Uncovering Officer Smith (The Discovering Trilogy #2) (13 page)

“Then why would he do this?”

“He’s ashamed.” Jared turns his head away. “As he should be – Nicole.” He mutters the name with distaste.

“Nicole?” I repeat.

“His ex-girlfriend—Real piece of work, that one. How she has the nerve to call him after all these years…”

“Didn’t you mention a Stacey before?”

“That’s his current girlfriend.” He nods at the shock on my face. “Yeah, I know – fucked up, isn’t it?” He shakes his head again. “He had the nerve to say April was no good for me. I can’t even—”

“Why would he risk so much for an ex?” I didn’t expect to ask that question aloud.

But he responds. “I guess you can’t control who you love.” He meets my eyes now; really meets them. “I know
you
.” His handcuffs jingle as if he was trying to point. “You were the cop that arrested April.”

“Yes.” My eyes drop. I can’t meet his stare in case he can read my expression.

“She first kissed me that night,” he whispers as if reminiscing.

Holy crap.
I didn’t realize just how close I was to having a chance with April. What if I hadn’t released her? “She’s your wife now, right?”

The smile spreads its way across his face slowly but it’s authentic—A smile of pride and proof that hard work pays off.

“Yes.” He loves her. That’s all I need to know. The chair is shoved back as I stand and leave the room.

Matt is standing behind the two-way mirror. He’s talking with Chief Carson. Frank is interrogating the thief in the room beside us. He appears to be… crying. We can’t hear what is being said because the speaker is switched off.

“What do you think?” Matt eyes me, staring through the other window.

“Looks like a dispute over money.”

“Do you know him?” Chief points to Jared.

“Only from the job.”

“Determine who wants to press charges and we’ll go from there.” I push off the wall and turn, heading for the door. I can’t be here anymore. Old feelings I tried so hard to suppress are gnawing at me in an attempt to come out. The worst part, is they aren’t even about April any longer. The eyes I see now are blue, not green. The feelings I was suppressing are bubbling to the surface.

“Where are you going?” Matt calls as I open the door.

I pause in the doorway. “I have something to do.”

I don’t know why I’m here. I came to think, but staring out from atop the cemetery hill, all my eyes can focus on is the prominent four-story building of new dormitories on the North Commons campus.

Ugh
. Why does she have to be Ford’s little sister? Why can’t anything in my insane life be easy?

I pull out my phone. Maybe I can call her. It’s only been a few days since dropping her off. I could say work had been busy. Would she buy that? Maybe I can have her come down to the station about her case. That’s right; she’s a victim. How would it look if I start to date her?

Date.

The thought almost makes me laugh. I don’t date. Who the hell am I kidding? This isn’t going to work. I’m better off just leaving things be. It’s better I don’t open Pandora’s box. It’s better this way, I tell myself, turning the key in the ignition. Now, all I have to do is get this girl out of my mind.

Meggie and I almost started crying during the pre-game shot, toast. Her parents decided to pull her out of summer classes. This is her last weekend before she has to return home. I don’t know what I’m going to do without her. She almost said the exact same thing during her toast, but we quickly chased it down with some humor. I mean, after all, we’ll be apart for barely two months.

When you spend every single day together, two months feels like an eternity. Tonight is going to be a good night. Just my best friend and me – we promised each other a
girl’s
night. For the first time in my life, I was totally lying.

There are a ton of bars on The Ave. We could have gone to any number of them, and probably should have… but truthfully, I wanted
him
to see me. Meggie and I saunter up to the bouncer on the patio stairs in our heels and he automatically waves us in. After sharing a glance, we giggle before walking into the flap of the tented patio. The white material billows up into two points above the patio and the light filters through, casting an eerie ambiance. My eyes scan the crowd.

Meggie catches my eye. “I don’t see him, Bee.”

I look away. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

She smiles. “You know exactly who I am talk about.” She guides me across the patio to the outside bar, conveniently squeezing in between a pair of guys, and places our drink order.

“Oh, excuse me, boys.” Meggie is the queen of striking up conversation. The bartender places the drinks on the bar top and I happen to notice one of the guys reaching for his wallet.

“Let me get those for you, doll,” he offers.

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly…” Meggie starts and I roll my eyes. She definitely could possibly, and he is totally being played.

They exchange a few words before she passes me one of the drinks. She waves to them as we walk away arm in arm.

“I don’t know how you do it.” I giggle in her ear.

“Men are suckers.” She wiggles her fingers at a bouncer in the doorway to the back entrance of the club and we slip inside. “It’s almost like they deserve it. You see, Becca, you can let them play you—Or you can play them first.”

“That’s no way to be, Meggie.”

“That’s the only way to be.” She lifts her drink to her lips and swallows a gulp.

My head nods before glancing around, just one more time. John is stationed in his usual spot against the far wall, overlooking the dance floor. His stern glare surveys the area as groups of girls gravitate to the dance floor in front of him. He has a vibe about him that begs to be enjoyed. Tonight, I want to give in. I crave spontaneity and adventure the way a college girl should. But most of all, I want to be that way with
him
.

Quite a few songs later, Meggie and I are bopping about on the dance floor. She mimics a girl in a short black skirt, attempting to grind. A snort escapes my nose, thankfully hidden by the loud music. Meggie is cracking me up tonight. It’s just like old times, she and I. Boy free and carefree. I take a sip of the drink in my hand again, twirling into another loop around Meggie. I throw my head back for a laugh when my eyes meet his. Deep, blue, and drop dead gorgeous. Hair slicked back and his collared shirt is begging to be tugged on. He doesn’t glance away this time. His eyes watch me as I lip sync and dance about to the song, finding I can’t tear my eyes away from his, either. There’s something about John. Behind those eyes, something speaks to me. The lights play across his face; or maybe it’s my fuzzy eyesight. He scans the dance floor before once again returning to me. A shiver runs down my spine.
Tonight is the night.

I don’t know when I made the decision, but by the time my mind clicks back to the present, I’m walking toward John, who is still standing against the wall. His arms are crossed; face is glancing at anything and everything besides my approaching figure. I can’t help but notice his fists keep clenching at his sides. I weave my way through the crowd before spinning and leaning on the wall beside him. Girls before us sway this way and that, struggling to make eye contact with him. I study them all, their glazed-over looks as they sneak peeks. My eyes curiously gravitate to his. They are not straightforward; they are stealing a glance through the side—The side that I am on.

Those hands release their rock hard grip across his chest and fall to his sides. My hand is millimeters from his. There’s heat emanating from it, drawing me closer, and electrifying me as it pulls me in. I steal a glance at him again; those blue eyes are fully on me now.

Something on my left surges me forward. Our hands fumble and I’m tumbling headfirst. Big hands wrap around the top of my arms and pull me right side up again. John’s face comes into focus directly in front of me, deep blue eyes inspecting me while his hands run their way over my body. Words become stuck in my throat. A part of me wants to tell him I’m okay – the other part, however, wants him to touch me. No, strike that – the other part needs his hands to touch me.

“Are you okay?” I read his lips. The commotion has brought over a few other bouncers, the flock of girls shrieking around us. There are two girls still involved in a scuffle on the floor beside me before bouncers tear them apart, screaming something lost over the music. The two huge bouncers nod to John as they pass us, carrying the girls out of the club. I’m shaken again. “Are you okay?”

His voice comes louder this time, and his face seems closer to mine than before.

“Yes.” I’m taken back slightly.

“Did they hit you?” His eyes search mine, hands hard against the side of my arms.

I rub my shoulder. “Just pushed, I think.”

“Stand next to me. We’re closing soon.” He practically picks me up and places me beside him. I don’t miss that I’m slightly closer than before. His chest is puffed out and his breathing has increased considerably. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was… mad.

The lights flick on and people begin to filter out. John’s strong arm swings across me and holds me against the wall as he leans over. “Stay here.”

He leaves me to stand by the door. The bouncers kick the few remaining stragglers out.

“Excuse me, honey; it’s time to go home.” I glance up to a bald bouncer twice my size looking down at me. The buttons of his shirt are strained under his thick frame. I blink in response.

“She’s with me.” John’s voice comes loud and authoritative across the bar. The bouncer beside me looks up and nods in John’s direction. When he turns back toward me, the stranger glares at me strangely before finally walking away. I get the feeling that this happens a lot. I still can’t get over the line, ‘She’s with me.’ It sent a chill down my spine. Something deep inside me aches to hear those words again.

I watch him whisper something into his ear before wrapping his arm around my shoulders. John shoots his friends and even the bartender a goodbye, before we slip out the back door. The night is warm and electric and the stars seem brighter than usual. Otherwise, it could be the alcohol speaking – or maybe the fact that John’s hand has slipped inside of mine.