limbs from the panting boy that has her pressed up against the wall. “I can take you home.”
I shake my head emphatically at her. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll catch a Lyft home. As long as you’re sure you’re good?” I eye Clark Kent carefully. I know Jenna can take care of herself but that doesn’t mean I don’t worry about leaving her with some guy. Though at least she didn’t just meet him at the bar tonight.
“I’m totally good.” She bites her lip and looks between me and Clark. “Are you sure you’ll be okay getting a ride?”
“Absolutely.” I smile. “Text me when you get home safe, okay?”
“As long as you don’t expect the text until morning,” she says with a giggle.
I roll my eyes and then turn my attention to the guy who is still wrapped around her, albeit more loosely than when I walked up. I reach out and quickly poke him in the chest, making sure I’ve got his attention. “Hey, you. Let me see your license.”
“Uhhhhh.” He looks at me quizzically, but the tone of my voice doesn’t allow for any argument. He reaches into his backpocket and pulls out his wallet before taking out the requested card. He hands it over and I examine it closely.
“Michael Hicks,” I read under my breath. I pull my phone out of my tiny clutch and snap a picture of it before handing it back to him. “If anything happens to my friend, just remember I will find you.” He reaches out to take it back, but I pull it away at the last second. “Just so you know, I threatened a fucking billionaire the other day with death if he hurt one of my friends. What do you think I’ll do to you if something happens to her?” I gesture to Jenna with a nod of my head before putting the card back within his reach. He takes it, with a now slightly shaking hand and stuffs it back in his wallet.
“You don’t have to worry about me, I’ll take care of her.”
“You better.” I narrow my eyes on him so he knows I mean business. I wasn’t joking when I threatened to murder hotel mogul Archer Clarke and bury him in the foundation of one of Dad’s buildings if he hurt Hollie again. Murdering this guy and getting away with it would be cake.
I make sure to pay my tab and head out of the bar. As I step out into the crisp evening air, I’m thrilled that it’s not raining. The air smells clean and it’s refreshing after being in the dimly lit and stuffy bar for the past few hours.
I pull up my phone to order a car but see that the closest one is going to take forty-five minutes to get here. What the fuck? We live in a major city, shouldn’t there be more drivers? Then again it is a Monday. I let out a sigh, knowing that I can probably walk home before the car even gets here. I look up to the sky and see a smattering of stars but there isn’t a cloud in sight.
I’m not too far from home, besides it’s a really beautiful night. I’m not even tipsy, maybe just a little buzzed. I cancel my ride and start to walk down the empty but well-lit street, thinking about the nice long bath I’m going to take to soak my feet as soon as I get home.
Chapter Six
Carson
I should have been home hours ago. Instead, I’m deep into overtime. The department wasn’t kidding when they said they were short staffed. At least it hasn’t been anything too dangerous tonight. Well, more dangerous than the usual stuff. We just finished taking a report from a local car dealership that had several vehicle thefts. We told the owner we would do everything we could to find the culprit, and we will, but if this was Los Angeles, those luxury cars would already be in a chop shop or tucked away in a container ship headed God knows where.
We were on our way back to the station, ready to pack it in for the night when we got another call. There was an armed robbery at a convenience store and apparently all the other detective units are busy at the moment. Luckily, the suspect was already apprehended but it looks like two people were injured. It’s our job to head over there, gather evidence, and try to make some sense of what happened so we can prosecute the robber. I barely manage to suppress a groan and just rub my eyes instead.Between interviewing witnesses and talking to the victims, not to mention bagging and tagging any evidence, this is going to take another couple of hours at least.
The only bright spot is that I’ll be making as shit ton of money with all this overtime. Thank God for Gloria. I don’t know what I would do without her. I should have been there to pick Oliver up from her place five hours ago, instead she assured me I shouldn’t worry and he could spend the night at her place.
Guilt floods my brain and heart when this happens. He’s my responsibility, not hers. And to be honest, when he’s not at home with me, I miss him. It was a rough go in the beginning, both of us feeling each other out, tiptoeing around each other. But over the months as we settled in and got more comfortable, things slowly began to change. I never thought it would be possible, but I love that kid and would do anything for him.
I shoot Gloria another text letting her know it’s still going to be a few more hours before I can pick up Oliver but when I look at my watch I notice it’s well after midnight, there’s no way she’s awake. I’ll have to pick him up in the morning. At least I’m not on until the late shift tomorrow. Or, well, today. Just as I’m scrolling through my earlier conversation with Gloria, trying to reassure myself that she really is okay taking care of him, I hear Rafe let out a curse beside me.
“Fuck. What is this shit show?”
I look up through the windshield as we pull up to the store and my eyes widen. He’s not kidding. I don’t know what the fuck happened here, but this place is a mess.
As I’m pulling myself out of the unmarked car I see one ambulance take off, lights flashing and sirens wailing, shuttling its passenger off to the nearest hospital.
There’s another bus in the tiny parking lot with its doors open and two EMTs are trying to push a man on a gurney towards it. Too bad he doesn’t appear to be behaving toocooperatively. I take a closer look and see that not only does he have blood streaming down the right side of his face from underneath the sterile bandage he has pressed against his eye, but he’s also handcuffed to the metal side of the gurney.
Huh. How the hell did he get hurt? Dispatch said he was the one that was armed. As I get closer I can hear the man on the gurney screaming. Not in pain but at somebody across the parking lot.
“You crazy bitch! You almost took my fucking eye out!”
“You’re lucky that’s all I did motherfucker, after hitting that nice old man in the head with a gun. What did you think was going to happen?”
