Page 89 of Fierce-Jax

“Shit!”

“Mommy, you said a bad word,” Gianna said, giggling.

Dillion put her blinker on and pulled to the right side of the road, the police car stopping behind her. So much for hoping it wasn’t for her, but since she’d seen the speed she was going, she knew that wasn’t the case.

Her fingers were tapping on the wheel.

The officer came to the window and she pushed the button to have it roll down. “Good morning,” she said.

“Morning,” the officer said. It was an older man. “Do you know why I pulled you over?”

“No,” she lied.

“You were going forty-five in a thirty zone,” the officer said.

“I was?” she said. “I’m sorry. It’s been one of those mornings and I was trying to get my daughter to school before my first patient arrived at my office.”

She was laying it on thick hoping the guy would cut her a break.

“Patient?” he asked.

“I’m a doctor,” she said. She reached for her purse.

“Keep your hands where I can see them,” he said.

Her eyes went wide and she slapped them on the wheel. Oh my God. This day couldn’t get any worse.

“I was going to get my license for you,” she explained. “Nothing else.”

“Mommy’s getting in trouble,” Gianna said from the backseat. “That’s what you get for yanking my hair.”

She closed her eyes and put her head back on the headrest.

The officer lifted an eyebrow and leaned into the car. “Are you okay back there, sweetie?”

“I’m Gianna. What’s your name?”

The car was shaking with her daughter kicking her feet in excitement over a new friend she might have made.

“Officer Clemons,” he said. “Did Mommy hurt you this morning?”

She wanted to open her mouth and argue but knew better.

“I wanted my hair braided, but Mommy said no so I put my head down to pout while she was brushing it and it pulled and it hurt me, but she said she was sorry.”

Her shoulders relaxed with her daughter’s chattering to clear her.

“Is that right?” Officer Clemons asked.

She nodded her head, pleading with him. “We’re running late,” she said. “I’m sorry if I was speeding. As I said, I’m trying to get to my office before my patients.”

“License and registration please,” Officer Clemons said stone-faced.

So much for getting off.

She wanted to tell him to just write the damn ticket so she could get on her way.

She reached into the glove box to pull out her registration and then handed that over while she got her license out.

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