Page 17 of Hard To Stay

Abby and Lucas had broken into conversation so I gently grabbed Lexi’s elbow, bringing her eyes to focus on mine. “Are you okay?”

“I’m good, thanks for asking.”

Once I was satisfied with her answer, I dragged an empty barstool next to me across the floor so she could take a seat. I ordered her a glass of wine and draped my arm along the back of her stool, keeping her as close as possible. I closed my eyes every time I felt her hair brush up against my arm. As we talked, I became distracted every time her leg would gently slide against mine. I wasn’t positive, but it felt like there were a few times she did it on purpose. Every gentle touch and knowing smile we exchanged reminded me that I wanted so much more than to be just her friend. I wanted her all to myself. I wanted to take my time and get to know her. I wanted to crawl inside her head and figure out what made her tick. Most of all, I wanted to know how she really felt about me. There was no way I was alone in my feelings.

We had been at it for over an hour and the drinks were flowing pretty good. Abby disappeared to go catch up with a few friends she had spotted across the bar.

Our conversation was interrupted when we heard a squeal over the loud music. Sawyer’s girlfriend Faith had arrived. “Hey babe, sorry I’m late.” She pushed her way through the crowd and threw her arms around Sawyer, kissing him long and hard. They remained lip locked for such an uncomfortable period of time that Lexi and I had to look away. Faith was not known to be subtle with her affection. I shook my head, remembering when Sawyer told me that she was into some pretty kinky shit. But hey, to each their own.

“Hey, baby,” Sawyer said, finally breaking away. “This is Brad’s friend, Lexi.”

Lexi slid off her bar stool, and extended her hand, her southern manners coming out in full force. “Hi, you must be Faith, it’s nice to meet you.”

Faith was what you considered overly friendly and in less than ten minutes the girls were chatting like they were long lost friends. Sawyer swung his gaze to mine while they got lost in deep conversation. It shouldn’t have surprised me how easily Lexi blended into my life because she was one of the kindest and humblest people I had ever met.

My phone buzzed in my pocket interrupting my thoughts. I pulled it out and flipped it over noticing it was work related. I held up my hand signaling that I had to take it. “Can you guys keep an eye on Lexi? I gotta take this.”

They all waved me off assuring me they had her covered. I went outside to get away from the noise and found an empty spot by the window. It worked out perfectly because I could still see her through the glass talking animatedly with my friends.

“What do you got for me, Mac?”

Mac York was a retired detective that I had asked to keep tabs on Lexi’s ex. I had helped him out a number of times in the past. He owed me and I didn’t hesitate to collect.

Mac sighed into the phone. “I just wanted to update you. Mr. Hunt is still in New York and he hasn’t checked out of the Waldorf. I checked the activity on his credit cards and there hasn’t been much more than a few restaurant charges. Looks like he’s holed up for now and living off room service.”

“Fuck!” I blurted out in frustration. “What is this guy up to, Mac?” Guys like Colton calculated their every move. I knew he was planning something. What, I wasn’t sure, but I felt it in my gut. “Keep tabs on him, will you? I want to know every move this guy makes from now until he gets his ass back on a plane to Georgia.” I snapped. Because one way or another, this asshole would be going back.

“Got it,” Mac replied, and ended the call.

My phone beeped again, but this time it was my Captain.

I snuck another glance inside. Faith and Lexi were throwing their heads back, downing shots of what I presumed to be tequila. I watched her lick the salt off her hand and imagined what else she might be able to do with that tongue of hers. My eyes scanned the bar noticing a few guys circling their table like sharks. It became clear that Colton wasn’t the only one I needed to be worried about. I resisted the urge to throat punch the two guys that were clearly checking her out.

I ran my hands through my hair in frustration after I ended the call with my Captain. IAB was being asked to investigate an excessive force charge against two of my fellow officers and I was being assigned to the case. It was another reminder of how life had a way of complicating matters. Apparently, they’d decided to rough up a suspect that was being charged with molesting one of the officer’s stepdaughters. This was a perfect example of where I wished I could look the other way, but unfortunately, the law didn’t grant me that convenience.

Separating my personal and professional life was never easy. When things went down with my ex, Emily, last year, I let my personal feelings get in the way of my job. It almost cost me my career. I sacrificed my morals and my integrity to save her. As it turned out, we were all being played by a jealous ex. Not mine—her current husband’s.

Chase may not have been the drug pusher that I thought he was. Hell, his only crime was loving the same woman that I had. I was so blinded by my own feelings though that I let Chase’s ex-fling manipulate me into thinking he broke the law. Once it came out that we had all been played for fools, I wasted no time confessing to my superiors.

Fortunately for me I had an excellent record and was well liked amongst my peers. Although they still punished me for my short-sightedness, they knew my intentions were born out of strong character and protecting the people that I cared about. I never wanted to be in the Internal Affairs Bureau, but turning down the chance to rehabilitate my career would have been professional suicide. They told me to give it a year and transfer out. And thank God, my year was almost up. Now all I had to do was wait for a position to open up in my old unit.

As I made my way back to the bar, I cringed noticing Gage Garrison holding court, with Lexi standing close by his side. It seemed like the two were having a pretty good time together and I could feel the anger start to build in my chest. Gage was known around the precinct as a player and his reputation was well earned over the years. As much as I detested the guy, women seemed to flock to him like pigeons to breadcrumbs. His good looks and clever one-liners made him irresistible to the ladies. My body tensed when I saw him lean his arm around the back of Lexi as they exchanged a laugh and a smile.

Lexi caught a glimpse of me out of the corner of her eye. “Brad, there you are. Come join the party.”

It pissed me off that she seemed to be enjoying her time with him. His smile caught my glare, and I watched it transform into an arrogant smirk. It was clear he was challenging me. If he wanted to fight me for Lexi, he didn’t stand a chance. I’d kill him first.

Sawyer and Lucas straightened as I approached the group. They knew I was pissed that they had allowed Garrison to cozy up and hit on her. “Well, it looks like I’ve missed all the fun, and the booze.” I hissed, making sure my two buddies were now aware that they were at the top of my shit list.

Lucas handed me a beer. “We ordered you a drink. Everything good with work?”

I snatched the bottle from his hands and took a long pull of my Corona. “Yep.” I replied then looked at Lexi feeling my eyebrows pull together. “How much have you had to drink?”

Her laugh came out a little funny. She was definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol. “Relax city-boy, us southern girls know how to hold our liquor.”

Garrison snickered behind her. “You’re always such a buzz kill, Morgan, lighten up a little.”

“Not everyone likes to behave like a teenage frat boy when they have a few drinks in them. Some of us actually behave like adults.” My clipped tone was a deliberate response to him pushing my buttons. I thought this guy was an asshole on a good day and my patience was already worn thin.

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