Chapter 16
Altercation – a noisy argument between two women at a children’s rollercoaster. May involve nachos.
Lucas
“W hat’s going on?” I ask Weston as I enter the station.
“Pay up!” He opens his hand to Officer Ledger who slaps a bill in his hand.
“What did you bet about?”
“You.” He smirks. “I bet you didn’t use any of the condoms I gave you as a wedding present.”
I grasp the back of his uniform shirt before dragging him down the hallway to the locker room and shoving him inside. After making certain we’re alone, I shut and lock the door behind me.
Weston grins. “If you want to be alone with me, all you have to do is ask. I do require dinner before I put out, though.”
“What the hell are you thinking? You know my marriage to Chloe isn’t real.”
“Doesn’t mean you can’t get a little something, something.” He waggles his eyebrows.
I wrap my hand around his throat and slam him against a locker. “You will not disrespect my wife. Do you hear me?”
He claws at my hand on his throat. I release him since I shouldn’t be choking out my partner. At least not in the police station. “Your wife? The marriage is a sham, remember?”
I don’t give the first shit if the marriage is a sham. No one disrespects Chloe on my watch. Least of all a friend from childhood.
Hold on. Weston’s known Chloe most of her life. Maybe he can fill in some of the blanks about her history. “What happened with Chloe’s mom?”
“What do you mean?”
He knows exactly what I mean. It’s why he won’t meet my gaze.
“She left the island and Chloe has no contact with her. Something happened.”
“Sorry, bro. It’s Chloe’s story to tell.”
Damnit. I can’t push him. I don’t want Chloe’s secrets to be exposed to the whole island. Except I’m not the whole island. I’m her husband. He should—
His radio squawks. “Officer Milton.”
“Go ahead.”
“There’s an altercation at Mermaid Mystical Gardens .”
“On our way.” Weston throws the car keys at me. “You’re driving.”
“ Mermaid Mystical Gardens is the amusement park?” I ask as we drive out of town.
“Yep. The entire theme is mermaids.”
“What is the obsession with this island and mermaids anyway?” I couldn’t believe it when they brought out the cake at my wedding reception and there was a mermaid and merman on the top of it instead of a bride and groom.
“You don’t know the legend?”
“It wasn’t included in my welcome packet when I moved here.”
“Legend has it a mermaid fell in love with a smuggler. There was one little problem, though. The smuggler couldn’t live in the sea, and the mermaid couldn’t live on the land. But then the mermaid went to a witch and traded her immortality for legs. Meanwhile, another mermaid convinced the smuggler he could live in the sea.”
“I sense a tragic ending coming.”
“Yep. The mermaid arrived on Smuggler’s Hideaway to discover her lover had drowned. She threw herself off the cliffs at Mermaid Mystical Gardens .”
“And now the entire island is obsessed with mermaids.”
“Nah, bro. We’re obsessed with bootleggers, moonshine, rumrunners, and mermaids. Mermaid Karaoke is the best.”
“You’re such a player.”
He smirks. “And proud of it.”
“Some day love is going to knock you over and you won’t know what hit you.”
“Nah. I don’t give women the chance to fall for me. I’m a one-night wonder.”
“Your loss,” I murmur as I park in front of the entrance to the amusement park.
We get out of the car and make our way to the manager who’s waiting for us.
“What’s the problem, Oliver?” Weston asks.
“There’s a group of women fighting at the Siren’s Spiral rollercoaster.”
“Women?” Weston asks. “The Siren’s Spiral is meant for children.”
“Your sister loves the Siren’s Spiral rollercoaster,” Oliver says.
Weston sighs. “I know the way.”
We make our way through the amusement park to the rollercoaster. We pass various rides: Carol Carousel – a classic carousel ride with sea creature-shaped seats, Atlantis Adventure – a ride through the lost city of Atlantis, Kraken’s Drop – a drop tower ride with a giant sea monster, Grotto Rapids – a water raft ride, and Triton’s Twister – a spinning teacup ride. The list goes on and on.
We finally reach the Siren’s Spiral . A crowd is gathered in front of the line for the ride where a shouting match is happening.
“I was here first, bitch!” a blonde woman screeches at a short woman with dark hair and glasses.
“Could you refrain from using adult language in front of the children?” the dark haired woman asks.
“I’ll use whatever language I want, bitch!”
“And you weren’t first. You left the line.”
“I went to the bathroom.”
“You were gone fifteen minutes and returned with a tray of nachos.”
“What’s your point? I’m not standing in line. I’m not some loser.”
“You can’t budge in line. All of these people have been patiently waiting their turn to ride the rollercoaster.”
“Losers.”
“Boo!” the crowd roars at the blonde.
“Why are we here?” I ask Weston. “The police aren’t needed for this.”
He rocks back on his heels as he observes the women shouting at each other. “Just wait. Trust me.”
I return my attention to the women.
The dark haired woman frowns. “I am not a loser and I don’t appreciate your tone of voice in front of my child.”
“Mom, I’m not a child.”
The blonde points at the little girl. “Even your kid thinks you’re a loser.”
“I am not a loser.”
“Oh yeah. Would a loser have cheese all over her shirt?” The blonde throws the nachos at the other woman before dumping a soda over her head.
The dark-haired woman removes her glasses. “I tried to be nice,” she mumbles before lifting her hand and decking the other woman in the face with her fist.
The blonde falls to the ground screaming, “Assault! She assaulted me.”
Weston and I rush forward. I detain the short woman with glasses while Weston helps the blonde to stand.
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” the blonde screams as she tries to wrench out of his hold.
“I know I shouldn’t have punched her,” the dark-haired woman says to me. “Would you allow me to phone my husband to mind my child while you arrest me?”
“No need,” a man says as he approaches. “You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?” He reprimands her but he’s smiling. He knew who he married.
“She threw her nachos on me and dumped her orange soda over me. You know how much I hate orange soda.”
He barks out a laugh. “Yeah, let’s blame it on the orange soda.” He kisses her nose before stepping back.
I remove my handcuffs from my utility belt but hesitate when I notice her daughter watching.
“It’s okay. My daughter needs to learn there are consequences to your actions.”
I place the handcuffs on her wrists. “What kind of rap sheet am I going to uncover when I run your name?”
She winks at me. “None.”
There’s only one reason she doesn’t have any priors. “Damn. You’re on the job, aren’t you?”
“Special Agent Ashford. Nice to meet you.”
“Officer Fellows.”
Weston drags the blonde toward us. “Tammi says she’s learned her lesson and won’t budge in line anymore.”
I don’t believe Tammi. “We’ll have a nice chat down at the police station.” Weston nods in agreement.
I lead Agent Ashford toward the exit.
“He can arrest me anytime!” a woman in line hollers as I pass.
“Sorry.” I wave my ring finger at her. “My wife doesn’t appreciate me arresting women who haven’t done anything wrong.”
“I can pull the blonde’s hair. Will that get me arrested?”
Weston sidles up to me. “Let’s get out of here before the women start a riot for the chance to get arrested by you.”
I glare at him. “I’m married, remember? You were at my wedding two days ago.”
“Congratulations,” Agent Ashford says.
“Thanks.”
Weston rolls his eyes. “Are you making friends with our detainees?”
I snort. “Oh please. You would have picked up Tammi if this were the Bootlegger bar.”
“I can pick up whoever I want. I’m not a married man.”
“Your loss.”
Agent Ashford smiles up at me. “Your wife is a lucky woman.”
I grin. “I’m the lucky one.”
And I am lucky.
Chloe could have checked out now that we’re married. But she woke up this morning hours before she needed to go to work to help out. She even took Natalia to summer camp before she had a chance to have breakfast. Not many women would do what she did.
Chloe makes the perfect wife.
Too bad our marriage isn’t real.