Chapter 9
Driving across town back towards her apartment, my hand stays on her thigh with her hand placed on top of mine. We don’t say a word for the entire trip. We just continue to look forward, neither of us wanting to part, not knowing when we’re going to see each other.
Pulling into the parking lot, she sighs as she glances back at me again. “Thank you for…” she trails again, knowing I can’t hear it again.
Watching her walk up to the building, she turns around, glancing back at me for a moment before a sad smirk shows on her face.
The door shuts behind her, but I don’t leave yet. I’m not sure if I can; something’s keeping me planted in this spot.
There’re conflicting emotions toying inside me.
Before I realize what I’m doing, she’s smiling at me through the crack in the door before nodding, closing it, and I hear the slide unlocking before the door opens.
“Tell me.” We can both hear the conflict in my words.
“Tell you what?”
“Whatever you’re holding back. Whatever you just wanted to say in the truck just now, but stopped.”
“Thank you for taking care of me last night and making sure I’m safe.” Her voice is quiet as I nod my head. She steps backward as I break the threshold of her apartment.
“Last night you told me you were trying to distance yourself. That’s why you were going out on dates.” Pushing the door closed behind myself.
Slowly, she nods her head. “What are you trying to get at? Why don’t you say what you’re holding back?”
Reaching over to her, pulling her back towards me, slamming my lips down onto hers. I feel her gasp. Her hands come up, gripping my shirt almost as if she’s trying to keep me from pulling away like I always do.
My hands coming down to her hips, and then snaking one arm around her waist, pulling her in tighter. I can feel her need coming through, but not the same as it was earlier. This time it’s emotional.
Pulling back from her, I look down at her cheeks blushing before she looks away. Reaching down, tilting her head up to look at me.
“Say it.” She dares me.
“You’re worth being murdered over.”
Her mouth parts in surprise.
“I’ll call you when I get off.”
“When is that?”
“11.”
She gives me a bashful smile as she pulls away from me, turning around and walking over to her desk in the living room, pulling open the drawer and walking back over.
Tilting my head, confused as she reaches out, but trusting her. Opening my hand and feeling the cool metal as she lays it in my palm.
“Just come over when you’re done.” Glancing down, I see the key and have to force the smile to stay off my face.
“Are you sure?” I ask, holding up the key between my fingers.
“Well, only if you want.”
Leaning back into her, I press my lips hard against hers again, slipping the key into my pocket.
“I want.” I whisper to her, pulling away and sighing. Knowing I’m already going to be late, but all of this is worth it. “I wish I didn’t have to go, but I’m already late.”
Nodding her head, she backs away, just looking at me again, a smirk spreading. “You know, I was right last night.”
“About what?” I ask her, tilting my head.
“You in that uniform... I get why I was so adamant about taking your pants off.”
“Oh, this is a bad idea.” I laugh as I reach over and open the door.
“Terrible idea.” She laughs along.
“I’ll see you tonight.” Whispering to her before the door shuts completely and I can hear her twisting the lock.
It’s not until the door’s shut and I look around do I realize I’m standing in uniform outside her apartment, in broad daylight.
* * *
I’m in a haze as I walk through the doors to the station. The entire shift I haven’t been able to get the image of Drew as I was leaving her apartment out of my head, or fingering the key in my pocket. Or to be completely honest, the way she looked with my cum on her face.
“Eli!” is shouted, causing me to turn around and look at Collins as he runs up, nodding. I’m expecting him to say something, anything else, but he doesn’t.
I don’t respond to him. I just continue to look. I’m sure my irritation at him interrupting my thoughts wears on my face.
“What’s wrong?” he laughs, shaking his head. “I figured you’d be in a better mood considering last night.”
“Man, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I went home. That’s it.”
“Sure,” he laughs as we both walk into the locker room.
There’s a buzz in the air as we make our way, whispers all around, and for a moment, I worry that someone saw. That someone knows what happened.
“I’m sure no one knows.” He whispers to me, causing me to shoot a glare in his direction, and he laughs.
“What a lucky bastard.” Matthews grumbles out.
“Who?”
“Sherman.”
“Why?” I ask him, knowing the little rumors that I’ve heard going around.
“He locked her down.”
“What?!” my voice elevates as I look back at them. I had heard that he and Tate were casually seeing one another, but this seems rushed. She hasn’t dated anyone the entire time I’ve known her, so why now? Why him?
Glancing back at Collins, I finish dressing before I’m moving out of the room.
“Eli!” is shouted behind me again, and I slow to let him catch up.
Looking over, he laughs. “Get a drink with us?” isn’t really a question.
“Nah, man, I’ve got something I need to take care of.”
“Another redhead?” he laughs.
I glare at him, shaking my head. “No.”
“Shit, alright man.” He pauses, taking in my expression and shaking his head. “So, what are you up to?”
“Trust me, you don’t want to know.”
“You’re gonna go tell him?” I stop, just looking up at him again. “I get it.”
“He was my best friend for 14 years.”
He nods his head. “I get it. I’ve heard he’s warned everyone to back off of her cause she’s his.”
“You don’t understand the magnitude of him saying that.”
He nods his head again as if he understands. “I’ll cover for you.”
* * *
Walking into the clubhouse and pulling the door to the lounge open, I see him sitting in a chair with a girl straddling his lap.
“Z.” I call out to get his attention.
Glancing around her, he pauses. I can already see in his eyes how drunk he is.
“Officer save-a-life.” He laughs, which just causes me to tilt my head, wondering if I should come back later, or if I should even come back at all.
Who am I to come with this information when I just spent another night with his little sister, even if nothing happened, or nothing happened until the morning.
I can’t tell him how it was actually his sister who showed up last night on my porch drugged, barely conscious, or how the guy his MC got rid of was planning on raping her.
And I sure as hell can’t tell him I’m pretty sure we’re starting… something.
“What are you doing so far from home… and playing a civilian?”
“I need to talk to you.” I try not to roll my eyes.
He laughs at my request, probably thinking that there’s nothing I could need to talk to him about, but oh how wrong he would be.
In reality, I should come clean with him about what’s going on, but I value living too much.
I meant what I told her. If it comes down to it and he puts a bullet in my head, I’d be alright with it, but I’d prefer to prolong that as much as possible.
And maybe give myself something more to be shot over first.
“I’m serious, Zane.” I use his real name, getting a twitch I’m not even sure he realizes he did in response to it.
“I don’t know what would cause you to come so far south of the tracks.”
The girl on his lap giggles, which is sad because it isn’t funny.
“It’s Tate.”
Getting his attention, he shoves the girl to the ground, who hits with a gasp. It doesn’t surprise me. “What is it?” It’s surprising how he instantly sobers up. How everything in his life seemed to just stop at the mention of her.
“Do you have somewhere we can talk?”
He nods, standing up, and motions for me to follow.
We move through the doors and to the right, down a hall, and he abruptly stops.
“What’s this?” I ask him, looking at the box he has opened with his key.
“Just put your shit inside.” He demands.
“Why?”
“Because I don’t fucking trust you.” He snaps at me. It’s funny because out of all the times I’ve been in here, this is the first time I’ve ever had to lock my shit up.
“Fair enough.” Shaking my head before I hesitate and set my phone down in the box.
He sits down in a chair, nodding for me to follow him.
“What’s going on with her?”
“Um,” I hesitate. “Can we just agree that the whole ‘don’t kill the messenger thing’ is upheld in this situation?”
“Elias, start talking.”
I know the use of my legal name is because I got to him using his.
“I’m worried about her. And I dunno who to talk to. And after last time we talked…”
“Yeah, you mean when I told you she was my girl?” I can see sadness spread across his face.
“Yeah… that. I’m still not exactly sure what you mean by that, but I also didn’t know who else to come to.”
“Spit it out. What is it?”
“She started seeing Darren.”
“Sherman?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?” he scoffs, reflecting my feeling about the situation.
“Fuck if I know. You know her, right? She doesn’t really date.
I’ve known her since she moved here. I mean, she had that one boyfriend that she lived with, but since him, I dunno it was like she would see a guy for a month and then on to the next one.
But Darren…” I trail, not wanting to finish.
“She started seeing Darren a couple of months ago. But she’s been with him for longer than anyone else. ”
“Okay…”
“Do you know Darren?”
“Of him.” He laughs. “I mean, he was a part of the few that were tailing us for a while.”
It shouldn’t surprise me he knew exactly who was following him. I mean, hell; I’m the one who tipped him off to it, even if he isn’t aware it was me.
“I’ve seen him date quite a few women over the years.”
“Okay?” he pauses, and I see the territorial look take over him. “Why are you so protective of her all of a sudden?”