by Laura Acton
Ann clinked her glass of chardonnay to Harriet’s. “If Bella can’t do it, no one can.”
Harriet nodded in agreement before both moved off to mingle with other groups to assess the tenor of the mood.
Moving to speak to her hostess, needing to take her leave to deal with pressing issues at her office, Lorelei Ravenswood stopped near a narrow table when her eyes caught a photograph. As a long-ago memory came to mind, she stared. No, it can’t be him? Can it?
She picked up the picture to study the image of a blond teenager with striking sapphire eyes. Lorelei had only ever met one man with eyes that color … the thing which drew her to him in the first place.
Wilson halted and affected a pleasant grin. “Hello. May I help you?”
Startled and a tad embarrassed to be found handling personal possessions of Grand Dame Ridgewater, Lorelei set the frame down. “No, I’m sorry. Those eyes are …” She pulled herself together. “He reminds me of someone I met at a ski lodge years ago during winter break.”
Recognizing the woman from the hot tub, Wilson’s grin grew. “Danny Broderick does have eyes one would remember.”
Lorelei’s face beamed. “It is him. You know him?”
“Yes.”
“I wondered about him for years. He wanted to be a cop, had his whole life planned out. Admired someone who knew what they wanted and went for it. Do you know if he became a police officer?”
Wilson nodded. “Yes, he did. He is a member of the Tactical Response Force.”
“Wow. I’m happy for him.” Lorelei tucked the information away. I might have to contact him. Perhaps we might find ourselves another hot whirlpool for old times’ sake. Checking her wristwatch, she said, “Excuse me. I must be leaving.”
“Good afternoon, ma’am.” Wilson watched her graciously bid farewell to Bella and wondered if he should tell Danny about Lorelei. The boy does need to find an exceptional woman. Reconnecting with the lady he enjoyed his first sexual encounter with might be a place to start.
Dan’s Apartment Complex – Lobby – 6:30 p.m.
Weighed down with several insulated bags bursting with at least a months’ worth of individual serving containers filled with various delectable foods, Lexa headed for the elevator. She stopped and glanced behind her. “You coming?”
Dan eyed Lexa’s direction and shook his head as he repositioned his duffle bag on his shoulder. “Nope. Taking the stairs.”
“What? You chicken?” Lexa teased. She realized Dan needed to face his fear of elevators and she wanted to help.
“That thing is a death trap. It breaks down more than it runs. Been stuck in it before and I’m not about to repeat the experience.” Dan started for the stairwell as Lexa began clucking like a chicken. He couldn’t help but grin.
The door sliding open, caused Lexa to stop abruptly. Embarrassed at being caught acting like a youngster, her cheeks pinkened as she spotted Dan’s neighbor. She stammered out, “Hello, Mrs. Stark.”
Dan halted and turned. He realized he should’ve contacted her sooner and arranged for dog food to be delivered while he stayed at Loki’s place. The red-rimmed eyes of the sweet, older lady caused him to pause before he rapidly strode over. “Are you alright?”
Eleanor gave Dan a sad smile. “I’ve been watching for you the past couple of days, but your shifts must be off from my schedule. I need to tell you something.” She reached out a shaky, frail hand and grasped his unbraced one. “You’ve been hurt.”
“I’m okay, only a sprain.” Assessing her demeanor, Dan became concerned as he understood what must’ve occurred. “Mr. Happy’s gone, isn’t he?”
A tear slipped out as Eleanor nodded. She wiped it away and said, “He passed in his sleep the night of the sixth.” Forcing a smile, Eleanor squared her shoulders. “My new puppy will be here next week. I’m on my way to spend a little time with him. Let him get used to me, so he isn’t scared when he comes to live with me. I still want you to name him.”
“I will. I’ll visit when he arrives. I’m working more normal hours the next two weeks.” He lifted his right hand. “On light duty for a few weeks.”
Eleanor grinned at the attractive couple and addressed Lexa, “You take care of this one. He is far too reckless.”
With a nod of agreement, Lexa tugged on Dan’s arm, pulling him into the lift as she said, “It will be somewhat of a struggle, but I’ll do my best.”
Unwilling to make a scene, Dan ended up standing next to Lexa in the dreaded elevator as he waved bye to Mrs. Stark. He fought the sensation of his world closing in around him as they began the ride up to the tenth floor. Be cool. You can do this. What are the odds this will get stuck …
Upward motion halted with a jerk between the fifth and sixth floors. Dan groaned and dropped his bag to the floor. “Crap! Not again.”
Dan’s Apartment Complex – Elevator – 6:50 p.m.
Anxiety grew over the past twenty minutes, though he tried to tamp it down, Dan leaned in the corner of the tiny box which became smaller with each passing minute. A call to the complex office went unanswered since it was after closing time. He left a message on the urgent repair line, but his sense of urgency never matched theirs. Blowing out a breath, he glanced at Lexa.
Sitting cross-legged in the opposite corner, finishing one of the gelato’s Loki’s ma sent with Dan, she peered up at him. “Sit down, relax. Have a snack. I’m sure they will show up any minute now.”
“Lexa, it’s Sunday night. We’ll be lucky if anyone comes before tomorrow morning.”
“Well, we won’t go hungry,” Lexa quipped. She noted Dan’s increased agitation and nothing she did so far helped reduce his uneasiness. At a loss, she finally said, “Why do you dislike elevators?”
“Reminds me of something I’d rather forget.”
“Seems to me forgetting isn’t working. I’ll listen if you want to talk about it … might help.”
Talking to Lexa often did help him. Willing to give it a shot, he said, “I used to utilize tight spaces to hide all the time, and they never bothered me until after a Humvee I was riding in ran over an IED. The explosion flipped us. I don’t recall how many times, but enough to send everything inside flying. I sat in the back, Mason and a man from another unit occupied the front seats.
“We landed upside down in a gully. I escaped with minor cuts. Those up front didn’t fare well. The driver died, and Mason sustained shrapnel wounds. Something sliced open his cheek leaving his face a bloody mess. When his hand moved toward his heart, I noticed a long piece of metal protruding. He kept trying to pull it out. I did my best to stop him.
“You haven’t met him yet, but he makes Bram look like a dwarf.” Dan chuckled. “Not quite, but he has at least six inches in height on Bram, a broader chest, and a few more pounds of muscle. A real Highland heathen.”
“I would like to meet him one day.” Lexa pulled out a homemade gelato and another plastic spoon, handing both to Dan as he crouched in his corner. She smiled when he accepted, sat, and took a bite. “What happened next?”
“Delirious, in so much pain, Mason didn’t realize what he was doing. He fought me when I attempted to prevent him from yanking out the shard.” Dan allowed the cold gelato to soothe the fire of a long-ago burning throat.
Lexa patiently waited for Dan to continue, noting his eyes took on a faraway glaze.
“Later, in the hospital, I learned the guys had a hell of a time reaching us because the ditch held more IEDs. Trapped in the Humvee fighting to save Mason’s life and being ineffectual, well, something in my brain … weird really, but every time I step into elevators, all those images come back even though there is nothing remotely similar about the interior of a Humvee and this.” Dan’s hand waved around him.
“What do you mean you learned later? Wouldn’t you be aware the whole time?” Lexa broke her own rule in asking, but his statement seemed off.
Dan scooped up another spoonful and let the treat melt in his mouth. “It wasn’t easy to kee
p Mason from pulling out the shrapnel. Mason’s fists are like sledgehammers. I swear he could knock down a house if he ever tried. As I blacked out, I didn’t think I would find Mason alive if I woke up.”
“If you woke? Dan, what aren’t you saying?”
Soulful blue eyes met caring hazel ones. “Mason didn’t mean to, but he beat the crap out of me and almost choked me to death. He passed out before he killed me. The occasional raspiness of my voice is a result of a mild fracture of my larynx.”
Unable to hide a smile as her mind went elsewhere, Lexa said, “I like that quality to your voice, especially when you’re moaning my name.” Infusing her voice with seductiveness, she abandoned her cup of gelato. “Wanna make new tight spaces memories … hot, sexy ones?”
Dan eyed Lexa. It had been nine days since they had been alone. Nine long days of being near her, but powerless to do what he wanted. He set down the melting frozen treat as desire built in him. “What do you have in mind?”
Slinky, like a cat stalking its prey, Lexa crawled over to Dan. “Whatever you desire.” She raked one finger down his cheek, across his torso and ended on his groin, where her hand gently rubbed as her mouth locked on his.
Lava erupted as Dan’s left hand pulled Sexy Lexie to him as his braced hand sought out her breasts. Shirts tugged free of pants, and a front-closing bra popped open, Dan’s mouth descended on her creamy breasts, laving them as his left fingers sought her apex below.
Not to be denied, Lexa’s hands undid Dan’s jeans button and tugged the zipper down … still pleased he occasionally went commando when not at work. Taking charge, Lexa moved his hand from her and lifted his head to face her. “My treat tonight.” She kissed his forehead, his nose, his chin, moved down his chest tracing a line with her tongue. The gasp from him was music to her ears as she sucked in his stiff, throbbing member.
Dan dug his heels into the floor as his back pressed into the corner when Lexa’s hot mouth moved on him, her teeth grazing slightly, adding to the sensation. She worked him to a fever pitch, almost to the point of no return before she stopped and returned her lips to his.
Lost in the moment, he was unsure when her pants came off, only that she straddled him and he became sheathed to the hilt in her warmth. She rode him, taking him almost there, backing him down, and returning him repeatedly to a point he nearly exploded. Her exquisite torture became his whole world. When she allowed him to reach his release, he moaned a raspy, “Lexaaaaaaaaaa.”
Following Dan into the pitch of ecstasy Lexa savored the quality of his voice. She let her body collapse on top of Dan’s as their heart rates and breaths began to slow. She whispered in his ear, “If you are ever stuck in an elevator again, just think of this.”
His apprehension gone, Dan languidly gazed into her hazel eyes, enjoying the golden glitter dancing in them. “You’re an exceptional woman.”
She kissed him, pleased she helped. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
Keep Your Head on A Swivel
18
January 15
Fourteenth Division – 8:00 a.m.
Staring at the entrance to the five-story building, Dan couldn’t believe this division, of all possible ones, he had been assigned to assist with evaluations. Not one to shirk from duty, he strode forward, hoping to leave his past behind him. Surely no one from ten and a half years ago would remember him.
Three paces into the building it felt like a time warp. Nothing inside changed except the faces moving about the front area. Familiar with his way around, having spent five of his six months as a patrol officer roaming this place, Dan pointed himself in the direction of the bank of elevators.
An unbidden grin came to his face. Because of Lexa, he would never again shy away from taking an elevator, well, except for his apartment complex, because quite frankly it broke down more than it ran. He now had a Sexy Lexie memory to supplant and combat his anxiety. When the door opened, he confidently stepped in and pressed the button for the top floor offices.
His grin stayed in place all the way to the fifth floor as he replayed last night’s steamy time. They had been rescued about forty minutes after their romp, and Lexa stayed the night snuggled up next to him until she left at four thirty to arrive in time for workout. Gambrill shuffled team schedules during the evaluation period which put Alpha on the seven a.m. to seven p.m. shift.
He kept his focus elsewhere until a ping notified him of his arrival to his preselected destination. Squaring his shoulders, recalling the last time he was on this floor, to hand in his resignation, he put the memories aside. With purpose, he strode toward the captain’s office and stopped at the reception desk. “Constable Broderick to see Captain Fleetwood.”
The assistant glanced up from her paperwork and caught sight of the handsome TRF officer. “Go right in. He is expecting you.”
“Thanks.” Dan rapped twice and opened the door. “Captain Fleetwood?”
Swiveling his chair around, already exhausted after one hour on the job, Perry Fleetwood grinned. “Broderick, I presume.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Good. Come in. The file for you is somewhere on my desk.” Perry moved stacks of papers and folders aside until he located the desired one. “Here we go.” He handed it to Broderick noting the brace. “Your misfortune is my godsend. I certainly can use your help. Things are crazy in the Fourteenth with increased gang activity.”
Accepting the folio, Dan nodded at the affable man. Entirely different than the hard-assed captain from his time here. “Glad I can help. How many officers require evaluation?”
Perry scratched his head. “Don’t rightly know. My predecessor neglected to run the requals last January for most detectives and many patrol officers. The full list is in the folder. You can set up in the basement range. There are five lanes available, and Cadet Ashdown will assist by rotating the groups for you.”
“Where can I find Ashdown?”
“She should be at the range now with the first group.”
“Thank you, sir.” Dan took his leave as the captain answered the phone. He realized while walking out, that administration is not something he ever wanted to do. He enjoyed working on critical calls, and paperwork was a hassle.
Fourteenth Division – Basement Gun Range – 4:30 p.m.
Dan finished the paperwork on the next to last set of constables tested. Per Gambrill’s request, he had identified two possible candidates for TRF training if that came to fruition. His list of officers requiring refresher training was quite a bit longer. Ten failed to meet the minimum expectations and another five barely passed. Of those fifteen, two-thirds were here last year when the evals had been skipped, for whatever reason.
The constables, fourteen men and one woman, were none too pleased when he informed them they would be put on desk duty until they requalified with their handguns. The glares sent his way caused old memories to pop into his head. But by in large, those he assessed so far performed well and behaved cordially to him.
Ivy Ashdown strode in carrying two coffees. “Tastes like boiled rubber boots, but it is better than nothing,” she said handing over one cup.
Dan set his pen down and accepted the hot beverage. They had about ten minutes to kill until the final group arrived. “Chilly down here. Thanks.”
Scooting up on one of the desks, Ivy pointed to the brace. “If you don’t mind me asking, how’d you hurt your wrist?”
“Unicycle.”
Brightening, Ivy said, “No kidding. You ride a unicycle? So rare to find another unicyclist.”
Dan chuckled. “No, I don’t ride them. I crashed into a group of unicorns on unicycles chasing a subject.”
A pout came to Ivy’s mouth. “Darn.” Searching for another topic, the cadet said, “You write well with your left hand. Bet you wish your shooting hand wasn’t messed up.”
Dan shook his head. Though pleasant, Ivy might not graduate the police academy, her powers of observation were somewhat lacking. He tapped the holster on h
is left leg. “I’m left-handed.”
“Oh. Yeah, right. Geez, don’t know how I missed that.” She sighed. “Don’t really want to be a cop, but my mom is one, and she wanted me to go to the academy. Hope she’s not too disappointed when I wash out.”
“What do you want to do?”
Ivy blushed. “Don’t laugh.”
“I won’t.”
“I wanna train dogs. If I could spend my days with canines that would be bliss.” She swung her feet back and forth. “On the weekends I’m a dog walker. Well, actually runner. A couple of my older clients can’t exercise their active pooches as they need. Keeps me in shape.”
Dan thought about Mrs. Stark. With Skippy so old, he had required only a sedate walk, but with a puppy, the energy level might be too much for his neighbor. “If you give me a business card, a friend of mine may be interested in hiring someone to help her train and exercise a border collie puppy.”
“Cool. Let me grab one from my purse. I’ll be back in a few.” Ivy raced off to her locker.
Returning to his paperwork, compiling the names of the next group, Dan stopped and quietly groaned when he spotted Dane Gould’s name. Today had gone reasonably well, but now he would need to deal with Dane. The sounds of people entering indicated the group arrived earlier than expected.
Dan turned and stood to greet them. All emotion drained from his face as he stared at seven men who made his life hell ten years ago. Gould stood in the center flanked on each side by three men, all older but still recognizable.
Sneering, Gould said, “We don’t need your kind on the force. You should’ve stayed gone.”
Assessing his options, few given the only exit lay beyond the seven officers Dan drew up to his full height. “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”
“Oh, I can finish alright.” Gould stepped forward. “You think you’re all hot shit being TRF. Well, we know better. We ran you off once, ratfink, and we plan to do it again.”
“You didn’t run me off. I left because the likes of you put innocents at risk when you didn’t answer my calls for backup.” Dan adjusted his stance, preparing to take on seven. Not great odds, truthfully crappy, especially with a sprained wrist, but his choice was limited.
