Levi - Chapter 1
Levi - Chapter One
Levi
“Officer Harrison!”
Fuck. My. Life. All I wanted was a Red Bull to get me through the rest of this shift, which is why I stopped at the gas station next to the only bar in Laurel Springs.
I knew I shouldn’t have.
Fucking knew it.
Turning around, I put on a pleasant smile. “Is there something I can help you with?”
It’s Ronnie, owner of The Laurel Lean-To. “I need you to get this woman off my table.”
Well now my interest is piqued, because I think I know what he’s talking about, but I need to verify first. “What are you talkin’ about?”
“There’s a woman dancing on my tables. She’s about five seconds away from taking off her clothes. I need you to come and get her down,” he throws his hands out to the side in exasperation.
“I’m Laurel Springs Fish and Wildlife. You want me to call my Dad? What about my grandpa? He’s Chief Harrison. Way more authority than I have over the humans in town,” I try to get myself out of this situation.
“Motherfucker, you’ve got a badge and a gun. Come. On.”
Sighing heavily, I know he’s right. I’m resigned to my fate. “Give me a sec, let me put my drink and snack in my SUV.”
Walking over, I prop open the door and throw them in. That Red Bull is going to be so good when I can finally drink it. Night shift sucks, and I am dragging ass. I need that jolt of caffeine, and I needed it three hours ago.
“C’mon, c’mon.” He hurries me along, his hand waving me toward him. “I’m worried she’s going to get hurt. There are drunk people in there.”
No shit. That’s probably why she’s up on the table. But I don’t say any of that. Instead, I follow him inside, and just as I’m about to ask him where this woman is, I see her. “Son of a bitch.”
“Yeah,” Ronnie says. “What am I supposed to do with this shit? It’s a fucking mess.”
Closing my eyes, I inhale deeply and then blow out the breath, before tilting my face up to the ceiling. Why me, God? Why me? “Alright, I’ll take care of this.”
“You damn right you will. Like I said, gun and badge.”
I turn my face to him. “Watch your mouth. Gun and badge,” I throw the words back at him.
He puts his hands up, and backs toward the bar.
Once he’s out of my way, I turn my attention back to the woman on the table.
Rocky Mountain Way, the Godsmack version, is playing in the background as she shakes her ass, bending over at the waist. Ronnie wasn’t wrong, she’s got an audience.
At least ten men are around the table, and they’re getting rowdy.
I stand back and watch for a few seconds, debating on whether I want to call my grandpa or not.
Then, the woman drops to her knees, her arms cross over what I know is a great fucking rack, and then those blue eyes meet mine. Those eyes have haunted my life for a long time. Since I got my first hard on, to be exact. Now that her hair is dark brown, the blue of her eyes is shocking.
“Levi, what are you doing here?” She yells. “Bring that gun over here, and let me show you how to fire it.”
Fuck it all.
I elbow my way through the crowd, hoping to get to her before she slips the shirt over her head.
I don’t make it, but I do catch the shirt when she throws it.
This is all the men surrounding her need to see.
They crush in, trying to touch her. “Law enforcement, make a path,” I say, putting some bass and authority in my voice.
It takes me longer than I’d like to get to her, but once I do, I shove the shirt in her hands, and grab her by the waist, pulling her down off the table.
“Levi,” she whines with a pout. “Why are you tryin’ to ruin all my fun? Aren’t men like you who wear fuckin’ hot thigh holsters supposed to be the life of the party?”
“This is fun?” I point to the men around us. “I think once you sober up, you’re going to be sorry you did this.”
She stares, her mouth in a firm line. “I won’t.”
“Maybe you won’t, but I don’t want you to get hurt. Let’s get outta here.”
But she’s not listening the way she should. She digs her heels into the concrete, and refuses to move. “I’m not ready to go home, I want to stay here. All these men like me.” She gestures around.
There’s no doubt they do. A few of them could be fucking foaming at the mouth, but I’m not about to leave her here with them. Clearing my throat, I lean down so that we’re at eye-level with one another. “I like you too.”
“Do you?” She asks, tilting her head to the side. “Because sometimes I don’t know. You seem...irritated with me.”
“I’m not irritated, right now I’m worried about you.” I try to get the shirt back over her head.
“No, no, no! Don’t try to cover me up. If I wanted to spend my life covered up, I’d have stayed with him.
” I look to the ceiling, counting to ten, when she throws her shirt into the crowd, and then turns to me, pushing her tits out.
“Don’t you wanna look at ‘em, Levi? Aren’t they enough to turn you on? ”
Groaning, I slide my jacket off, and then bring it around her shoulders. Bending down so that my lips are at her ear, I growl. “They’re enough. You’re enough, Magnolia Grace. You’ve always been enough. Now will you help me get you outta here?”
Her blue eyes crash into my dark ones. “No one calls me Magnolia Grace, except for you.”
That’s what she took out of that? “I’m about to call you by your full government name, and smack the hell outta that ass if you don’t turn around and march out of here.” I point to the exit. “Go.”
Those eyes of hers darken when I threaten to smack her ass, and if I weren’t on duty, I might be tempted to figure out why she seems so interested. Finally, she pulls my jacket tightly around her, and walks out, wobbling on the heeled boots she’s wearing.
Once we get outside, I direct her to my SUV.
“Want me to call Molly? You can probably stay with her tonight.”
“No,” she says, her voice monotone. “My best friend is sick of my shit right now.”
Eyebrows arching together, I pull a face. “Molly isn’t sick of your shit, I’m sure. Y’all have been best friends for years.”
She laughs, but it’s humorless. “Levi, you have absolutely no idea what my life has been like for the last year. Most everyone I’ve been leaning on is sick of my shit.”
We’ve gotten to my SUV, and she turns so that her back is resting against the passenger-side door. She’s looking everywhere but at me, so I reach down and grab her chin, tugging on it so that we’re looking at one another. “Where do you want to go? I’m not letting you go home by yourself.”
“You don’t understand, do you? There’s no fucking place for me to go that feels like home,” she whispers the last part, and her chin quivers as she pulls her bottom lip in between her teeth.
“I don’t get it,” I admit.
The truth is, I haven’t paid as much attention to Magnolia as I used to. It was driving me crazy, seeing her with her husband when I had a huge crush on her. When I joined Fish and Wildlife two years ago, this kind of became my personality, and I started branching out with new friendships.
“Fuck off, Levi. Just take me to my house.” She flings the passenger-side door open, but then looks at me when she realizes there’s no place for her to sit.
“You’re gonna have to go in the back, sorry.”
She rolls her eyes, and moves to the back. “Open the door, please.”
I do as she asks, reaching over to buckle her in. When I lean over her waist, I do my best not to look at her chest. Although she’s breathing hard, and it’s killing me not to. The way she’s sitting and I’m situated, I’m right at the level where I could reach forward and take a nipple in my mouth.
“Levi, either do it, or shut the damn door.”
To save my sanity, I shut the damn door, and then I pull my cell phone out of my pocket, and call my sister. She picks up on the second ring.
“Levi, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” At least she’s worried about me when I call later at night. “I’m calling about Magnolia.”
“Oh shit,” she groans. “What did she do?”
“Got kicked out of The Laurel Lean-To, I just picked her up. What’s going on with her?”
She sighs heavily, and I hear her put her hand over the phone, speaking to someone in the background. There’s a lot of rustling, and then I hear her speaking again. “She and her asshole husband are getting divorced, and she’s having some fun.”
“Fun? She was dancing on tables.”
Molly snorts. “You didn’t know her in college, Levi.”
“I suggested I bring her to your house, but she said you’re sick of her shit.” I’m hoping my sister can shed some light on the subject.
“I’m not sick of her shit,” she argues. “But I’m seeing someone.”
“You’re what?” I had no idea she was dating anyone. “Who the fuck is it?”
“I’m not prepared to tell you that right now, little brother.
Emphasis on little. But I’m going to be honest with you.
Right now, I’ve got some stuff going on, and I don’t know how to be there for her.
I’m sorry, but tonight, she’s right. I can’t hang.
I know it makes me sound awful, and I love her, but Levi, I don’t think I can give her what she needs. ”
My stomach drops as I hear what she’s saying. I’d hate it if my best friend did that to me. Moving my phone from my ear, I check the time. I’ve got an hour left on duty tonight, since it’s my early night. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of her.”
“Levi, are you sure?” Molly worries. “Maybe I should cancel my plans.”
“I’ve got it. Have fun with your mystery man.”
She giggles, fucking giggles. “Don’t worry, I will.”
When she hangs up, I shiver. That shit is not what I want to think about when I’m talking to my sister. Going to the driver’s door, I open it, and move my Red Bull and snack out of the way before sliding into the seat.
“So, Deputy Harrison, what exactly are you going to do with me?” Magnolia asks from the backseat.
Turning around so that I can see how she responds when I tell her my plan, I say quietly, “I’m gonna clock out early and take you to my place.”
“You’re gonna what?” Her eyes widen, and her eyebrows move up and down. “No, I can find some place to go.”
“Or you can come home with me. We’ve known each other almost our entire lives, you can stay with me.”
She huffs out a breath. I text my boss, letting him know something has come up, and I need to clock out early. When I look back at her, I can’t help but wonder what might have happened if I hadn’t walked into the bar. Backing out of the parking spot, I turn the SUV for home.
Behind the cage, she makes a noise. “Levi?”
“Yeah?” I come to a stop at a red light, and then gaze back in the rearview.
“Do you sleep in the nude, or no?” She snickers. “Because I’ve always kind of wondered what you look like with no shirt on.”
Closing my eyes, I inhale and then exhale, before meeting hers in the mirror. “Funny, Magnolia Grace, I’ve wondered the same about you.”