Command: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by Amélie S. Duncan

  “Sure, Jackson.” I roll my eyes and grin.

  “What? You don’t believe me?”

  He drapes his lanky arm around my shoulder. “Tell me how I’m wrong, and I’ll give you a billion reasons why I’m right.”

  Jackson had always been so sure. He’d been the only one I let hug me without protest because his hugs had felt genuine. I would have been happy with that memory, but the bad always attached to the good.

  My skin prickles with the cold water dripping from my body. Jackson’s eyes finding mine in the dark. His Shana, his Shadow. And there wasn’t anything I could do, but I had to try.

  “Stay with me, Jackson.” My desperate plea. I won’t give up on you. Ever.

  Big hands wrap around my waist from behind, as Nate tugs me away from Jackson.

  “He needs me,” I shout, but Nate’s grip only tightens, pulling me farther and farther from Jackson, splayed on the riverbank.

  I beat against Nate’s body, squirming to free myself. “Jackson!”

  “He’s gone, Shadow.” Nate’s voice in my ear sent a shiver of nausea through my body.

  “No-no-no. He can’t leave. Not without me.” Never without me. You promised me, Jackson. It’s you and me, then the world.

  But now, I’m all alone.

  The memory rarely showed Nathan’s face, only his hands. He’d been there for me. No, for Jackson. And today? Nathan had been on Pam’s side. That was made clear to me in the courtroom.

  He thought the worst of me now.

  A cold breeze went through me, and I rubbed my arms. The beaded jacket and the bachelorette T-shirt that smelled of smoke and sweat. A hot shower was high on my list, but I wouldn’t get one soon. I removed the phone from the plastic bag and found it dead. I didn’t have much cash left and took the transit brochure I received that had a map for the bus.

  “So, you’re out.”

  I lifted my head from the pamphlet to find Nathan standing before me in a V-neck T-shirt with denim jeans and a sports coat. The same outfit he’d had on in court. Why had he come to see me?

  “What do you want?” I asked in a harsh tone.

  That wiped the smile off his face. “To give you a ride home. It’ll take you at least an hour by bus to get close to where you live, and you’ll have to wait a while for a cab to pick you up.”

  I smirked. “You’re offering me a ride? Why? As you pointed out, we’re not friends. Or is this something you offer all the people you throw in jail with a shoddy case?”

  “Still not taking your arrest seriously, are you, Shana? You had drugs on you. I did my job. They placed you in a cell by yourself, and you’re out on bail. Something most people with fewer drugs in their possession rarely get.”

  I put my hands on my hips. “You’re implying I received special treatment? I really think you and your fellow officers need to read up and learn the meaning of special treatment because what happened to me was far from special. I’m not guilty.”

  “Your dad is a judge—”

  “Who left me to rot in jail. I’m done with this conversation. Now, go out and find the real criminal, Mr. Lawman, and leave me the hell alone.”

  His lips curved up. “Mr. Lawman? Took you all weekend to come up with that one, didn’t it?”

  “Go away, Officer Donleavy,” I grumbled, my voice strained.

  He folded his arms. “Nope.”

  I furrowed my brows. “What do you mean by ‘nope’?”

  “I mean, I’m offering you a ride, and you will take it. I recused myself from the case. I’m here to listen to you, because I think you need someone to.”

  We got into a staring match, and I knew he would win because I had always had a hard time turning Nathan down. Plus, he was as stubborn as fuck, and I had no better options. Still, it didn’t hurt to try. “I can wait for an hour.”

  “I have Dad’s ’68 Shelby GT500 with me today,” he added to sweeten his deal.

  “No fucking way. Your dad let you have his baby?” My scowl turned into a broad grin. His grin came out too.

  “Yeah. As long as I polish it every week.”

  “You’re still a vintage-car lover, I see. What are you driving now?”

  He had to know, but he did that thing he does to keep me talking like he did when we were younger.

  “Chevelle SS. You’re still shit for the arrest, but I’ll take the ride.”

  “Not a shit, but I’m glad you came to your senses.” He motioned for me to follow him to the car.

  I gushed. “This baby is sweet.” Even tired, I couldn’t resist a look under the hood and salivating over the nurturing Mr. Donleavy had given his car. The exhaust headers had that perfect blue and brown heat distortion on the metal. He’d put in twin-choke carburetors. I mean besides that, everything looked like it just came out of the factory, only better.

  I yawned. “Thanks for the ride, even if you think I’m a drug dealer.”

  “If I believed you were, down in my gut, you wouldn’t be in my car,” he said bluntly.

  The tension in my shoulders and back eased. I wasn’t clear yet, but they’d need to prove who or where the drugs came from, so it would take time for them to clear my name.

  My chest fluttered as my eyes flicked over Nathan, removing his coat, and climbing in the driver’s seat. In the meantime, I had a ride with Nathan in a ’68 Shelby GT500 . . .

  A few days ago, my life had been in LA. Had it been great? No. Yet here I was, in another completely unbelievable position—about to get into a Shelby. All I could think was this was surreal. Strange. But what else could I do?

  I opened the car door and sat down in the passenger seat. “Let’s go.”

  Shana

  Nathan took Lake Drive, the stretch of road that ran along the ocean to Callahan Hills. He had the top down, the wind blew my hair back, and the sun’s rays soaked my skin like a warm blanket in winter. I tilted my head up to meet it, like a happy dog going for a ride. Fresh air, warmth, and freedom—nothing better. I wished all my worries could fly away. But apparently, I had a fight on my hands.

  The police were investigating the drugs found in my purse and whether they corresponded to what may have killed Bridget. Coach Pam had already tried and convicted me. She was popular too, and her vitriol toward me hurt. As much as my parents leaving me to rot in jail and struggle in court? No. I hadn’t expected the situation with Pam and Bridget.

  My parents’ response to anything I did had always been a gamble. While they didn’t contact me in jail, the bail hearing surprised me. The bottom line, I was alone. Well, not completely alone. Nathan came, for reasons unknown to me. It was more than I deserved from him. But I liked him. So many times, I’d imagined seeing Nathan again, but couldn’t bring myself to call. And here he was. I turned my head and peered over at him, and my insides fluttered like a schoolgirl near her biggest crush. Nathan had always been good-looking, with his chiseled face and piercing blue eyes, but damn, he’d taken off the jacket he had on. His tanned upper arms with the defined muscles looked cut, powerful. The tattoos were professional-grade, colorful art that seemed made to merge with his skin. I thought wings at first glance, but they were flames. I tried to keep my reaction hidden, but I felt my nipples tighten. Fire, baby. Woo. Damn, he looked hot.

  He had me curious. The misery of jail weighed me down so much I avoided looking at myself. Now free, I flipped down the mirror on the sun visor and looked once we slowed down for roadwork. I appeared pale, my eyes raccoon-like from not being able to rest in jail. Or the dark circles were from even more lack of sleep. I’d barely slept in L.A.

  “Are you checking yourself out in the mirror? Times have surely changed. The Shadow I remembered didn’t give a care,” he teased.

  “Jail changes a woman,” I shot back.

  He chuckled. “You still have your humor. Good . . . I know that wasn’t easy today in court.”

  I tucked my hair back behind my ears and blew out my breath. “Yeah, it wasn’t. I don’t understand why Pam th
inks I drugged Bridget.”

  “Pam’s grieving, trying to find blame so she can cling to the image of the daughter she wishes she had,” Nathan answered.

  “Wow, that’s deep,” I half-joked. “But the police . . . you and your department must’ve given Pam something to go on.”

  “We don’t operate on gossip, we operate on facts. When the facts come back, then we can judge what happened.”

  I wanted to say, “Tell that to the officers who processed me, or better yet the corrections officers inside the jail,” but he couldn’t control everyone. Hearing him give me a fair shake took a layer of weight off me. There were, of course, still many layers. Even so, I closed my eyes and drifted in the comfort of the plush leather seats and cool breeze.

  I came to my senses again when I felt the car had stopped. Wiping my bleary eyes, I saw the pale pink and white sign of Lake Drive Creamery. This upmarket burger joint had been voted the best in Sunnyville for years, and a staple spot for Jackson, Nathan, and me. We ate there more than at home when we trained for sports or after a late night out.

  My stomach growled, but I still said to Nathan, “I don’t remember asking you to stop for food.”

  “You’re not turning down a burger, fries, and chocolate shake from the creamery,” he said and placed my order with the drive-thru attendant like I’d already agreed. Annoying, but I actually smiled.

  “I’ll eat it since you already ordered,” I said like I’d decided.

  He laughed, and my heart muscles squeezed. I’d missed his deep, rich laugh. I’d missed the way he knew me. I grew tired of the men I attracted that always ended up acquiescing to me. The worst in bed. While I didn’t mind taking charge at times, I didn’t want it every time. Huge turn-off.

  “Slow down, or you’ll end up with a head and stomach ache,” he said.

  “I already have one,” I answered between bites. After I slurped down a big gulp of the delicious sugary shake, I lay back into the cushions, sated. I lifted my eyes and caught Nathan assessing me . . . like a cop?

  I tensed, cleaned up my food, and opened the car door to throw it away just as he went to take the containers from me. When I returned, I told him, “Thanks for the food, but you should have this car detailed to clear out the smell. Your dad will still kill you if you leave the car smelling like food.”

  “I’ll deal with it,” he mused.

  We went silent for a few heartbeats until I asked, “Is Maeve still cooking for everyone in Sunnyville?”

  “She is,” he said, and we laughed.

  “She’s a pediatric nurse by day, master chef at night.”

  “Tell her I said hi.”

  “Maeve would love to see you.”

  I shook my head. “I doubt it, after this shit.”

  “Nope. That’s not how we are,” he said with conviction in his deep voice.

  “I go over, and she’ll stuff me with food,” I joked.

  “You could use some meat on your bones.”

  I frowned. “Are you insulting me, Officer Donleavy?”

  “Nathan, when the uniform is off. You already know you’re beautiful; you don’t need me to tell you.”

  “After jail, I do,” I mumbled.

  Nathan called me beautiful. He had in the past, but hearing him say he still found me attractive sent a sensual thrill down my body. Then my mind chimed in with another theory. Nathan complimented me to make me feel better. I detested feeling insecure. Honestly, it bothered me not knowing why he was here with me.

  My eyes focused on the chips on my fingernails from biting them. “Seriously, why did you show up today and in jail? We’re not friends anymore.” My chest hurt like I pounded on it just from saying it.

  “It’s been three years, Shadow. I don’t recall you picking up a phone to call me. A friend is someone that stays in contact. The way you left . . . I didn’t think you wanted to hear from me.” I missed you every single day. I’ve felt so alone.

  “I . . . I was so messed up in the head. I couldn’t . . .” Every time I see you, I see him.

  “I know,” he whispered. We fell silent, and he turned onto the road at the bottom of the hill leading up to my house.

  “I thought you were with the San Francisco Giants,” I said, changing the subject.

  “Shoulder injury. I still have my BA in law, so I’m working as a police officer until I figure it out. I still play, though. What about your job? Where were you living?”

  “LA. Yeah, I am—was living there. I’m not so sure now.” I licked my lips. “I had a style app company, but I couldn’t get enough money invested to market it to success.”

  “Sorry. Any idea what you’ll do now?”

  I thought, first, see my parents and find out why they asked me to come home . . . get a job. However, that changed, so now it’s go to rehab and community service to clear my name. Hadn’t seen that in my future last week. “Not yet. Now it doesn’t look like I’m going anywhere.”

  We were stuck waiting for a delivery truck to clear the road ahead.

  I could have walked home from here, but I stayed, and Nathan didn’t tell me to leave. He instead asked, “What do you do besides dance at raves?”

  “I haven’t been to a rave in years,” I replied.

  “Then how did all this happen, given you only arrived on Friday?”

  I slumped into the seat. My eyes wandered back out the window, up at the blue sky above. “Amber invited me out to Brit’s bachelorette party. Do you remember Skelly Skylar? He’s a driver now. Evan Jensen helped get us in the club, I think.”

  He hit his hand on the wheel and cursed under his breath. “Your police statement didn’t mention Amber, Skelly, and Evan. Why not, or were you too high to remember?” he said, his tone sharp.

  The back of my neck heated up. “Because I had little contact with Skelly and Evan and trust me, the place was packed, and drugs were everywhere besides the stuff planted in my bag. Getting ecstasy isn’t hard here if you know where to look. Hell, a night out dancing and occasionally taking a Molly doesn’t mean we’re addicts. Ecstasy is no gateway drug for me, it’s been years since I touched the stuff.”

  “Damn it, Shana. You should have told us everything.” He spoke louder over me. “You need to amend your statement, or this could come back and hurt your case. I don’t want to see you back in jail—”

  “I’m not going back to jail. I knew I shouldn’t have taken a ride with you. You sweetened me up to question me so you can help put me back inside—”

  “I didn’t try to sweeten you up. You left out things that will harm you if your criminal case advances and the prosecution determines he has probable cause to pursue a conviction. You’re not an addict, but you take legal speed and addictive painkillers. A lot of drugs were found on you, and you need to adopt the attitude that you need to do whatever is best for you to stay free and safe. Please try to put yourself first for once in your damn life.”

  My heart constricted at the strength and passion he put in his words. I had put myself first when I left, but that hadn’t worked either. I struggled and ended up back here. It hurt like hell to leave him. Even more now, given his purpose in collecting me was to investigate, not because he cared anymore.

  “Stupid me. Here I thought you picked me up because you wanted to rekindle our friendship. A burger and a few throwaway compliments, and you try to find holes in my statement to throw me back inside.” My voice went scratchy, and I lowered my head and closed my eyes. My heart hurt like it had been crushed.

  The car jostled as he sped across lanes and pulled over to the side of the road. We sat there in silence for a few minutes. The only sound was him taking a deep, audible breath.

  “You’re upset, and I know my being a cop is a hard adjustment, but look at me.” His tone gentled.

  I slowly turned my head toward him and met his eyes, and my heartbeat sped up at the softness in his.

  “I didn’t walk away or leave you. Hell, you left and I got a new job and no choice
but to do it. But not for one minute will I sit here with you thinking I didn’t care about you. I do. Too fucking much, but that’s my problem.”

  He didn’t wait for my response and put the car back into gear. We drove the rest of the way to my house in silence. When I arrived, I jumped out of the car and rushed over to the iron gate and stopped. I glanced over my shoulder, my pulse sped up in anticipation of what I would find. Nathan hadn’t driven off, he remained watching me from his car.

  Shit. I cursed myself for being happy about it. There hadn’t been a man wait for me to go safely inside for a while. I’d never let anyone get close to me except Jackson.

  And Nathan, the voice in my head reminded me.

  I saw him watching with a slight smile, perhaps remembering the good times we shared growing up and as a couple, like I’d done earlier. But was he still the same Nathan? Could I trust him?

  My heart said yes, but logic told me to be careful. I’d changed over the years. Nathan could be a stranger now.

  Or he could be what I need.

  Shana

  I crossed over the footbridge and used my key to unlock the front door. It creaked open, and to my surprise, a gust of stale air filled my nostrils. Weird. My eyes scanned over to the Baldi crystal vase on the large bronze table at the entry. Both appeared clean and polished. In fact, the blue limestone floor shone. The banister on the double staircase looked varnished like the housekeepers had recently tidied. It took me a few heartbeats to realize what was different. I expected the colorful and fragrant arrangement of lilies and lavender, my mom’s favorite flowers, to greet me, but instead found empty space. Not just in the vase, but space next to it that once held a collage of family photos. That vacant space made the table appear starkly imbalanced, like something should be placed there.

  I dragged my body up the right side of the double stairs. My eyes pricked to catch the voices of my parents. Where were they?