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That’s when I see it, the way her body clenches, she starts biting her lower lip and playing with a loose thread on her shirt. I make note of it to investigate more extensively later. “Where were you trained? And by who?” She has that same expression on her face, like I’m being a huge inconvenience. This woman is infuriating. She can’t even answer a simple question.

“I’ve been trained by many people.” She utters from her chair, casually checking her nails rather than looking at me.

“Listen here, princess, are you going to continue being evasive or are you going to tell me about yourself?” I can’t stop the annoyance showing in my tone and bluntness, when she snaps, “I don’t see why this has anything to do with you. You’ve clearly already viewed my file and you’ve already made your feelings towards me quite clear so why do you care about knowing me?”

“This team is my responsibility. I protect my own and when someone threatens their stability or their safety, I make it my business to know these things. There’s a reason you transferred into this unit and I want to know what it is. If you’re running from something or someone and you put my team in jeopardy because of it, I will not hesitate to make your life a living hell. Now, are you going to tell me what I need to know?”

A bang on the door sounds and the door is opened without an invitation. “I see you got my new transfer, how is she treating you?” Treating me? Like she’s been sent here for my benefit? I have never hated someone as much as I hate this shameful excuse of a sergeant, Thomas Andrews. The arrogant asshole bowls through my office door and slides his hands around Emilia’s shoulders pinching them slightly. I think I see her flinch, but the moment is so fleeting, it’s gone in seconds. Even the way he walks irritates me, like he owns everything and anyone just because he’s part of the Andrews family, the most influential family in both politics and policing. He’s only five-foot-eight, he’s a little weasel with pale blonde cropped hair, his nose is sharp and his eyes are almost too small for his face. He’s not athletic at all, his build is slim at best. I don’t know how he got through training. He was in my intake, thought he knew everything about policing and deserved to take his place in narcotics without any prior training. He was bitter when I was offered the spot.

“We’re just getting to know each other Tom, she’s just got here. I’m sure there’s some pressing reason as to why you’ve barged into my office during a meeting like you own the fucking place.” Emilia starts shuffling in her seat, visibly uncomfortable at my words. “I just wanted to see how my girlfriend was faring in a new unit Kade, you can’t blame me for checking in on things can you? I mean look at her, she’s attractive and this place is crawling with vultures. Even you have a reputation for fucking anything that moves.” I would love to rearrange his face in this moment. My jaw is clenched so hard that I think I might have broken teeth. I look to Emilia, she hasn’t moved, not one slip in her mask.

“Girlfriend? I didn’t know you two were involved, I’m actually surprised you’ve even managed to get one to agree, Tom.” Throughout the years I’ve never noticed him with a woman. He’s a creep, looking at women up and down whenever one passes in the corridor. He’s the kind of guy women don’t want to be alone with. He doesn’t belong on the force.

Emilia sits up straight in the chair. “We’re not involved.” Her nostrils flare as she tries to compose herself. Tom’s fingers curl around her shoulders digging his fingers in hard and she winces. I’m just about to open my mouth to protest when Tom laughs. “She sure keeps me on my toes. Not that you would know what that’s like, Kade, you can’t seem to keep a woman for longer than a week.”

“Through choice Tom, believe me when I say that women are beyond satisfied after some time with me.” I make sure to wink at Emilia afterwards and Tom stiffens behind her. “Emilia, can you give me and Tom a minute please. I think he needs a gentle reminder of who the prey is here.”

Emilia gets up out of her seat, but looks up at me as she rises slowly and smiles. “Of course, Sergeant.” She visibly relaxes her shoulders, which have been tense the entire meeting. I look at Tom as she purrs my title. His hands are fisted and his breathing is quicker. Oh, she did that on purpose.

As soon as she exits my office, he looks at me with fire in his eyes. “If you so much as touch her, I will kill you. She’s mine,” he declares. One meeting is all it takes for him to feel threatened. He’s a weasel.

I laugh. “I can’t help it if she wants me Tom, I mean who can blame her. Look at me.” He storms out of my office, completely red faced. I hear him shout, “Emilia!” I look at her from across the report room, she looks utterly defeated. She takes a deep inhale like she’s internally fighting herself but it’s too quick before it’s gone. Cass and Cara sit at the desk in the report room and both of them look like they want to say something. They both turn to look at me as Cass explains, “We have known Emilia a long time Sarge. Cut her some slack, please.”

There’s something going on here. The Emilia that I just witnessed in my office was not the same woman who asked me, if I wanted her to call me Daddy, or the woman who winked at me and suggestively walked out of my office. There is more to know about the woman I despise and I’m going to find out exactly what that is.

EMILIA

“Hale! You’re with me today, let’s go.” Sergeant Hunter bellows from his office. Yet another man I have to take orders from.

“Where’s Morrison?” I ask. I didn’t actually mind him in the end. Yes, he did talk about dungeons and dragons most of the shift, but it took my mind off things.

“That’s none of your concern, grab your shit, let’s go!” He orders. I grab my bag and follow him out to the SUV. I don’t understand why he’s such an asshole. I’ve done nothing to warrant this attitude. Frankly, I really don’t care what he thinks of me.

“Where are we going?” I enquire. Slightly concerned he is out of his office. Sergeants don’t often go into the field, it’s mainly paper pushing and line managing, but something about this man says he does things differently. He is unlike any other Sergeant I know, he gets involved when needed, he looks after his officers, his physique alone indicates he could do some serious damage to a body…did I just give him a compliment?

“A bar downtown, their licence has been revoked so we’re going down there to make sure they’re abiding by their conditions,” he says bluntly. We don’t deal with licensing. Something is going on here.

“Ok, fine.” I shrug. If he wants to test me then I’ll let him.

We pull up to a bar with an eagle insignia atop the neon sign. Rows of motorcycles are parked up by the front. Harleys of all models lined up one after the other. It makes me miss my bike.

“Ladies first.” A smirk slowly forms on his arrogant face. If he thinks a motorcycle bar is going to scare me, he’s in for a shock. The bar is packed with bodies, at least twenty men by the bar and another fifty by the pool area. Some of them in biker jackets with half naked women on their laps.

“Evening, gentlemen! We’re here to make sure you’re abiding by your licence conditions. Now, my colleague here bet me in the car that you’d all be too stupid to understand a licence, let alone read one, so she’ll be going around checking all of your ID’s!” Kade shouts across the bar.

The absolute prick.

“Have fun… I’ll see you back at the station,” he says whilst exiting the bar with no concern in his steps whatsoever.

Five men approach me at once. Crunching their knuckles and moving their heads from side to side. They all tower over my petite frame but I’m fast. I can handle this.

“Listen, I really don’t want to have to put you all on your asses. Just let me check your IDs and I’ll be on my way.” I stand tall and lift my chin as a show of strength. Every single man in the bar laughs. Typical.

A six-foot-four brute of a man with a massive beer belly swings first. I duck under his arm and strike his back with my foot, making him plummet into the bar counter head first. Blood spurts from his nose. I don’t give the others time to assess my movements.

Another guy approaches me from my left, I punch him in the mouth, swiftly crouching down to slide between his legs and kick him in the back so hard he’s shoved into the counter as well.

I twirl and spin, strike after strike. Making contact with so many different faces, the blood spurting from their noses and mouths. Blood coats my knuckles and sweat pours from my forehead. My hair now loose from its braid. My breathing turns heavy but there’s only one guy left.