"Shit." Harlow stared at her phone, huffing as she dropped her head back against my stomach.
"Can you call out?"
She nodded, and without hesitation, I watched her text someone named Ethos. "All the burden to one of the assistant curators today. I've called out maybe three times in five years."
"My fault." I grunted while using my phone to log into the campus classroom system. Cancelling classes without having to talk to anyone or plan anything became my new favorite hobby. "Nothing makes undergrads happier than cancelled classes. I'll be their favorite professor in no time."
"When is winter break for you?"
"Mid-December through the first week of January usually. Not too far off." I yawned and ran my fingers through her hair. "How do you feel other than tired?"
"So good." She closed her eyes and let me dote on her. "Will Audra need you back home today to help with Elara while Nalea's at work?"
"Maybe later on. The afternoon is when she gets sleepy. She naps while Elara naps, but I like when Elara sleeps on my chest." I smiled at the thought of it. "It's comforting."
"Do you want kids of your own?" she asked, her gaze meeting mine.
"I never thought about it really… Hybridians sometimes can't carry a pregnancy to term if there's a genetic conflict."
"I know, but if you could have kids, would you want them?"
I shrugged. "Maybe. I wouldn't want to do it alone. It's hard enough on two parents and I've always pretty much been single save for brief relationships. Probably why I never really thought about it either. Do you want kids?"
Her shrug mirrored mine. "Maybe. For similar reasons, plus I used to travel a lot so it wasn't ever anything I considered. I don't have pets for that reason either."
"Good to know we're both maybes then." I smirked and she nodded her agreement. "I mean…just in case."
"Yes." She chuckled, tracing circles around my navel. "Just in case."
"Come snuggle with me, sleepyhead." I held my hands to her. "You're falling asleep."
"So tired." She crawled up to me, settling in my arms with her leg draped over mine. I palmed her hip possessively and she closed her eyes. "I like when you hold me…"
"I like holding you." I pressed my lips to her forehead and squeezed her gently.
She fell quiet after, her hand resting on my chest between my breasts. It took me a moment to notice the tiny tear that slid down her cheek. My brow furrowed with worry, and I stroked her face with my knuckles. A small smile made it to her lips despite her closed eyes.
"Talk to me?" I whispered, but she shook her head.
"Just hold me, please." She sniffled and squeezed me tighter.
"I will." I turned slightly to tuck her closer to me, then pulled the blankets back over us. "Go to sleep, honey. I'll hold you the whole time."
She didn't say anything more, though her smile remained as her slowing breaths and even heartrate told me she tumbled into sleep.
I stroked her hair while she slept on my chest, breathing her in and the warmth she brought to not just my body and my bed, but to my heart. Meeting Harlow, building something together like this, wasn't in my life plans. I didn't know where our relationship would go, but imagining going forward without her brought pangs of ache to my chest.
As my worry grew, so did my senses and the morning rush-hour traffic bustled around us. Drones hummed, planes roared, and vehicles screamed for attention. My mind wandered back to the days of fuel-powered cars when the smell of exhaust choked me daily. I attempted to rein in my focus, returning my attention back to Harlow. In doing so, however, the sounds closer to us bombarded me. A loud bang startled me, and I jumped.
Harlow started, her eyes shot open, and she looked up at the ceiling immediately. The shouts of her upstairs neighbors penetrated the room, but I wasn't sure how much she could hear.
"Does that happen often?"
"Sometimes." Her fingers dug into my stomach so harshly that she left crescent-shaped marks on my skin. Immediately, her slamming heart pounded against me, and I stroked her cheek.
"Hey. Look at me." When she obliged, I said, "Does this happen often?"
She nodded and stifled a gasp when the lid of a pot smashed against the wall. Or at least, that's what I heard. My attention followed hers then, and despite my best efforts to drown it out, I couldn't.
"You fucking useless piece of shit," a man's voice shouted. "I wish you would just fucking die!"
"What are they saying?" Harlow asked, as tears welled in her eyes. "You can hear them."
"A man is calling someone pretty terrible names. Who lives there?" The verbal abuse continued, though no one shouted back just yet. Two distinct heartbeats told me that two people stood above us, and a fainter one further away informed me of the third.
"I-I don't know. He yells all the time." She pursed her lips together, as if trying to hold on to herself.
"No! Don't!" A woman's voice screamed, and I leaned up immediately, gripping Harlow to me. The sounds continued, and the cry of a child joined the fray. Every bit of me raced and raged in the way that often sent me shooting out the door.
"Let me go up there. I need to," I said, and she rushed with me out of bed.
"Veyda." She cupped her hands over her mouth while pulling the blanket over her shoulders.
"Stay here, okay?" I hurried off to the living room with her in tow, before pulling on my clothes.
"You move so fast." She gasped again, though this time shock replaced her fear.
"Only sometimes. Adrenaline." I tied on my boots, affixed my respirator, and pulled on my hat. "Stay here. Don't open the door."
"O-okay. Okay." She reached for her own clothes and began dressing in haste.
I crouched for a moment, my fingers digging into her carpet as air began to swirl around me. Papers rustled on her kitchen table and the leaves of her potted magnolia fluttered. I jumped, shooting myself upward, closing my eyes and willing myself to ghost through the ceiling to emerge from the floor.
Curtains shielded the windows still, holding the apartment in dim gray light. I found no one in the kitchen area, but the shouts and cries continued. Pots, pans, and remnants of what looked like breakfast covered the floor, and two burners on the stove burned high. I clicked them both off as I hugged the wall of the hallway.
"Don't, Bryton, don't!" cried the woman.
A child screamed, and I bolted ahead, tossing myself into the room without so much as a warning. I found a woman, clad in nothing save for a skimpy nighty, gripping the legs of a little boy as the man tore him from her hands. Rage turned the man's face nearly purple as he insulted the child, and repeatedly called the woman a whore. Tears soaked the kid's face as he cried and fought to get away. He couldn't have been more than three or four at the most.
As soon as the man raised his hand to strike the child, my fingers wrapped around his wrist. Everyone screamed when they saw me. The man released the child and attempted a go at me with a closed fist. I dodged, thrusting the heel of my hand into his chest. It sent him flying against the wall, leaving a torso-shaped crack.
"Get out," I demanded, my voice shaking with rage despite the respirator. "Out." I pointed toward the door.
Wide, horrified eyes stared at me as he clenched his fists. The sight of him, like a furious bull scorned, now turned on its target, while dripping with sweat. He cracked his knuckles, his gaze flickering over me as if looking for an opening. I stepped in front of the woman that cradled the crying child to her chest, and I tapped my ear to activate the comm still sitting in it.
"Detective," I called out, my eyes never leaving the man.
A crackling sound preceded Nalea's voice. "What's up, Vey?"
"We need a response at my last known location immediately."
"Are you okay? Nine-one-one?"
"Yes, and yes. I have a beat on a domestic disturbance," I said.
When he heard my report, the man's shoulders sunk a fraction and I recognized the beginnings of surrender.
"I'm a goddamn cop, you fucking piece of shit," he spat.
"I don't care what you are. You don't abuse people. Take a seat." I pointed to the floor. "Right now, or I'll help you to it myself."
"And just how the fuck—" When he mouthed off, I sent a gust of air at his feet that swept them right out from under him. He landed on his ass with his arms flailing. "Fucking Christ!"
"Stay there." I looked to the woman and child. "Come with me." I waved for them to follow. "Let's go."
The boy broke away from his mother immediately. Tear-filled brown eyes stared at me as a smile cracked his damp cheeks. The man didn't move, but the woman rose slowly.
"You're a Protectah!" the boy shouted, his eyes widening. "She's a superhero, Momma." He nearly bounced over to his mother, tugging her by the hand.
I tried my hardest not to react to him or the sound of sirens heading our way. The woman glanced at me, though allowed her son to lead her out of the room.
"Vey, where are you?" asked Nalea.
"Sixth floor," I said, though avoided divulging anything further in front of the man who glared at me with daggers meant to kill.
"You can't just fucking bust in here, bitch. Who do you think you are?"
"You know very well who the fuck I am. Keep your mouth shut while you wait for your colleagues to humiliate you." I stood between him and the doorway.
"Will Harlow know the apartment number?" asked Nalea.
"Yes."
"Are you right above her?"
"Yes."
"Be right there."
***
As soon as the police showed up, the man, who turned out to be a patrol officer, turned himself in. His son told the responding units everything that happened, and to my surprise, the woman corroborated his story and it matched what I heard and saw.
I took my leave immediately and listened from the shadows of the hall for a moment before rolling through the dark corners until I landed a floor below. My heart still pounded, but my worry for Harlow superseded any of my own anger or emotions. I left her upset, and that concerned me the most.
"Harlow," I called from behind her when I found her out on the balcony with the door open. "Honey."
She spun around when she heard me the second time and raced toward me. I caught her in a hug that lifted her from the floor. She buried her face against my shoulder, and I cupped the back of her head.
"I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
"Yes." She nodded through her sniffles. "Nalea came here. What happened?"
"Domestic incident. I'm not sure what led up to it, but the man above you and his wife were arguing. There's a kid there. They arrested him and will call Child Protective Services." I attempted to sum up without giving too much detail.
"I never hear what they say," she sniffled. "Only him yelling."
"He's a cop, but probably won't be for much longer. Zero tolerance policy and all." I stroked her hair when she leaned back. "Are you okay?"
She nodded and blew out a slow breath. "Do you hear things like that often?"
I shook my head. "Not often, but when I do…"
"You help." She poked at my respirator. "Can you?"
"Oh." I pulled it off and tucked it into my pocket. "Sorry."
"It's okay. Can Nalea hear us?"
"Yes."
"Tell her I'll be down soon," Nalea's snooping voice said.
"She said she'll be down to see us soon."
"Okay." Harlow fanned her face as she calmed down, then tugged her sweater around her shoulders now that we both wore the same outfits as the night before. "They're lucky he didn't have a gun on them."
"They are. It worries me to know that a man like that is a weapon-wielding law enforcement professional."
"Me too." She swiped at her eyes again as I led her over to the stool by the counter.
"Sit, honey." I urged her to sit, and she did, allowing me to stand between her knees. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes. I hate yelling. It gets to me. Usually when I hear it here, I leave."
"That might explain the late-night work…"
"A little bit," she admitted. "I've made reports about it before. So have the other neighbors but—"
"He's a cop. Yeah. I get it. Corruption exists everywhere."
"It does." She calmed her breathing down in time, then tugged at my gloves. "Off?"
I smirked while removing them, then pocketed those as well. "Better?"
She nodded then held my hands in hers. "Seeing you respond to that incident…" She shook her head. "You move so fast."
"Only every so often. It's not too fast, it's just practice. Do you know how many times I have to change my clothes sometimes?"
Harlow chuckled and shook her head. "Can't imagine. Being an incognito superhero."
"The kid called me that." A sad smile tugged the corners of my mouth. "He ran right up to me."
"Did you talk to him?"
I shook my head. "No, but I'll go check on them after everything calms down."
"Promise?" She smiled, tilting her head when she asked.
"I do." I gave her hair a gentle tug before holding my arms out to her.
We tangled ourselves in a firm hug, and I rested my chin on her shoulder. She caressed my back and let out a soft sigh.
"Sure you're okay?" I asked when we leaned back.
"I'm okay. You've seen me upset way too often for so early in our relationship," she said, nibbling her bottom lip. "Does this taint my authoritative gun-toting image in your mind?"
"No." I chuckled and stroked her cheeks. "It makes you human with a heart."
A smile parted her lips and she nodded.
"Nalea's coming," I announced when I heard her heeled boots clunking down the hall. "With some heat in her step."
We parted quickly and Harlow made for the door. "Surrounded by heroes today," she said, then opened the door before Nalea could even knock.
She stood there in the hall, her fist raised in the ready position with a brow cocked. "Well then."
We both laughed at her, and Harlow waved her inside.
"Hey, sexy girls. Did crime and chaos interrupt your love sesh?" Nalea waltzed inside, her hands propped on her hips as she stole a look around. "Cute place."
"She's even more obnoxious when Audra isn't around. Have I warned you?" I gestured to Nalea, my eyes on Harlow.
"Nope." Harlow chuckled and closed the door. "But I'm digging it. Thanks."
"I'm guessing the answer is yes then." Nalea smooched my cheek, then tapped my ear to turn off my comms.
I smirked at her then shoved her shoulder. "Don't tease Harlow."
"She can handle it." Nalea winked at her. "You two okay?"
Harlow nodded and glanced at me. "Yes. I hear them arguing all the time."
"The wife said neighbors have called the police a dozen times over and nothing ever changes. Is that true?" asked Nalea.
"Yes." Harlow returned to my side, her arms folded around her middle. "Knowing he is a cop explains why. I've called a few times. I know both neighbors on either side have."
"There's a chance they could release him tonight since the wife and son are going to the home of a family member." Harlow glanced between us. "Do you have family or friends in the area that you can stay with for the night? I've cautioned his neighbors despite being told not to. He was pretty wasted when we got there even though it's early morning."
"Did he make threats?" My brow furrowed, anger bubbling with it.
"Veiled. A few of the neighbors said he's threatened them in the past. He shouldn't be released, but I can't force them to hold him." Nalea puffed up her cheeks and looked back to Harlow.
"Um…no friends or anything. I'll be fine here." Harlow's expression dimmed when the seriousness of it seemed to hit her. "I have ways to protect myself."
"I'm aware." Nalea's tone matched her concerned expression. "But I don't think either of us want you to have to use that or face the stress of fear."
Harlow pa
used, her lips pursed as I recognized her stubbornness lifting to the surface. "I can stay in a hotel."
"No." I shook my head as I held my hands up between them. "I'll stay here with you."
"Veyda, you have work, and your family, and the new baby—"
"Everyone will be fine without me for another night." I looked to Nalea and motioned to Harlow. "Tell her."
"We will, but why don't you both just come home?" Her tone softened with it. "I didn't mean to freak you out. I don't want you to have to face a potential confrontation if they do release him."
Harlow looked at me when she found herself caught between Nae and I battling back and forth. She didn't say anything at first, but the way her fingers twisted the hem of her sweater told me of her anxiety over it all.
I shifted closer to her, pressing my lips to her shoulder. "Today's had a difficult start."
She nodded, bumping her forehead with mine.
"Nae, can you give us a minute?" I asked, giving her arm a squeeze.
"Of course. I need to head back to the scene anyway. You two talk it out and let me know what you decide. I'm still not in favor of either of you staying here, though. That's my vote." She waved before prancing out the door. "Also, Harlow can help you pack." Nalea scowled before shutting the door behind her.
When she left, I took Harlow's hands in mine. "Are you okay?"
"I'm overwhelmed," she admitted, before taking a deep breath.
"If we stay here and he does end up back in his apartment, will you be able to sleep and feel comfortable?"
"With you here, I think so." She squeezed my hands then glanced to her room. "What did Nalea mean about packing? When is the move?"
"Saturday." I smirked, lifting my shoulders in a heavy shrug. "The closing is done and no one lives in the house so…they wanted to leave before we have to pay next month's rent. I'll pack fast. I don't have too much."
Harlow stroked my cheek a few times with her knuckles. "I'll help you…"
I nodded, allowing myself to lean into her touch. "Thanks. So much for a lazy morning sleeping in, huh?"
"We'll have more opportunities for that," she assured, chuckling as she shook her head. "How about a shower?"
"Together?" I smiled at the notion, and she nodded. "All in."
"C'mon, superhero." She tugged my hand, walking backward as she led me toward the bathroom. "Time to drown out the world."
Jawbreaker (Four Point Universe Book 14) Page 20
