Bliss Series Boxed Set: The Whole Damn Harem (77 page)

“She was worried that you would get hurt, especially if it’s the same bookie that assaulted your brother last time. She did the right thing, Mr. Miller.”

I trusted her to listen to me. I
told
her not to call, that I’d let her know if I needed help. She didn’t trust me to deal with this myself. She didn’t
believe
that I could do it without her help.

My anger simmers under the surface as we pull up outside the precinct. It continues to fester and eat away at me as I’m lead inside to an interrogation room. I don’t see Ryan arrive; in fact, I don’t see him again.

After being read my Miranda rights, I explain everything that went down from the moment I received Ryan’s call, to recounting everything the asshole bookie said to me, including his threats against me, the club, and Samantha. The detective grew antsy when he heard that Sam had been mentioned.

When I was released clear and free a few hours later, the sun was just starting to rise. A patrol car dropped me back at my car which thankfully was still parked outside the bar.

But instead of driving straight home to Sammy, I drove to the club, parking at the back and going straight to my office where I became acquainted with a nice bottle of 1800 tequila that I swiped from the bar.

∞~~~∞

Around noon, I’m woken up by my ringing phone. When I saw Sam’s name on the screen I rejected the call, knowing I owed it to both of us to sort my head out before talking to her or else I’d likely say something I’d later regret.

Who said history never repeats?

They lied.

Sam

I wake up with a stiff neck, the sun shining straight in my face as I unravel myself from my curled up ball on the living room couch. Checking my watch, I realize I fell asleep and I don’t know what happened. I jump up and run upstairs to the bedroom, expecting to find Sean and coming up short when I can’t find him anywhere. Running back down to the kitchen, I pick up my phone and ring him, getting his voice mail all five times.

Fuck! What if he’s lying in a ditch somewhere? Or sitting in the cage with real criminals?

I bring up Jeremy’s name and bring the phone up to my ear.

“Yo.”

“Jeremy. Where’s Sean? What happened?”

“Slow down, cupcake. He’s fine. I released him a few hours ago. He was dropped back at his car and I assumed he was headed home. He didn’t show?”

My breath hitches. Sean didn’t come straight home. My hand starts to tremble as I realize that Sean must be livid. He’s never been one to shy away from confrontation, and he’s not the type of man who lets problems fester. If he is angry, annoyed, frustrated or simply just pissed off, he deals with it. He’s direct and to the point, and he never
avoids
dealing with an issue. He just does it. It’s his way. This enduring strength is one of the things that has always attracted me to him.

Now I feel like an imposter in his home. If he didn’t want to come home that means he didn’t want to see me. Then like a Mack truck it hits me, I need to leave.

“Jeremy, what about Ryan?”

“His case wasn’t as straightforward as Sean. He was participating in the game and he knows a lot about the bookie we’re trying to build a case against. He’s clammed up at the moment though, which isn’t helping him or us.”

“You need me to talk some sense into him?”

“It’s out of your jurisdiction, Sam, and if the Captain got wind of it, you could be accused of interfering in the course of justice. What I will say is that right now, Ryan is in a holding cell but could be moved to an interrogation room with the cameras off if someone wanted to come visit him, check on his welfare shall we say.”

I breathe out a sigh of relief. “Text me what room and when. I’m heading down there now. Give me twenty minutes and I’ll be there.”

“Sounds great, cupcake. And don’t worry about Sean. I know a thing or two about these big, proud, dominant types. He’ll come around and see that what you did was for the best. Just give him time.”

A lone tear trails down my cheek as his words sink in. I can only hope that what he says is true.

“Am I Wrong?”

Sam

I walk into the station, nodding to the desk sergeant as I walk up the stairs toward the interrogation room where Jeremy told me Ryan would be waiting.

Jeremy’s waiting for me in the corridor, his lips pressed together in a grimace as I walk up to him. He looks at me for a moment, his eyes full of concern as he tries to gauge my mood. “You good, Richards?” he asks.

“I will be once I knock some sense into that dickhead’s skull. I need to scare him straight, Jer, and the only time to do that is going to be right now without his domineering, overzealous older brother breathing down his neck. Right now I’m neutral between the Miller boys, although I am a cop so I can make sure he understands just how bad this might get.” He nods and I continue. “Did you talk to the DA?”

“Amazingly, he took my call and was surprisingly receptive. You get Ryan to agree to testify against the bookie, about the whole damn racket, and he’ll be granted immunity and will escape the third strike. I’m sure he doesn’t need to be told what will happen if he fucks up again?”

I shake my head and smile at Jeremy before wrapping my arms around his back and squeezing tight. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough for this,” I whisper in his ear. I step back and look at him, uncharacteristic tears gathering in my eyes.

“You keep up this human behavior, Richards...” I gasp in shock and glare at him, “...and I’ll tell all the guys you’re really a girl.” He winks at me and I whack him hard on the arm.

“I’m different at work, you know that,” I explain.

“Yep, and you wouldn’t be half the cop you are without that hard exterior. What I’m trying to say is that it’s nice to see what’s underneath coming out. Your friends know it’s there, and I’m sure that your man and his brother definitely know it’s there, and it just might pay to let it shine more often. You won’t be seen as weak, you know. Just the opposite.”

“Quit it before I cry. It’ll ruin the tough cop wake-up call I’m about to deliver in there.” I jerk my head toward the closed interrogation room door and he chuckles.

“Right. Be quick though. The Captain doesn’t know about it yet. Ryan will still need to give me a statement after you’ve gone, but anything he says to you is off the record and off camera.
Comprende
?”

“Got it. Thanks, Jer. I owe you one.”

“Hell yeah, you do. Just bring in some donuts or something. You know I struggle to maintain this figure.” He rubs his slightly rounded stomach and grins.

“Deal.”

He turns and walks away from me as I face the door and slowly take a deep breath. I reach out and turn the knob. Stepping inside, I swear I can see the wide eyed, messed up twenty year old from ten years ago. The one living in his big brother’s successful shadow. The one who lost his parents young, then lost his beloved grandparents just as he was getting his life back on track.

But now isn’t the time for excuses. Ryan needs help, and I’m going to be the one to give it to him.

“Sam,” he breathes out, his voice relieved. I barely have a minute to sit down before he speaks. “Have you see Sean? Is he okay? Please tell me he hasn’t been arrested?”

I close my eyes and struggle to compose myself. Ryan doesn’t care about himself right now; his only concern is Sean.

“Ryan, Sean was released without charge this morning. He didn’t come home, but he has his car, so I guess he’s gone somewhere to calm down.”

“Calm down? Is he that mad with me?”

“Probably,” I reply with a shrug. “But it’s more likely that he didn’t expect me to go against his wishes and call it in, which is probably more unforgivable in his eyes because he didn’t see it coming.”

“You … you called the cops?”

“I
am
a cop, Ryan. Something you might’ve forgotten but I never can. It’s my job, it’s my career, and if I know a crime is being committed and that two people I care about are in danger, I will do everything in my power to avoid that. You don’t think I would let you get hurt do you, Ryan?”

“Well … no, but I told you I was going to try and get help. I told both of you. And I have been, I’ve been going to Gamblers Anonymous and meeting with my therapist twice a week. It’s just that when I got wind of this table, I thought I could make the money back and start to pay Sean back. Do you know he paid off the bookie and paid my rent up to date last time? I didn’t even ask. He wrote me off, told me that he was cutting ties, but then he went and did that.”

My eyes soften as I listen to him. “He loves you, Ry, but right now he’s pissed the fuck off. But it’s more than that. You can’t worry about Sean because you’re in a hole that you can’t get yourself out of unless you make the right decision, and you need to make it quick because there’s an offer on the table that will give you a chance at a life. A legal, free life.”

His body stills as my words sink in. The room is quiet except for a lone clock on the stone wall ticking away the seconds. Ryan wrings his hands together. “You need me to testify, don’t you?”

“Immunity from prosecution in return for your testimony on the gambling, the assault at the club, the game last night, and anything you have seen or heard that would strengthen the DA’s case.”

“I’ll do it.” No hesitation, no wavering. He shocks the shit out of me when he looks me dead in the eye and answers immediately. “Where do I sign? What do I have to do? I can’t go to jail, Sam. I can’t do this again. I need help, major help, but I want to stay straight. I want to make you and Sean proud. I want to do it for Granddad and Grandma, for Mom and Dad. I
need
to do this to make everything right.”

I see the wet sheen of tears in his eyes and I know that he’s been scared straight. Something has sunk in this time and I release the breath I’ve inadvertently been holding in.

“Please help me, Sam. I need to do this. No more fucking up, I thought I was invincible and my stupidity almost got Sean arrested. Now I need to make it right. If doing this, if testifying will help me do that, then bring in the detective, bring me the papers, I’ll sign whatever they want me to.”

I reach over the table and place my hand over the top of his hands. “Ry, Sean loves you. He wouldn’t have left his bed in the middle of the night and told me not to do anything if he didn’t love you. You’re doing the right thing. For you especially.”

I stand up and look at him one last time before opening the door and walking out. When I reach Jeremy’s desk, his eyes lift to meet mine and one chin lift is all it takes to answer him.

“I’ll take care of it, cupcake. You let me know when you find that man of yours.”

“Will do, Jer. Thank you. For everything.”

“Anytime. Now get out of here before the Captain sees you and starts asking questions. You’re a good cop and an even better woman. Everybody sees it.”

Unable to speak without losing it, I nod and walk away from him, though this time I feel like I’m walking toward something rather than running away.

When I call Sean’s phone later from home, I end up leaving a message on his voice mail, telling him everything he won’t let me say direct. I lay it all out, put my heart on the line and tell him I’ll wait to hear from him.

What else can I do?

Sean

I leave my phone on my desk, not willing to answer it just yet. My head is throbbing and my mouth feels like I’ve been sucking on a slimy dish rag. Not my finest moment, I’m sure. I go down the corridor and have a quick shower, throwing on some clothes I found in the gym bag in my office before I sit back behind my desk again, resting my head in my hands and willing the Advil to start working.

My phone beeps with another missed call. I pick it up, swiping the lock screen open and see the voice mail icon flash up at me. Gritting my teeth, I call my service and wait for the message to start replaying.

“Sean, it’s me. I know you were released this morning and I know you were dropped at your car. You obviously know that I called my friend Jeremy and asked him to do something to help you last night and I’m guessing that’s why you didn’t come home to our bed, to me …”

She called it home. She called it was
our
bed.

“… I know you’re angry at me, and part of that is warranted, but most of it is not. I did what I had to do as a cop who knew that something illegal was going down and as a woman who knew that the man she loves was going into an unknown, possibly dangerous situation.”

She loves me. Fuck! My heart swells. I knew it, but to hear the words again from her own mouth … nothing can describe it.

“I know what can happen in those backroom games, Sean. I’ve done stints in narcotics and organized crime, and I knew that you were going in there unarmed and without back up which is stupid in that kind of scene. Jeremy has been investigating underground gambling, heading a city wide task force and working toward bringing these guys down. What happened last night has helped him, a lot. I’ve already been down this morning and talked to Ryan. We managed to get him a deal in exchange for his testimony. He escapes his third strike and he’s promised me that whatever it takes, he’ll do it.”

Crap. In all my anger, I didn’t even think about it being Ryan’s third strike. My fist clenches tight and slams down on my desk. I was too closed off, furious with him for screwing up again after so many promises of getting his life sorted to think about the consequences for him. Three strikes would’ve meant jail time, a
lot
of jail time. The thought of my brother locked up is like a punch to the gut.
“Anyway, I hope you get this and that you’ll come see me when you’ve cooled down. I hope you can see where I was coming from and that, given the situation, I had no other option. I’m a cop, I can’t turn a blind eye when I know a crime is being committed, and I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself if something had happened to you or Ryan. I love my job, but I also love you, Sean. I’ve always loved you. I was just in denial. But I’m not hiding from it anymore. I want you, I want everything you can give me and more. I want to give you me, my body, my heart, everything. I hope you’re still willing to give me the chance.”