Chapter 4

Dorian's large hand shot out with the quickness of a striking cobra and grabbed Sydney around the throat, catching her off guard and lifting her right off her feet.

"Didn't I tell you not to cross me?" He said, his tone menacing and his eyes as cold as ice. He drew his pistol and put it against her temple.

Through the haze of unconsciousness threatening to overwhelm her, Sydney willed herself to fight back, he she was going out, she wasn't going out without a fight. She brought her legs up and kneed Dorian in the gut hard. He stumbled back, coughing. She delivered a roundhouse to his head, rendering him unconscious just as Gage stormed in, a wild, panicked look in his eyes.

"Syd! You okay?"

"Yeah!" Sydney coughed as she rubbed her neck, knowing there would be a bruise there tomorrow.

"You sure showed him, didn't you?" He said as he cuffed the still unconscious club owner.

"Sydney shrugged. "Jerk put his hands on the wrong girl." She said, her voice slightly huskier than usual as she cleared her throat.

"You sure you're okay?" Gage asked as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Sure, never better." She said as she flashed him a charming smile.


"Geeze, Sydney. You came really close, you know that?" Barker said as he tilted her head to get a better view of the bruise around her throat.

"I know, something Gage takes every opportunity to remind me of." Barker didn't bother to hide his amused smile.

"And so he should, things could have gone really bad for you in there." He said as he put a huge hand on her shoulder.

"I appreciate your concern, Captain, but I am an officer of the law, close calls kind of come with the job description." She said as she offered him a kind smile before excusing herself to start on the mountain of paperwork that was piling up on the case.


Barker stepped into the gym to the sound of a punching bag being repeatedly struck, he turned the corner to see Gage punching and roundhouse kicking a punching bag with all his might. He was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, it was clear he had been at this for a while.

"How about a sparring partner, so that punching bag can have a break?" Barker said, Gage wheeled around and faced him.

"It would be my pleasure." Gage said, his eyes hardening as they moved into the center of the room.

"So, when are you going to do it?" Barker said as he threw a left hook, which Gage easily dodged.

"Do what?" Gage replied as he aimed a roundhouse kick straight at Barker's head.

"Make your move on that pretty partner of yours." Barker said as he deflected his kick with his arm and shoved Gage back.

"What makes you think I want to make a move on her?" Gage replied as he put Barker into a standing choke hold from behind.

Barker jerked him forward, flipping Gage over his head and slamming him on his back. "Oh, come on, Gage, everyone knows you have a thing for her … well everyone except the one person who matters … her." He said, kneeling over Gage as he coughed, trying to get his breath back.

"I am going to tell you this now because even though I give you a lot of shit, I do respect you as a man; I am going to give you ONE final chance to make your move, but I warn you, if you don't, I will."

With a roar, Gage swept Barker's legs out from under him and pinned him to the ground with an arm bar.

"Listen, Gage. Sydney is a special woman; she is smart, cunning, resourceful, all the things that make her a great cop and a great partner. But she is also kind, caring, generous, and nurturing, which are all the things that make her a great woman. She is one in a million, Gage, and she deserves a man who appreciates her for all that she is." Barker said through a grimace as Gage tightened his hold.

"And you are saying that is you?" Gage snorted as Barker let him up.

"No, I am saying that if you can't, or you aren't going to be that for her, then you owe it to her to stand aside and make room for someone that can." Barker said as he left him to his thoughts.

As much as Gage hated to admit it, Barker was right, he needed to either step up, or step out of the way for someone who could.


The scowl on Dorian's face was evident when Sydney and Gage walked into the interrogation room where he was being held.

"I should have known … your reputations seemed to be too good to be true." He said as he sat back in his chair as far as his restraints would allow.

"Assaulting an officer, gambling, and our favorite, drug trafficking, that's a felony, you know." Gage said as he and Sydney sat across from him.

"Now, you're big, but we also know that you answer to someone, and if you tell us who that someone is, we would be willing to put in a good word with the feds and maybe get them to drop the felony charges to state charges." Sydney said.

There was a long pause before Dorian spoke. "I can't … he'll kill me."

Sydney rose from her chair and walked slowly and purposefully around the table until she stood behind Dorian. "How long do you think you'll last in federal prison when the word gets out that you're a nark?" She said as she looked at Gage with a raised eyebrow.

"You can't do that!" Dorian said as he pulled against his restraints.

"Can … and will … unless you start talking." Sydney said as she bent down close to Dorian's ear.

"You bitch! I'll kill you!" he said as he leapt against his chains like a wild animal, upsetting the table in the process.

"Yeah, you already tried that and it didn't work, remember?" So you have a choice to make, either talk, and get segregation in Huntsville, or get shanked in federal prison." she said as she pushed a notepad and pen towards him.

Dorian had murder in his eyes as he started writing down everything he knew.

"Mark my words, you little bitch, you'd better watch that pretty little back of yours, because I'm going to make you pay for what you both did if it's the last thing I do."

Gage was in the man's face in a second.

"If anything happens to her and I trace it back to you, your fellow prisoners will be the LEAST of your problems." Gage growled into Dorian's face.

"Gage … hey … it's okay, we got what we wanted, its done." Sydney said as she put her arm around her partner's broad shoulders.

"He's sweet on you, and it makes him act foolishly." Dorian said as he flashed Sydney a dangerous smile.

Gage jerked the door to the observation room open with more force than was needed as Sydney followed him in.

"Gage come on, don't let him get to you." She said as he watched the criminal through the one way mirror, his hands resting on the ledge.

"What do you say we stop in at CD's for a burger and a beer?" She said, knowing that he could never turn that down. Sure enough, he turned to her with a grin.

"Sounds great."


Sydney watched in amusement as Gage devoured a double bacon cheeseburger with reckless abandon.

"Did you even taste that?" She asked with a laugh.

"Yes I did and it was Delicious!" Gage said as he wiped his mouth with his napkin, Sydney stifled a yawn. The day's events had drained her more than she thought, and the three longnecks she had downed to relax hadn't helped, either.

"Syd I don't think you should drive…" Gage started.

"That's why I 'm not, I'm going to leave my car here and take a cab." She said.

"No … no way, Syd, not after the way Dorian threatened you, he has ties all over the Dallas area, let me at least take you home, we can take your car, I'll drive." Gage offered, Sydney thought about protesting, but she knew once Gage insisted on doing something for someone, there was no changing his mind.

A/N: Yes I know this was a bit of an abrupt end, but this chapter was going to be HORRIBLY long if I didn't end it here.