Chapter Three
Bella hopped up on the bar stool and flopped over the tabletop with a groan, drawing the bartender's' attention.
"You look like shit," Jade stated calmly, placing a whiskey on the bar top. "Bad shift?"
The groan that left Bella was dramatic, loud and it said so much. "You have no fucking idea; I'd rather be at home in bed with thumper than be in a bar, no offense."
Cocking a brow, Jade poured another three fingers of whiskey into the glass after Bella threw it back, the glass nearly cracking with the force she put it down with. "No offense taken, though I'd have ta' kill you anyway if you left me alone with those jerks you work with."
"One of those jerks is your husband." Bella pointed out with her own raised brow.
"That jerk's been working his ass off, which, mind you, I don't give a fuck, 'cause he's kicking danger in the ass… what pisses me off is that when he's not on shift, he's out doing shit too… I haven't been laid in like five fucking days dude, five fucking long ass days, Isa." Jade stressed while pouring her own drink and tossing it back. "I want some demon lovin'."
Bella smothered her smirk by rubbing her mouth but there was no way to mask her amusement which Jade saw. Bella jerked to the left, dodging the thrown bar rag with a laugh at Jade's scowl.
"I'm so fucking watering down all your drinks." Jade hissed darkly towards her best friend.
"The fuck you will, it'd shrink your already blackened heart to waste good whiskey," Bella replied with a laugh just as Demetri and Felix entered the establishment and beelined right to the bar, plonking their asses right next to her.
Felix threw his arm around Bella with a grin while Demetri said hello to his wife. "You hear that our candidate is gonna be bringing his brother? Means we got another cop to rib."
"What's one more? Emmett said that Newton, Amunson, Clearwater and Crowley are joining in too." Bella huffed while jabbing Felix in the ribs with her elbow, rolling her eyes as Felix wheezed and dramatically fell to the floor with moans of pain.
"And you wonder why I tell everyone we are not related." Demetri pointed out dryly, his face set into a bored mask even though his lips were swollen and hair mussed from greeting his wife. "That being said, it seems we'll be versing Seattle's finest, not like we won't have enough competition when the Games start in a couple of months."
Jade paused in what she was doing before whirling around to face the three before her. "Are you telling me I'll have all of Firehouse 10 and Seattle PD in my bar tonight for Game Night? Honestly, a little more warning would have been fantastic."
Saying Jade was displeased was an understatement as her eyes flared with her displeasure and annoyance, "The last time this happened I had to redecorate because someone-" Felix flinched. "-decided to start a fight and break seven tables and a window."
Before anyone could reply, or Felix defend himself, laughter reached their ears and the rest of the party filtered in. Sam Uley, Jared and Paul with their wives, followed by the twins and Ben. Leah, Tyler and Mike were followed by the familiar booming laughter of the big tall tree that was Bella's brother Emmett. His laugh was always loud enough to go over conversation or music, no matter how loud it all was. Emmett's wife Rose met Bella's gaze before rolling her eyes and thumbing over to Emmett, who was dragging their Candidate Peter along in a headlock, and Bella did not want Emmett to break him.
"Emmett, you better not hurt my candidate, I can't be bothered to train another!" She shouted while her crew began to order their drinks.
Emmett let out another booming laugh before letting Peter go and swung an arm around his sister. "Aw, Bells why do you have to ruin all my fun?"
A snort escaped her at her brother's antics. "Because I…"
The words died on her tongue as the jerk cop – Whitlock's brother – entered the bar clad in tight blue jeans, cowboy boots and a shirt that hugged his very fine torso like a second skin. The jacket he had been wearing at the Firehouse was clutched in his hand.
God this man…
Jasper had trouble tearing his eyes away from the fiery woman the second he stepped inside the bar, her eyes were dark and roamed over his frame hungrily and he had to admit he was pleased by the fact… like he, she was clad in dark wash jeans that hugged her figure, dark army boots and a deep red shirt that highlighted her lean muscles… What he also noticed was Emmett's arm around her and his eyes flickered to the blonde with confusion… he had thought his partner was with her…
A smack on the back of his head knocked Jasper out of his staring and he scowled at Peter who had escaped from Emmett's grasp and honestly, Jasper had the urge to shove his baby brother back over just in spite.
"Whitlock, come over here." Emmett called once he caught sight of his partner and grinned when the man got close. "Bella, this is my partner Jasper. He, of course, is your Whitlock's brother and Whitlock, this is my twin sister Bella."
"Partner?!"
"Sister!"
The two blurted out one more horrifying than the last, it took all of Peter's will to keep his amusement reeled in and not bust a gut laughing at how fast his brother paled when he looked up at Emmett's face in slight, disbelieving horror.
Emmett grinned, completely ignoring or just not seeing how his sister and partner reacted to that news and let out another booming laugh. "Aye, we're not identical if that's what you're thinking."
No one would ever think Emmett and Bella were identical though. They had the same eyes but Emmett was a good foot taller than his sister, and broader, too. They both took after their father in looks but Emmett was always described more as looking like his maternal grandfather in the build department and had Renee's easy going spirit. Bella was exactly like their father, Charlie.
"Anyway, good to have you here! You even out the team. Are you any good at darts, foosball, pool or beer pong?" Emmett asked.
Bella snorted at her brother. "Come now, Emmett, you know I'm still going to kick your ass."
"I'm good at pool an' beer pong, was pretty good at both in college." Jasper replied with a smirk, his eyes turning to Bella.
Not that she would ever admit it, but if this Whitlock was claiming to be good and could back up his ego and words with skill, then fan-fucking-tastic because everyone else couldn't rise to her need for a challenge, not anymore. She had learnt all their tricks after spending years with them and honestly she was a little bored. Whitlock was new meat and the way his eyes glinted in challenge just did things to a girl.
A high pitched whistle rent the air and halted every conversation in the room, every pair of eyes turned to face the noise and the person who made it with surprise- or eagerness- knowing what was about to come.
"Alright you ass kissers and dick wielders, rules are... if you break it... you will buy it and kiss pavement when I toss ya!" Jade yelled over the still playing music, her eyes narrowing in on Felix as she said it. "If so much as a glass breaks I'll have you out on your ass before you could say Fuck! My balls! Got it?"
Mutters of 'Yes Mistress' filled the air before the room began to split up into groups, all the police making their way to one table while all of Firehouse 10 took their regular booth and table. Bella shoved Emmett towards his own table with a grunt when he went to pull her down into a headlock, delivering the kidney punch just in time to slip out of his hold.
Bella paused as she began to walk towards her men and tossed a smirk over her shoulder at Whitlock. "Better live up to your words Whitlock, I like a challenge."
"Oh, believe me Darlin', I always aim to please." He drawled out with a smirk, watching as she rolled her eyes and sashayed to the other side of the bar.
It took a total of five seconds for Peter to lose his shit and burst out laughing as he slapped his brother on the back. "You'll be fine, right?" He snickered. "Yeah good luck, brother, sooner or later that big lug of a partner of yours gonna pick up on that thick pea soup of sexual tension an' deck ya."
"It'll be fine... I hope." Jasper muttered while shoving his brother towards the others and making his way to the only free spot left at the table.
This was the first Games Night that Jasper had attended since he left the academy, he knew that the police and the firemen usually had a rivalry but he had never actually seen or participated in the games, thus it took him by surprise how down right vicious his co-workers were in strategy considering from what he's seen… they all grew up together or were related in some way.
"I'm going to grab a drink and sit darts out." Jasper informed with a grimace, his hand twitching as the phantom pain in his left shoulder throbbed at the sight of the board and all the darts flying about. Maria had been vicious in her wrath, her punishments as well but she enjoyed the game, using human bodies as her board for minor infractions or mistakes…. unfortunately Jasper had been in that place several times, to the point he was littered with little tiny scars from her 'poor' aim.
A glass clinked down before him on the bar top, amber liquid already poured neat into it. "You look like you need a strong drink, first time here?"
"Yes ma'am." He replied instantly, throwing the drink back easily and hummed at the taste. It was good whisky, something that would have burned his throat if he was younger but moonshine and tequila had ruined that feeling for him.
A snort pulled his eyes up to the bartender from the bartop and then followed her gaze to his left.
Bella slid into a chair next to Jasper and waited for Jade to fill her glass. She observed Jasper for a moment and sighed. "You came here to challenge me and you're already passing on darts. Doesn't that make me a winner by default?"
"Just this one Darlin', thought you mighta needed a lil' warm up." He teased, giving her a wicked grin and a wink.
She thought for a moment before she returned his wicked grin with her own. "I'm hot all day, who needs warm ups?" She then winced, knowing how bad that sounded, and knocked back her drink. She was grateful that Jade refilled it almost immediately and knew from the look in her eyes that she'd never hear the fucking end of that disaster.
When was the last time she dated? Flirted? Actually had a honest to God hot blooded male give her pleasure, besides a pounding in a dirty alley or in the firetruck? She'd been relying on her faithful hands and bits of plastic and batteries for so long now…
ah… yes… Cullen…
A shiver ran down her spine as she recalled him.
It started off normal, nice, but ended up in total disaster with hospital fees and a restraining order. Though she had to admit that bit of paper that told her she had to stay a good 100 feet from the dick was still framed in her office. After all, the asshole deserved the beating she had given him after finding out he had gotten married, started a family all the while dating her and being engaged to her… She'd even helped pay for his wedding with that woman since he needed help with his credit card as Daddy cut him off a few years back just before they got together.
She threw back her drink and slammed the glass down a little more forcefully than intended but the mere thought of that name just irked her and brought the taste of bile on her tongue.
Men were pigs.
But this pig next to her came wrapped in a very aesthetically pleasing package and his brother was a great Candidate with great people skills, surely it'd run in the family? Then again, this pig would know that if he'd fuck up, she'd have Peter transferred to the tiniest of towns in the middle of nowhere as punishment.
But then again not really… she couldn't do that. It was all wishful thinking on her part.
But she could make his day a little more difficult, if he was Emmett's partner and if her brother followed his pattern, well then Jasper was sure to be invited to every social gathering that he organized or was invited to… yeah, she still had all those… gifts Jade practically bought and forced her into when she was in the mood for bar hopping or club crawls.
She knocked back another drink, grateful that Jasper hadn't said anything. "You know… I run into fires and shit. Hot all day."
That was smooth Bella… smoooth…
He grinned. "Long time, huh?"
"Yo! You two gonna join us at all tonight or what?" Felix shouted from the custom built beer pong table, thankfully giving Bella an out of this god awful awkward situation. "Your turn."
"Are we at this point already?" She called back with surprise before turning her attention back to Jasper and grinned. "Well, last game of the night, cowboy, you going to show me what you got or leave me dissatisfied?"
"I could never leave a beautiful girl dissatisfied," he said as he picked up his beer and got off the stool. "Lead the way."
Author Note: Oooo it's steaming up in here!