Imprisoned: An Everyday Heroes World Novel

by Bella Emy

  He nods.

  “Where are you going?”

  His lips pull into a small smile. “I’m going to see Mariah.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “Martinelli!”

  The sound of Lieutenant Brooks’ voice the first thing on Monday morning is not one that I look forward to. It’s just after nine and being that I only walked in a few moments ago makes me think this won’t be good.

  I turn to my left and see him speed walking down the hall, toward my desk. He better be cautious or he’s going to spill what I’m assuming is his first cup of coffee all over the place. That would be a horrible way to start the day.

  “Good morning, Lieutenant,” I say as he reaches me.

  He nods, while taking a sip from his cup. “Morning, Martinelli. Are you ready?”

  I furrow my brows and stand up. “Ready? I’m sorry, Sir—”

  “The email!” he snaps. He raises an eyebrow. “You did see the email, didn’t you?”

  I swallow hard. Nope. Haven’t checked my email all weekend, nor did I bother going into my inbox this morning when I walked in. “Ye-yes…” I lie, but it’s a terrible attempt.

  He rolls his eyes and then chuckles.

  Okay, that’s odd. I thought he was pissed, the way he snapped at me before.

  “Sir?” I ask.

  Brooks catches his breath. “I love keeping you on your toes.” He lets out another laugh. “There was no email.”

  It’s Monday morning and too damn early for jokes. I’m in no mood, but I sure as hell won’t be letting my boss know that.

  He smacks my chest softly. “Lighten up, will ya, kid?”

  “I’m sorry, Sir.”

  Brooks shakes his head. “Never mind that. There’s a reason I’m standing here before you this morning.”

  I shift weight from one foot to the other, but I don’t say anything and wait for him to continue.

  “I need you to head over to SPD and hand deliver some files and a box of evidence.”

  “Sunnyville Police Department?” I ask.

  He furrows his brows. “No. Saturn Pancake Depot.” He breaks out into laughter. “Of course, Sunnyville Police Department! Jesus, what’s gotten into you, kid?”

  Well, Brooks is in an exceptionally good mood this morning. Maybe Mrs. Brooks finally gave him some after so long.

  I want to chuckle at my thoughts but decide against it. Because frankly, the thought of him and his wife going at it is not a pretty picture.

  Well, that, and the fact that I still haven’t heard from Adelyn. We’re about to go on week three of not seeing each other. The whole thing puts me in a very ill mood.

  Lieutenant Brooks shakes his head. “Christ, never mind, Martinelli. Never mind. I wouldn’t be asking you to hand deliver anything if my usual guys were available, but they’re not. Can I count on you to go, or do I need to send Alberts?”

  I nod. “I’ll take care of it, Sir. No problem.”

  “Good. Then head downstairs. You’ll find the files and box waiting for you in holding. Speak to Casings. He’ll have everything you need.”

  “Okay, will do,” I reply, grabbing my travel mug and keys. Then I grab my phone off my desk and shove it into my pocket.

  As I go to turn around and head down the hall, I hear Brooks call out to me. “Hey, Martinelli?”

  I spin around. “Yes, Sir?”

  As Brooks reaches me, he fishes his wallet out of his pocket and pulls out a twenty-dollar bill. He hands it over to me.

  I furrow my brows, confused. “What’s this for, Sir?”

  He frowns, shaking his head. “While you’re out there, buy yourself a sense of humor.” He bursts into laughter, bending in half, and I pretend to find his joke amusing.

  “Well, look at what the cat dragged in.”

  I flip my head around to see Grant walking toward me. Damn, I think the last time I’ve seen him was that day on the beach with everyone, including Adelyn.

  The thought of her brings a pang of hurt into my heart. I miss her so damn much. Not even being able to talk to her is killing me.

  Grant leans on my car right as I’m pulling the items out and then slamming the trunk shut. I had finally arrived at the Sunnyville Police Department after being stuck in traffic for almost thirty-five minutes.

  He crosses his arms across his chest. “So, what’s going on, Maddox? I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.”

  “Been busy,” I lie, and judging from the look he’s giving me now, he knows it.

  “Right,” he answers, confirming my suspicions. “What brings you to my neck of the woods on this fine Monday morning?”

  I look up. Rain clouds are forming overhead. Oh yeah, perfectly fine Monday morning. We exchange a look and laugh.

  I motion to the box and files in my arms. “Dropping off some very important documents and items.”

  He chuckles. “So I see.”

  “How’ve you been, man?” I ask.

  He shrugs. “Same old, same old. How’s your pops?”

  “He’s good, thanks.”

  “Your mom? She’s good?” he asks.

  I nod. “Yeah, thanks. How’s your family? Your grams doing well?”

  He smirks. “She’s great, and I can’t complain.” He pauses for a second before asking, “So what about Adelyn? Have you confessed your undying love for her yet?”

  I chuckle. Of course he’d go there. This was precisely where we left our conversation off that night on the beach. “Not to her.”

  Grant shakes his head. “One day, Maddox. One day you’ll learn and you’ll take my words as good advice.”

  I shrug. “It’s too late. She hates me.” It seems to be the only probable explanation why she hasn’t spoken to me since. Maybe my brother, Mason, doesn’t seem to think so, but come on. We were fine before we slept together. Ever since then, she’s totally been avoiding me. Was I that bad in the sack? Thinking back, she hadn’t complained that night. Quite the contrary, actually.

  “I highly doubt that,” he answers, looking at me sideways.

  I smirk. I bet I can change his mind in an instant. “You got some time?”

  He flicks his wrist, looking at the time on his watch. “I’ve got to be somewhere in a little over an hour, back by your area actually. I’ve got a few minutes to spare.”

  I nod. “Alright. Let me just drop these items off inside and then how about we go grab some breakfast?”

  His face lights up. “At Wake `N Shake?” he asks, referring to the shake and breakfast place on Madison Avenue back in Chester. It’s one of the best places we’ve got to offer.

  I chuckle. “Sure, we can head on over there.”

  He smiles. “It’s a deal. I’ll wait for you in my car.”

  Nodding, I carry the stuff inside the station and drop it off.

  “Aww, man. This is the best sausage, egg, and cheese on a croissant I’ve ever had in my life!” Grant states as he scarfs down his breakfast sandwich.

  We’ve been sitting in Wake `N Shakes for a little over twenty minutes now, enjoying some food. I got the same thing. Just as Grant said, they have the best sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches in the area.

  I wipe the corners of my mouth with a napkin. “It is pretty good… not gonna lie.”

  He chuckles through a mouthful. “Pretty good? It’s amazing, bro.”

  I laugh. “Yeah, I guess Chester is better than Sunnyville…”

  He points a finger at me. “Watch it, bro. That’s taking it too far.” He can’t hide his smirk, but he tries to by covering his mouth with his hands, taking another bite.

  “My apologies. Wouldn’t want Officer Malone to arrest me for insubordinate behavior.”

  We both break into laughter.

  Grant dusts off his hands on his napkin and asks, “So, I know you didn’t just ask me out to breakfast because you enjoy my company and good looks.” He puckers his lips, pretending to blow me a kiss. “What’s up, Mad?”

  I take a
sip of my orange juice and then clear my throat. “I may have done something to upset Adelyn.”

  He looks at me with a crooked eye and sits back in his seat. “Oh, boy. Did you sleep with Julia?”

  I furrow my brows. “Her best friend? What? No!”

  “Orion?” he counters.

  “Grant, no!”

  He shrugs, holding out his hands. “Hey, man. I’m just saying. You said it’s too late, that she hates you and that you may have upset her. What else could have upset a woman that wants you more than giving attention to her close friends?”

  I lean forward, shaking my head. Then I place it in my hand, with my elbow resting on the table. “Grant, that’s something I can assure you and reassure you didn’t happen. I would never.”

  “Just making sure. But if that’s not it, then what did you do?”

  I swallow hard. Here goes. “We may have sort of hooked up.”

  His eyes light up as he leans forward. Now he’s definitely interested. “Who did?”

  “Me, Julia, and Orion.” I roll my eyes. “Jesus, Grant! Me and Adelyn, who else?!”

  “No shit!” He exclaims, grabbing the attention of some fellow patrons. “No shit,” he repeats, but this time in a hushed tone.

  I nod. “Now you see my problem.”

  He shakes his head. “Not really. Why would she hate you for that? Unless you forced yourself on her and she didn’t want it?”

  I think back to that night. Oh, yeah. She wanted it. She pretty much initiated it. Not that I would have ever forced her into anything. I never would have crossed that line if she hadn’t ever came into my lap and begged me to make her feel good. Those were her words, not mine. She made sure I knew what she wanted.

  “Grant, you know me, man. I never would have done anything like that.”

  He nods. “I know. I wasn’t saying you did. I’m just trying to understand why the hell you think she hates you.”

  I shrug. “She’s been distant. I was seeing her all the time. Now I haven’t seen her since that night almost three weeks ago, and she’s barely responding to my texts.”

  He takes a sip from his cup filled with apple juice. “I bet you she’s just trying to sort through her feelings. This can’t be easy for her, Maddox. I’m sure she doesn’t hate you and that she just is going through a lot of raw emotions. I mean, put yourself in her shoes. She loved you first, then you went away, and she leaned on Rick for support. He took your place as her best friend and loved her. Then they got together, he proposed to her, and here she was planning her wedding.”

  He pauses and takes another sip. “Then you come back, Rick dies, and bam! She’s going through the grieving stage while still trying to process her feelings for you. All those that she felt for you from back in the day came surfacing back. Now you’re once again her shoulder to lean on. You’re there for her and them bam! You end up sleeping together.” He chuckles. “I mean, Maddox, that’s a lot. That would be a lot for any normal person.”

  “Bam! Huh?” I chuckle.

  “Bam!” he repeats.

  Hearing him say all this is kind of reassuring. But still, I don’t know. I still feel like she hates me, even a little.

  “It’s kind of funny,” I say.

  He looks at me after placing his cup down. “What is?”

  I shrug. “Everything you said. I saw Mason two days ago, and he said almost the exact same thing to me.”

  He smiles. “Told you, dude. Give her time. She’ll come around.”

  “I hope so.”

  He sits back in his seat. “Look, man. Everyone knows you never stopped loving Adelyn. Rick knew it, too. Don’t hate yourself for what happened with her; it was something that was destined to happen, it was just a matter of time.”

  I tilt my head to the side. “You really think so?”

  He nods. “Yeah, and if you think Adelyn is being distant with you, just give her a little time. But you know what the worst thing of all you could do right now would be?”

  I shrug and then take another sip of my juice. The worst thing I could do? The worst thing I could probably do right now would be to harass her, constantly calling her or showing up at her door unannounced. I’ve done that already, and that’s gotten me nowhere. She probably hates it every time my number pops up on her screen. She’s probably sick of me checking on her. If she wanted to talk to me or see me, wouldn’t she have picked up my phone calls? She wouldn’t distance herself further. That makes no sense.

  When Grant realizes that I have nothing to add, he says, “Leaving her. Leaving her would be the worst thing you could do for her, Mad. Letting her suffer through her emotions all on her own is the worst possible thing. Give her time, yes, but don’t abandon her. It will remind her too much of when you left, and that’s the last thing you want, trust me.”

  Oh, shit. He’s right. She had said that was one of the hardest moments in her life. She had said when I left it was one of the toughest days for her to deal with. The aftermath of my leaving, her loneliness and not having me there anymore. That hurt her so much. That’s the last thing I want to do. Grant’s right.

  “Be there for her and never let her go. She needs you more than you will ever know, Maddox.”

  And with those words, I realize Grant is a complete fucking genius.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “Anyone home?” I throw my keys into the dish on the end table and then step into the kitchen to see my mother already cooking up a storm. It’s just after five in the evening.

  Mmm, the smell of a good home-cooked meal wafts into my nostrils. Damn, I missed being home.

  “Maddox!” Mom comes barging at me with open arms, taking me into an embrace.

  It’s Sunday, and I’ve finally made it out to see my parents. Sure, I could have stopped by sooner, but Sunday dinner was calling me. No offense, but my mother’s cooking is better than anyone else’s.

  As we part, she stands back with tears in her eyes.

  “Aww, come on, Mama. I haven’t been gone that long this time.”

  She pulls back, smacking me on the arm. “This time! You’re not leaving us again.”

  I chuckle. “I’m not. I’m not going anywhere. I haven’t let my temper get the best of me this time.”

  “Good,” she says, turning around and giving her attention back to the pot simmering on the stove.

  I take a seat at the head of the table and grab a handful of mini meatballs sitting on a plate in front of me. Mom always makes these little ones for eating while the larger ones go into the sauce. “So, what’s cooking?”

  Mom turns around and points a wooden spoon in my direction. “Don’t you eat all of those, Maddox Martinelli! Your father and brothers haven’t tried any yet.”

  I pop them into my mouth and then hold my hands out in front of me like I have no idea what she’s talking about. Then I offer her a wide open grin, to which she laughs.

  “Oh, Maddox. It’s Sunday. You know exactly what’s on the menu.” She turns back around to face the pot on the stove.

  Yes, I do. Some type of pasta dish and some meat with a side dish for the second plate. We’re just your average Italian family.

  I finish swallowing what’s in my mouth and then say, “Pasta of some kind, I know. I just wanted specifics. You know I love your cooking, Ma.”

  She beams at this statement. If there’s one way to my mother’s heart, it’s telling her you love her cooking. Luckily for her, I’m not lying.

  She mixes with the wooden spoon then taps it three times on the top of it, letting the remnants of red sauce on it fall back into the pot. “Pasta Bolognese.”

  Oooh pasta with ground beef and peas. One of my favorites. Yum. Whatever she made for the second dish doesn’t even matter anymore. I plan on fully stuffing my face with the pasta.

  “I spoke to your grandma and aunt this morning,” she announces, heading toward the fridge. She pulls out a head of lettuce and walks it over to the sink.

  I take another meatball fr
om the plate, shoving it into my mouth, and then rise from the table. If I sit here any longer, I’ll clean out this damn plate all by myself.

  I walk to where she washes the lettuce and lean against the cabinet. “Oh, yeah? How are Nonna and Zia Caterina doing?”

  She stops washing and looks at me, disapprovingly. “Maddox, you could call them once in a while, too, you know?”

  I’m ashamed. I should call. I don’t know why I don’t do it more often. “I know. I’m sorry, Ma.”

  She shakes her head and goes back to rinsing the lettuce. “Don’t say sorry to me. I’m not the one you need to apologize to.”

  I nod. “I know. I’ll call Nonna in the morning.”

  She smiles at me. “Good. Now go wash your hands and help me set the dining room table.”

  Damn. I hate setting the table. But somehow, even while we were growing up, it always seemed to fall on me.

  I lean closer to her and place a kiss on the top of her head. “Okay, Ma. I’ll be right back.”

  “That’s my boy. Your father and brothers should be out on the back patio. If you see them, tell them to come in and wash their hands, too. Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes.”

  I smirk. Her fifteen is more like twenty or twenty-five minutes. But I don’t mention it to her; I’m a smart guy. “Cool, then can I have them set the table instead?”

  With that last question, I race out of the kitchen because I know my mother’s wooden spoon will somehow find its way to my ass, smacking me, if I don’t.

  I make my way through the back of the house, and sure enough, when I look through the screen door, I see my father, Mason, and Maverick on the patio.

  I slide it open. “Hey, family.”

  “Maddox,” my father answers. He’s sitting on a chair positioned at the table. He looks great, thank God. That pale pallor he had that day at the hospital has never returned, and I’m thankful for it.

  My brothers wave in my direction and I wave and nod back. It’s time for Sunday dinner. Knowing the two of them, they were probably here with bells on at five in the morning. Well, Maverick still lives here, so he’s probably just been hanging around waiting to eat. But Mason, he probably arrived early as hell.