She was in so much trouble when I saw her later, I thought to myself as I turned my police cruiser back around and parked close to where Harlow had been sitting in her car, thinking she was hidden from sight. Trying to stalk out the local gang now? Seriously, did she have a secret fetish for trouble, or was Harlow just bold by nature?
I shook my head, my police badge gleaming in the mirror as I opened my door and got out into the cold street. Officer Flynn Morgan, it read, in bold lettering. The dark gold plating holding the lettering was shiny, and I felt like taking the damn thing off as I locked the cruiser and approached the door to the abandoned warehouse the local gang used on occasion.
Harlow flashed through my mind again. What if one of the gang members had seen her? What if they tried to hurt her? A shiver of coldness shot down my spine when I thought of them hurting her, making her feel pain.
I knew what gangs were capable of. They weren't just going to smack her around the face a few times and let her off with a warning.
Which made me anger spike even more at the fact that she'd even had the thought to find and stalk the place at the start.
I mean, it's not like I was her keeper, or owner, but my god, did she have to do something dangerous? It was giving me a headache.
Why do you care so much? That inner voice in me whispered, and I frowned as I banged on the metal front door of the warehouse, waiting for someone to answer hopefully.
I didn't answer that annoying piece of shit in my head, because I didn't know how to. Why did I care so much?
I'd known her for about a week. The first time I'd met her, I had been arresting her. She was sarcastic, snarly at times, full of confidence. Full of a secret that she really, really didn't want to share because she wanted to protect her brother.
I had already found out a little from Stan in passing. Something about an accident, and the aftermath was as messy as shit, but I hadn't pressed it. Even if I was so curious every time I saw Marley I wanted to sit him down in a chair and pull the answers out of him.
Oh yeah, and I found her really fucking beautiful.
Harlow was like one of those people who had beauty from all angles. Her exterior was sexy, and her interior was even hotter. I'd always sort of had a thing for blonde's, and her grey eyes reminded me of those cloudy days where you didn't know if the sun was going to break through, or if it was going to stay overcast for the whole day.
Listen to me, being a total pansy sap.
And her body, my god. All proportioned, perfectly balanced, something I could look at all the time and never get bored.
"Can I help you, fine officer?"
My mind instantly dropped all thought's of Harlow and I turned my eyes up to see one of the younger looking gang members standing in front of me with a stupid smirk on his face and a warning glint in his eye.
I quirked an eyebrow, silently reminding him I had a gun.
"I was just in the area, thought I'd stop by and see what was happening." I said, plastering on a false smile.
He stared blankly at me for a few seconds, like he was trying to figure me out. "So...what's happening?"
"What's it to you, cop?" He said, the welcoming exterior dropping off him faster than I could say 'gullible'. I smiled a little wider.
"Just doing my job..." I trailed off, waiting for his name. The kid hesitated, like he was wondering whether to tell me or not, and finally gave in.
"Snake."
I bet his parents were proud.
What was I saying. His father was probably the one who gave him the nickname.
"Well Snake, mind if I come in?"
He opened his mouth to say no, I could tell by the form of his lips, when someone stepped out from the darkness behind him and the air changed instantly.
It felt heavy and menacing. Like the feeling you got from a stray dog when you meet one in a one way street and the mutt locked it's beady stare on you.
"Can I help you, Officer?" That voice. It was cold, stone cold. I felt the emotion drop off my face and turned away from Snake, the kid hurrying back into the warehouse before the guy who had talked to me could say anything to him.
When he stepped into the doorway, I felt my mouth curve without any humour or warmth.
"Riley Astor."
"Flynn Morgan." He replied, his eyes flicking to my badge before locking eyes with me. His eyes were dark, like a deep sea blue, and he was certainly not the sort of guy that would be indimidated by the police, even though he looked to be my age. "Anything you need, specifically?"
"Yeah, actually. Your boys, what have they been doing the past couple of nights?"
Riley's eyes flashed when I said 'his boys', like I had offended him somehow. Or the guy just had anger issues.
Could be both, all things considered.
"The usual. They're not my boys either." He said, his voice never warming from the icy tone it was. "Why do you ask?"
"There's been a few assaults recently, and witnesses have all placed three guys in black leather jackets at the scenes."
"A lot of people wear leather jackets, cop. I bet even you own one."
He was right, but I wasn't going to let him in on that. "There's been a rise of gang activity in the area lately so we're just checking in. Rumours of another gang moving into town, you heard that one?"
Riley snorted, his eyes moving to the cruiser behind me, then back to my eyes. Guy had no trouble with eye contact, I'd give him that. "You need information? Find my father. He's the leader of this shindig." He waved a hand behind him, back into the warehouse.
"So you just boss the members around for shits and giggles?" I rose an eyebrow at him. "I know you hold a lot of the power over these boys."
"So you have been listening to those rumours, cop." He smiled, and it was cold and calculating.
"Just trying to do my job." I nodded at him, knowing he wasn't going to let me inside and that I had no legal rights to barge in, boots and all. "Have a good night, Riley."
"Hey cop?" He called as I had turned and was walking back towards my cruiser. I looked over my shoulder at him. "What?"
"Who were the victims of the assaults?"
I paused, wondering if I should tell him. "Marley Micheals was the first. There was another guy, an accountant a night later."
I heard Riley swear, clear and precisely from where I stood. "You might want to be out patrolling tomorrow night then. Around the park, especially. Oh, and cop? The ring leaders the brunette. Do me a favour and kick his nuts in if he tries to get away from you."
Riley turned his back, and I had the strangest feeling that if he wasn't a dangerous gang member and if I wasn't a police officer, we'd be good friends.
"Why would I be doing you a favour?" I called after him.
Riley paused and shrugged. "So I don't have to do it myself."
I had to crack a grin. That guy was all sorts of complex. Dobbing his own members in? Yeah, that's what I came here for, answers, but still. What happened to bro's before hoe's and all that 'no man gets left behind' gang bullshit?
I got into the cruiser, glad I'd followed this lead.
Then remembered Harlow.
And turned straight in the direction of her house.
Was I acting a bit like an asshole, wasn't I? As a police officer, I had no right to go to her house and demand why she had been there, and instruct her not to go there again. It was a dangerous part of a neighbourhood, and I would want to warn anyone off going near the warehouse, but I wouldn't make a house call just before the end of my shift.
But this was Harlow.
And I wasn't always a police officer, was I? I did just say I was almost finished this shift, and as a concerned friend, I was going to go around and warn her-
Oh for fucks sake. I was going around because I wanted to see her.
So I was breaking my rules for this time and parking next to her driveway ten minutes later. The house was alight from the inside, much like the others surrounding it, and I spotted her little red Honda sitting pretty in the garage, like it had been there all night. I grinned.
Walking up the steps, I made my foot falls heavier then usual, just because I knew she'd be sitting inside waiting for me to arrive, and I felt like teasing her a little. Taking a few breaths, I held my hand up and knocked on the door. Hard. I thought of that Mason kid, the doorbell ringer, and my smile widened.
I waited almost one minute, before the door cracked open.
And there stood Harlow, staring up at me with a look of steely determination in her eye.
"Hi." She said, clearing her throat. Her voice came out husky, and I noticed that she was only wearing a pair of pajama shorts and a singlet.
"You were asleep?" I asked, cocking my head to the side and sending a silent challenge. Come on, lie to me.
Harlow tilted her chin up ever so slightly, a sexy little glint forming in her eye. "No, I was getting ready for bed. What are you doing here?"
"Trying to figure out why you're playing dumb."
Her face hardened, her scowl deepening. "Look, I get it. I shouldn't have followed those guys at the supermarket, it was dangerous, yadda yadda yadda. So save the lecture, all right?"
I just raised my eyebrows and watched as a little blush started to cover her cheeks.
"Are you home alone?" I asked, my voice dropping lower. She looked taken aback, then shook her head.
"No, Marley's in the shower upstairs."
I hesitated for a second, then made up my mind and pushed her inside, before following. Once I'd closed the door, I turned to a shocked looking Harlow, and grinned.
* * * *
Sorry it's short! What do you think of Flynn's POV? And Riley, look out for him, he'll be playing a good role in this story... :)
Vote, comment, etc!
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