Daddy's Little Girl (Complete book- limited time only)

Chapter seven: In the Flesh

Brandy looks at him, her eyebrows raise.

Ron's serious. "Don't think I won't."

"Travis, you're a genius."

"What?"

"Tracking devices in dog collars... we'll put a few dogs out there as bait, and maybe we'll catch these guys."

Ron's is worried about his own pet. "What? My dog? Hell no! Not Samson!"

"No not Samson...some strays. We'll get them from the pound."

Ron is relieved that his dog isn't being volunteered as a decoy. "Okay, but we'll need the Chief's approval first."

"Oh Jesus Christ Travis...what happened to the bad ass I met four years ago?"

Ron takes offense to Brandy's comment. "He's still sittin right here!"

Brandy works to get a rise out of Ron. "Please. The only thing I see sitting there is a by the book, don't break the rules, Dudley fuckin do right...You haven't been the same since you got shot."

Ron yells, "Hey! Now you're startin to piss me off!"

"Good! Cause the Ronald Travis I know wouldn't be sitting there like a little bitch, worried about getting permission for anything! The Ronald Travis I remember didn't ask the Chief for shit. He did what he wanted when he wanted...What was it you always used to say about asking permission?"

"It's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission...but..."

"But nothin Travis..."

"But we're detectives now, I mean, it's just..."

"What? It's just what? You think because we're detectives we need to be more professional?"

"Yeah...I guess. Ever since I m-,...we, made detective, I just feel like the Chief expects more from us, and I don't want to let him, or you, or anybody else down...I've been waiting a long time for this Page, and I don't want to screw it up."

"Well think about this Travis...Was it your new found professionalism that got you to detective? Or was it the shoot first, ask questions later, bad ass cop that got you here? You need to decide who you want to be!" Brandy grabs her jacket and starts for the door.

Ron sits and ponders the question that Brandy has not so delicately laid before him. In his heart and mind, he knows she is right. He knows he has changed and he has, until this very moment, been in denial about the whole thing. Before being shot, Ron felt he had been pressing his luck for a long time. After getting shot, he decided life was too precious to take risks.

Brandy's final thought sinks deeper into the abyss of Ron's mind. He doesn't like the cop he's become, but fear has a strong hold on him. Near death experiences have a tendency to do that to a person.

Suddenly, Ron perks up, a thought has animated him. He slams his hand down on his desk.

Outside the station, Brandy Page leans against the building smoking a cigarette. She usually only smokes when she is stressed. Her and Ron's altercation has nudged her one step closer to emphysema. Not really though. With the small amount in which she does smoke, Brandy would die of old age before cigarette smoke caused any major problems for her.

Ron exits the building, walking right past Brandy. He doesn't see her. Brandy grabs his attention, "Three minutes."

Ron stops and turns, "What?"

Brandy flicks her butt away, exhaling the remaining smoke from her lungs. "It took you three minutes to make a decision. So, what'd you decide?"

Ron stands facing Brandy, his hands on his hips, he sighs. "I decided that it's time I stopped lying to you and myself. You're absolutely right about me, Page...I didn't get promoted to detective for being a nice guy or a good cop. I got promoted to detective for bein a name takin, rule breakin, don't call me bacon, bad ass son of a bitch...cop!"

Brandy smiles, "You sure about that partner?"

"You damn skippy."

"What changed your mind?"

"I remembered something you once said to me, about life being too short."

Brandy knows exactly what he is referring to, she chuckles. "Life's too short. Sometimes, you just gotta say..."

In unison, they finish the saying, "Fuck it!"

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