Chapter Nineteen
God
Four months later…
God leaned back in the chair, resting the big binder on his lap while holding a beer in his other hand.
Day had the bright overhead lights in his kitchen turned all the way up, the space warm from the heat of the stove. The delicious scent of whatever Day was cooking permeated the space.
It didn’t matter what it was. He was sure he’d like it.
He tried to focus on reading and not the way Day moved around his kitchen, smooth and rhythmic. His partner cooked the same way he worked in the field, with confidence and control.
After years of getting their hands dirty on the streets, proving themselves in a precinct known for chewing up rookies and spitting them out, they’d come in and shattered records. And it hadn’t gone unnoticed.
Tomorrow was their detective’s exam.
God tapped his pen idly on the breakfast bar while he flipped through the flash cards. They had them memorized already, but this was what he and Day did. They overachieved. Nothing they did was half-assed. They wanted to ace it.
“You all right over there, big man?” Day’s voice interrupted his thoughts, easy and teasing.
God grunted his usual response—a curt head nod.
Day set out two plates, chuckling under his breath. “You don’t have to get every single question right, God. We’ll pass, all right?”
Day always seemed to know what he was thinking, and it was no surprise that after all these years, they’d come to rely on each other.
God trusted Day more than anyone… He was the only person he trusted.
“All right, answer this,” God said, his voice low and sharp like when he meant business.
He tossed one of the many flash cards across the counter, and Day caught it like a Frisbee. His partner continued to stir the pasta as he quickly read the question on the card.
Day rattled off the complex answer and then tossed it back.
Smart-ass.
God searched for another.
“Describe the steps for preserving and processing the evidence of a crime scene.”
Day rolled his eyes. “At least give me a difficult one.”
“Okay, know-it-all,” God rumbled, flipping through the manual until he found a more complex question. “Explain the process you would follow to obtain a search warrant, and what are the key elements that must be included in the affidavit to establish probable cause?”
“Better.” Day smirked.
God stared at his partner as he gave a perfect textbook answer with a bit of street smarts included. A hint of pride blossomed in his chest. He was proud. Day was going to be great at this…Day was this.
God gave a low grunt—his sound of approval—turning to another random page.
Day set a bottle of beer and a heaping mound of pasta covered with shrimp and scallops in front of him, then slid a salad next to it.
God frowned at the bright green leaves and raw vegetables, but Day shoved it closer and snarled. “Eat it.”
The rest of the night went by in the same manner.
The two of them reclined on the large sectional, quizzing and pushing each other like they’d always done.
Day leaned back and stretched his arms over his head, then checked his phone.
“God, we got this, man. I’m calling it. It’s late.”
“Yeah, all right,” he said around a noisy yawn.
“You gonna stay here? We gotta be up in less than six hours anyway. You might as well.”
Day had gotten so used to him crashing on his couch that he’d given him a dresser drawer and some space in the hall closet.
“Mm-hmm.” God tore his shirt over his head, and Day quickly averted his eyes. God grabbed the thin blanket off the back of the couch and spread it over his chest.
“Night, bro.”
Day turned out the lights, except the dim one in the hall, and had almost closed himself in his room when he heard God whisper, “Night.”
Day
The sound of low murmurs jerked Day out of fitful sleep. He rubbed his eyes, his mind struggling to catch up on the minimal amount of sleep he’d gotten for days.
Instinctually, he reached for his phone to check the time. It was almost three in the morning, and he still had a couple of hours to rest. He wondered if he’d been dreaming too hard, but the strangled murmurs followed by a loud grunt had him on his feet.
He hurried out of his room, his bare footsteps light as he made his way down the short hallway.
Day scanned the room until his gaze landed on God. His big, muscular frame looked even more imposing in the darkness, but the twitches and flexed tendons in his neck made a sense of dread wash over Day.
God let out a long groan as if he were in pain.
Day hurried to God’s side and went down on one knee, careful not to startle him out of whatever battle was occurring in his mind.
“God,” he whispered.
God’s brow furrowed as he let out another strained grunt. His breathing shifted, more urgent now, and Day’s chest began to tighten.
Something or someone was tormenting his partner.
God’s temple pulsed, his lips pulling into a grimace as he released a deep whimper that broke Day’s heart.
“God…wake up.”
God inhaled a sharp breath, then jerked his head to the right as if he’d been struck.
Day’s voice didn’t seem to be making it through whatever nightmare was playing out in God’s subconscious.
Day’s throat felt blocked. He’d never seen God look or sound so vulnerable. This was not the hard-assed cop he’d come to know.
“Hey,” Day whispered, his voice no more than a breath as he reached out his hand and gently rested it on God’s broad shoulder.
It trembled under his palm, but he wasn’t sure if it was from the dream or his touch.
“You’re safe,” Day murmured close to God’s ear, careful to keep his voice steady so he didn’t shock him. “I’m right here.”
He kept his palm resting firmly in place. “I’ll always be right here at your side.”
God’s body stiffened, and Day feared he might’ve made things worse, but then a calmness settled over his partner. His jolting slowed, and the tension and stiffness in his face began to relax. That ever-present hardened mask softened, and God’s breathing evened out.
“No matter what we do from here on, God, you’ll always be number one in my life.”
God sighed and shifted closer to Day.
The truth of Day’s confession was like a weight lifted off his heart. They were words he’d wanted to say for a long time but hadn’t gotten the chance.
He stayed in that position until God drifted into a peaceful sleep, his breathing smooth and calm.
Day eased his hand away and stepped back until he sat in the recliner. He’d be close by in case God’s demons came back.
Day would stand watch and fight all night for him if he had to.