When he glances at me, I see myself at his age. Although his skin is a tanner shade than mine, he inherited both of our book and street smarts. He’s also the only child to have my blue eyes, an unfortunate gene I have in common with Talia’s loser father. Cruise’s hair is browner than my dark blond, but he styles it the way I used to. His lean physique is that of mine at seventeen before I entered the academy. Though, he’s been hitting the gym more, tagging along with me sometimes. I don’t need a DNA test to prove I created this left-handed younger version of me.
“Why are you home, Cruise?”
“Why are you? Oh, wait…A celebratory booty call. Was it Mom this time? Please, no details.”
“Watch your mouth, and don’t disrespect your mom that way. Who else would it be?”
He rolls his eyes. “It was a joke. And come on, Dad. I’m sure you’re fully aware she’s no saint. I heard half of what she said to you earlier in the hall. I mean, not only will I need therapy for the rest of the foreseeable future, but I need to wear noise-canceling headphones when I walk past your bedroom. I’d rather not hear what her favorite body part of yours is or what she likes to do with it. Or how you can’t keep said body part off of her. We all know.”
I gawk at him, at a loss for fucking words. Seeing that, he returns to his computer. Clearing my throat and feeling beyond inept, I ask, “What the hell is your problem?”
“I just told you.”
“No. Whatever it is, it has nothing to do with your parents.”
“When their sex life is the topic of my day, it kind of crimps it.”
“Okay. I’m sorry. I understand but be happy your parents love each other and have a good marriage. A lot of kids don’t have that. Your mother sure didn’t.”
His blue eyes fall to his desk. “I got it. I know what I have. I mean, I never said I wanted you to get a divorce.” Cruise shrugs as he studies his desk. “Marzee would throw a fit and be inconsolable for the rest of time. Chase would cry for a straight month at the minimum. Lynzee would blab to all of her stupid friends for sympathy and gossip and then blame me for your breakup.”
“Uh-huh. And you?”
“Why are we talking about this? It’ll never happen. Mom still gets all starry-eyed when one of you walks through the door. It’s embarrassing, really. And you’re always grabbing her in places no kid should ever see.”
“Most of the time, your eyes are on your phone,” I mutter.
“Now, if you cheat on her, then she’d go for murder one like she said in the hallway. I’m not repeating the rest of that because I’m already in deep with future psychoanalysis.”
“Then stop being so nosy. You never answered me. Why are you home? You don’t seem sick with the way you’re mouthing off.”
“I’m taking a mental health day.”
“Say what?”
“A certain McGrath was driving me insane, so for the sake of their health, I took the day off.”
I scratch my head. “What in the hell are you and Chase fighting about now? You’ll be eighteen in two weeks. You’re adults.” Cruise types at his laptop, not answering me. Irritated, I double down. “Cruise Jordan McGrath, I’m standing right here. Stop pissing around and answer my question.”
Spinning his chair to face me, he crooks an eyebrow, and I could smack it off of his face. “Nothing at the moment.”
“I’m not decoding riddles.”
“But that’s your job, right? Arrests, crime scene investigations, and neighborhood canvasses are like scavenger hunts, and you follow the trail of clues to solve the puzzle.”
“What the hell are we even talking about again?”
“I don’t know.” He sighs and turns back to his computer.
“No way. Not done. Your mom said you’ve been a grouch lately. Is it a girl? Did you break up with someone?”
He rolls his eyes, but the way he does it and then avoids eye contact is subterfuge. “No, Dad. No breakups.”
“Do you have a new girlfriend?”
“I don’t always have a girlfriend. I’m better off alone, anyway.”
“Well, I hope you’re…You know. Using condoms.”
“Oh, no. The talk? This is why you’re here? We had this discussion when I was twelve. Anyway, I think I’ve had my fill of sex in this house to last me for eternity, and it wasn’t even me having it.”
“I apologized, Cruise.”
“It doesn’t erase the trauma.”
“That’s somewhat dramatic. Anyhow, keep it wrapped. You don’t need a baby in college.”
“I don’t think they do well with long lectures.”
“You know what I mean. I hope to God you’re paying attention.”
He sighs at the ceiling. “I am.”
Treading more awkward territory than with Chase, I ask, “How active are you?”
Cruise drops his gaze from above with a laugh. “You’re asking me how often I’m getting laid?”
“Well?”
“You’re serious?”
I nod. “Don’t treat it like a game. You don’t have to sleep with girls to impress them or to show your interest.”
“I’ll remember that next time I’m sleeping with a girl on game night.”
“You think I’m joking? Sex isn’t something to take lightly. It can cause a lot of complications.”
“Did you bless Chase with this convo? He’s the playboy around here. I’m just innocently enjoying my senior year.” Cruise again looks to the ceiling as he drapes his forearm over his head. Chase was easier to interrogate. This one won’t give me anything, and I’m usually good at this with a drug dealer sprawled out over the hood of my police SUV.
“It’s almost over. You graduate in a little over a month. Is that the problem? You have senioritis?” He shrugs and crosses his arms, staring at the floor, clearly finished with this discussion. “You excited about college?”
“Why do I have to go? You didn’t.”
“And I should have. I wouldn’t have gotten into the academy without your uncles’ and Grant’s help. Have you decided on a major?”
“Not really.”
I nod but don’t believe him. “What about criminal justice like Uncle Dalton?”
Cruise makes a face at me. “Why?”
“Law enforcement is sort of a family tradition.”
“So is breathing.” When I scowl, he whines, “Uncle Ricky didn’t go to college, and Chase jumped ship with journalism.”
“Ricky had help like he helped me, and your brother chose something, at least.”
“Maybe I want to start a new tradition and be a pharmacist.” Totally unexpected.
“That’s great.”
“Well, I don’t. Just checking.”
I sigh. “What about business like your mom?”
“I’d rather be a street performer.”
“Awesome. She could teach you to dance.”
“Are you fucking serious?”
“Watch the mouth. You still live under my roof.”
“I’m not doing the worm on Broad Street for my next meal. It’d make your day to drive past me, laughing, or throwing citations at me for loitering.”
“You think I’m out to get you?”
“Often, yes.”
“That’s not what I’m doing.”
As I search for the right thing to say, he clears his throat, sounding like me. “But I was thinking about going to another college.”
“Where?”
“The University of Rhode Island.”
“Say what? That’s kind of random, isn’t it?” He shrugs and looks to the wall. It appears I’ve found a lead.
“It has a lot of majors.”
“As do a lot of schools in Virginia.”
“My guidance counselor liked the idea.”
“Why are you just now mentioning it? You’re kind of running out of time to apply.” He bites his lip, and I sigh. “You already did.”
“I’m waiting for my acceptance letter.”
&
nbsp; “How much have you considered this? What about the tuition? You staying on campus? A job? You don’t even know what you want to major in for scholarships.”
“I’m handling it.”
“Um, okay. I’m shocked and somewhat impressed. If I can help you, I will.”
Cruise side-eyes me as he pretends to be uninterested. “Yeah, sure. Why would you do that?”
Incredulous, I laugh. “Seriously? You’re my son.”
“Are you sure about that?” He smirks, and he’s working my last nerve.
“Definitely. That was one night I’ll never forget.” His smug smile drops, and I grin. “I have to go to work. Don’t forget to pick up your sister after school.”
“I’m positive she’s not your kid. Probably the mailman’s. So, she can ride the bus or have her real dad swing by in a mail truck.”
“I’m the mailman’s kid. Pick up your sister, Cruise. Chase will be home in time for Amari.”
“If Lynzee is another man’s child, kick her out of the house. It’d explain a lot, though.”
“Watch it. Still my roof. Besides, I remember that night and the morning too. You and Chase had stayed at Grandma and Grandpa’s. She’s absolutely mine.”
“Disgusting.”
“Don’t forget to drop her off at the studio.”
He mutters, “Yeah, I’ll drop her all right.”
In the hallway, I say, “We’ll talk more about this college when your mom’s here. Since you’re home, scoop the cat litter, do a load of laundry, and take out the trash. It’ll be good for your mental health.”
I hear more mumbling as I grab my wallet, phone, and keys. I didn’t get all the answers I wanted from him, but I’ll cut him a break for traumatizing him earlier.
Leaning against the counter, I watch my recruit, Ruby Ellsworth, signing out our firearms. I haven’t talked to her much yet. She’s been under Officer Tina Schultz’s watch while I was on desk duty from my arthroscopy to clean up my knee. However, my first day back, Tina started her maternity leave, so now Ruby rides with me instead of my usual partner, Officer Davis Pruitt, who I miss.
Dupre, the clerk at the counter, displays one of his famous grins. “Hey, sarge, it’s good to see you back in action. How’s the knee?”
“Better than ever. Ready to kick ass. How’s the puppy? Picasso, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, and Picasso is pissing abstracts all over the kitchen. He’s about to be a starving artist out on the street. Just playing. I’ll be the homeless one.”
“Sounds like one of my sons.”
“Oh, that’d be Cruise.”
We laugh, and Ruby sighs as she scribbles out something. I know little about Ruby, except she’s twenty-two, struggles in some areas, and often runs a few minutes late. Watching her, she seems clumsy and continuously shoots me odd looks. I have said nothing to warrant them. Yet. She then signs out our unit but takes twice as long as it did to sign out the guns. I cross my arms, waiting for her, and she drops her pen three times.
Dupre sends me a dubious look regarding my recruit, clearly thinking the same thing. Though her Class B uniform is clean, pressed, and in order, and she has all the necessary equipment and tactical gear, her dark blonde hair is a shitshow pile on top of her head like she just rolled out of bed.
Dupre hands her the clipboard to sign out my SUV, and she looks up, confused. “This isn’t the patrol car I drive.”
I clear my throat and say, “No. It’s mine.”
Her panicked reaction would be funny if she wasn’t an officer afraid of an SUV. “I usually drive a regular patrol car.”
“Yeah? So? You can’t drive an SUV?”
“Sure.” She frowns, and I glance at Dupre, who shrugs. He hands me the keys, which I toss to Ruby, who promptly drops them. Attempting to pick them up, she drops them twice more.
When she stands, she gawks at me while Dupre snickers. I ask, “What next?”
“Um, we now load up the guns.”
“I guess if we were heading to the O.K. Corral. And you’re half right.” I smirk, thinking of Talia throwing that place at me when we first met. Ruby stares at me, and I nod. “You, Ruby. That’s your job.”
“Oh. Right.”
“You’ll need to complete the preflight check.”
“Preflight?”
I grin. “You know. Checking the vehicle to ensure it and our equipment are in proper working order before we hit the road?” When her blue eyes show no recognition, I add, “It’s just a phrase. There’s a checklist to make sure we’re good to go.”
“Yes. Okay. Sorry.”
When she sets out to do the task, leaving the office, I shake my head as I watch her. Dupre says, “Wow. That was rough. Hey, Dylan. From what I’ve seen, I’m not sure how this one will work out. I think she’s ready to set sail.”
“Give her time. I imagine she’ll turn it around. Not everyone is polished at first.” I sure the fuck wasn’t.
“I mean, her name is Ruby. You’d think she’d be ahead of the game.”
I laugh. “True.”
Dupre shakes his head, pursing his lips. “There’s something off about her.”
“We’ll see.”
Dupre’s grin is stuff of legends. “You’re going to put her through the wringer, aren’t you?”
“Nah. I know what it’s like to be in her place.”
“But this is your maiden voyage with her.”
“She’ll be okay, working with me.”
He laughs. “That’s not what I hear from other rookies who’ve crossed your path.”
“I’m a nice guy! I just have high expectations. As a recruit, I had to adhere to the same standards.”
“Did you have a kind and gentle FTO?”
“Fuck, no. They called her The Dragon.”
“So, she kicked your scared-shitless rookie ass into third gear?”
“No way.” I lean toward him over the counter and whisper, “She never stood a chance. She was more afraid of me.” But I scared her shitless when I called her up after I quit.
“Sergeant Taggart, it’s Dylan McGrath.”
“McGrath, I never thought I’d hear from you again. Did you punch another officer and have to relocate again?”
“Not this time. I know I’m calling you out of the blue, but I wanted to say thank you for sending Natalia to Richmond to set it straight with me about Tristan.”
“It was no Casablanca moment. I was tired of her moping.”
“Yeah. I imagine Natalia told you about what happened and why I assaulted Prescott.”
“My imagination is limited, McGrath, and she hasn’t uttered your name since returning home. Frankly, her friendship with you shouldn’t exist.”
“Oh. I guess she didn’t tell you.”
“Are you going to tell me, or are you tapping it out in Morse code?”
“I couldn’t help it, sergeant. I tried not to, but we blew past friendship right from the start, and I fell in love with Natalia.”
“You developed a one-sided crush on her. I wish you had kept that headline to yourself instead of calling me.”
“No. It’s not like that. We have kind of been seeing each other for months.”
“You have, or you haven’t? There’s no gray area there.”
“Okay. We have.”
“And you’re in Virginia now? It must be a real barn-burning romance for you to leave her.”
“We broke up when she said she cheated on me with Prescott.”
“And you believed her?”
“I trusted her, so yeah. Anyway, we’re back together, and I’m asking for your help.”
“You called to tell me you had intercourse with her?”
“Yeah. I mean, no. I love her, sergeant. She’s special to you, and you protect her now, but I want to be the one to protect her and take care of her every need.”
“You’re on extremely thin ice.”
“I just meant that I’ll take care of her—not sexually. Well, I’ll do that too. I
—”
“You’re turning my stomach, McGrath.”
“Yeah. Sorry. I want to propose. I’ve already bought the ring. Sergeant Taggart? Hello? Are you there?”
“Officer, you’ve greatly misread the time we spent together on the job. I’m a married woman. My answer is no. Please don’t take it too hard.”
“God, I hope that’s a joke. No. I want to marry Natalia.”
“Are you asking for my permission? She’s a grown woman who makes mistakes. And I tell her when she does. I knew I’d never get rid of you, and now you’re crawling to me for help. Well, quit your lollygagging and catch a plane. I may change my mind, and you’re burning daylight.”
As I laugh with Dupre, the door opens behind me. “Look at what the hell the dead cat dragged in and spit out.” Rolling my eyes, I turn to see Lieutenant Ricky Tesco before he slaps me on the shoulder with a grin. “How’s it going, Rook?” The last remaining person who refuses to drop that name, and I haven’t been a rookie in over twenty years. “I heard about your knee. Is it better now?”
Ricky goes behind the counter, opening a filing cabinet. His hair is more salt than pepper, but otherwise, he hasn’t changed much. I say, “Yeah. Every so often, it needs a tune-up.”
Looking through a folder, Ricky nods and glances around the three of us before whispering, “It’s from all the time you spend on your knees at home, begging for sex.”
“No begging necessary, especially on our twenty-second anniversary today.”
Now miffed, Ricky sticks his nose in the air. “Oh. That. I wouldn’t remember since you didn’t invite me to your wedding, though you were a groomsman in mine. But, hey. I don’t hold grudges.”
To Dupre, I say, “Every damn year he does this. Twenty-two years of it, word for word.” As Ricky does a poor job of feigning disdain, I laugh. “I didn’t want your third wife there. Sorry. She would’ve scared away the other guests.”
Dupre hoots, banging his hand on the counter. “That was slick, sarge.” More people enter the office as Ricky tosses the folder onto a table. His tattoo wedding ring catches my attention. He had it done when I was in California, and it’s an option many officers choose. Ricky has Dani’s name on the underside of his finger to hide it from the arrested public. But for me, it still would draw attention I don’t want.
Rebel Rook: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World) Page 38
