The Siren (The Chloe Chronicals Book 2)

by Eden Rose

  Grant tightened his grasp on my shoulder and he snapped me out of my daze. The bride is wearing the biggest dress that I have ever seen. However, it is so blinged out that I wondered what she did for a living. There is no way that she could afford that dress on a cop's salary.

  Her groom looked nice. He is tall and average looking. There is nothing spectacular about him. The brown hair of his is wavy and he and his blonde bride complimented each other.

  I am lost in my own world when I heard clapping and seen bubbles being blown from the crowd. My clapping is lost in the throng of people who were congratulating the couple as they skirted back down the aisle.

  "Guests, the bride and groom would like to invite you for happy hour in the adjoining room. Thank you," a proud man hollered out at the front of the chapel. I'm pretty sure that he must be someone's father... I'm guessing the bride.

  Grant held his hand out to me and I took it as the usher let our row go.

  "Thank you for coming with me, baby," he said against my cheek.

  I loved it when he called me baby. There are just so many things that are comforting about the name. "No problem. Someone had to be your date and I'm happy you chose me," I gave him a huge smile while we walked into the hallway to go to happy hour.

  The room is big and stayed true to the harvest theme. The table cloths were brown and burnt orange with pumpkins in the middle as a center piece. Hands down, this is the most creative reception I have ever seen. I thoroughly enjoy that they are staying with the fall theme opposed to going the typical pink and flowers.

  Howard kept pace with us and swung his arm out to a tray to grab two champagne flutes. "My lady," he handed it over to me and I giggled at his dork ways.

  "Thank you, kind sir," I said as I took a sip. Grant tightened his grasp on my hand and growled. "What is your problem?" I asked him through my teeth.

  He adjusted his weight and led me to a table where he pulled out the chair. I sat down and he moved his chair closer to mine. Howard sat on the other side of me next to a leggy brunette who immediately is captured by Howard. I am surprised how fast she moved, she flung her hand in the air and then sat it on his arm.

  "Nothing. Why would there be a problem?" Grant answered my question through bated breaths.

  This is why I hate relationships. One person gets to possessive and then the other feels as if they are trapped in a glass box. I really like Grant, but I'm not in the mood for these mood swings. Even though I wanted to throw a bitch fit, I decided to let him be and looked around.

  The bride and the groom danced in and waltzed to their head table. Despite my disbelief in the union of holy matrimony, they did seem pretty happy.

  Our dinners were served and speeches began to talk about the couple and blah blah blah. I get it, they are in love. Why did I agree to come to this thing? Oh, that's right. It is a bargain to get Grant to go to my parents dinner. Damn it.

  "Sleeping to Dream" came through the speakers and the couple started to dance. This song is truly romantic. I couldn't help the geeky smile that formed on my lips. This is a song that I would listen to when I needed to get away from the real world.

  Grant grabbed my hand that I had rested at the base of my champagne flute and brought it to his lips to kiss each knuckle. These little things that he does keeps knocking one brick out at a time down. My defenses are on high alert because I don't want to show my vulnerability to him. I can't show him that I could fall for him... or that I may have already fallen.

  Jack Johnson starts to play and its "Banana Pancakes." Another one of my favorite songs. That geeky smile gets bigger on my face and I'm scolding myself to keep my poker face on.

  "Please join Mr. and Mrs. Roberts on the dance floor!" The deejay hollered through his mic.

  The leggy brunette is dragging Howard to the dance floor, and soon I am being pulled to the floor as well.

  I wrapped my arms around Grant's neck and he wrapped his big hands around the small of my back. He smelled so good. It is like a woodsy smell that intoxicated me and flooded my senses.

  Another brick fell out.

  He pulled me closer to him and we started to dance along with the beat. I tugged his neck forward so he would drop him face. With my lips puckered, he lightly kissed them. Grant's fingers tightened around my back and I felt the crack in facade break wide open.

  Another brick.

  "Are you okay?" He whispered against my cheek and when I pulled out I seen that he looked nervous.

  There is something about those eyes that he had. The way they bore through me and could see through all of my bull shit. Grant has always been there for me and he's always the best friend that I could possibly have. I kept my eyes fixated on his and let out a sly smile. He matched my smile and in that move right there, I knew. I had fallen for him and there is no way to climb out of this hole that I have fallen into.

  It is the scariest realization that I have ever came to. My job is easier than sorting through my own feelings. Hell, anything is easier to deal with as long as it didn't stir up my own feelings.

  "Chloe!" He all but yelled in front of my face and I snapped out of whatever cyclone of a daze that I am in. "What is wrong? You look like you seen a ghost!"

  I didn't think it were possible but another brick fell and my feeling and emotions came flooding through me. Words started to form on my tongue and my lips were trying to wrap around a word that didn't want to come out. My brain tried to force those words back into my mind but my heart overran that message.

  Standing up straighter, I stopped swaying to the music. Grant's facial expression screamed that he's severely confused. Well that makes two of us, buddy.

  "Grant, I have fallen for you. I think I have always felt something towards you and just couldn't admit it to myself." Once those words were out of my mouth, I wanted to eat them again. I hate this... I hate the feeling of knowing that he could blow my world apart and I'm giving him the reigns to do it too. I used to feel that words were words that people gave their significant other in order to gain something from them. Now those words make me feel something that I never expected. Good. Complete. Full.

  The smile that blew across his mouth told me that he heard what I said and soaked it in. My brain is screaming to put my poker face back on.

  He brushed his fingers around my chin and pulled it up for me to face him completely. Those fingers lightly curled around my chin and I couldn't suppress the shudder and shiver that fell through me.

  "Thank you for telling me. I can't tell you how long I have waited for you to tell me," and with that we started to dance and got back in the flow of everyone else.

  *Grant

  It is about time for her to admit it. Even though she didn't say the three words that I'm dying to hear she did say four that meant the same. I couldn't help but feel my smile on my face get bigger. After her admission, she hasn't looked at me but she did get more comfortable in my hold.

  Some of the officers from my old precinct were eyeing me up while I danced with Chloe. No doubt about it, they were confused as to why I brought someone from internal affairs to a cop wedding.

  After the third song that we danced to in complete and utter silence, she looked up at me and wiggled her fingers against my neck. "I need to go to the ladies room. Be back soon," I let her go and she walked off.

  I isn't standing in the middle of the floor alone for too long. Kayla approached me with an envelope in her hand and gave it to me.

  "What is this?" I can't even begin to fathom what she could possibly be giving me in an envelope.

  I examined her face and she is biting on her lip and her eyes kept darting around. "Open it."

  With the envelope open, I reached in and pulled a picture out. The picture looked blurry and I knew from my own brother and sisters what this picture is of. A baby. An ultrasound picture.

  Curiosity plagued me and I met her gaze. "Why would you show this to me?" We weren't really seeing each other in the first place so it is not as if she
owes me anything by being the one to tell me something like this first.

  "Because..." she turned her face away from me and I couldn't help but get nervous. Whatever this photo is of must have something to do with me. "It's yours. I'm about three months." She reached into her purse and pulled out a file that held numerous papers. When she handed them over to me, I noticed that these papers were confirmation of her pregnancy.

  I wanted to yell. This is unbelievable. I did the math of the first time we slept together and that is four months ago and then we slept together until Chloe came to the precinct. The possibility of this being mine ran through me.

  "Wow... I'm sorry. This is a lot for me to take in..." I walked out of the middle of the floor and over to the sitting room and casually sat on a chair. Kayla followed me and sat down across from me. "What are you going to do?" My mother would beat the living hell out of me if I requested Kay to abort.

  "I am keeping it. My job has already changed to the accommodation of my pregnancy and I'm now riding the desk." She stopped talking and I soaked it in. What did she want from me? "What do you want to do about this? Obviously, I know we aren't going to have a happily ever after... but I wanted to be fair to you and see what you wanted."

  Well, hell. Obviously I want to be there for her and the baby but... Wow. I'm a selfish piece of shit. I'm not even considering the mother of my unborn child but I'm thinking of Chloe. How is she going to react? I guarantee that she will flip out. I know her father has a separate family and it bothers her that she has siblings that she never met. Would she be supportive? Shit. I can't tell her until I figure this out.

  "I want to be there for you and the baby. Whatever you need, let me know." I handed the papers back to her and dropped my head into my hands. This is crazy. I'm going to be a dad. A fucking father. I don't even know if I like kids. My nieces and nephews are great.. but would I feel something different when it comes to my own child? "When is the next doctor's appointment? I need to know everything about everything."

  She let out a breath and looked relieved. I bet she thought I am going to tell her to go to hell. "I have one next month on the eighth. Did you want to come?" She whispered and I held out my hand to squeeze hers.

  "Yes, I want to go to everything. Does the captain know it's mine?" If the captain knew he could tell the director at the agency and then word will spread.

  "No." She reached into her purse and took out some more papers. Custody papers and my paternal rights were on it. "If you want to be involved, we need to come to an understanding about everything. Since you live in Denver, we can split weekends and holidays so the baby will get to know both of us."

  Custody agreements already? I just found out that I'm going to have a kid. "Thanks, Kay. Let me know everything."

  She handed me a photo of the ultrasound and then walked away. This is insane. I'm going to be a dad. A father. I'm having a baby.

  "They, man. What's up?" Howard came and sat where Kay is sitting.

  I handed the picture over to him and he gasped. "It's mine. Kay is pregnant."

  I needed to know what he's going to say. How am I supposed to handle this. "What are you going to do? What about Chloe? She is going to flip."

  Understatement of the century.

  "I told Kay that I wanted to be involved and be there for her but I don't know what to do about this."

  "I would tell Chloe. Did I hear you right in there, did you really say that you loved her?"

  I nodded my head and scanned the room looking for Chloe. She is talking to one of my old partners and she looked happy. "What do you think she is going to do?"

  "I don't know. Come on, though. You don't want her to come looking for you while you are out here. She will surely know that something is up."

  * Chloe

  Grant is quiet for the rest of the night. Throughout the reception, he held onto my hand or spread his hand across my back. I wonder what is wrong with him. I didn't know any of these people but I am trying to get along with them but it would have been nice if Grant were warmer towards me.

  "Grant, what's wrong?" I whispered as we danced. He is scaring me and I don't even know why.

  Duh. You just told him you love him and you let your bricks fall out.

  "Nothing, baby. Are you ready to go home?"

  I thought we would be staying here but I guess we are going back to my apartment. I nodded and he led me to grab my coat and purse.

  He left me in the hallway and said his congratulations to the couple and then Howard stopped him. I have never seen Howard look so worried. He is normally a cocky bastard.

  They were talking to each other with feeling and I wondered if this could be why Grant has been quiet. Were they arguing? I wonder if Grant is angry with me that I didn't those three words. If that is the case he can bite me.

  I need to stop jumping to conclusions.

  With my back now turned, I slip on my coat and send a text to Christine asking if she were home. I really hope that she doesn't have the naked man there tonight.

  Arms went around my waist and I felt the urge to either succumb to it or push them away. "Hey, honey. I'm coming back with you two. Aren't you excited?"

  When I heard that it is Howard, I did back into his hold. It felt great to be comforted through my mass of confusion. "Awesome. Care to walk me outside."

  He dropped his arms from around my waist to slip one around my shoulders. We walked in silence and I fought the urge to badger him for answers. Whatever this is that is happening... I hope it is just part of my active imagination.

  By the time we made it back, my imagination had a way of concocting different stories and theories as to why both Howard and Grant were acting funny. I sat in the back on the way home since Howard is taller and he needs more feet room. I used this time to stretch out in the back seat and close my eyes.

  The minute I sat in the back seat, I kicked my shoes off so I held my knees to my chest. I wonder what happened that made him act so shifty towards me.

  *

  Work this week has been a cake walk. We have been making progress on the stalker task force and actually managed to pass the case of to the new division in the PD. They are able to dedicate the right amount of time and energy to Jennifer. I hope for her sake, they are able to get her stalker slapped with a couple of charges.

  William, Colin and I are spending our days listening to Natasha's testimony and it didn't get any easier to hear the details of what she did. This woman didn't deserve immunity and I'm pissed that she got it. Why the hell would Cap allow her this?

  "I find young girls and take home to Antonio. Then he teach them how to be good girl and take sex. We managed to have them drug constantly and then they don't cry."

  The bitch didn't have any remorse in her voice.

  "Delacruz?" Someone called through the door and knocked. "You have a phone call."

  I didn't bother getting out of my seat. "Which line and who is it?"

  "Line 2 and I don't know."

  I got out of my chair and walked over to the phone. After I clicked the blinking light button, I said: "Delacruz, here."

  A deep breath filtered in through the phone and deja vu came flooding through me. This is what used to happen when I am dealing with...

  Shit! Mable said he's getting out soon... Could he really be calling me now?

  "Hello?" I said sternly.

  Click.

  It's probably not him. Why would he start back out doing something that is just going to get him in trouble after all of this time? That would be stupid.

  But...

  Grant

  Its funny to watch Howard try to get out of packing up boxes and carrying them down the hall. See, I knew that if I moved too far away from her, this would give Chloe the fucking space to push me away and I'm done playing with that shit.

  She's done pushing me away and my ass is staying here.

  I keep trying to come up with some way to tell Chloe about everything with Christine and Kayla. I ha
ve no idea how I'm supposed to let her know these things and how we are going to be able to get past this.

  "Hey, Grant!" Christine calls as she drops a box on the floor and comes trotting over to me. I watch as she swings her body onto the countertop.

  I glare at her and point to the ground. "Fuck, did you grow up in a barn?"

  She laughs me off and then smiles. "So, when are you going to tell our girl about you knocking that bitch up?"

  My eyes must have grown to be as big as saucers. "What the fuck are you talking about?" I snarl and wrap my fingers around her elbow to pull her off my counter. "Why the hell are you talking about shit that you don't know the answer to?"