One Night Rescue (Bellehaven Hotties #7)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Luke

S ighing, I glance at the cell phone mounted on the dashboard of my patrol SUV. For the last two weeks, I've been waiting for Deanna Leighton to call me or shoot over a text. I knew as soon as I stepped onto her front porch, the visit would change my life. A feeling washed over me, one I've only felt a few times in my life. It's never steered me wrong, but I'm wondering if it did this time.

"Officer requesting assistance at 3562 Spring Street."

The voice on the other end of the request is Troy Lee, and that address is Deanna's. Although I'm one of the newer officers on the force, I know what Kyle did to him, and those feelings I have? This one is urging me to get to where they are as fast as I can. Reaching forward, I grab my radio and key the mic. "Hold me down as responding. I'm three miles out." Flipping on my lights and siren, I press the gas and hurry toward what I hope isn't a repeat of what went down with Troy before.

A piece of me is terrified that even though we warned Deanna, he's still stopped by to make her life a living hell. The reason I got into this line of work is because of men like Kyle Stevens and what one of them did to my mom. I roll up to the scene, squealing tires as I come to a stop. Troy is out the door and on the ground with a suspect. On the landing, Deanna and a couple of kids are standing huddled together, watching what's happening.

Quickly, I go over to where Troy has his knee in the back of the man he's holding on the ground. His words are coming out through gritted teeth. "Kyle, you and I both know you shouldn't be here. There's an active restraining order against you."

"My kids are here, you son of a bitch. I haven't seen them since I went in. I came by to see them, not her," he seethes.

"Doesn't matter," Troy grunts. "She carries the restraining order."

I get on the other side of him, forcing Kyle to put his other hand behind his back so that we can secure it with cuffs.

"Y'all are arresting me for no damn reason," he yells.

"You're being detained while we conduct our investigation." I get up and cut my eyes over to Troy, nodding that I'll take care of him, while Troy takes care of the family on the porch. With my weight, I push Kyle toward Troy's SUV.

"This is bullshit. She's a bitch who keeps getting her way. No one cares about me, or what I want, what I'm owed," he bellows.

This is the part of being an officer I hate. If I could lay him out flat on his back, I would. Men like him piss me off in ways I can't explain to anyone else. To understand, someone had to grow up the way I did. "Stop yelling. It's not going to get you anywhere. We're conducting an investigation, and you aren't doing yourself any favors. Get in the back of the SUV."

He argues again, but I slam the door in his face. It's best for us all if he has a few minutes to calm down, and we have some time to get away from his damn mouth. Taking a breath, I exhale, letting the stress flow out of my body. Slowly, I walk up to where everyone has gathered.

"How's he?" Troy hooks his thumb back toward the patrol car.

"Still mouthing. I'm giving him some time to calm down. Figured you wouldn't want to deal with him."

He chuckles. "I'd prefer not to, if I don't have to, but you and I both know we help people regardless of what they've done to us. C'mon with me. I know you've done your own interviews, but you can always use some extra practice."

This year has been one of the hardest of my life. While being a rookie has been my dream since I was a kid and a cop saved my mom and me, the reality has been very different. The learning curve has been steep, and I've found that caring as much as I do impacts me mentally in ways I wasn't prepared for. Even after all of that, I wouldn't change what I'm doing. "Got it." I take my blank notebook out of my pocket and approach the three of them.

Deanna's eyes meet mine, so full of pain and fear I want to reach out and wrap my arms around her. They remind me of what I saw so very often when I was younger; instead, I turn my attention to the teenage boy. "Hey, what's your name? I'm Officer Hartford, but you can call me Luke. Are you okay? Did he hurt any of you?"

His face is full of hatred, and he spits to the side. That's when I see blood. I don't ask, because it's important for this kid to know he can come to someone on his own time. It's doubly important for him to realize he can trust adults, and he has to do that himself."

"I'm okay. Didn't expect to see him today, but I'm good." He brings the back of his hand up and wipes at his lip. "I'm more worried about them." He points to his mom and what I assume to be his sister. "I can handle this, but they shouldn't have to."

"I felt the same way."

Our eyes meet and we have a discussion between us with no words that only two people who have dealt with this type of situation can have. "You have an asshole for an old man, too?"

"Sure did, and it's why I'm doing what I am now."

He nods but leaves, storming toward a late model truck.

"Malcolm, be careful. Please text me and let me know you're okay."

That's Deanna, and the tone of her voice breaks my heart. "He'll be good. I'll follow at a safe distance and make sure he gets to where he's going without incident."

"Thank you..."

And those words say so much without saying anything at all.