by BJ Bentley
“And murder,” I added bitterly.
“Right.” Griffin closed his eyes, shaking his head. “What else?”
“Santulli was beaten and stabbed at the scene. Blood spatter confirmed it. M.E. found traces of a white, powdery substance on his clothing. Possibly drugs, but we won’t know for sure until the labs come back.”
“Anything on the shooter?”
“Not a goddamned thing that tells us who or where we can find them.” And that was the most frustrating aspect of the whole thing. Somebody opened fire on a crime scene swarming with cops, and we had no fucking clue who had done it. “Based on trajectory, and my first-hand fucking experience, we know the shots came from the building across the street. CSU found some casings that match the slugs at the scene, so we know our weapon is some kind of rifle, but it’ll take a while for ballistics to come back. We don’t have a weapon nor prints nor any other clues as to the identity of our shooter. And frankly, Cap? I’m pissed off.”
Griffin tapped his fingers on the edge of the desk, mulling over what I’d told him. “Any connection to Granger?”
“None that are obvious.” Another dead end.
Griffin made a dissatisfied sound, one that was similar to the grunts I’d been forcing out all day, and I suddenly realized there was someone missing from our conversation. “Where’s Poppy?”
Griffin’s eyes met mine, squarely, something working behind them. “Officer Leighton? If she isn’t here, I assume she’s at home.”
Ice filled my veins. “You don’t know where she is?”
“She was with me at the hospital when we heard that Forrest was going to pull through. After that, she left.”
“And you just let her go?”
“Don’t know that I care much for your tone, Brody.”
I stood quickly, my chair rolling back hard enough to hit the desk behind me, knocking over a photo of Detective Smith’s family on vacation the year they took their kids to Disneyland for the first time. “All due respect, Cap, I don’t give a shit.” I grabbed my keys and headed for the door dialing Poppy’s number and disregarding the captain’s shouts.
I hung up and redialed when I got her voicemail.
I left a message the second time. “Poppy. Call me.” Then I hung up and called Heath who answered on the second ring.
“Leighton.”
“Have you seen Poppy?” I barked, not bothering to identify myself. He’d know who it was.
“No, why?” he asked, his voice tight.
“I left her at the hospital with the captain this morning and haven’t seen her since. With everything going on, I don’t feel good about her being alone.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line before Heath let out a breath. “It’s Wednesday.”
“So? What’s that mean?”
“It means try Linc’s before you panic. And keep me updated.”
I was already peeling out of the parking lot when he hung up. I tried Poppy’s number once more but got the same result as before.
The small parking lot next to Linc’s was full of cars, trucks, and SUVs. I took a deep breath when I spotted Poppy’s car in the back row but shoved down any relief that might have given me when I remembered how worried I’d been. Jesus, what was she thinking dropping off the grid and not telling anybody? She’d already survived two attempts on her life and one on her brother’s which was undoubtedly intended to fuck with her, and she couldn’t even give me the peace of mind a phone call would have provided.
It was no wonder I was storming in hot when I got to the gym and heard yelling.
“You can do it, Candace, I know you can!” Poppy’s voice rose above the shouts of encouragement and goading as another young woman tried valiantly to break the hold of a man accosting her from behind.
“It’s just a demonstration, detective.”
I startled. Lincoln Jefferson was light on his feet for a man of his age and size. “What?”
“Poppy’s teaching her self defense class. That woman, Candace, isn’t really being assaulted.”
“Yeah, Linc, I can see that.”
“Then maybe you’d feel comfortable taking your hand off your weapon, detective.”
The hand resting on the grip of my gun clenched reflexively before I purposefully relaxed my entire arm, letting my hand drop.
A round of cheers went up followed by a chorus of horrified gasps, and I found myself reaching for my gun in earnest. I might have been overreacting, but I wasn’t about to apologize, no matter the dry look Linc shot me.
The cheers were apparently for Candace, who had finally managed to best her ‘attacker.’ The gasps, I could see now, were for the six foot two linebacker who was now sporting a bloody nose. Guess Candace wasn’t fucking around anymore.
“Well, I guess the practice portion of our class is over,” Poppy announced with a clap of her hands.
The disappointment of the women who hadn’t yet had their chance at showing off their skills was audible.
“Use me,” I blurted for no good goddamn reason.
Every head in the room swiveled in my direction. Maybe I should have backed down in the face of so many women whose expressions combined surprise and appreciation and untapped aggression. I was stupid enough to offer myself up as fresh meat ripe for the ass kicking.
“What?” Poppy breathed.
“Use me,” I repeated, louder this time. I removed my holster, emptied my pockets, and walked to the mat at the front of the crowd. I recognized a few faces as I passed through, one of which was Poppy’s friend Maya. Another was a woman I didn’t immediately register as an assault victim Colin and I had worked with several months ago. She looked different than the battered, terrified woman who’d been raped in a back alley behind a bar. She looked…stronger. And not just in better physical condition. It was in her eyes. The way she held herself. She’d recovered after her attack. Found a way to deal with what had happened and did whatever she could to make sure it would never happen again.
Thanks to Linc’s.
And also thanks to Poppy.
I stood in front of the woman who was seriously fucking with my head, taking her in from head to toe. “Called you.”
“I’ve been teaching class.”
“You took off from the hospital without telling anyone where you were going.”
“Funny, I thought I was a grown woman.”
“You definitely are that.” I let my gaze slide over her again, appreciative this time rather than inspecting her for injuries.
She narrowed her gaze. “Don’t do that.”
My brow jumped. “It wasn’t safe.”
Her face was stone. “Don’t do that, either.”
I raised my hands in surrender. “Fine,” I said before turning to the class. I ignored the openly speculative looks. “Who wants to try to kick my ass first?”
At least ten hands went up in the air.
“Alright. Maya,” I said, crooking my finger. “Show me what you got.”
“Oh, you are on, law man,” she purred, prompting me to grin.
“Easy, girl. Don’t hurt me.” I winked.
We worked through a series of holds and how to break them while Poppy coached her and her classmates hooted words of encouragement. When Poppy was satisfied, I picked another random woman and we went through a similar routine. After the fourth woman managed to successfully break my hold, a voice piped up from the back of the class.
“Poppy, why don’t you show the detective how it’s really done.”
I smiled at my feet when Poppy began to fidget.
“I don’t think that’s necessary. You guys need the practice. I don’t.”
“Oh, I don’t know, Poppy. I managed to best you the last time we sparred,” I taunted.
If looks could kill…well, I’d be a bloody corpse.
“C’mon, rookie,” I goaded. “Don’t think you can take me?”
I knew the moment her decision was made. It was a split second before she c
harged me. I crouched and braced, ready for her attack.
Or so I thought.
At the last possible second, she changed course, darting to the side and kicking a leg out. Not expecting her deft maneuvering, my feet went out from under me, and I windmilled for a few seconds before coming down to my knees.
The women whooped their approval.
I jumped to my feet and waved my arms. “Alright, alright. Calm down.”
Poppy didn’t waste any time. She came at me again, hard and fast. I had a single heartbeat to raise my arms to defend myself. And I did an okay job, but Poppy was on a mission. She fought like a woman who was not only determined but very angry, and an emotional fighter was a sloppy fighter. She’d had the element of surprise on her side the first time she attacked, which she needed being smaller and weaker than me. But now that I was prepared and anticipating her moves, she wasn’t nearly as effective. Her movements were forceful, but they were erratic.
“Poppy, calm down,” I warned. “You’re too emotional.”
“I’m fine,” she huffed, trying to catch her breath, and took another swing at me.
I deflected the hit and landed one of my own. Not hard enough to hurt her, but enough to knock her off balance, sending her back a couple of feet.
“You’re not fine,” I bit out. “You’re angry, and I get it. But Micah’s gonna be fine.” I’d forgotten we’d had an audience when I let fly the thing I said next. “You gotta find another way to deal with your feelings, or you’re going to get hurt.”
The way her eyes darted around the class she was supposed to be teaching, I could tell she was embarrassed. Unfortunately, instead of pulling back and cooling off, she exploded.
Her full-frontal attack consisted of fists and feet and fury. No matter who came out on top after this session, I was going to be covered in bruises. I threw my forearm up to block a blow but left my midsection unprotected.
I grunted with the force of the wind being knocked out of me, doubling over slightly.
And that was when she dealt her death blow.
The pain washed over me as my vision momentarily went black. I was vaguely aware of the gasps that rippled through the group of women surrounding us.
“Poppy!” I heard Linc shout.
I pried my eyes open and saw the look of horror on Poppy’s face just before she turned on a heel and bolted.
21
Poppy
“What the hell was that?”
Vance crowded me, invading my space and backing me up against the lockers. The cool metal was a balm to my overheated skin, but the fire in Vance’s eyes was going to send me up in flames, and I couldn’t stop it.
In fact, I fed it.
“What do you think it was?” I challenged, pushing off the lockers to get in his face.
“I’d fuckin’ love to know, Poppy,” he clipped. “So, why don’t you enlighten me?”
“I…I don’t have to tell you anything.” I pushed my palms into his chest begging for space.
He wasn’t about to give it to me. “That’s where you’re wrong. Very wrong.”
“You know, just because we’re sleeping together doesn’t give you the right—“
“Wrong again,” he cut me off. “I have every right, and it isn’t just because we’re sleeping together. You’re my mentee, and while Colin’s gone, you’re my partner. You’re my responsibility, and I’m yours. And if your head isn’t in the game because you’re all up in your emotions, that puts us both at risk out in the field.”
Right. His ‘responsibility.’ I suppose I should thank him for reminding me of my place in our relationship before I got too deep. I was already treading water, I didn’t want to drown. “Thanks for letting me know where I stand.”
“Pop,” he said softly, his hands framing my jaw. “You’re determined to keep this distance between us. I’m determined to make you see that I give a shit about you. Both as my partner and as my lover. I won’t let anything happen to you. What happened to Micah—“
“What happened to Micah could have happened to you!”
Vance blinked. Then he closed his eyes on a sigh. “That’s what this is about. I should have seen it,” he murmured. “Baby, I’m here, and I’m whole.”
“I punched you,” I whispered, horrified as the memory of my behavior crashed over me.
“You got a hell of a right hook, sweetheart.”
Tears flooded my eyes. “It’s not funny.”
His grin fell. “No, Poppy, it’s not funny.”
“We can’t do this.” My head was shaking trying to evade the grasp he had on my face and heart. “I can’t do this.”
“Yes, we can. We can do this together, but, baby, you gotta let me in. Lean on me. Confide in me. Depend on me. Just don’t push me away.”
I wanted to. I wanted to do all of those things. But the fear, the helplessness, crept in like a demon, and I was powerless to fight it. “No,” I choked, but anything else I might have said was lost when Vance’s lips hit mine.
The fire I’d been trying to keep at bay consumed me. His tongue darted between my lips, pouring fuel on the blaze, turning it into an inferno. His taste flooded my mouth, his scent invaded my nose, and the feel of his hard muscles under my hands was the last straw. My fingers curled into the material of his t-shirt, tugging until it was loosened enough to pull up over his head. Our clothes hit the floor until we were skin to skin, but it wasn’t just my body that felt exposed.
I couldn’t believe that I hit him. Attacked him the way I did. He wasn’t wrong; I was all up in my emotions, and Vance had gotten hurt. I closed my eyes against the purplish tint on his left cheek and gave in to the way his hands stroked my skin, working me up into a frenzy.
“Hands on the wall,” he grunted, grabbing my hips and twisting me so I was facing the metal lockers. He tugged me back so I was forced to bend forward to brace myself or lose my balance.
I wiggled my butt, whimpering my encouragement when he didn’t enter me right away.
“You want me to fuck you, rookie?”
“Yes.” My voice broke on the single word.
“Are you gonna let me in?”
“Vance,” I whined, shoving my butt into his groin to make my demand clear.
“You gotta let me in, Pop. That’s the only way this is gonna work.” His voice was gravel, tearing at my willpower as it pelted me.
“Vance,” I repeated.
“Give me the words, Poppy. Tell me what I want to hear, and I’ll give you what you need.”
I couldn’t deny him. I crumbled. “I’ll let you in.”
“Sorry? I didn’t quite hear that.”
“I’ll let you in!” I yelled, forgetting we weren’t the only people in the building. Nothing mattered but having him inside me, and he was denying me that one vital thing.
He entered me in one sure stroke, his groan an echo of the sound torn from my own throat.
Sweat dripped from our bodies as he pounded into me relentlessly. I think my capitulation unleashed a monster. His hands roamed over my flesh, one cupping a breast and the other traveling south until he reached that bundle of nerves that ached for his touch. His fingers parted my slick flesh. He stroked, flicked, and pinched an orgasm out of me, not giving me any recovery time before he demanded another one.
“Come again.”
“I can’t come on command,” I panted, smiling.
“You will for me,” he grunted, still thrusting and never losing his rhythm.
“I can’t,” I gasped as he hit a particularly sensitive spot with just the right amount of pressure.
“You can,” he insisted, his fingers once again pinching and rolling between my thighs.
And just like that, I went off again, this time with a keening cry that echoed off all the steel that surrounded us.
His hand slid from my breast to wrap around my neck. He pulled me up, so my back was flush with his chest, and with a few powerful thrusts he growled his orgasm into the sensitive sk
in behind my ear.
We were dragging our clothes on when the locker room door opened and Maya’s face appeared. “You two done givin’ each other the business or you gonna go for round two?”
My face caught fire.
“I don’t care, but some of the girls really need to get home, so if you’re done making the locker room your own personal honeymoon suite, I think they’d like to come in and get their stuff,” Maya went on with a broad smile.
My fist shot out when Vance chuckled. “Stop,” I hissed. Then said, “Sorry,” for hitting him again. “They can come in,” I called to Maya, straightening my tank top and smoothing my sex hair.
Several women filed in, all of them smiling to varying degrees and all of them avoiding eye contact.
“I just need to grab my car keys,” Candace mumbled to the floor, giving us a wide berth when she had to walk around us.
“Gotta get home and feed my kids,” someone else muttered, trying and failing not to choke on her laughter.
Hands on my hips, I stared at the ceiling until I either felt or heard everyone leave.
Everyone except Maya.
“What?” I sighed, righting my head and looking at my friend.
Arms crossed over her chest, hip cocked. Shit-eating grin on her face. “Good for you,” she said to Vance. “Really good for you,” she said to me with a wink.
Maya was quick with a one-liner, but she wasn’t quick enough to get out the way of the gym towel I sent flying at her head.
“Please tell me that wasn’t the towel you used to clean up after,” she sputtered.
“I’ll never tell,” I shot back with a wink of my own.
Vance laughed again, so when Maya scampered out of the locker room, I turned to him. “Stop that. I’m trying really hard not to hit you again.”
“Yeah, but you’re smiling, so I’m not all that worried.”
I let my lips stretch wider. “Don’t you know that a smiling woman is a dangerous creature?”
His arm darted out, his hand catching me behind the neck. He yanked me close and said, “I’m not afraid of you,” right before he kissed me.
When he was done ravaging my mouth, we stood in each other’s arms, neither of us wanting to let go. The day was catching up with me, and I was spent. The only thing I wanted to do was be in the safe cocoon of Vance’s embrace.
