Chapter 9 – Remi
Nine
Remi
The door slams behind us, the sound rattling through the space as I pace a few steps before turning back to him.
“You’re a fucking cop?”
“Technically, SWAT. But yeah.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
I don’t do cops. I don’t want them as friends or acquaintances, and I sure as hell don’t want one anywhere near my life. Aunt Eva is the only exception because she’s family.
But Thiago? A bitter laugh leaves me as I drag a hand through my hair.
God, you’re so stupid, Remi.
It was all there. The truck, those damn tactical pants, the way he handled himself at the range. I should have fucking known.
Thiago steps closer and reaches for my wrist, but I jerk back before he can touch me.
“Don’t. You don’t get to put your hands on me.”
His jaw clenches. “Come on, Remi. It’s not like I lied to you.”
I stare at him in disbelief. “Not like you lied? You told me you had a desk job downtown.”
“I did. I was still in training and hadn’t gone out in the field yet.”
“Bullshit.” I step into his space. “Being a cop is a pretty fucking important detail to just gloss over.”
“Look, I’m sorry. When we met, I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, and telling a woman I’d just met that I was a cop felt like an overshare.”
“And what about dinner?”
He huffs out a heavy breath. “I should’ve told you then.”
“Yeah, you should have.”
“I know. But I wasn’t trying to keep it from you. Not in the way you’re thinking.”
“Of course,” I mutter, folding my arms across my chest. “How convenient for you.”
I should turn around, go back inside, and shut the door on him before this gets any harder than it already is.
He’s no one. He’s just a guy I met by chance, had dinner with once, and made the mistake of kissing. Yet my feet stay planted because some part of me refuses to let it end that easily.
“You weren’t exactly giving me a breakdown of your life or career choices either.”
“That’s different.”
He throws his arms up. “Of course it is. And what’s so bad about me being a cop anyway? Why does it bother you this much?”
The way he says it, like a challenge instead of a question, reminds me that I haven’t used my knife in weeks, and right now, I’m tempted to change that.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I step closer until there’s barely any space left between us. “Don’t ever come back here. I mean that.”
Neither of us looks away until I finally brush past him and head for the door.
“You kissed me back there,” he calls after me. “Remi…”
I keep walking. “You think you’re the first man I’ve ever kissed?” My hand closes around the handle. “Or the first to beg for my attention, Officer Braga?”
Without giving him a chance to respond, I tear open the door, then slam it behind me and lock it.
Fuck him.
“Everything okay?” Matteo asks as he comes around the corner with Zara in hand. “You need me to handle something for you?”
“No,” I say, forcing a small smile. “He won’t be a problem anymore.”
“Was it something I said? Is that why Officer Thiago left?” Zara lowers her gaze, disappointment softening her pretty features.
I gently tip her chin up. Technically, it was something she said, but not what she’s thinking. Thanks to her, I found out who Thiago really is before…
I stop myself before the thought can go any further.
“No, Z. Absolutely not.”
She smiles, but I can tell she’s not fully convinced, so I pull her into a hug.
Zara is my unlikely little best friend. I see so much of myself in her at that age. She’s spunky and precocious, speaks without a filter, and has never quite fit the mold people expect of her.
Matteo’s gaze drifts beyond me as Thiago’s truck roars to life.
“Are you sure you’re okay? We saw you two—”
“Lapse of judgment. That’s all. But like I said, he won’t be back.”
“Understood.” He nods once. “You know all you have to do is say the word, Remi. I’ve got you. Always.”
Zara looks up, her eyes shifting between us.
When we were kids, we came to understand the world we were growing up in, and the roles our parents played, one layer at a time, year by year.
For now, Zara knows what she needs to. She knows her family will always have her back and that we look out for each other.
She knows there isn’t a person standing here who wouldn’t do anything to keep her safe.
One day, she’ll understand exactly how far that anything goes. A part of me wishes she never has to.
I look at Matteo again and flash him a grin. “Yeah, but where’s the fun in that?”
Stepping into him, I wrap my arms around his middle, holding on a little tighter than I normally would. He doesn’t ask why. He just laughs and presses a kiss to the top of my head.
“Zara wanted to invite you out for ice cream. It’s why we stopped by. But I understand if you’re not really in the mood.”
“Please, Remi! Come with us,” she chirps, bouncing up and down.
“You know I’d never miss out on a sugar rush with my mini me.” I pull back, already moving. “Let me grab my stuff, lock up, and I’ll meet you two outside.”