Deadly Past

by K. L. Humphreys

  The most laborious cases are those that affect children. I can’t fathom how anyone could hurt an innocent child. Those cases are the ones that keep you awake for weeks. I know that being a member of the police department; you have to be detached, you have to try not to take things too personal. It's impossible not to care, it’s in our nature, it’s why we became cops, to protect. It's hard to not let it faze you. Being too invested in cases can throw you off your game, make you miss things. And don't get me started on assumptions. Assumptions are the mother of all fuck ups. Don't assume anyone is innocent either. I've seen cases where the children aren't always what they seem either.

  You go in and do your job, leave everything you’ve seen at the door on the way out. But that isn’t always the case. If you can honestly say you can leave it at the door on your way out, I’d be shocked. We all get invested in cases; some maybe just because it hits closer to home than others. Some days, like today, are harder than others. Seeing a five-year-old covered in his mother’s blood is horrific. Thankfully, his Mom is recovering in hospital.

  It’s going to take them a long time to move on from this.

  The Mom was in an abusive relationship but was able to shield her baby from her partner's abuse and keep it hidden. She didn’t want anyone to know. But today, her partner almost killed her. She pressed charges, and after we got the paperwork completed, I put her in touch with a women’s shelter for abused women. Being surrounded by others who have been through similar experiences may help her more than anything else. She also called her Mom and will be seeing her family as soon as she can. I know it was a good outcome because both the mother and son are safe, but it could have been so much worse.

  I have seen the opposite outcome, and it tears me apart that people can be so destructive to those they are meant to love and cherish. After a day like today, I just want to go home, have a soak in the bath and put on a few comedy films. Oh, and eat a ton of junk food. It takes my mind away from the stresses of the day.

  As soon as I’m in my house I fill the tub. Once I’m done and watching the bath water drain away to nothing, it makes me wish that my day would drain away just like it.

  I really need to re-paint my nails - they look all sad and neglected. I can’t even remember the last time I had a pedicure.

  After my relaxing bath I search through my collection of DVD’s and settle on one of my favorite comedies, The Hangover. I love this film. I’d watch it every day and never get tired of it. I put the DVD in and get it setup, so all I’ll have to do is press play once my pizza gets here.

  I go to the kitchen and grab some wine from the fridge and some napkins. As I’m walking back to the living room, I hear the doorbell. I put the wine and napkins on the table and grab my purse from the kitchen counter. My stomach starts rumbling, and I’m thankful the food is here. I hate waiting, especially for food. I open the front door and am shocked to see it’s not the delivery guy, but Luke.

  “Hey Luke, how are you?” I’m confused, we haven’t seen each other since the night with Sabine. I think he must sense my confusion because he just stands there and smiles at me.

  “Not happy to see me? I know we said we’d see each other yesterday I was just so busy that I literally collapsed as soon as I got home. So, I thought maybe tonight would be okay? But you seem disappointed.” He fidgets at the doorway looking like a nervous teenager waiting to be turned down by his prom date.

  “I thought you were the delivery guy. I ordered a pizza, and it’s not here yet. Don’t just stand there, come on in.” I step to the side so he can come through the doorway.

  I hear him chuckle. “Poor Morgan, say it ain't so. Is the delivery guy taking ages to bring you your pie? What are you going to do?” He’s teasing me, about food! That is so not on. He must realize his error because he holds his hands up in mock surrender.

  “Sorry! Food is a touchy subject. I forgot.”

  I shake my head at him and laugh at his silliness. “You know, I completely forgot about our plans to meet last night. It’s been a busy few days, and I was just going to pig out on junk food and watch The Hangover.”

  What the hell am I doing? Who turns down sex to pig out? I think I need to see a doctor, maybe a psychiatrist would be better suited.

  “Did you order enough for me too or should I place another order?” I can tell by his tone that he already knows that answer. I never order just enough; my eyes are too big for my belly.

  “You don’t need to order more, just don’t complain about the topping.”

  “I wouldn’t dare.” He walks over and lays an adorable chaste kiss on my lips, then rights himself and walks towards the kitchen.

  “Do you have any beer?”

  “Yeah, there should be some in the fridge from the last time you were here.” It’s weird how comfortable he is in my home. He acts as though he belongs here. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, just weird.

  The doorbell chimes again and this time I know it’s the pizza guy; I can smell the food. My purse is still in my hand as I go to the front door and open it. The aroma of melted cheese wafts through the air, and my mouth waters almost to the point of drooling. I pay the guy and make my way to the living room with the two boxes.

  I was right, there is plenty of food for Luke and me, and I may still get lucky and have some left over for tomorrow.

  I lay the boxes on the coffee table in the sitting room and take a seat on the sofa. Luke comes in with his beer refills my glass of wine before taking a seat beside me. I press play on the remote for the DVD player and then do the one thing I’ve been dying to do since I ordered the damn thing.

  I dig in.

  I don’t have any hang-ups about eating in front of people. Food is my vice, and when I’m hungry, it isn’t always a pretty sight to behold. But everyone’s got to eat, so there’s no need to be shy about it.

  I turn to Luke as I pick up a slice of the cheesy bread, “Help yourself, there’s more than enough to share.” I hear his chuckle as I turn back to my bread and literally devour it, humming in pleasure as I do.

  As we watch the movie, I notice Luke’s laughs aren’t entirely because of the antics of the actors. Most of the time they are caused by the sounds I’m making as I thoroughly enjoy my dinner. I never thought I’d be able to be around a guy and just relax in comfortable silence.

  When I am around Sabine, I sometimes beg for this kind of quietness because that girl never stops talking. She doesn’t know when to shut up, except when there is a movie on. But having that level of comfortableness with someone you're intimate with is something I never thought I’d have. It’s just a shame that it’s with someone I have no future with.

  We finish eating leaving only a few slices left for tomorrow which makes me very happy. Luke starts cleaning up after us and takes the boxes and the empty bottle of wine out to the trash. I should feel guilty letting him do it by himself, but I’m currently in a food coma and have no intentions of going anywhere.

  I may need a crane to lift me off the sofa.

  I hear the scratching of plates being pulled out of the cabinet and him moving about in the kitchen, but I’m not sure what he is doing. When I hear the fridge open, I realize he must be putting the last few slices of pizza onto a plate and into the refrigerator.

  Damn that man is well trained.

  He walks back into the living room, and I feel the sofa dip as Luke sits beside me and watch him wiggle around trying to get comfortable. The grimace on his face at the squeaky sounds the sofa makes has me grinning like a buffoon. After what seems like minutes but is probably only seconds he finally settles and scares the bejesus out of me when he grabs my feet and pulls me towards him. I let out a squeak that rivals the ones the sofa was just making as I get pulled down onto my back with both my feet in his lap.

  “Were you investigating the abuse case today? The mother and child?” I can hear the hitch in his voice as he takes one of my feet and starts massaging it. The feeling of his palm kneading my he
el is so freaking good I sigh with the thought of how easily I could get used to this.

  “Yeah, how did you know about the case?” I’m not really shocked that he knows about the case because he is frequently seen in the station talking with his dad, who is also a detective.

  “Dad told me. He said it was bad. I’m glad that poor woman decided to press charges. We’ve both seen some horrendous cases where the victim doesn’t manage to escape their abuser and ends up dead. All because the abuser went into a blind rage and killed them. How is she?” He looks genuinely concerned, and it touches me deep inside that even though he hasn’t met her or her beautiful baby, he is asking about their well-being. I’ve never known a man to be like that.

  “She’s in shock more than anything. It’s going to take a while for her and her little boy to be okay. Thankfully she is a strong and determined mother who seems to have a good support system once she reached out to them.”

  I hate that men and women have to go through this. I’ve seen many men who won’t report the abuse because they think it makes them look weak. It’s so disheartening to know that we live in a society where people actually believe that being a ‘victim’ is synonymous with weakness. To me, it isn’t weakness; it’s strength. It shows that not only did you overcome and survive a dangerous situation but you also grew stronger.

  Luke stops massaging my feet, and I huff at the loss of his warm hands.

  “As long as you have someone like that, someone who loves you unconditionally, then you can overcome anything.” He says it vehemently, but with so much sadness that it makes me wonder what he has had to overcome.

  Luke must sense my curiosity because he quickly changes the subject. “What are we going to watch next?”

  I let it go. I wouldn’t want to discuss my family with him right now either, so I don’t expect him to want to share his past with me.

  “You pick. I chose the last one.” My reward for such a simple thing is an amazingingly bright smile. You know those people that when they smile at you, you can’t help but smile back, and it puts you in a really good mood? Well, that is the smile I see on Luke’s handsome face. It’s addictive.

  I watch as he chooses Lethal Weapon 4, the absolute epitome of a classic action movie. The one with Chris Rock is my favorite Lethal Weapon movie.

  “This is THE best Lethal Weapon movie. The scene with Uncle Benny and the Nitrous Oxide is amazing!” Even though I have seen this movie dozens of times, I can’t help getting excited at getting to watch it again.

  I hear Luke chuckle and pretty sure I hear the word ‘cute’ come from his lips.

  ***

  Dear Lord, I need to pee. That is the thought that wakes me. As soon as I open my eyes, I realize I’m not in my bed but on my sofa. I must have fallen asleep here. I’m just grateful I didn’t choose one of those fluffy overly soft couches from the furniture store when I was deciding on things for my apartment. Otherwise, my back would have been a painful mess having slept on it for the night.

  I sit up and notice how warm I am and how quiet the house is. Luke must have put a blanket over me before going home. I go to the bathroom, and once I’m finished, I head back to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea. I won’t be able to go back to sleep now.

  I notice something in the corner of my eye and turn to see a note. I pick it up and see it’s from Luke.

  Morgan, you fell asleep

  Don’t worry; we can watch it again next time.

  You looked so peaceful that I didn’t want to wake you. So, I covered you with a blanket and headed home.

  I’ll call or text you later on today.

  Luke.

  PS. You sound like a train when you snore.

  How dare he? I don’t snore! At least he was sweet enough to put a blanket over me. I don’t know the last time I had someone tuck me in when I was asleep. I can’t help but smile when I think about Luke. There is no doubt in my mind that Sabine was right.

  I’m going to end up getting hurt.

  The thing is, I don’t think I can stop seeing him. I do know my feelings for Luke are getting stronger and I know he holds all the traits I want in the man I marry. He’s kind, caring and has a fantastic sense of humor making this even more difficult. Maybe Luke will change his mind, and he’ll feel the same about me as I’m starting to feel for him. I sure hope so.

  ***

  “Luke, I told you before, I’m not going to your house. I won’t be there when Scott is. He heard us before, and it was embarrassing.” I hear him trying to hold back his laughter.

  There is absolutely no way in hell I’m going. I wouldn’t be able to have sex with Luke if Scott was there. I’d feel mortified, and that isn’t fair to either of us.

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake. Scott is such a cockblock. I’ll turn around and come to your place.” He hangs up on me. I know he’s not mad because he’s told me before that he gets more peace and quiet here than he does at his own place.

  It doesn’t even take him thirty minutes to get here, and as soon as he’s through the door, I’m in his arms. His hands are in my hair, and his lips are on mine. I love when he kisses me like this. It’s so consuming. It’s almost painful in a breathtaking way.

  He instantly awakens my sexual prowess. I kiss him back with such intensity that he starts walking me backwards toward my bedroom. I pull away from the kiss and moan his name through my breathless pants. It’s the only words uttered since he walked into the house.

  His name from my lips invokes something in him, and he makes a guttural growl deep inside his throat. This kiss is no different than usual. It’s intense, ravenous and tantalizing and I can’t get enough.

  My hands are on his face pulling him closer to me. My back hits the door handle, and I quickly fumble my way to open it without breaking the kiss.

  Crossing the threshold of my bedroom, Luke takes me by surprise as he lifts me into the air and I’m thrown onto the bed landing spread-eagled. I look into Luke’s eyes and see the intense lust in them, and that look alone is enough to send shivers up my spine.

  “Luke… please.” I’m at the point that begging seems like a rational choice. I need him, and if he doesn’t do something soon, I may just have to take care of it myself.

  My words get him moving; he strips in no time and damn if he doesn’t look hot standing there in his birthday suit. I lick my lips and squirm on the bed knowing this is going to be spectacular.

  Luke stalks over to me with his dick at full salute daring me to grab hold. When the silky smoothness is in my palm, I begin to stroke it, reveling in the feel of it pulsating at my touch.

  It shows that what I’m doing to him, he loves.

  He grabs my hips, and I smile. I lift my ass so he can take off my jeans and thank God, I wore my good panties today. In a matter of seconds, I’m naked, and the look in Luke’s eyes tells me I’m in for a treat. He turns me over, doggy style. My head press down into the bed and I'm in heaven.

  I grunt at his fierce and quick intrusion as he holds onto my hips, guiding me as he withdraws and re-enters me. Luke’s going slow, and I’m dying for him to speed up. But there’s one thing I’ve learned about Luke. He likes to be in control in the bedroom and does what he wants, and there’s no sense in trying to change his mind.

  I moan as he glides in and out of me ever so gently, giving me a sneak peek of what’s yet to come. A moan is all it takes for Luke to slam into me hard and oh my God, it’s sinfully good. I’m clawing at the sheets as he pounds into me harder each time. He's pulling back in a slow, gentle, controlled motion before pushing back in.

  The sound of my ass hitting against his pubic bone is loud and fills the room. I soon drown out that sound with my moans as I hover over the cliff of my pending release.

  He knows I’m close and speeds up, no longer being gentle, but being rough and I love it. The feel of his fingers circling my clit is sending me even closer to the edge. I’m so far gone I don’t realize he's removed his hand until it strikes my a
ss and sends me spiraling over the edge. That instant sting is what makes me cum hard. It doesn’t take long for Luke to follow.

  It was fast, but you won’t hear me complaining. I feel Luke withdraw from me and hear his footsteps as he goes to the toilet. I go to the dresser and take out a tank and a pair of shorts; I’ll shower once Luke leaves.

  Luke comes out of the toilet, and the lust that was present in his eyes has gone, leaving them empty. He’s fully dressed and ready to go. He looks down at the screen of his ringing phone, and his face darkens. I watch as he rejects the call, and wonder who the hell it was and what they’ve done to make him so angry?

  I walk out of my room and into the hall knowing Luke is following behind me. His calloused hand touches my arm, and I turn and level my stare his way.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he says. It’s like nothing happened between us - he’s treating this like some sort of exchange - I almost expect to look back and find a wad of cash on my bedside table for my services.

  His voice is normal. You’d never believe he was talking to someone he just fucked. I’m so desperate for more of him, though, that I don’t even hesitate.

  “Yeah. Tomorrow.” At least I don’t sound as though I’m begging. He smiles at me; he probably knows I can’t wait for tomorrow to come.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Morgan. Sleep tight.” And just like that, he’s walking out the door.

  His phone is ringing again, but this time he answers it, “I thought I told you that I don’t want to see you again. Alex, why the hell are you calling me because I sure as shit don’t want to talk to you?” His tone is sharp and hateful. Whoever this Alex is has made him angry again. It makes me want to reach inside his phone and smack whoever it is that is making him feel this way.