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“It’s Saturday, so um…ten. My first patient comes at ten thirty.” I don’t know why I’m telling him every detail. I’m rambling. “I can make us something.”
“Saturday is donut breakfast day. I’ll go grab us some and coffee to go. I get the bathroom first,” he says, then extricates himself from my arms and legs and gets out of bed. I want to tell him to forget the donuts and crawl back in beside me.
All I manage to say is “’Kay.” I’m such a dork.
I’m finishing up in the bathroom when Alex comes back. “Donuts have arrived.”
There isn’t just one box of donuts, there are three. My eyes bug out at the wide selection. “Did you buy the shop out?”
“You and I get first pick, but then I thought you could take a box to your office and share with Chloe and your coworkers, and I could take some in for the guys. Damian and Caleb love them, but Zeke shovels them in like a vacuum. Cliché or not, those guys love their sugar.” He chuckles, and it’s as brilliant as his grin or the way he calls me “buttercup.” I’m sure he calls all the girls that, but it still feels like it’s meant just for me.
Chloe is like a sister to me. We met at the clinic and became fast friends. It’s freaking how much Chloe and I have connected, and surprising how Alex and his guys have the same dynamic. Best friends, closer than brothers, they have each other’s backs. Seeing that they’re all detectives, they need to be able to trust one another.
A night that starts off terrifying turns into a morning of breakfast with coffee and donuts with Alex. Despite being scared out of my mind, it was the best night ever.
TWO
Unidentified Victim
ALEX
Damn! She’s adorable. Even without a stitch of makeup on, she’s still the best thing I’ve ever laid eyes on. Face fresh, skin pink, her hair up in a neat ponytail, she’s wearing her scrubs and sitting at the counter on her stool eating a donut with me. The powdered sugar on her lips makes me itch to lick it off for her. It’s pure agony watching her tongue dart out and lick the corner of her mouth before she grabs a napkin and wipes off the rest.
“These are the best I’ve ever tasted. I love jelly donuts. I know it’s old-fashioned with all the new varieties out there, but how can you not love soft, delicious dough with a gooey strawberry center?” she exclaims. Another refreshing thing about Sabrina, she eats like a real person. Both her and her best girl, Chloe, love to cook and make dinners together.
Chloe and Damian hooked up a while ago. We all met Sabrina through Chloe and the situation that she unknowingly put herself in. Damian took one look at Chloe and was cooked. Sabrina and Chloe work at the same clinic. Sabrina’s a physiotherapist, while Chloe does massage therapy. The two girls connected immediately, and Sabrina jumped to help Chloe when some really bad men came for her. Unfortunately, Sabrina got knocked around pretty good for her trouble and was devastated when they took Chloe.
Now that it’s all over, Chloe’s safe and in the loving arms of one of my closest buds. Damian’s a solid friend. He was my contact when I was undercover and made sure I got out safe. Caleb is our lead man, and Zeke is our tech guy, and without these guys, we never would have been able to take down one of the largest drug crews in the city.
I didn’t know how much longer I was going to be able to last in that dump. Their leader, Luis, was one volatile dude. He was mad with power and thought himself invincible. He was killed, but not before he’d tested his nasty drugs on a few kids that resulted in their deaths, and he shot a cop.
It’s good that we’ve had some normalcy since then. Yeah, crime still exists, but this is stuff I call routine. This is what I’ve always wanted to do with my life. When I was younger, I used to watch television and cheer for the good guys, and I knew I wanted to do what they did. But life is not a TV show.
Losing my parents at sixteen made me grow up faster than most. One day, they dropped me off at school and headed to work, and a few hours later, I was an orphan. It sounds funny even saying the word. Orphan. At sixteen, is it still called that? I convinced myself I could take care of myself, and if it weren’t for Damian’s dad explaining that he knew my parents would want me to be with his family, I would have been alone.
It took me a long time to admit it, but I needed them. Damian and Caleb became brothers to me. Damian’s mom put up pictures of my parents in the house. Ornaments with their photos were on the Christmas tree every year. Their memory was kept alive, and I love and respect Damian’s parents for all they’ve done.
When Damian signed up to protect our country, I signed up for the police academy. I always knew we’d all end up back together, with the addition of Zeke. I love that guy. He’s smart as a whip and loyal to our team.
“I can drop you off this morning,” I tell Sabrina, who’s trying to ignore the cherry-center donut with chocolate glaze.
“Uh?” She tears her gaze away from the box. “I need a way to get home, then.”
“Chloe can drop you on her way. I’ll be back later to change your locks. I’ll pick us up dinner.”
“Locks?” she asks, confused.
“You don’t feel safe, and better locks go a long way to get to there.”
“You don’t have to—”
I lean across the counter, just inches away from her. “It’s getting done.”
“Okay,” she whispers. “I’ll get pizza.”
“I’ll—” I start, but she presses her fingers over my lips.
“I’ll get pizza,” she repeats.
