Hot Summer Night

11 - Declan

While leaning against the counter, drinking my coffee, I noticed a piece of paper on the counter ahead of me that wasn't there the night before. I stepped over to it, my lips pulling upward after seeing what Seraphine wrote.

Thank you for the Gyro. You're right. It was to die for—even cold. Thank you for bringing that home for me to try.

It may not be a note telling me she found it in her heart to forgive me like I had asked. But I'll take this little gratitude from her instead of the silent treatment. She thanked me, which was a step up from the day she arrived in my care.

Baby steps...

Since she came out of the room while I was home, even after I'd gone to bed, is another step in the right direction, hopefully, it's the start of her trusting me again.

Just in case she emerged from the room while I was at work, I grabbed a pen from the junk drawer and wrote her back.

You're very welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Truce?

I didn't have to ask if this was a truce, but I wanted to, hoping it would encourage her to come around me more. I'm trying. Really, really trying.

I'm determined to do everything I can to be on her good side again, where I can talk her into leaving the room and going somewhere with me. I want to get her out, have her feel free, and enjoy life again.

I want to show her around Alabama. And there are places I'd love to bring her where I know she'd get lost in taking photos.

If I want to do all that for her, I've got to work on doing things that would help regain her trust. Starting small and working my way up is the best way.

I hope she still has the camera I bought her. It may be old now. But that was one damn good camera, one that cost me ten fucking grand. But if she doesn't and I find out that asshole husband of hers had also taken that away from her, I'll go out and buy her another one—an even better one.

It was hard being at work knowing where Seraphine was. All I wanted to do was to be with her. I couldn't stop thinking about her, and it didn't help I could still smell her scent from when I kissed her forehead—a heavenly scent I'd missed, and it was fucking with my head.

What I badly wanted to do instead of kissing her forehead was press my lips to hers and kiss the holy hell out of her. I wanted to show her with my lips that I wasn't lying when I told her I missed her and that, to this day, I was still in love with her.

However, I know if I were to have done so, my cheek would still be stinging this moment from the slap that would've come afterward. It wouldn't have bothered me. But I don't want to push my luck, either. It would've only delayed her coming around and talking with me.

If not delaying, it would've done the opposite—ended my chances of earning anything from her.

I've been dreaming of this day to come. Now that it's here, I don't want to do anything that would ruin what I've wanted for years—Seraphine becoming my wife.

"All right, boys, we got our no-knock warrant, finally. So grab your shit and let's get going," Harper, our commander, ordered.

Gonzalez, Murphy, and I looked at each other, then jumped to our feet and rushed to the locker room to put on our gear.

We'd been waiting for days for approval for this no-knock warrant the D.A.'s office had the judge sign off on. After numerous attempts and failing to get this guy off the streets and away from our kids, we finally got our chance.

"Our suspect has now barricaded himself inside a home after leading our officers on a police chase—at his home he shares with his parents. At this time, we're unsure if they're home or if he's using them as hostages. So, whatever you do. Be careful," Harper warned, holding up and showing us all a picture of our suspect, reminding us of who we were after. "Police are surrounding the house as I speak, ensuring our suspect goes nowhere."