“Not here, come outside with me. Dress warm, there’s a nip in the air this time of the morning.” I slid out of her body trailing a mix of our bodily juices with me and went to wash up before getting back into my jeans and sweater. She threw on some sweats and one of my sweaters before slipping her feet into her shoes and following me out of the room.
I took her hand once we were outside and led her to the swing in back of the house. The moon was still giving its light, but the stars were fading and the breeze rustling through the trees was the only sound in the air.
Everything seemed so still it was hard to imagine that the night had been what it was. “I got called in tonight. It seems they may have a lead on the men who killed my family.”
She picked her head up from my shoulder where she’d been leaning and looked at me. “Oh, I’m sorry; but that’s a good thing right? Now you know who it is, now they can be brought to justice.”
“It was another cop. At least, he was part of it.” I saw shock and disbelief on her face as she tried to come to grips with what I was saying. “But, why? I don’t understand why would he…?”
“I guess we’ll find out when the case goes to trial. Right now I have to distance myself. I can’t have any part in it or his lawyer can use that against us. For now all I know is that he was in bed with the men who we were sworn to take down.”
“I was getting too close and they decided it was worth their while to get rid of me. They used him because he was on the inside and could feed them information, keep tabs on me and where I was in the investigation.”
Some of that I’d learned from my own research but she didn’t know that and never will. I won’t ever tell her what I’d done, what I’d had to do to avenge my son and take my life back. Now it was she offering comfort. After the way I’d treated her on that bed upstairs, she still had it in her to show me her heart.
“That’s no excuse for the way I just…” She placed a finger across my lips and shushed me. “It’s okay, I understand. Everything just hit you all at once and you needed an outlet.” Her next words floored me.
“And you were right. It was my fault that we were torn apart. If I hadn’t been so pigheaded, if I hadn’t thrown that ring back in your face and stormed out after saying all those horrible things we never would’ve broken up and you never would’ve had any reason to turn to Dee in a drunken stupor.”
“Still, it wasn’t all your fault and I had no right.”
“Leave it Nicky, I understand. I can’t imagine it can be easy knowing that one of your brothers in blue betrayed you. Did you know him? This cop I mean.” At least that part was true; Rogers had betrayed me. So I wasn’t lying to her on that score.
“Yes, he was part of my team, worked with me on trying to bring those guys down.” I couldn’t bring myself to call him ‘Savage’ to her. Soon enough, it will come out that the crusader everyone thought was trying to clean up the streets was really eliminating anyone who could expose him.
At least, that was the way I’d set it up to look. Simms and Rawlins, if they followed the breadcrumbs I’d left in place should be coming to that conclusion on their own soon.
We sat out there for a long time until we were both too tired to push the swing with our feet. “You’re not going into work today.”
“I’m not?”
“Nope, I need you here, with me.”
“Well, I do have a few sick days left and I just closed on the last deal I was working on so I don’t see why not.”
“Good, let’s go inside so I can make up to you for being such an asshole.”
19
Shelly
The last few days have been…crazy to say the least. After the night Nick told me about the dirty cop, the night he’d finally told me the truth about how he felt about my part in our breakup, we’ve been bombarded.
The media has been camped out in front of the house twenty-four seven, which was making Nick nuts. We were on our way back from work, where Nick had picked me up since he refuses to let me drive in or back by myself until things get settled again.
I could see that he was at the end of his rope by the tic in his cheek. When the male reporter approached with the microphone in my face, I didn’t think anything of it. He was no different to all the others who’ve been hounding us for days.
Nick on the other hand saw red. One minute the mike was in my face and the guy’s lips were moving, and the next he was airborne. I had to literally drag Nick away when he went after the guy and the other reporters and cameramen just stood around snapping away.
“No Nick, let’s just go inside.” He didn’t exactly shake me off, he still held my hand in his, but he didn’t listen to me either. “You come near her again I’ll make you eat that shit you fuck.”
The reporter held his hand up as he laid on the ground, his eyes wide and a bit stunned. I was finally able to pull Nick away and drag him into the house.
“I can just imagine the evening broadcast.” I said it lightly but he wasn’t in the mood for fun he was steaming mad.
“Nick, what’re you gonna do?” I didn’t trust the look on his face.
“Stay in the house.” I panicked when he pulled his gun from the small of his back and made his way back outside. I wasn’t sure if I should call someone or not. I heard gunshots and running feet and ran back towards the door.
“Nick, get back in here.” He was standing on the front porch of this beautiful Victorian that I’ve been working so hard to bring back to its former glory, shooting over the heads of the people who were staked out on our lawn. At least I think it was over their heads.
“Are you insane? They’re gonna call the cops and have you arrested.” He walked back in after the last van cleared our drive. I should’ve known it was only a matter of time before he blew. He’ d made it clear from day one that he wasn’t going to answer any questions, that he wanted no part in the whole mess surrounding the case.
Some of the reporters were a little more understanding than others. Those who just wanted the story and a nice sound bite for the evening news kept pushing. Like the one who’d just asked me if I was happy that Nick’s family was gone so I could get him back.
I’m pretty sure the jerk was just going for effect, but it was a crummy thing to say anyway. They’ve been turning their attention to us and our past more and more lately and I don’t know where they were getting their information but it looks like someone had been filling their heads with some horrible crap.
Of course no one that mattered believed that we had anything to do with the explosion. The trial was well on the way with every day bringing new insight into the plot against his life. dpg
“I shoulda shot that fucker for saying that shit to you. I’m gonna find out who the fuck is feeding them this bullshit and plant my foot up their ass.” He dragged me back inside and slammed the door with his foot. I decided to leave him to his snit and go wash up and get started on dinner.
I had a pretty good idea who was behind the lies being leaked to the press. The week after the arrest we’d ran into Dee’s parents and the look her mom had given me didn’t leave much to the imagination.
It was obvious that she had a very horrible opinion of me and I could only surmise that she’d learned all she knew about me from her daughter.
She’d lit into Nick for picking up with me again, something she saw as an affront to her daughter’s memory. I knew when his answer was ‘I don’t give a fuck what you think’ that there was going to be trouble.
It was right after that, that all the wild stories begun. Today was just the day they’d gone too far. It was quite a leap from, ‘is it true you were carrying on with your high school sweetheart while your wife was alive’ to, ‘is it true you killed your wife and son so you could get back with your side piece’.
As incongruous as it may seem, in this day of modern technology, all it would take is one jackass to believe those lies and run with it.
I busied myself preparing dinner while
keeping an ear out. Today was kind of an anniversary of sorts. It was the anniversary of the first day we officially met in high school.
I didn’t even know he’d remembered, but when he’d put the school ring back on my finger, I’d come to realize that there wasn’t anything about our time together that he didn’t remember.
The way he’d looked when he slid it back on my finger, not to mention the fact that he was sliding deep into me while he did it, would always be a special memory.
I’ d planned to make us something nice to celebrate but I’m not sure he’s up for it now after that fool had spouted off. He came in behind me and wrapped his arms around me.
“Sorry I scared you baby, they won’t be back here anymore.” I tapped his arm and turned around to face him. “How’d you arrange that?” I lifted my arms around his neck. “I got the captain on it. He’s been bending over backwards to make me happy these days.”
He kissed my nose and moved away from me. “Want me to make the salad?” he filched a carrot stick and took the head of lettuce to the sink to rinse.
We made dinner together, talking as if the evening hadn’t started off the way it had. That was something else I admired about him, the way he could put things away so easily. The way he was able to bounce back.
The more time I spent with him, the more I encouraged him to talk about Brandon and the things they’d done together, the more I realized how much he’d lost and how unbelievably strong a person had to be to overcome that kind of horrible pain.
Now that the pain of loss is well behind me, now that I have him back and no one can ever take him from me again, it was easier for me to let his son in, something I never imagined I could do.
We never talk about Dee, I refuse to even acknowledge her existence and I don’t much care how horrible a person that makes me. But his son, I introduce into conversation at least once a day.
That’s my way of letting him know I want to share those memories with him. That it’s okay for him to love the memory of his son and he didn’t have to put him away forever because he thinks it might be too much for me.
Dinner was quiet this evening with no reporters outside trying to get a look in. We were even able to sit at the little bistro table in the alcove window off the kitchen. I have no idea what it was meant to be when the house was built, but I find it cozy and just perfect for the two of us.
Here is where we discuss our day over dinner and a glass of wine. Where he holds my hand like he’s afraid I’d disappear if he didn’t.
“Are you okay?” He was unusually quiet tonight and I wasn’t sure it was all due to the earlier confrontation. He’d seemed a bit edgy ever since picking me up, but I’d written it off as stress from all the hoopla with the case.
It seemed a day didn’t go by that some new little tidbit didn’t come to light, that shifted the tide. In the beginning everyone was under the assumption that this Rogers guy had been eliminating the bad guys because he’d grown tired of them winning. But as time went by, and the D.A. brought more of his case to court, it was looking more and more like he was just a dirty cop who was trying to get rid of anyone who could finger him.
Of course I knew the truth since Nick had shared it with me that first night. But I wasn’t allowed to discuss it, since at the time no one outside the precinct knew that truth.
Now that the case had started in a courtroom packed with reporters from all over the state, all the gory details were coming to the forefront and people were choosing sides. The mayor and commissioner had been implicated and that had only made for more drama.
Nick never says much about it and I don’t push. I get all my information from the newspapers same as everyone else. But I knew it couldn’t be easy for him. These were people he’d trusted and they’d betrayed him in the worst way.
“I’m fine sweetheart, just want this all to be over.” He squeezed my hand and got up to clear the table. I finished my wine and waited for him to tell me what was on his mind. I knew it was only a matter of time before he opened up.
We’d made lots of promises to each other this time around, both of us committed to not making the same stupid mistakes we’d made as kids. Not much had changed with age.
I was still known to blow up at the slightest provocation, and he was still over protective and bossy. Since we were crazy about each other, we had no choice but to put up with each other’s short comings.
SAVAGE
I should’ve knocked that asshole’s head off his block and be done with it. This is the only part of the whole deal I hadn’t foreseen. Fucking bottom-feeding reporters.
Things were coming along perfectly. All the things I’d put in place were doing exactly what I needed them to and Rogers, the mayor and the commissioner were wrapped up nice and tight.
The day Simms and Rawlins went after Rogers’ safety deposit box they were in for a shock. So was he. He had no idea that I’d planted shit in there and it hadn’t been easy either.
Once again I’d used my badge and some trickery to gain access. Inside were taped conversations between the mayor and Rossi as well as the commissioner and Rossi.
It looked like Rogers was planning to blackmail them poor sap. He did have some stuff in there to use against them and a few others in case he ever found himself in a bind. Only now it was being used against him as well.
Everything I had planned was coming together perfectly. In fact I couldn’t have done it better if I was still on the case. But some asshole, and I was pretty sure who, had started spreading rumors.
I hadn’t even given any thought to Dee’s family in all this. I hadn’t had much to do with them when she was alive and that didn’t change after her death.
Her mom had always tried to ingratiate herself in our life and I’d always kept her at arm’s length. She knew the deal, knew her daughter came up pregnant from a one nightstand and whatever else her kid had filled her head with.
Her and I might’ve gotten along fine had she not started a campaign against Shelly when Dee was pregnant. Until the day I put the ring on her finger, she and her mom had fed me a steady diet of bullshit, all centered around why I had to forget I ever knew Shelly, like that shit was gonna happen.
It had been years since she’d said anything to me about it, so I’d erroneously believed that the subject was dead, but just the other day we happened to run into her and she was back on her shit.
I have no idea why she would think that I had any interest in her and what she thought, but when I told her that she seemed to get a burr up her ass and now these fucks were in my face.
If this was the worse I had to face on the back of this shit, I can take it. But no way in hell was I gonna let anyone get away with messing with her.
I won’t say anything to her but first chance I get, I’m going to pay Dee’s mother a visit and let her know in no uncertain terms that if she didn’t stop her shit I’m gonna have her ass brought up on charges for slander.
The truth is, her daughter latched onto me because I was her only way out. Her family thought they could ride my coattails out of the trailer park, but that wasn’t part of my plan.
I knew Dee use to give them my money, I knew a lot of things. But if they thought I was going to stand by and watch them fuck with my life now that I was finally getting it back on track they’d picked the wrong fucking one.
I wasn’t about to let them sidetrack me anyway, I had something planned for tonight and I was going to see it through. It was a special night for us, one I wasn’t sure she remembered it had been so long ago. It was the anniversary of the first day we ever met. The day I knew she was my one and only.
I put the dishes in the washer and dried my hands before going back to her. “Come with me sweetie.” I pulled her up from her chair and kissed her forehead before leading her out back to our favorite spot, the swing.
I sat her next to me and put my arm around her shoulders. “Are you warm enough?” She nodded her head against my shoulder and rested her hand on
my thigh.
I picked it up and looked at the ring I’d put there not long ago. I’d deliberately chosen the ring finger of her right hand because I had plans for the other one.
“Do you remember the day we met?” She squeezed my hand and picked her head up. “Yes I do. It was the first day back after summer break. You were the hotshot ballplayer that everyone loved and I was the little wallflower that blossomed over the summer. Before that, you didn’t even know I existed.”
She’s always told that lie but the truth is until that day I was always too tongue-tied in her presence to say much of anything.
“You were never on anybody’s wall, my social butterfly. I remember doing a double take. That top you were wearing, I still can’t believe your mom let you out the house in that.”
“She didn’t. I borrowed it from Debbie. Didn’t you ever wonder why you never saw it again? She dared me to wear it instead of my usual polo shirt. Of course I thought it was too risqué the way it hugged my chest, but she wouldn’t ease up and I gave in. I won five bucks and the hottest guy in school that day.”
“Yeah, you did. You did something new with your hair that day too, but it wasn’t that that finally gave me the courage to approach you. I saw Carver setting his sights on you and saw red. I knew if I didn’t move quick he’d beat me to it and I’d lose you to that ape.”
“There was never any chance of that. While I was taking that dare you were on my mind. I’d made up my mind over the summer that that was going to be the year that I finally got up the nerve to talk to you.”
“I look at you now and I’m back to being that same tongue-tied teenager who knew you were too good for me. I knew it even then, and I guess I was right. I fucked up. But we’ve been all over that and there’s no need to rehash it again in this lifetime thank fuck.”
“Now I want to focus on the future and leave the past behind. I was thinking we’d wait until this was all behind us to do this, but I don’t really want to do that. We’ve been back together for over a month now. I’ve had you every night since then. You know what that means? No period; you’re pregnant. I want my kid to have my name and protection before he or she gets here.”
Savage: A Second Chance at Love Page 14
