"Don't lie to me," I whispered, shaking my head.
"I'm not lying. I really want to get to know you. You've entranced me since the moment I laid eyes on you."
"I feel the same way," I said, leaning into his embrace. "Want to come in?"
"I'd love to," he replied, reaching over the seat to turn the truck off. He climbed out of his side of the truck, pulling me along with him.
As we walked up the steps to my apartment building, we were approached by Trent Walker. His father, Derrick Walker, was a loan shark, and his twin brother, Luke, was the head of a local gang. "Who's the G.I. Joe?" Trent asked, stepping closer to me.
I took a step back. "None of your business, Trent." I said, holding my head up high, taking Locland's hand in my own and walking further into the building.
"Please, don't follow. Please, don't follow," I whispered under my breath.
"It is very much my business, sweet cheeks." Trent snickered, coming to stand in front of me, blocking my way in.
"Leave me alone."
"Never, I hear you're too much fun for that." My heart started to pound as I felt Locland stiffen behind me. I was starting to feel ashamed. "I'll be back later to see you," he warned, leaving the building.
I collapsed into Locland's arms. "Don't let him take me, please?" I begged him.
"I won't, Angel," he reassured me.
"I really don't want to, but I guess I'll have to stay with my brother again."
"I thought you didn't have any family anymore."
"I didn't, but then my mother kicked my brother out of the house soon after me, seeing as he was such a disappointment to them. He came and found me, and then he ended up opening up his own business. He's doing okay, but you never know around here. One day you're doing great, the next you're bankrupt."
"What's your brother like?" Loc asked, changing the subject.
"Well, he's my best friend. He is three years older than me, and I guess you could say we look the same, except he has dark brown hair and green eyes."
"I'm just guessing here, but is your brother twenty-four?" he asked.
"Yeah."
I moved out of his arms and towards the stairs in the apartment building. I had already been on the elevator once before and learned never to go on it again. I was stuck on it for an hour as it went up and down at a shocking pace.
We walked up all six flights of stairs. I didn't hear one complaint from Locland. When we reached my apartment door, I quickly got my key out from underneath the mat and received a frown from Locland. "I forgot my keys at Matt's Place," I said.
"Why do you keep a key under your mat? Anyone can walk in." He raised his hands for dramatic effect.
"Well, you see," I started, trying to think of a good come back, but I had nothing. "I can't answer that." I laughed, opening the door and stepping inside.
The few things I owned were lying across the floor. My drawers were open, my things had been ransacked, and the window in my bedroom was broken. I gasped in utter shock. Locland quickly pulled me behind him, pulling a small gun out from the inside of his jeans. "Come out now!" he ordered. Three men came out from the bathroom, and I knew we were outnumbered. I couldn't fight at all. Locland might have been a soldier, but three against one was too much, even for him.
"Empty your pockets and raise your hands," Locland ordered, raising his gun at the first man.
One man quickly emptied his pockets and raised his hands in surrender. "Please don't kill me. I was forced to come here. I have a wife and two little girls. Please, I'm all they have left," the man begged, dropping to his knees. The second man looked at him with disgust, making no move to surrender or empty his pockets. The third one looked the same, disgusted by what the first man was doing.
"Loc, leave him alone; handle the others," I said, taking a step closer to the first man as a test. If he came at me, he was lying. If he took a step back, he was telling the truth. I watched his reaction and noticed him flinching with every step I took.
"Please?" he begged again.
"How do I know you're not lying? I want to see a picture," I said, crossing my arms over my chest, trying to look intimidating.
"Okay, let me take my phone out and show you. My name is Brandy Owens. My wife's name is Makayla, and she is absolutely beautiful," he said, pulling out his phone with shaking hands. He showed me his screen saver, a picture of the four of them. A teenage girl was on one knee and his wife was on the other, holding a younger girl on her lap.
"What are your daughter's names?" I asked, looking at them and wishing more than anything that I had that kind of family.
"The oldest one is thirteen. Her name is Cydney. The younger one is ten. Her name is Veronica," he said, smiling as he was staring at the picture.
"What beautiful names. Your family is beautiful." I was feeling so jealous.
"Thank you so much," he said sincerely.
"Now back to the problem at hand."
"I swear on my family's life I never did it intentionally. I was walking to work this morning, and they grabbed me, saying I had to come help them break into your apartment or they would kill my family," he blurted out.
"I believe you," I said, helping the man stand up.
"Thank you so much," he said again. I nodded then quickly turned around to see if Locland was all right.
He had knocked both of the other robbers out with nothing but his bare hands and had a phone up to his ear. He put the phone down, took three big strides towards me, and wrapped his big muscular arms around my thin torso, pulling me closer to him. "Are you all right?" he whispered.
"Yeah, a little bit shaken, but I'll live." I smiled, looking up at him.
"I called the police. They should be here any minute." He said, looking at the man behind me with uncertainty.
"He's innocent." I gestured with my head at the man I had interrogated.
The cops came and took the two guys Locland had knocked out and put them in police car without a problem. I explained how the other man was innocent, but they had to take him in for questioning along with Locland and me. Locland told the cops he would drive us there.
Locland led me outside my apartment building, walked me over to his truck, and helped me get in. We drove in silence for the first five minutes before I broke down, crying. "Rayne, what's wrong, honey?" he asked, putting his right hand over my trembling hands.
"I'm scared. Someone is always after me even though I did nothing wrong," I whispered, feeling my walls crumble again.
He nodded his head in understanding. "I know that feeling. That's what it feels like when you're in the Army. People are continuously firing at you, and you've done nothing wrong." We didn't talk after that, but he didn't let go of my hand until he had to get out of the car at the police station. When he jumped out, I opened my door, receiving a glare from Locland. "I'm supposed to open the door for you. Now close it." I swiftly complied.
He opened it and helped me out, taking hold of my hand again as we walked inside the police station. We walked to the front desk and waited until the lady got off the phone, sending a patrol to a hit and run before turning her attention to us. "How may I assist you?" she asked, smiling sweetly at Locland.
"We're looking for Sheriff Shelby," Locland said, oblivious to the woman's flirty behavior.
She stiffened. "Are you Locland Quinn and Rayne Coleman?" she asked, saying my name in a rude manner.
"Yes, and I would appreciate it if you could show my girlfriend some respect," he said, clearly noticing the rudeness in her tone.
Girlfriend?
"I'm sorry sir. Head right down there and through the last door on the left," she said, lowering her head in respect.
"Thank you." Locland pulled me along with him as he led me down the hallway she had instructed us to go down. I ignored the comment about me being his girlfriend, knowing it wasn't true.
"I can't stand women like that who have no respect for themselves whatsoever," Locland grumbled under his breath. I giggled at his outburst. "What is so funny?" he asked me slightly annoyed.
"She was flirting with you and you're complaining."
"I know she was flirting with me, but she can clearly see you standing next to me. Doesn't it bother you?" he asked, looking at me curiously.
"Why should it bother me? No one cares about me anyway. I'm used to getting dirty looks from women," I said nonchalantly.
"I care, Rayne," he whispered, pushing me into a nearby bathroom.
"I can't be in here; it's the men's room," I whispered, closing my eyes.
"It's not. If you open your eyes, you'd see that it's a unisex bathroom," he whispered into my ear. I opened my eyes, looking around the brightly lit bathroom to see he was right.
"Oh," I said as he took possession of my lips. He set the pace, and before I knew it, our lips were moving together in perfect unison. My hands went up around his neck, while his hands found their way into my hair, pulling me to him.
I pulled back, out of breath, resting my head against his chest. I heard him take a deep breath and kiss the top of my head before nuzzling his head in my shoulder and kissing my neck. "Loc, the sheriff is waiting," I whispered, still out of breath.
"I don't care." He kissed my lips again.
I pulled back, glaring at him. "I will not kiss you ever again if you don't open that door," I threatened, smiling at the same time.
"Fine, but only because I don't think I could ever go a day without kissing you after that." He opened the door and led me out and through the door we were told to go through ten minutes ago.
The sheriff was waiting there, sitting at his desk and reading through some papers, which I assumed were reports. "Did you get lost?" he asked, genuinely curious.
"Yes, the lady at the front desk sent us in the wrong direction," Locland smoothly replied. I sat down in one of the chairs as Locland did the same.
"I need your side of the story so I can let Mr. Owens go." He nodded in the direction of the corner of the room where Mr. Owens was sitting, waiting. I hadn't even noticed his presence.
"Certainly," I said. "Well, when we got to my apartment, the windows were broken, and my things were clearly rummaged through. Locland immediately ordered them to make themselves seen and they did. Mr. Owens dropped to his knees, begging not to be punished, saying he was forced to come. I listened to his story while Locland took care of the other two, and I could tell Mr. Owens wasn't lying."
Suddenly, the door flew open, and a woman and two girls ran into the room, looking around frantically. The woman ran to Mr. Owens and threw herself at him as he caught her. "Brandy," she whispered just as his daughters threw themselves at him as well.
"Daddy," they both squealed as he hugged them with a big smile on his face.
"Hey, what are my girls doing here?" he asked them, while they sat on his lap, completely ignoring us.
"We heard about what happened, and we were so worried, Daddy," the older girl said.
"Sorry, guys." He nodded for us to continue.
"Mr. Owen, you and your family are free to leave," the sheriff said, dismissing them. They walked out quickly, shutting the door behind them. Then the sheriff turned to Locland and me. "You two may go as well," he said and continued to go through his papers. Locland took my hand and led me outside.