Falling Deep Into You Trilogy Box Set

by Terra Kelly

  Preslie moved her chair closer to Vikki. “Wait, right there.” It was a video of the band in a studio. Miles was wearing a black button down short-sleeved shirt. There was a patch on the left-side by the breast that was their logo. They hit play on the video and went silent. His voice was deep and alluring. Preslie couldn’t take her eyes away from the screen.

  “Well, looks like I know what we’re doing next Friday.” Vikki nudged Preslie. “Close your mouth, dear.”

  Miles was feeling better and looking forward to their gig next Friday. Since he had been off for so long the band needed to practice every day until the show. It was a good distraction because Angie had become unbearable to live with these days. He needed to find a small house that would be big enough for him and the kids. He called a realtor that morning and let them know he wanted to rent a house. The woman seemed confident they would find a place.

  He was on his way over to see his late partner's family. Angie had mentioned that Eddy’s wife, Caroline was still a complete wreck. When he pulled into the driveway, he turned off the engine and took in a deep breath. He could walk without the crutch but he had to use a cane for stability. He knocked twice and heard someone yell, “Just a minute.”

  When Caroline swung the door open her smile fell. Miles gave a half smile. “Hi.” He still had stitches on his head and fading bruises. “Is this a bad time?”

  Her eyes became glassy. “Miles.” She walked forward and wrapped her arms around his waist.

  He circled his arms around her body. “I’m so sorry, Caroline.” He held back his tears, determined to keep it together. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you at the funeral.”

  “Miles, you were hurt. You have no reason to apologize. Eddy would’ve understood.” She stepped back, wiping away her tears. “Come inside. Would you like something to drink?” She walked toward the kitchen. “I was making cupcakes for Lilly’s classroom party tomorrow.” She stepped around the big island and grabbed the lemonade from the refrigerator. “How are you feeling?”

  He pulled out a stool opposite her and sat down. “The last month has been interesting. PT is going well and my leg is doing much better. We’re still rebuilding my core muscles, that will take time. But better yet, I’m looking for a place to live.”

  She stopped and turned to face him. “What? Why are you moving? Are you and Angie okay?”

  “You sure you want to hear it all from me?” He adjusted himself on the stool and leaned his cane up against the island. When she nodded for him to continue. “Well, the day she brought me home from the hospital, she also asked me for a divorce. Apparently, she has been living a lie. Her words not mine. She said she tried to accept the cop life but when I got hurt, she couldn’t do it anymore.” Caroline handed him a glass of lemonade. “Thanks. I still feel pissed. The kids are confused.”

  She walked over and sat down beside him. “Wow, now this is news I didn’t see coming. You both have always seemed so close and happy.” She shook her head. “As much as I knew the dangers that went with Eddy’s job, I wouldn’t change anything about our lives.” Caroline wiped a tear sliding down her cheek. “We know what we’re getting into when we agree to marry a cop. Why did she agree? Why would she think it would get easier?” She placed her hand over his. “Miles, I’m so sorry. You know I’m always here if you need anything.”

  “You and Eddy were like family. I don’t want that to end.”

  “Agreed. Plus, the kids would miss each other. They love spending time together.”

  “You know, it still doesn’t feel real." Miles admitted. "Once I get back to work it will hit me hard.” He took a drink of his lemonade. “Do you think Kylie would still be interested in babysitting? I know a lot will change and it may be too much."

  “I saw her yesterday. She was telling me about how she needs to make a little extra money. I bet she would love to babysit for Gracie and Jack.” She stood and walked around the island to continue frosting the cupcakes. “I’m still blown away by Angie. I saw her four days ago and she acted fine.”

  “Yeah, she fooled me for sure. I’ll never let that happen again. I thought I would be torn up but instead I’m just pissed. There’s a realtor looking for a rental home for me and the kids. The sooner the kids and I can have a fresh start the better.”

  She put the pastry bag down. “Yeah, a clean slate will be good. Don’t think all women are like Angie. I wasn’t. You'll find the right one.”

  “I’m not getting any younger. Who wants to marry a forty-five-year-old man, who’s a cop and sings in a band?”

  She pointed her finger at him. “You are a true catch, any woman would be lucky to have you. Hell, Angie was. Just don’t miss out on that perfect woman. Sometimes they can be standing right in front of you.”

  “Did you see the lyrics to the new song, Falling Deep Into You?” Miles was sitting on a stool in front of the mic in their studio. “I think we can keep it a little slow but still upbeat? Or do we want to make it slow through the whole song?”

  Ricky rested his guitar on his legs and put his arms on the edge. “It’s a great song man, really hits you. Let’s make it slow and appeal to the ladies. We haven’t sung a slow song in ages.”

  Seth, Julian, and Frankie all agreed. Julian had his guitar swung around and resting on his back. “Are we performing this song on Friday?”

  “Yeah, let’s introduce the song into the line-up?” Miles said and placed the sheet music on the stand.

  Julian nodded. “Fine by me. Let’s do a few extra sets. Then we can make sure we’re all on the same page.”

  Seth spun the drumsticks in his hands. “That would be great. I think there are a few places I should pop in to make the lyrics sound that much better?”

  Miles loved his band mates. They had been together for so long and yet they never fought. They worked as a team and put out solid material. Their songs were considered rock with a classic rock feel. “This is great. Thanks guys for adding it in. After everything that has happened over the last several weeks, the song just poured out the other night. I think it could be well received.” They practiced for another hour. When they were finishing up, Miles grabbed his cane and stood up. “Anyone want to grab a beer with me?”

  Julian and Frankie had to work early the next morning. Seth was packing up his drums. “Going to Johnny’s, right?”

  Ricky nodded. “Of course.” He was detaching the cords and placing his guitar in the case. He looked over at Miles. “Want to crash with me tonight?”

  “Nah, Angie leaves early tomorrow morning for work and I need to get the kids off to school.” He slapped his friend on the back. “Thanks. I may have my own place soon.”

  “What?" Ricky asked. "Really? The sooner you are not under that bitch’s roof, the better.” When the guys heard about what happened, they were pissed. They all had loved Angie, she was a part of the group. Lately, there had been many names used for her, none of them were pretty. “Well, let’s go celebrate with some beer.”

  Johnny’s Bar was a local favorite. It was away from downtown and more off the beaten path. When the band first got together they started going to the bar. The building was on a corner. The sign out front was looking worn with a couple lights burnt out. A few of the buildings on either side of the bar were closed and boarded up. The neighborhood was more middle class with blue collar workers. When you walked into the bar, you took a trip back in time. Classic rock played through the speakers. There was cherry wood throughout, on the stools, tables, the bar, and even behind the bar. The dark wood made the place feel a little mysterious. Since it was a local favorite, the place was packed for a Thursday night. They all headed to the back and found a table.

  “I’m so ready to be normal again. This cane is killing my mojo.” Miles looked around trying to see if he recognized anyone. His eyes caught sight of someone familiar.

  Ricky glanced at Miles and then in the same direction his friend's eyes were facing. “See someone you know?”

  �
�Not sure.”

  “Um, okay. So, when will you get that clean bill of health?”

  The waitress walked over at that moment. “Hey guys, how are you?” Everyone at the bar knew the band that’s how often they went to Johnny’s. “Your usual?” Their usual was just two pitchers of a nut-brown ale.

  “You know it.” Seth said and looked over at the guys. “Let’s grab something to eat, too?”

  “Yeah," Miles said. "I could use a little pick me up. How about nachos?”

  “Sure,” Seth agreed and shared their order with the waitress. “Oh, can we add in some mozzarella sticks?”

  Ricky rested his hands on the table and leaned back. As he stretched out his back and arms. “Are we ready for two nights of concerts next week? This body gets tired quick.” He was only a few years older than Miles but had also been a football player in college. His body had seen the worst and still got up every day. “Friday night will be easy with only six songs. Saturday night will be intense with a fourteen-song set.”

  Seth was the youngest in the group but by only six years. “What you’re saying is, when I turn forty next year my warranty expires?”

  “Nice one.” Miles laughed. “Not everything expires, thank God.”

  “Okay guys, serious time," the waitress said. "They ran out of the nut brown you always get. Want the stout instead?”

  “How does a bar run out of beer?" Ricky teased. "That’s like a burger joint running out meat or an ice cream shop running out of…well, ice cream.”

  “There’s something wrong with the tap, so we had to say we’re out," the waitress said and placed her hands on her hips. "Sorry guys. The stout will be okay, right?”

  “Of course," Miles said. "Thanks.”

  Seth turned to Miles. “How are the kids holding up?” The guys were more concerned about Gracie and Jack because they were both at that impressionable stage.

  “Jack keeps asking why Daddy is sleeping in another bedroom. Finally, last night I sat him down and talked to him. He deserved the truth and Angie never planned to give it to the little guy. Gracie walked in when we were talking. She knew only bits and pieces because Angie wouldn’t tell her everything. We sat on the floor in Jack’s room and talked for about two hours. I didn’t make Angie out to be the bad guy, but it was hard not making her look somewhat shitty.”

  “Well, she is the shitty one in this situation," Ricky said and leaned back. "I wouldn’t worry about making her look bad. What’s more important now is that they know they have complete support from you both. Try to avoid fighting when they are around or spouting off negative comments about each other.”

  “Fuck, where were you when I was growing up?" Seth asked Ricky. "My parents always talked about each other in a negative way. They could never agree on anything.” He shook his head. “Try to keep your shit between you two, it has nothing to do with the kids.”

  Miles placed his hand on his buddy’s shoulder. “I promise. As pissed off as I am, this will not involve the kids. It will be hard to live in two places though.” They continued talking about the kids for a few more minutes, then the waitress brought over their food and beer. Miles was taking a mozzarella stick from the basket. “I think I may get to go back to work in two weeks. I’m so fucking ready.”

  Five

  On Monday afternoon Miles took a trip down to the station because he had not seen his team in over a month. Cooper and Finley stopped by to check on him at the hospital, and he talked to Sanders and Campbell on the phone when he was at home. If he was being honest with himself, he was curious to see who they had for a new team member. The guys worked as one and he hoped the newbie would fit in. The Toronto police department was six stories high and each level had a different division. His division was on the fourth floor. The emergency task force dealt with high-risk situations like hostage takings, emotionally disturbed people, high risk arrests, plus warrant service and protection details. They were trained to negotiate with the suspects and deal with terrorist threats. To say his job was easy was bullshit. There was nothing easy about what they did or saw every day.

  “Miles. Wow. It’s good to see you, man.” Finley walked over and put an arm around Miles' shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

  “Hey, long time no see." His boss, Cooper teased. "Feeling better?”

  “Much. Looks like I should be back in the game in about two weeks,” he said looking around. He noticed someone sitting in the conference room. “Is that our new team member?”

  “Yeah, that’s Tim Erickson," Cooper said and patted Miles on the back. "He started a week ago and is fitting right in with the team. Come on, I’ll introduce you.” Miles felt awkward as he walked toward the conference room. Cooper cleared his throat. “Erickson, I want to introduce you to Miles. He’s still on medical leave but should be back in a few weeks.”

  Erickson stood and reached out his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m sorry to hear about your partner.”

  Miles knew this had to be just as hard for Erickson as it was for him. “Thanks. How are you fitting in here?”

  “Well, the guys have initiated me in already." Erickson laughed. "Hopefully now I can relax and get settled in. I came up from Organized Crime Enforcement.”

  “With this team, never relax.”

  Finley nodded. “He’s right.”

  Miles could tell by first impression that Erickson would fit right in with the team. He knew coming from OCE was about as intense as the ETF division. He was catching up with the guys when something on the wall caught his attention. He walked around Finley and stepped closer to the poster stapled to the corkboard. It was a mug shot of a man, maybe mid-thirties, shaggy brown hair, sunken in eyes, five o’clock shadow. The name David Anderson was in bold font under the image. It wasn’t your normal wanted poster with an image and fingerprints included. He turned back toward the guys. “This is an unusual wanted poster. What’s the story behind this guy?”

  “You may want to sit for this story," Finley said and pulled out a chair.

  “Yeah, this is an interesting story," Cooper said and sat across from Miles. "When I stopped to see you at the hospital that second day you were there. The nurse, Preslie.”

  Miles straightened in his chair. “Yeah, she was my charge nurse a couple times. Did something happen to her?”

  “I stopped to see you but Angie was there, so I didn't stay long. I was in the hospital for twenty to thirty minutes. When I was heading back out to my car I heard an odd noise. It sounded like a struggle and muffled cries. I walked around a pillar to see Preslie in a choke hold by that guy on the flyer." He pointed toward the poster. "I feel if I was a minute later she would be dead. They never heard me approach, so I reached behind the guy and grabbed him around his neck. The moment the guy let go of Preslie, she fell to the ground. I could see marks forming immediately on her neck, he had a tight grasp on her. I was able to cuff him and read him his rights, but then he questioned the reason for my arrest. He was spouting off horrible accusations about the nurse, claiming she liked it rough. It ended up being more of a he-said-she-said situation. I knew my hands were tied for this one. Plus, she didn’t want me to arrest him. My gut told me something was off about the whole situation, so I put the poster up and made the guys aware.” Cooper sat back in his chair. "Trust me, I wanted to arrest the guy on the spot."

  “Fuck. Did you see her neck after? I remember noticing several purple spots underneath the collar of her shirt.”

  Cooper nodded. “I did. I stopped in a few days later to see her and see if she was okay. Her co-worker let me know they hired more security, had his picture available for the staff, and they made sure Preslie was with someone always. I don't know if that will be enough. We are on alert with this guy; he has a long rap sheet that goes back several years.”

  “Wow. I wondered about her neck, it didn’t look normal," Miles said and stood to go grab the image. “I will make a copy for my car. I go to the hospital for PT three days a week. If I see him, I can call it in.
”

  “That’s a great idea," Cooper said and stood up. "I figure if the guy attacked out of the blue once, he’ll attack again. Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, shame on him.”

  Preslie was ready to go home after a long shift. She was working alongside Ella today because Vikki had the day off. Ella could not carpool with Preslie, so she called Vikki. “Hey, where are you at?”

  “Hey sweets, just over at the coffee house. Everything okay?”

  “Ella can’t carpool, so I was checking to see if you were close by? I can have someone walk me to the bus stop, no big…”

  Before Preslie could finish her sentence. “Nope, I’m on my way. Hey, you still up for going to the concert tonight?”

  “Yeah, maybe after a long hot bath. It was crazy here today. You sure you’re okay with picking me up?” Vikki stayed silent. “Okay, okay. I’ll be here at the nurses’ station.”

  “Give me ten minutes.”

  Preslie placed her purse on the desk and sat down on a rolling chair. It had been over a month since her encounter with David. She wondered if he got spooked and left the city. It was not like him to react the way he did in the parking garage. When she first met him, he was working at a small diner. He was the assistant manager and not your typical guy she would find attractive. After talking to him maybe eight times he asked her out on a date. He seemed nice and was polite. They laughed and had a good time. Then one date turned into five and it became a relationship. They were together for about six months. After five months everything went south, he became possessive and controlling. Preslie was nervous to break it off. The night before she planned to leave he got mad about something and almost hit her. When she flinched, he pulled back and apologized. She didn't listen though, she ended things that night. For six months now she felt good with her decision. When he showed back up, she questioned how she had broken it off with him. Maybe she should have given him a second chance.