“From here on out, I promise not to question why you and Kade are hanging out without me. I get that he’s your friend too. I trust you both.”
Britney sits, studying my expression. She wants to believe me, but I haven’t given my sister any reason to trust I won’t flip the fuck out again.
“Okay, then. Can I ask you something without you flying off your hinges?” When I nod instead of verbally answering, her eyes narrow as if she doesn’t believe what I just promised.
“Yes, you can ask me a question without me getting mad.”
Hesitant at first, Britney then proceeds to ask her question.
“Why? Why are you hellbent on keeping that stupid rule or pact in place when you two idiots made it before you actually liked girls in a dating way?”
Something inside me knew that some form of that question was coming. Do I tell my sister it’s to protect her from having her heart broken? That is the main reason, but not the entire reason. Pondering how to word my response, so I don’t sound like a dick or piss my sister off, I think, for once, before blurting out my answer.
“Brit, you’re not just my sister, you’re my best friend too. Kade is, well, Kade.”
“What the fuck does that even mean, D?”
“He’s a manwhore, for lack of a better word. I believe that both of you are only interested in each other because you can’t have what you want. Take that away, and Kade will wine you, dine you, and—”
“Don’t finish that sentence. I get where you’re going with that.”
“He’s not the relationship type. What’s his longest relationship? Three months?” I look to Britney for the answer because I know she knows.
“Nine.”
“You deserve to be the center of someone’s world, Brit. For a while, you’d be Kade’s, but then it would fade, he’d lose interest, and I lose my other best friend.”
Britney sits quietly, thinking about my answer. The only sound filling her office is Ed Sheeran playing on the overhead speakers filtering the music throughout the building. Since only a minimal amount of staff is working today, she listens to whatever she feels like instead of the usual country or classic rock music.
“Fine, D. Have it your way. So you know, you’re not giving your so-called bro enough credit.”
She’s right, but I’m not going to bet on my sister’s heart. Before I can comment on her last statement, my cell phone rings.
“Winslow,” I answer. My sister knows that when I use my last name as a greeting, it’s because it’s a police-related call. After a minute or two of listening to the voice on the other end of the line, I let the caller know that I will head into work. After ending the call, I send a quick text to Kade, and he replies that he is already on his way to the police department.
“Gotta go, sis. Duty calls.”
“Love ya and be safe, D.”
“Always.”
9
Kade
It isn’t long after I text Deacon back when I receive a text from Britney telling me to be safe. It’s something she has done every shift her brother and I have worked since becoming cops. I’m not one to be superstitious, but I can’t help but think it would jinx us if she didn’t say it.
Today started off rocky, which leads me to believe that the rest of the day isn’t going to be any better. Getting called into work before your shift means something is going down. Sergeant Black wasn’t forthcoming during our call, which is just another sign that I should have stayed in bed today.
Pulling into the underground garage, I see vehicles belonging to the DEA, ATF, and FBI. Either we got a lead on the Norteño gang members we’ve been searching for, or one of the other agencies did, and they’re here for our assistance.
Fucking fantastic.
After finding a parking space, I grab my bag off of the passenger seat and exit my car. As I cross the parking garage, I hear the sound of the security gate opening and a diesel engine echoing throughout the cement structure.
Leaning against a pillar, I wait for Deacon to park and catch up to me. It doesn’t take him long to reach me.
“What are your thoughts?” Deacon asks while we walk toward the stairwell.
“By the looks of our guest vehicles, we may be going out to apprehend Flores and the Hernandez brothers,” I respond with a motion toward the cars I spotted when I arrived.
“There’s only one way to find out.”
Expecting to walk into chaos, I’m surprised to see it’s business as usual. There isn’t the bustle of expected commotion with the unplanned arrival of our guests. When I look over at Deacon, he shrugs his shoulders, letting me know he’s just as confused as I am.
“They’re waiting for you two in the fishbowl,” Charlotte, one of our community service officers, conveys in passing.
“Thanks,” Deacon responds with a wink, causing Charlotte’s cheeks to blush.
“Why do you do that to her? You know she wants you.”
“Exactly.” The cocky smirk prominently displayed on his face drives home the point that he doesn’t give a fuck.
“You’re playing with fire, bro.”
We learned early on in our careers that it isn’t wise to shit where we eat. I had just completed training with my field training officer—FTO for short—when I started to hook-up with a fellow officer named Caterina. We had one overlapping day off together, which fit my needs perfectly. In my mind, I thought the limited time together would preempt her need to be in a relationship. Not to mention, I was open and honest, telling her that our arrangement was purely sexual, nothing more. She agreed until she didn’t.
It wasn’t long before Caterina swapped schedules with another officer to have the same days off as me. We didn’t have the same shift, thank goodness, but that didn’t stop her from becoming a stage five clinger. The woman would wait by my vehicle until I got off work and practically beg me to go home with her.
I tried to be understanding and compassionate when I let her down easy, but the more I ignored her, the crazier her attempts to gain my attention had become. Deacon was of no help. He was in the same position, but with a woman from dispatch. When the situation got to the point of stalking, and Caterina got in Britney’s face one night at the pub because I’d hugged her, that was when I had to take the issue to human resources. Caterina had gone too far.
Caterina and the dispatcher were put on notice. When that didn’t work, they were given the option to resign with letters of recommendation to other agencies or be fired. Thankfully, the women opted to leave, and as far as I know, they left California together.
Unfortunately, the incident raised red flags for the department, and to avoid future lawsuits, a no fraternization within the work policy was implemented. Because a company cannot legally control what people do outside of the workplace, the rule merely states that, when entering into a relationship with a coworker, employees must go to human resources and sign an agreement letter. The letter says that they are in a relationship, and it will not interfere with the lives and safety of the department or the citizens we have sworn to protect.
Yes, there are still hook-ups that go on without being documented. Hell, a couple of the guys have what we call “beat wives,” which means they have a side piece of ass on their beat. I will say, since the dating policy went into effect, there haven’t been any other instances like what Deacon and I went through. But my friend is flirting with danger if he tries to hook-up with Charlotte. My gut tells me she would be a stage-five clinger too.