30. Chapter 29
Kodi
I slowly lean against my truck as I stare up at the place I called a job for five years, a place I used to come and hang out with my father and Benny when I was just a kid, and I swallow hard.
I never wanted this job, yet I kind of feel a little sad knowing today, I will no longer be considered an officer, that I will be handing in my badge and gun.
It’s the right move to make. Art has always been my calling, but it’s still five years of my life, you know?
I sigh, before I push off my truck, then lean through the window before grabbing my gun and badge, then slowly I walk over to the precinct for hopefully the last time with a lump in my throat.
It’s silly really, to feel sad, yet here I am but I guess my emotions have been all over the place for a while now.
Nearly dying and losing a baby I didn’t even know I was pregnant with to begin with, then nearly losing Liam mentally before I finally got him to open up a few days ago after our sex-a-thon in the gym.
He’s stopped keeping me out and is leaning on me more, and I’m finally relaxing again despite the horrors of the past few months.
I still hate my body, I hate the scars, I hate that Liam sees said scars. He jokes that we can now match, and I hate that I didn’t protect our baby. With Liam by my side, I know we’ll get through everything, including deciding what he wants to do where the club is concerned.
I think he wants to stay, but he doesn’t trust them yet. Every night I’ve sat, and I’ve listened to his pros and cons, a list I encouraged him to make. I’ve never put in my two cents, and I won’t. He needs to make this decision himself, and whatever he decides, as I told him, I will stand by him.
Shaking my head, I walk into the precinct, and my brother is instantly standing before me with his arms crossed and a scowl, and I raise a brow.
“Yes, Benny?” I ask, and his scowl deepens as my lips twitch.
“You’re not quitting!” he states, “If you quit then you’ll leave and I finally feel like I’m getting my sister back after I shut down for so long.
I can’t lose you, so, turn your ass back around, continue your sick leave then return all bright and bushy next month because you’re not handing in your badge! ”
Okay then…
“I don’t want to be a police officer,” I admit, and his jaw ticks, but I don’t stop, “I want to paint and draw and make art come to life, to make people happy whenever they see a piece I have created, this life isn’t for me, I’ve told you this several times.”
“Yet you’re looking at schools to teach instead of creating your own art, so how is that living your dream when you can still work here and draw on the side?” he snaps, and I bite back a smirk.
Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
“I’ve allowed Liam to convince me to open my own gallery, so I will be living my dream, I just don’t know where yet. It’ll depend on whether Liam decides to stay in the club,” I admit, and Benny drops his head, shaking it a little in defeat.
“Please, Kodi, don’t fucking leave,” he chokes, “Dad and I, we’ve messed up, Dad more than me, and you’re only now just letting us back in, please don’t leave…”
I swallow at the emotions etched on my big brother's face, and I’m speechless because I have no idea what to say to him.
As soon as he could leave home when he went into the academy, he left without looking back; he didn’t want to deal with mom or dad, or even me; he wanted to live his life, but now, suddenly, when I’m trying to do the same thing, it isn’t okay?
“You’re being a hypocrite,” I state, causing him to look up and scowl, but I shrug and remind him, “You left home as soon as you could, you barely stayed in contact. Even now, while working together, you were always distant, trying to live a life for you and not what our parents expected. Definitely not what our dad expected and now suddenly I want to live my life, no screw that, I need to live it after I nearly died, after I watched the man I love be shot by a man our father and even you tried to push me towards. You need to stop, take a step back, and allow me to hand in my badge, a badge I never even wanted to begin with, and be a supportive big brother before I knee you between your legs.”
He works his jaw and just when I think he won’t move, that I’m going to have to physically force him and show him exactly how much my boyfriend has taught me, he takes a step to the side, and I give him a small smile before walking over to the desk.
Lunes smiles sadly as I place my badge and gun on the desk along with the cartridge.
“Fuck, I can’t believe you really are leaving us,” he sighs as he shakes his head before he hands me a clipboard and rasps, “Sign out for the last time, Officer Marshalls.”
My eyes tear a little, but I do as instructed before I hand him the clipboard and turn, ready to leave, only to gasp as I see my fellow officers standing on either side of the room, my brother right near the door.
A few tears fall, and I quickly wipe them away and slowly walk through the people who have helped me grow as a person, squeezing each hand before I reach my brother, who rasps, “I’m so fucking proud of you,” and I nod as I go to my tiptoes and kiss his cheek.
“Thank you, big brother,” I whisper before I look at my colleagues one last time, all looking sad but proud, and I walk out of my old workplace.
Benny follows, but we both stop just as the door closes behind us to see our fricking father carting my boyfriend out of the back of his cruiser, handcuffed, and I see red.
“You have five seconds to un-cuff my boyfriend before I go back into the precinct and press charges!” I threaten, and Liam grins widely.
“Hey, baby, did you hand in your badge okay?” Liam asks as Dad stops before us, clutching my boyfriend’s arm.
I glare at Liam, whose eyes soften as he says, “You knew this was going to happen, baby, and besides, think about it, conjugal visits…”
He wags his eyebrows while my dad groans and my brother gags.
“I’d rather have that full-time, Liam!” I snap before I look at my dad, whose lip is split and bleeding, and I demand, “Uncuff my boyfriend right now before I go and explain to the whole precinct how their Chief smacked his daughter, a fellow officer!”
“Fiancée,” my dad says, and I frown in confusion and ask, “Huh?”
“Fiancée, you’re going to be his fiancée, that is the only way I see you two being together. It’s the only way you’ll get my blessing. I just had to get the fucker here first before I explained what was going to happen to both of you together,” Dad explains, and my eyes widen in shock.
He, I mean…. What the hell?
“What the fuck, Dad?” Benny groans as Dad releases Liam from the cuffs. He raises an eyebrow at my father, whom I just stare at like he has lost his goddamn mind.
“What?” Dad asks as he looks between us then answers my brother, “That is the only way I’ll allow this relationship and stay in my lane is if they get married and as soon as possible, at least then I know she’s safe, that she’s being looked after.”
Oh, holy mother of…
“You couldn’t have just told me at the gym instead of arresting me?” my boyfriend asks, and I now look at him like he has lost his damn mind.
How is he not freaking out with my dad’s messed up mind right now?
“Honestly, I know how skittish you are,” Dad replies, like I’m not even here, “I deserved the punch, but you gave me an opening, so I took it.”
Liam nods like it is the most normal conversation that they are having, and I blink, then blink again as Benny clears his throat to hide his laughter.
The ass thinks this is funny? Seriously?
Shaking my head, I address my deranged father and state, “Dad, I’m not marrying him…” but Liam cuts me off and says, “Yeah, you are, today actually,” completely shocking me and leaving me speechless, but ignoring me, he looks at my father, as I stare at my man in shock,
He what? I mean, huh?
“I already had it planned, Marshalls,” Liam admits, and I blink again as he says, “You’ve ruined the surprise.”
Surprise, he, what?
He wants to marry me.
Today?
Well, this is one hell of a crappie proposal, yet I don’t find myself declining him…
Crap.
Dad grins widely at my boyfriends, wait, is he my fiancé now?
No, I didn’t accept.
Hang on, why is he not addressing me with this?
“Benny and I are coming to the wedding, right?” Dad confirms, causing Benny to stand up straighter, and I just blink.
It’s like I’m not even here to them yet this is about me, about Liam and the rest of our lives, and honestly, a proposal would have been nice…
I blink again as Liam sighs, “You should be lucky I’m not hitting you again, but yeah, only you two though and Clark obviously,” before he looks at me, and his eyes soften, seeing the, I guess, confusion, or I don’t know, shock maybe?
“What do you say, baby? You going to marry me?” Liam asks, and I just blink.
“Shouldn’t you get down on one knee?” I choke, not knowing what else to say because, seriously, we never spoke about marriage, we’re both commitment phobes, and have only just decided to fight for each other.
Isn’t marriage too soon? I mean, I know I have his name on my ring finger, but marriage…
He dies, you die, the voice in my head reminds me just as Liam grins widely and states, “Fireball, you are not a down on one knee kind of girl, you are a take charge kind of girl, and I’m taking charge because I love you and I can’t see my life without you, I’ll ask one more time. Will you marry me today?”