"Only…you're best friend?"
"Yes."
My heart flipped about a dozen times, listening in on their conversation. I stepped back in the bathroom and shut the door, just a tad. I walked back, until my knees hit the tub and I sat down on the edge quick. I closed my eyes, putting both my elbows on my knees and resting my head in one of the hands. My other hand went up to my nose and I pinched the bridge, hissing at the pain. I hated this. Hated every aspect of it. She was my everything, the love of my life, the whole shebang. And now she was in the arms of another man, a man who kills for the fun of it. A man who talks down to women and makes them do what he wishes, just because he can. I never thought Jessica could be one to do this, to fall so easily for stupid good looks. Why did he get her? Why did I suffer for three years, sleeping alone some nights, and then other nights sleeping with her, in my arms, knowing she was just using me for whatever reason.
I never wanted to feel like this. I never wanted to hurt so bad but she just does that to me. She makes me crazy and happy all in one. I wanted to end the whole thing and I wanted to move on but I couldn't, and unfortunately, I wouldn't. That's not how this world works. "Loges?" I looked up quick, and stood up faster. Jessie walked in, holding a dish towel and a white box she used for first aid. "Sorry I pulled a gun on you." I forced a fake smile and shrugged.
"I might have overreacted. I think…seeing a criminal in your…best friend's house…really makes you concerned." She nodded and sat on the closed toilet, setting the white first aid kit on her lap. Her soft cool hands touched my face and turned it towards her gently and lifted it just a little. We locked eyes and she smiled small.
"I don't think it's broken. I hope anyway…" She grabbed some toilet paper off the roll and brought it back up to my nose, where she dabbed gently. It still hurt but I acted cool, not wanting to be a pussy in front of her. "I should have told you I went to see him." She was trying desperately to avoid eye contact but when she continued wiping my nose, it was hard for her not to. She sighed softly and put down her hands looking at me. "I was asking him for help, about the Cristiano's. I figured a criminal would be able to help, ya know." She opened the box, and grabbed a package of a wet wipe to sanitize my nose which stung like a bitch. She cleaned me up and tossed the bloody wipe in the trash and reached back in the box to get a nose band aid. She opened it up and gently set it on the bridge of my nose, softly. She tossed the wrapper away and slowly stood up. When she was standing, she sighed running a hand through her hair, looking at herself in the mirror. "He's not a bad guy." I shook my head smiling small and got up, standing right behind her, looking over her head at her in the mirror.
"I'll let his record prove you wrong."
"Logan…please don't be like that. He's not a bad guy to me." I frowned and she turned back into me. She left the box of first aid on the sink and set her hand on my chest. "I need to know that this isn't going to cause any problems, being your partner still." I pushed her hands off me and turned out of her bathroom.
"Don't worry about that. I'm not staying your partner for much longer." I knew it was a dick thing to say because I could tell she didn't want me to do it, but I had to. And a lot quicker than either of us would like. There was quite a few things she did not know about me, that would probably cause her to get angry and slap some sense into me. But she could never know the real reasons for anything. It would not only put me in danger, but her as well. I was never going to take that chance on her.
I left her house in a hurry, pissed and really sad. I purposely stepped on the flowers in the middle of her front hallway I brought for her. And I purposely slammed the door hard, and loud. I hadn't expected my visit to be cut so short so I didn't really know where to go. I didn't want to go home, too lonely and depressing and I sure as hell didn't want to go to work yet. The best thing I could think of us getting something to eat. Yeah that's good. Eat my feelings.
I pulled into the only diner I ate at anymore and got out quick walking into the fairly empty diner. I sighed and made my way down to my booth in the back corner. Whenever we did eat here, Jessica and I would always sit in this booth, because it was quite and no one could looking at our work over our shoulders. I took a seat quick and watched one of the many waitresses, that knew me by full name walk up to me, a frown on her face. "Logan Mitchell…no call telling em you and Jessica were okay last night. Why not?" I smiled and shrugged motioning her to sit. She did but on the end and glared at me. "Where is she?"
"At her house with a concussion." She nodded and turned over the coffee cup in front of me. "I'll take the usual Betty."
"Of course you will. No tips from you mister." I smiled watching her walk away shaking my head. Because I'm a cop, they always insist the only it I give them is keeping the streets clean. I still always put down at least a ten maybe even a 20 for them.
I sat back eyeing the diner and noticed the old couple who was also always in the here, every morning, a few booths down, talking quietly to themselves, and laughing at past memories and good times. I smiled and continued my scan of the place. Everything seemed normal and just like every other day when I spotted the other couple at the other end of the diner. The girl, who was obviously Latin of some sort was pressed into the corner of the booth, practically up against the window, while the guy was right next to her, saying something in her ear. I couldn't read his lips, and I couldn't see his hands, but I definitely saw the tears running down the beautiful girls face. My protective mode perked up and I slowly started pushing out form my booth. I was just going to ask if she was okay, and if maybe he could give her some space. I pushed out of the booth and took a step forward when three guys, all also Latin walked in the diner and to the booth. I sat down quick, and squinted seeing a tattoo on the back of one of the guys neck. If I had to assume, the black ink clearly spelled out, "Garcia". I swallowed hard and tried to not look so obvious, that I was staring. The guy that was pushed up against the girl looked up at all three of them, and some words were thrown around. None of them nice. The old couple just a few seats away turned to see them arguing and the cook behind the counter and Betty and two other waitresses stopped also. One of the guys standing reached behind his back, and with his leather jacket raised, I saw a gun, tucked into his jeans. I stood up quick and walked over to them fast. I got between the three standing and the two sitting. One of the three standing looked to me and I smiled, pushing my jacket back on my body showing my badge on the hip. "Everything okay here?" I stared at all of them and they all looked to the girl in the booth. I turned and locked eyes with her. Her big brown eyes were wet with tears and full of fear. I swallowed hard and just as I was turning to look at the guy still way to close to her, I saw her mouth 'help'. The guy next to her was covered in tattoo's and had two big gauges in his ears. "You alright miss?" He turned up to me fast and I turned back to the girl. She did nothing at first and then nodded softly.
"Melissa." I turned to the three next to me and was slowly starting to understand. They were here for her. To help her. She, was somehow involved with the Garcia's. I turned to look back at her and saw she looked just a tad familiar. In the eye area. She looked like she could be Carlos Garcia's sister, or at least cousin of some sort. The guy next to her, I finally noticed had one arm gripping hers, while his other hand, had a gun pointed at her, under the table. She looked away quick, biting her bottom lip. I moved quick and pulled out my own gun, pointing it at his head. He froze and the whole diner went deadly quiet.
"Stand up, put your weapon down and put your hands on your head. Now." The guy laughed and slowly started pushing away from the girl, still holding the gun. I tensed up but he was slowly standing. I took my eyes off him, for one second ad I was hit hard in the gut and my gun was knocked out of my hands. For the second time this morning, I was ran into and thrown into a wall. The back of my head hit the wall hard and I squeezed my eyes shut raising my knee and hitting him in the gut. I shoved him off me and glanced around for my gun. One of the three that had walked in for the girl, was picking it up and getting ready to walk out. The other two were trying to get the girl out of the booth and I turned back to the first guy hearing a gun get cocked. I put up my hands and swallowed hard feeling a horrible pain in my stomach.
"What amazing cop work. You're a real hero you know that." I heard someone yell something in Spanish and we both turned to see the girl pulling on one of the guys arms, while pointing back at me. "Dumb bitch…"
"Watch your mouth." He turned back ot me and raised the gun higher. I swallowed hard and he chuckled.
"Help him!" Those words I understood coming from her. She was pleading with these guys to help me out. I looked to them for a second seeing one of them give in and let go of her raising my own gun and pointing it at his back. He pulled the trigger, just as the guy in front of me did. I felt something hard and warm hit me just on the side of my ribs, and I brogue my hand down to cup my side. I saw the guy in front of me fall face forward, down, hitting the ground hard, dropping the gun from his hand. I clench my jaw to stop the scream that wanted to come out, and walked slowly towards the one on the ground, kicking his gun away from him. "No! If Carlos is that worried he can come get me himself!" I looked up to see the girl push away from one of the guys and run over to me, just as I fell back against a wall and slid down still holding my wound. "Are you okay?" She kneeled down next to me and one of her small, cold hand covered mine while the other held my face. I forced a smile and nodded. "Thank you."
"I didn't do much. I just almost got killed, and I was shot." She smiled small and in the distance I heard sirens. I saw Betty walking to the older couple and the two other waitresses still on the ground, in fear. I pushed my hands off my wound and her hand left mine quick. I pulled out my phone and quickly dialed the chief. I explained everything to him, in pained and labored breaths, and he said he was on the way and calling Benson. I groaned in response and hung up hearing an ambulance just outside. I turned towards the girl and in fact as the flashing lights of the ambulance but also took the time to notice how pretty this girl was. She was probably a few years younger than me, but her tan smooth, soft skin and big brown eyes and full lips, made me feel even more weak. We locked eyes for a split second and she smiled, shyly. I smiled back and felt my cheeks get hot from my own shyness. I heard her giggle softly just as the paramedics, and a few cops walked in.
It took thirty minutes to get myself cleaned and bandaged up. The bullet, just barely grazed me and I didn't really need any serious medical supervision, not that I would actually go. I sat on the back of the ambulance with my shirt undone, open showing the thick bandages around my body. I was just cleaning my hands of blood when I heard footsteps coming towards me and saw one of the cops walking the pretty girl towards me. She was smiling at me, and if I didn't know any better…it was kind of flirty. "My hero." Now I defiantly blushed form embarrassment and the cop rolled his eyes, walking away but smiling. "They asked me about what happened and I told them you saw him with the gun pointed at me and you tried to stop him but my…cousin shot him because you told him too." I sat up a little and realized she was trying to ask me to lie for her.
"Well…that's what happened." She looked up, tucking hair behind her ear and smiled small. "Are you alright?"
"Fine now. That was my boyfriend…he gets kind of rough sometimes." I noticed then the bruises on her arm and neck. I slowly moved my hand out to her and gently touched her. We locked eyes again and suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to ask her out on a date, which is weird right?
"Melissa?!" We both turned and I pulled away from her quick. Walking towards us, shoving past people was none other than Carlos Garcia. And of course, as if my morning wasn't going great already, Kendall Knight was waltzing behind him. They both slowed down seeing me and seeing Melissa so close but continued walking towards us. When Carlos got to us he looked me up and down seeing my bandage and then turned to Melissa. "Are you alright?"
"Fine Carlos. This detective helped me." He turned back to me and I watched Kendall walked behind Melissa putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Detective Dick…not so bad after all." Melissa elbowed Kendall in the stomach and pushed him away looking up at her brother, disgusted.
"Thank you Mitchell." Melissa and Kendall gave him a weird look and I swallowed hard, seeing him extend his hand. He chuckled and shook his head. "It take a different kind of man to protect a girl, but it also take another kind of man to accept help and thank someone he may not like very much." I slowly moved out my hand and shook his quick. "Come on Melissa." He pulled away from me and wrapped an arm around the back of her neck leading her away. She turned back to me and smiled small, again flirty. I was left with Kendall in front of me and he pointed to my face.
"Your nose looks fucked up bro." He walked away, walking backwards and giving me a dumb ass smile. I held back the urge to get up and beat his ass, especially because I heard more footsteps coming towards me. I turned and saw Ben walking towards me a worried look on his face.
"Mitchell…we've got a problem." He stopped in front of me and swallowed hard. "We need to go see Don."
