Forbidden Fantasies Bundle(78)

“If you tell Lieutenant Stone, he’ll have to act,” Mark said. “He’ll take your badge. What’s the point of that?”

“I violated regulation,” he said grimly. “I’ll take the consequences.”

“Let it go, Rick,” Jessie said. “It doesn’t change anything. We’re behind you.” Looking right at him, she took back the Sedona proof sheet, held it up and deliberately tore it in half. Mark and Rocky each took a half and ripped it in two, handing the torn pieces to the officers on either side, who did likewise, then solemnly carried the scraps to the wastepaper basket.

“I’ll take care of the negatives, too,” Mark said.

They nodded all around him, moving closer, surrounding him with their stubborn support.

“I can’t let you destroy evidence for me,” Rick said.

“Don’t do this,” Mark said, grabbing his shoulder.

“I have to.” He turned for the lieutenant’s office, feeling their eyes on him, their silent attention at his back, as he moved forward to take whatever came.

Lieutenant Stone waved Rick into the office and Rick stood at attention while he finished up a phone call. “What’s on your mind, Detective?” he said, putting the phone back in place.

“I need to explain my behavior on the Sylvestri case, sir.” He felt rooted in place, determined to do the right thing, but sick with guilt all the same. “I broke regulation, sir. I got involved with—”

The lieutenant held up a hand. “I believe you want your rep in the room if you’re going to talk about broken regs.”

“That’s not necessary, sir.”

“You may have a point. I just hung up from a woman who gave me an interesting hypothetical.”

“A what?” He stared at the lieutenant. What the hell was he talking about?

“She asked me what might happen to a cop who got involved with a witness. Hypothetically. He was off duty, of course, but she wondered if this cop might be in trouble.”

Samantha had called the station. Trying to help, which was nice of her, but it didn’t change anything. “Sir, listen, I—”

“I’m not finished, Detective. She also explained that this hypothetical cop is a good man, a credit to the force, and he went above and beyond the call of duty—hell, she went on and on about all he did that was right and good and honorable.”

“Sir?” He started to interrupt, but the steely glare Lieutenant Stone shot him made him stop.

“Do you want to know what I told her?”

He opened his mouth, started to speak, and settled for “Yes, sir.”

“I told her the cop should keep his mouth shut and just do his job.”

Rick swallowed hard. “I don’t know what to say, sir.”

“Don’t say anything. Just be the good cop you are. There’s a squad of men and women out there who trust you with their lives. Take a look.” The lieutenant yanked the blinds up and Rick saw that everyone stood there, waiting for the outcome of this meeting, eyes steady, expressions grim.

He felt the sting of emotion. Despite everything, they trusted him. The lieutenant did, too, it seemed.

Rick looked at the man, his chest so tight it hurt. “Thank you, sir. I won’t let you down. Or them.”

“I don’t think you have it in you, West. We need more cops like you, not fewer. For God’s sake, use good judgment from now on. Especially with the hypotheticals.”

“I intend to, sir.”

“And that lady had a pretty high damned opinion of that cop. I couldn’t shut her up about his morals, his principles, his integrity. That hypothetical cop must have done something right.”

“I hope he did, sir. I do.”

Rick left the office, emotions swirling through him. The trust of his squad and Lieutenant Stone touched him deeply. Samantha’s heartfelt defense, too. Everything he’d always believed about his obligation to others and what he could expect in return was tumbling around inside him.

Despite what he’d done, they still believed in him, trusted him, had faith in him. He thought about what Samantha had said about a woman who loved him not needing him to be perfect. If she loves you, she’ll forgive your flaws and mistakes.

Was there a chance she loved him?

But his mistakes had been huge. Could she forgive him anyway?



“IT WAS A MISTAKE to sleep with him,” Samantha said to her friends, nibbling on a chocolate boob, trying to relax into the shoulder rub Mona was giving her.

“I don’t see how,” Blythe said licking a blue cock pop. “You wanted it so much. You had to go for it. And this tastes more like grape than blueberry, Val, FYI.”