Page 31 of Beyond the Badge: Crew

With his eyebrows hiked up his forehead, Decker’s eyes landed on Cabrera. “Are you staying there by yourself?”

“Well, me and my—”

“Keys, Deck!” Crew shouted, making everyone stare at him in surprise. “Hurry up before Nox wanders down here.”

“What the fuck’s wrong with you?” Decker grumbled, digging deep into his front pocket.

“Nothing. The intervention’s on my mind, that’s all.”

“Right,” Decker murmured, pulling Fletch’s house key off a ring and tossing it to Cabrera. “It’ll be good not to have to run over there all the time.”

“It sounds like a win-win situation for everyone involved,” she answered.

He firmly grabbed her elbow again and guided her back to the meeting room. “You can go out the side door. I’ll make sure you get a key for our clubhouse, too.”

“I’ll start moving into his house tonight. It might take me a few days with my car.”

“No, it won’t. Fletch said you can borrow his truck. Just don’t fuck it up. The key’s hanging in the laundry room by the door to the garage. See you tomorrow.” He gave her a little push. “I’d help, but as you see I’m busy.”

She huffed, “No, you wouldn’t.”

They heard Jamison yell out, “Who wants to go up and get him?”

“I’ll go,” came from Cross.

“Okay, you gotta go,” Crew said, opening up the side door and urging her to leave.

“Good luck,” she said as she brushed past him.

They’d need that and more.

ChapterSix

Crew’s fingersdug painfully into his own thighs as Nox stepped out of the BAMC’s meeting room.

The man stopped short and took them all in. “What the fuck is this?”

Cross moved to stand next to him and put a hand on his back, urging, “Go have a seat.”

Even from where Crew sat in a folding chair set up behind one of the couches, he could see Nox’s flared nostrils and his jaw sharp enough to cut glass. “No. We had no meeting scheduled, so I don’t know what the fuck this is.”

When he turned, Cross blocked him from going out the same way they came in.

Decker jumped out of his seat and rushed over to make sure Nox didn’t leave out the back door, either.

“Have a seat,” Jamison called out, pointing to the middle cushion on the center couch. A spot saved just for Nox.

Nox’s dark eyes found Crew. “Is this task force business?” he asked sharply.

He knew it wasn’t since most of the people there weren’t on the task force. The man was stalling. “No, but you still answer to me.”

“Not off the clock.”

“If you want to be that way,” Jamison started, rising to a stand, “you do answer to me. I’m not only your sergeant at SVPD, I’m your prez.” He jabbed a finger toward the couch. “Now, sit the fuck down.”

Nox remained by the door to the meeting room with his spine stiff and his chin raised. “You can’t force me to do shit.” He turned and went toe to toe with Cross. “Get the fuck out of my way.”

Cross shook his head. “No, brother, I’m not going to do that.”

---