Sullivan (Laurel Springs Emergency Response Team Book 5)

by Laramie Briscoe

  “Well, Miranda, is his name on the lease?”

  She crosses her arms, a triumphant smile on her face. “Nope.”

  “Does he receive his mail here? Is this his primary residence?”

  The smile falters, and immediately her lower lip starts to tremble. “He does, but this is my apartment. I let him move in, he promised he was done with all the other women. I’m so damn stupid.”

  “No you’re not, you’ve trusted someone who doesn’t deserve it. Now we’ll make this right, but if this is his residence, you’ll have to speak to your landlord about evicting him.”

  She sniffles, nodding. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “And there’s also that little thing of you throwing the TV down. Was that his or yours?”

  “His,” she mumbles. “He uses it to play his goddamn video games, when he should be spending time with me.”

  “We’ll have to see what he wants to do about that.”

  “What do you mean?” She taps her foot against the floor.

  “I mean you’ve destroyed his property.”

  “He destroyed my heart,” she fires back, lower lip trembling again. “What can I do about that?”

  “You can’t send him to jail, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  She sighs. “Alright, tell me what I’ve got to do to get his ass out of here. I refuse to pay his way any longer.”

  An hour later, I let dispatch know I’m done for the night, and I sign off. “Thanks for coming to help me.” I stop Tank, shaking his hand.

  “No problem. Seems like the guy was a bit of an asshole, but other than that, it wasn’t too bad.”

  “Oh according to her, he’s the biggest asshole to ever walk this planet. I think she was hoping for an engagement ring, and he was worried about his cock ring.”

  Tank laughs. “No shit, he mentioned he’s in school to be a fucking doctor. How many nurses will he have on a leash? He’s a damn student now, not even making the bank he’ll be making.”

  “I don’t know, I almost hope your niece meets him and teaches him a thing or two.”

  “Stelle would eat him up and spit him out with a smile on her face.”

  Of that I have no doubt. “Maybe that’s exactly what he needs.”

  We’re quiet, both trying to come down from the adrenaline high you get when responding to a call.

  “You should get on out of here. You’re done for the night.” Tank shoos me away.

  “I’m pretty tired.” I yawn, stretching to the sky, hoping to loosen my tight muscles. Sitting in the car for long periods of time can cause me to stiffen up. “I’ll see you around.”

  “See ya.” He waves.

  Slowly, I walk back to my cruiser. Tired as hell all of a sudden. I get in and head on over to my building. All I want to do is lock up and get to my apartment. I’m contemplating on whether I should take a shower before I go to sleep or not, when I see a hot pair of legs coming down the stairs.

  Immediately I know it’s Shelby.

  The hairs on my forearms stand at attention, and when she comes into view, I’m not disappointed. She’s dressed for sin in a skirt that sits just above the knee and a fitted blazer. Her outfit screams woman of power, and I’m here for it.

  Getting out of my squad car, I wave at her, watching as she walks slowly toward me.

  “Heard on the scanner Miranda over in building five threw her no good, cheatin’ ass boyfriend to the curb,” she giggles as she looks up at me.

  Most everyone looks up at me, since I’m six-three, but she doesn’t have to tilt her head too far back. She’s a tall woman who rocks a pair of heels.

  I laugh with her. “You could say that. It was definitely one of my more interesting calls since transferring to Laurel Springs. You’re getting an early start this morning.”

  “Yeah.” She crosses her arms over her chest, rubbing her hands up and down. “I need to go to Birmingham today for a few things with my latest case. I’m hoping if I leave early enough I can miss rush hour. I have to stop by my office first though.”

  “It’s freezing out here.” I gesture to her car with a flourish.

  “Not hardly,” she laughs. “I went to law school in northern Kentucky. This isn’t anything compared to that.”

  “Well you’re still shivering.” I point out, as we get to her car.

  She hands me the keys when I hold my palm out. Getting in, I turn it on, cranking the defrost on the front and the back, as well as the heater. “Should be good to go for you in a few minutes.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.” She pushes a lock of her hair behind her ear.

  “I don’t mind.” My gaze takes in every bit of the woman standing in front of me. “You better get going. Be safe, and if you need anything, don’t hesitate to give me a call. You’re one of the few who gets to break through my do not disturb.”

  She dips her head down, and when it comes back up, there’s a smile on her face, exposing the dimple she has in her left cheek. “Thanks, Sully. I’ll see you later?”

  “Count on it.”

  Opening her back driver’s side door, she puts her briefcase and bag in, before she shuts it and turns to face me. I’m almost positive it’s an impulse, but I’ll take it any way I can get it. She leans in, kissing me on the cheek, before pulling away and opening the driver’s door.

  “Sleep good.”

  “I will.” I let her get in, then shut the door securely behind her.

  Instead of walking up to my apartment, I watch as she gets situated and leaves. Feeling like a piece of myself is driving away and wondering just what the fuck I’m going to do about it.

  Chapter 3

  Shelby

  I watch in the rearview for as long as I can. Sullivan doesn’t move, he keeps his gaze fixed on me until I round the corner, leading out to the main road.

  Sullivan Baker.

  I’m not sure there’s ever been anyone else who’s interested me as much as him. At the same time, I’m beyond positive no one has frustrated me like he has.

  He thinks I don’t recall the night of the Christmas party - coming so hard against his hand and on his fingers I passed out - but I do. I remember everything. I’ve let him believe I was too drunk to know what happened.

  I wasn’t.

  All because I’m completely unsure of how he’ll react when I tell him I know.

  Late at night, I still feel him. Sometimes I use the memories to relive those moments in my head and against my hand.

  The drive to my office, downtown across from Laurel Springs Police Department, takes me all of ten minutes. I snatched up this property located between the courthouse and The Café at an amazing price.

  Pulling into my designated parking spot, I grab my stuff out, before I exit the car, enter my building and turn the alarm off. Even though I did my research before I came to town, and I know this is pretty much Mayberry, I still sprung for the smallest of security systems.

  Laurel Springs is safe.

  Safer than where I came from.

  Don’t think about it, Shelby. Those memories have no place in your new reality.

  My old one fucking sucked, so I do my best to listen.

  Once I dump everything in my office, I make a quick trip over to The Café.

  Entering this place is like coming home, and a time period many have forgotten. The aroma brings back memories of my grandmother’s cooking and the low-level buzz of conversation never fails to make me smile.

  “Hey, girl.” Violet waves over in my direction.

  She seems to be helping out this morning. There’s no telling who you might see in here at any given time of the day. While there are a few employees, friends and family always seem to be putting on an apron and lending a hand when it looks needed.

  “Hey.” I wave at her, walking up to the old-fashioned soda bar.

  “Give me just a sec.” She holds up her finger. “I’ll be right with you as soon as I refill these coffees.”

  �
�Take your time.” I have a seat, twirling around slightly on the swivel stool. This is my favorite place to sit when I come here. Giving in to the whimsy of immaturity is definitely what I need in my life.

  “Morning, Shelby.” I’m surprised to see Ransom behind the counter.

  “Morning?”

  He laughs. “I do work here from time-to-time ya know, like when my mom has a doctor’s appointment, or my dad’s snuck her out of town for a romantic weekend.” He mimics sticking his tongue down his throat and gagging.

  I laugh along with him, secretly thinking it’s cute as hell his parents are still so in love, but also understanding how he might not like to be witness to it. “So which is it this time? Doctor’s appointment or romantic weekend.”

  “Romantic weekend. Valentine’s Day was yesterday, remember?”

  Boy do I. Number who knows how many I’ve spent alone. “Which is why I’m surprised you’re here.”

  He waggles his eyebrows, giving me a secretive smile. “Both Stelle and I were off last night. She had the early morning shift, so I volunteered. Believe me, we celebrated Valentine’s Day.”

  “I keep warning him that’s how he’s going to have a brother or sister for Keegan.” I hear Cutter as he slides in next to me. “Fucker just won’t listen.”

  Ransom throws a few sugar packets at his brother. “You just wait, my man, when you’re married and you can do whatever the fuck you want, whenever the fuck you want, you’ll be the same way.”

  An older woman sitting beside me clears her throat.

  Ransom gives her a magnificent smile. “My apologies, ma’am. What can I get you?”

  “Hey, what about me?” Cutter slaps his hand on the counter, after Ransom takes her order.

  “And me? I was here first,” I remind him.

  “The two of you wanted to give me shi- crap.”

  “I’m still a paying customer,” I argue. “Don’t make me sue you.”

  “Fine.” He rolls his eyes, over exaggerating every move. “What do you want, Shelby?”

  “Um, excuse me, where are your manners? You should take care of her first.” I point to the elderly lady.

  He huffs a breath, gritting his teeth if the hardening of his jaw is any indication.

  When he’s finally taken care of her, he comes back to me. “What can I get for you, Counselor?”

  It doesn’t have the same sort of impact when he says it, as it does when Sullivan let’s it loose in that lazy drawl of his. In fact, I don’t even like it. “A black coffee, two creams and two sugars in a to-go cup, please.”

  “No food?”

  “Can’t eat first thing in the morning, it makes me tired and throws my whole day off. I’ll have some almonds and a cheese stick.”

  He acts like that’s not enough to feed an ant, and then turns to go grab a Styrofoam cup. “Coming right up.”

  Cutter and I sit beside one another for a few seconds before he starts speaking. “Picked up any interesting cases lately?”

  “Like I could tell you, even if I had.”

  “Oh c’mon, Shelby, you know I like to hear all about the weird stuff you deal with.”

  “So does everybody else. Doesn’t mean I can talk about it.”

  “Oh, I know. I can still ask right?”

  Ransom puts my cup down in front of me with the requested cream and sugars. “On the house, have a good one, Shelby.”

  “Thanks.” I leave a few dollars on the counter anyway, which Cutter grabs and puts in the tip jar. “See y’all later.”

  “See ya.”

  Business has been slower than I imagined it would since I opened up my practice almost a year and a half ago. Luckily, I had plenty of money saved up when I moved here, and my overhead costs are low.

  Doesn’t mean I’m not getting slightly worried though.

  I’ve even started looking into doing other types of law. Perhaps bankruptcies and wills. It would be something to offer this small town that they don’t already have.

  So far there’s nothing for me to sink my teeth into.

  Except for one case.

  Helping Karsyn Fallaway face her kidnapper at a parole hearing. Other than that, the cases have been very run-of-the-mill.

  “You moved here for run-of-the-mill,” I mumble.

  I did, but it doesn’t mean I don’t want something that’s going to challenge me. Something that will have me up at night reading law books. Anything that’ll have me going to the state capital to check on other cases, jurisdiction, and filing motions.

  There’s a huge part of me that misses that aspect of my job.

  But there’s another part of me that remains scared of it.

  The case that made me move here? I’d gotten too close, and I’d almost gotten burned.

  Which is why I’ve traded Houston, Texas for Alabama, and why I decided to uproot my life completely. It had required a change, and by God that’s what I did.

  I don’t regret it.

  At least not all the time.

  The bell over my front door rings, causing me to lift my head up in surprise. Most of the time I get phone calls or emails, not in-office visits.

  When I see Violet, I give her a questioning look.

  “You didn’t come in for lunch, so I figured you got distracted again.” She indicates the covered plate she’s holding in her hand.

  Looking at the clock to the left of my desk, I notice it’s after two.

  “I guess I did.” I gratefully accept the plate she’s set down and uncover it. My favorite. Meatloaf.

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were buttering me up for something,” I laugh as I dig in to the fragrant dish, accompanied with corn and green beans.

  She laughs. “Not yet anyway, but who knows what the future holds. Honestly, I just worry about you.” She has a seat, crossing her legs. “You remind me a lot of who I was before Anthony came into my life.”

  “Oh really?”

  I take a drink of the water bottle I always have.

  “Yeah.” She tilts her head to the side. “I was running away from a lot. I had a husband who’d beat the shit out of me. There was a divorce in the process of getting finalized, but it didn’t mean that he couldn’t find me.”

  “I’m sorry.” I set my fork down, taking another drink. “I’ve dealt with a lot of cases like that. I’m definitely not running from a husband, current or otherwise.”

  Her eyes are sharp, she sees a lot. “You’re running from something though. So I just wanted you to know, if you ever need help, I’m here. We’re here. The Laurel Springs community is pretty close-knit and you’ve already been welcomed in by the LSERT. If you ever need anybody to talk to, you’ve got it.”

  Suddenly my appetite isn’t what it was, but I don’t want to offend her by not eating more of the delicious food. I push it away slightly, running a hand through my hair. “I hear what you’re saying and I appreciate it. But right now, I don’t want to go into why I decided to come here.”

  “You don’t have to.” She reaches across the table, laying down a piece of paper. “This is my number. If you ever need to talk, just know I’m here.”

  My throat tightens and it’s hard to press the words past the strangle-hold it has there.

  “Thank you. I’ll keep it in mind.”

  She nods, getting up from the seat and leaving. This time when the bell over the door rings, I’m glad to know it isn’t someone coming in, but her going out.

  Leaving me alone with my thoughts.

  Memories, nightmares, and dreams.

  Sometimes they’re all the same; and I’m proof of it.

  Chapter 4

  Sullivan

  My footsteps beat a cadence on the material of the treadmill I’m running on. A bead of sweat drips from my forehead, rolling down my nose, dangling at the very tip. Shaking my head so it’ll fall off, I lift the back of my hand up to wipe at my mouth.

  The heat is on in here today, because it’s the end of February, and i
t feels every bit as such outside. But my clothing choice makes it hot too. A pair of sweatpants with a shirt and a hoodie, the hood covering my head.

  Glancing down, I groan. I’m only at mile number three; I need to go five.

  Especially if I want to make a spot on the Laurel Springs SWAT team.

  That’s been my goal since I came up here with my sister. The five-mile run is the first obstacle I have to overcome if I want to even be considered. So far, it’s kicked my ass.

  “Nice pace.”

  Ransom hops onto the treadmill beside me, warming up by walking briskly.

  “Thanks, I’m trying to get it where it needs to be.”

  “It took me a while,” he admits. “I’m not a runner, but with Rambo, I kinda have to be. It wasn’t until I got partnered with him that I was even in good enough shape to try out for SWAT.”

  I give him a side-eye. “Can’t believe you had to try out. Surprised you weren’t like grandfathered in, or something.”

  “Nah, everybody has to get their spot the old-fashioned way here.”

  It makes me respect him more. “Must be nerve-wracking though.”

  “You ain’t kiddin’. None of us who have dads that have been on the PD want to go to them and admit defeat or failure.”

  “That must be hard.”

  “And embarrassing. We’re held to a higher level of standards than most other people. Which is understandable.”

  I may act like I don’t know what he’s saying, but I do. It’s one of the reasons I left Paradise Lost. There, I would always be in the shadow of what my dad and brother have accomplished.

  Here in Laurel Springs?

  I can be me. Whoever the fuck that is.

  “So,” Ransom continues as he picks up the pace, starting with a slow jog. “Saw your girl the other day, she came into The Café to get her morning coffee.”

  “My girl?”

  Everyone calls Shelby my girl, but I pretend not to be in on it.

  “Yeah, you know who I’m talking about, don’t even act like you don’t. Everybody knows you’re eyeing Shelby and she’s eyeing you. When are you gonna make a move?”