Couple days later

Wednesday May 25th 2022

Kelsey, who's a realtor was working on staging a home to sell in the Bronx today. And Joe was NOT thrilled. The Bronx is one of the most dangerous cities in New York and Joe being a detective has seen and dealt with too much.

She had the option to do it another day with her male coworker, Joe even tried to talk her into waiting until then. But, she's too stubborn and wanted to get it done.

"Babe, answer your phone!" Joe had left 3 messages but she hasn't answered. It was 6pm and he just had a cop feeling that was making him a little freaked. He decided he go check it out himself.

Soon after he left she called him back.

"Are you okay?!" He asked.

"Yeah I'm fine! I was trying to finish up the last bit, you should see this place babe it looks so good!" She was excited.

"That's great Kels, but you had me worried, when are you leaving?" He asked.

"Literally getting my things and going right now. Oh…" she stopped talking.

"What?" He wondered.

"Well I'm not really looking forward to going back out to my car because there's a couple guys, like gang guys hanging around" she said peeking out the window.

"Okay. Kelsey, do not go outside, and lock the door I'm going to come get you." He told her picking up his speed.

"Uh I should've done this tomorrow with Dean." She admitted.

"Damn right you should've!" Now he made Kelsey upset, he was scaring her more.

"Fuck. I'm sorry. I just, that area is one of the most dangerous in the whole damn state Kelsey, it's certainly no place for a girl like you, like shooting fish in a god damn barrel." He said shaking his head.

"Who shoots fish in a barrel?" She wondered confused by his metaphor.

"Just forget it, I'm on my way, send me the address." He told her.

"Okay." They hung up and Joe sped up.

When he got there he saw the "gang" she was talking about and got out to head in and get her.

"Can I help you copper." One of the guys yelled, he had tattoos all over his face and up his one leg. The rest of them followed him approaching slowly.

"No but thanks." He said and tried not to give them much attention as he approached the front steps.

"Nobody lives there, you lost?" The guy asks getting closer.

"Sir, I'm gonna need you to go mind your business." He tried to get him away.

"You in my hood man, this is my business." He said holding his arms out.

"Not today man." Joe said. Kelsey opened the door when Joe got up the steps.

"Hey." She said looking at the couple guys out in the sidewalk watching.

"Hi." Joe swallowed hard, he didn't like this situation at all.

"Ready?" He asked her, she glanced out again at the small group.

"Um."

"Why you been hiding out all day, you a hot tamale. Damn." The one guy asked.

"Let's go." He grabbed her hand and she stepped outside, closing the door. Joe watched their 6 while she locked the door.

"Not usually into them white girls but you sexy little thang." Another guy said.

"Do not look at them." He told her. Joe could tell she was scared.

"Alright, shows over, please step aside fellas." He said holding Kelsey's hand tightly in his behind him down the steps.

"Oh come on girl, tell me you don't wanna get some of this?" One of them said and they followed, Joe put Kelsey in front of him now, making him in between the guys and her, as they walked to her car.

"Sir, that's enough, I'm ordering you to please leave her alone. And go back to wherever you come from." The guy got even closer Joe pulled his taser, feeling threatened. He was way too close.

"Joe." Kelsey jumped at the sight.

"Woah man I didn't do nothin"

"Your disobeying orders and I could bring you in for sexual harassment." He told him with his taser still drawn, this could go south quick, Joes heart was pounding. He really didn't wanna have to act on anything here especially with Kelsey right with him. He called over his radio for backup.

"You scared of me or something?" The guy asked.

"What's your name." Joe asked still cautious.

"None ya" he said being a smart ass.

"Joe." Kelsey said quietly wanting him to tell her what to do but he was a little preoccupied. He knew she was okay behind him right now.

"Sir. One step closer I'm gonna have to tase you, it's your last chance to get out of here and forget this whole thing." He told him. He felt Kelsey holding onto the back of his shirt.

"You're all talk!" The guy swung his arm at him to get the taser but Joe was quick and tased him. Two of the others reached into their pants to grab what he figured was a gun or knife.

"Hands up! Keep your hands up!" pulling his gun out and drawing it on the other guys, Kelsey was completely freaked and just threw herself against the back of Joe hiding. She didn't know what to do, she closed her eyes, he was the only thing she had to protect her.

There was so much commotion they were yelling back and fourth the one guy listened and put his hands up, the other pulled out a gun from his waist band. Joe didn't have a choice he shot him. Kelsey screamed behind him not seeing it coming. Then sirens came around the corner just in time. The guy who got shot was yelling.

"You! Get on the ground!" Joe yelled at the other one who put his hands up prior. He did, he laid down and kept his hands up.

"Kelsey go get another pair of cuffs out of my bag in my car!" He told her, he kicked the gun away from the one guy and then cuffed the other guy. The guy he tased was still on the ground in pain so he wasn't going anywhere right now.

"I can't. I can't move." Kelsey said as a result of shock. The other officers were running over to help anyway. Kelsey leaned her back against her car and sat on the ground staring into space.

"Cuff him, he was tased, this one needs a bus, he should be fine I shot his leg." He told the officers who were just arriving. He got the one guy up and off into an rmp when he was cuffed. Then went to make sure Kelsey was okay. She was disgusted by the scene she started throwing up off to the side.

"Kelsey? You okay?…!" He was concerned about the way she was dealing with all this. I guess she's probably never been involved in something like this like he has.

"I need to go home." She caught her breath, Joe knelt down to talk to her and try to comfort her as best he could.

"I know, are you hurt?" He rubbed her back feeling terrible this happened.

"No not at all, I'm just…I'm freaked, I wanna go home." Her voice was trembling, she was shaking.

"I know babe. I'm sorry, I'm glad I was here though." He told her.

"Can we go home?" She asked again.

"I gotta do a lot of paperwork and deal with all this now, I can arrange you a ride home after your statement?"

"I have to do something?" She asked worries and confused.

"Ha, yeah you gotta give your side of things." He told her, she leaned over and threw up again at his words.

"You're okay Kels." He rubbed her back, she must've been really shook if she was throwing up over it.

"After you talk to him I'll arrange you a ride home." He assured.

"No I wanna go with you."

"But it's gonna be awhile baby I think you-"

"I don't care." She shut him up.

"Ok. Come with me." He helped her up and took her over to give a statement and get checked out by the EMTs.

———

After a long night Joe finally got Kelsey home, she didn't say much the whole car ride. She set her things down, went and sat on the couch she was showing a lot of signs of trauma. Joe knew there wasn't much he could say or do other then stay with her, make sure she was okay.

"You wanna go to sleep?" He asked sitting beside her. She shook her head no.

"You wanna talk?" He asked.

"I don't think I can do this." She said quietly.

"Do what?"

"Be with a cop."

"Why?" He scooted closer to her, putting an arm around her lower back, wanting to hear her out.

"It's scary."

"I know it is. But it's who I am babe." He told her nicely, raking his fingers across her back a few times. She had nothing else to say

"Cmon, let's get some rest. It's what you need." He told her standing up to take her to bed. Hoping her mindset would change after a good nights sleep.

———

Well I think Kelsey had a huge wake up call to what Joes life can be some days. She isn't very sure about it. Leave your thoughts.