The Sweetest Thing (Book 1) ✓

05 - One of a kind

Emily

Umm, what was Dax talking about? What lab? Was he serious? I mean, I know that this place wasn't very good, the people here were quite shady, but... It sounds very stupid to make drugs in the middle of a building, right? He walked away from the room to talk with this Max of his, leaving me alone with Ace.

"So, you sure there are drugs in there?" The dog tilted his head on one side like he wasn't sure if he needed to answer me or not. Then he came to me and put his head onto my lab like he was too tired to deal with me.

"Okay then, I guess I won't ask you how you knew or how to do your job. I mean, I have no idea how you do it. I just have to trust you, I guess?" He closed his eyes while I rubbed his head between the ears.

"He likes you." - I looked at Dax and smiled at him. - "He doesn't like a lot of people. I mean, almost no one. He is ok with the SWAT team, but that's all. No one else."

"Umm, what? Why?" He seems a very good dog and he didn't show me that he has some problem with me. I liked him too.

"I don't know. Never had. Don't like people to touch him either. One time, he almost bite Ollie, one of my team members, who was just trying to stop him before he ran in front of a car. Guess he has no problem with you touching him. Honestly, I'm surprised that he's in your lap and not in the farthest corner of the room." - Dax smiled at me for a second, and then his face totally changed. Like something clicked in his head, and he was in SWAT mode.

"I want you to stay here and keep Ace quiet. I need to go and take my gear from the car, and maybe remove it from this parking. Is there any other exit? If I can help it, I don't want to walk in front of their door again."

"Yeah, there's a fire exit, but I'm not sure how safe it is." I pointed at the direction of the metal stairs outside my window.

"Good. Do you mind if we gather in your apartment? We need to make a plan and..."

"Yeah, no problem, they can come here. I don't mind."

"Okay, good. Be right back." And he jumped out of the window with such finesse, I didn't even hear his footsteps? How did he do it?

After a couple of minutes, he came back with a big bag in his hand. Behind him, one by one, came all of his teammates with bags in their hands.

"Hey, there, girl. I see you have an admirer." His voice was very familiar. He came to me with extended hand. "My name is Luke. We talked on the phone..."

"Oh, yeah, I remember your voice. Nice to meet you in person." I was going to shake his hand when Ace raised his head from my lap and start snarling at Luke. "Hey, what are you doing, Ace?" The men in the room started laughing.

"Okay, okay, Ace, I won't touch her. Don't worry." Luke walked away from me with hands in the air, still smiling."You have a fierce protector right here."

"Yeah, I don't know why. "

"Whatever the reason, it's good to have him on your side. He'll keep you safe."

One by one, the men in my apartment introduced themself from a far. There was the team leader Max, Ollie who was their emergency medical technician (EMT) guy, Ralph who was the Breacher, or with other words he breaks doors, windows, walls, whatever is necessary for the team to get in a place. And then there was Cleo, who was their sniper.

"What we know so far?" Luke asked no one in particular.

"Well, honestly, not much, except that we maybe have some dealers in there." Max was the one to answer. "I talked with the owners of the building; they are going to send me the blueprint of the apartment. Said that officially, there are living 3 men, but they've seen much more walking in and out."