The New York Detective That Complicated My Life
Once 9:20 rolls around, I realize I've most likely been stood up. Putting money down on the bar, I get up and walk out towards the entrance. When I get outside, the chill of the wind hits me across the face. Just as I manage to hail a cab, a car comes screeching into the parking lot. The car comes to a halt and Flack jumps out of the drivers sear, and walks over to me.
"Annabel, I am so sorry I got held up at work and I couldn't get out." He starts explaining frantically.
"It's fine, don't worry about it." I say just to get him to stop talking.
"No it's not fine. I kept you waiting for over an hour." I look at him and he has a guilty look in his eyes.
"Can you just take me back to my place? I just want to go to sleep."
"Yeah." He tries to take a hold of my arm but I just walk towards the car and get in, still angry about this. I mean he could have fucking called or something. Hell, he could have sent a smoke signal for all I care, just something would be better than nothing. He gets into the car shortly afterwards. Silence is thick the entire ride to my place. When we arrive outside my place, I get out of the car and he comes over towards me. I go to move but he blocks me against the car.
"Annabel, I'm sorry I couldn't be there tonight. Especially after I had to leave earlier today, it was like being blown off twice in less than 24 hours." He laughs slightly as he adjusts his stance.
"Look, I wanted to give this to you when I was actually with you tonight, but since that didn't happen..." He has me stick my hand out and he reaches in his pocket. He pulls out a key and sticks it in my hand.
"A key? For what?" I ask as I enclose my hand around the key.
"It's for my place, I want you to have if you need to talk to me, emergencies, anything at all, you have that. It would make me feel safe that you have that."
"Don I can't..."
"Just take it. I want you to have it." Sticking the key in my pocket, I look at him.
"Thank you."
"Absolutely no problem." I smile at him as I sort of lean into him.
"Why do you have to be soo adorable?"
"I wouldn't use the word adorable. Amazingly sexy, yes, adorable no, just no." He looks down at me as he puts his right on top of the top of the car door frame. He leans forward to kiss me but I duck around him.
"Wow, this is what it feels like to be rejected." I start walking backwards towards the entrance and my lower back hits the outer door handle.
"I think you'll get over it." Flack looks at me before running across the street. Damn, he can run. He stops in front of me.
"Annabel I was thinking, maybe I could stay the night?"
"Well, I'm not guaranteeing anything will happen." He gets a gleam in his eye.
"Wow Annabel, what is wrong with you? I wasn't even thinking that." I can feel my cheeks get incredibly hot.
"You definitely were though." He whispers as He leans down to kiss my cheek before opening the door for me.
"Can't say I blame you though, I mean the way this body is..." He motions towards himself as I walk inside my building just as my phone goes off.
"Who's calling at," Flack checks his watch. "9:50?"
"I don't know." I shake my head and answer the phone.
"Hello?" I ask, walking away slightly but he's watching me like a hawk.
"Yes, Anthony Hodgkin here. I know it's late but I need you to take some pictures of the inside of a house a few blocks from where you said you lived."
"Why does it need to be done now?"
"Because it's urgent these pictures get out as soon as they can so the house can go up on the internet."
"Isn't that extremely dangerous to do? At this time?" When I say, Flack picks his head up and practically gives me the death stare.
"I'll give double the normal rate. Just please, I need this done." I close my eyes and sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose.
"All right, I'll do it. What's the address." He relays to me then hangs up. Running a hand through my hair, I walk over towards Flack.
"What was all that about? Everything ok?"
"Don't know if you'd call it ok but I have to go take pictures of a house a couple blocks away, said it's an emergency." He gives me a weird look.
"This late at Night? Annabel, I don't like the sound of this, I REALLY don't like the sound of this."
"That's why I was going to ask you to come with me." He shakes his head as he lays a hand on my shoulder.
"Like I'd let you do this by yourself. I'll be waiting in the car for you." He takes his hand off my shoulder then walks off back towards the car. I then rush upstairs and grab my camera, sticking in my pocket then going back downstairs and to the car. I get into the car and give Flack the address. He drives off and it doesn't even take five minutes to get there.
He pulls up outside a quaint home that looks in decent shape with nothing not of the ordinary or overly dramatic.
"I'll stay right in the car, making sure nothing comes in while you're in there. Just think of me as your 'unseen bodyguard.' " He looks at me before leaning over lightly to press his lips against my forehead.
"Go do your thing." He smiles before I climb out of the car. Once I get out of the car, I head to the front door and try the door knob. Weirdly, when I turn the knob and push the door, it swings right open. Ok, that's not creepy at all. Walking into the house, I close the door and try the lights. They don't turn on. This house is getting fucking weirder by the minute.
Strangely enough, there's a lantern burning in the middle of the living room floor or what I assume to be the living room floor cause I can't see a damn thing. As I take out my camera, I have giant force, pushing me into the wall. I hit the wall and somehow fall onto something solid like a table. Wait, why is there a table in a house waiting to be sold to someone?
As I'm lying on the floor because of hitting the table, The door opens and a flashlight comes on.
"Annabel?" I hear Flack ask.
"Down here." I say. He flashes the light on me and he rushes over.
"Everything ok?" He helps me up and get's me out of the house. I walk to the car with the help of the lights on the street and get in. Flack also get's in and turns on the overhead light in the car.
"What the hell happened to you in there? Annabel, Your face is bleeding." He reaches across me and goes into the glove compartment and grabs a small rag, then closes it. He starts holding the rag up to my forehead, where apparently I'm bleeding.
"I don't know, I was about to take out my camera when I got pushed up against the wall, and I fell onto a table, which is extremely weird to have a table in a house your selling and not have the lights work." He lightly presses the rag against my forehead. He then takes it off, and checks my forehead.
"You should be good now. As for that house, after what just happened there's no way in hell I'm letting you back in that house." I give him a half-smile before kissing his cheek and sitting back in my seat.
"What was that for?" He asks as he starts the car.
"For caring when I didn't ask you to."
"You don't even have to look at me for me to care about you." He heads towards my house, which again we get there rather quickly. He stops outside and turns towards me.
"Go on up there, I can't join you tonight even though I so desperately want to, I just can't. I hope you understand." He kisses me before I get out of the car.
"Yeah of course, take it your going home then?" I ask him.
"No, I'm going to pay somebody a visit. Make sure you put some ice on it to keep the swelling down. I love you Annabel." He calls out before driving off down the road. Ok, what was all that?
(Flack's POV)
I take a rather long drive to Anthony Hodgin's building as I gather my thoughts. There's a reason he sent Annabel over to that house and Damn it I'm going to find it out. When I get to his office building, I leave my gun in the car which I also carry with me, but since I've known Anthony since College I don't think I'll need it.
I walk into the building, where I'm greeted by a red-head receptionist.
"Hodgkin real estate, how may I help you?" She asks.
"Yes I'm looking for..."
"Don Flack, I'll be damned. Haven't seen you since last year." I turn my head towards the right where I heard the voice come from and I see Anthony coming from down the hall. Anthony is the typical business man. Brown hair swept away from his face, and a clean-cut suit. "He's with me Cindy." Anthony motions me to follow him, in which I do. I follow him to a office surrounded by glass walls. We both step inside.
"So I gotta ask Flack, what brings you by?" Anthony asks as he sits in his desk chair.
"I was in the neighborhood when I got a call from Annabel, she had just finished taking pictures in the house. Seemed pretty shaken up." I see the smallest of smiles crack on his face, but he hides it pretty quickly.
"And you think I'd know something about this?" He straightens up in his chair.
"I'm not saying that, besides even if you do I'm not going to tell the girl. You come before any girl man, especially her." I have such a hard time getting that out because I know it's about as true as me moon lighting as a bouncer.
"All right Don, tone it down." He pauses before speaking. "Yeah, that was set up by me."
"How though? You wouldn't leave a table in a house your selling without trying to sell the table first."
"I own the house, but it's not going up for sale. It's being torn down in a few weeks. I had someone be there and push her into a wall, put some fear into her. Call it a 'hazing' ritual." Wow can I kill this guy.
"I have to say, nice job man." I stand up and walk over to the side of the desk. I stick my hand out for him to shake. He stands up to shake it but I stick that hand back at my side as I take my other hand, ball it into a fist, and take a swing at his jaw. I look and I just clipped it. Anthony holds a hand up to his jaw.
"What the fuck was that for man?" He growls.
"What? I never said I wouldn't do anything. Anyways, what the hell do you think this is college? I'll have you know, Annabel the 'hazing participant' is my girlfriend."
"So you got her the job so you could sleep with her didn't ya?" Anthony asks with a sinister glare in his eyes. I clip him in the jaw again.
"You don't learn do you? Anyways because of your stupid joke or whatever the hell you wanna call it, she's bleeding and scared out of her mind. She's had enough happen to her, she didn't need this. Anything happens to her again and the air even so much as smells like you, I'll be arresting you." With that, I exit Anthony's office and head back out the entrance. I open the car door and sit down, not starting the car yet. I hesitate picking up my phone to call Annabel, telling her that I will be stopping by, but I shut it. Leave it as a surprise.
I start the car and begin making my way back to Annabel's place, feeling oddly proud of what just happened.
(Annabel's POV)
I've been trying to keep my eyes open so I could see if Flack ever comes back, but it's like some ones tied 5 pound weights to them. I've been laying on the couch almost since he left.
Just as my eyes close for what seems like the 10th time, the door opens and closes.
"Annabel, it's Don." He says into my place. Knowing that it's flack, I finally let my eyes close for longer then 10 seconds. I can hear him walking around my place, then he comes and steps in front of the couch. He lightly touches my arm.
"Annabel." He whispers. I open my eyes slightly and Flack's crouching at the edge of the couch.
"Hey.." I mutter as my eyes adjust to the light.
"Have you been waiting up for me?" He asks amused.
"Possibly..." I mumble as I rest my head back down on the pillow of the couch. He leans forward and presses a kiss into my hair.
"Come on, let's get you to bed." He tucks his one arm under my legs and another behind my back as he lifts me up off the couch and stands up at the same time.
"God, how much do you weigh?" He jokes around with me as he carries me to the bedroom.
"You're an ass." I mumble again as I let my eyes close again.
"There's the girl I fell in love with." He responds as we make it to the bedroom. He walks over to my side of the bed, where he lays me down and I almost instantaneously climb under the covers. I hear Flack walk around the bed, so I turn and look at him through my 3/4 of the way closed eyes to see him taking off his shoes and his shirt. I turn back around and bury my face into the pillow. I can feel him getting into bed next to me. He then tucks his arm around my waist and pulls me up against him so my back is flush against his bare chest.
"I love you Annabel." He whispers, knowing that I'm falling asleep rather fast. He then rest his chin on top of my head while his grip on my waist get's tighter.
(Flack's POV)
I've been watching Annabel sleep for the past ten minutes and I have to say, it's rather calming. I am about to get up when my phone vibrates on the side table. I grab it and answer it before it wakes up Annabel.
"Flack." I answer.
"Don, its Danny. I have to tell you something." I sit on the edge of the bed and run a hand over my face.
"Better be important."
"Look, I have a lead on a guy who is Annabel's attacker." I stand up from the edge of the bed and walk into the other room.
"I'm listening."
"Ok, so the blood that Stella had collected from Annabel's lip at the hospital wasn't hers. Came back to the name of Kenny Roberts."
"Got an address?"
"If I didn't would I be calling you." Sighing, I look back at Annabel who's stilled curled up, sleeping yeah.
"All right, I'll meet you out front the department." I snap my phone closed, then go back into the bedroom and put my shirt and my shoes. As I finish putting my shirt on, I look at Annabel. I hate leaving her to where she wakes up alone that morning. Leaning over her, I lightly kiss her forehead before walking out of the bedroom and on my way to the department.
(Annabel's POV)
I wake up, and again he's not next to me. I sit up slightly in the bed so I can see the rest of the apartment and I see no sign of him anywhere. Groaning, I lay back down on the bed. Where the hell could he be?
(Flack's POV)
I'm in the car with Danny, riding to where Kenny Lives when Danny finally speaks up.
"Annabel told me what went down in Oklahoma." He casually says.
"And?"
"And I'm just saying, you probably should have left after you had done what you were doing." I look over at him.
"Your telling me about my love life because..." I ask him as I can see a smile on his face.
"Annabel was practically steaming when she told me last night. Let me guess, left her this morning too?" I stay silent after that.
"Piece of advice, you keep leaving her like that she's going to leave. Learned that the hard way." As I open my mouth, Danny pulls up to the address we have for Kenny Roberts, which is a brick house in a regular neighborhood. We both get out of the car as Danny mumbles "try not to kill him Flack ok?"
"Can't make any promises." I respond just as a man comes out of the fence on the side of the house. This man has the same crazy brown hair, but no beard.
"Can I help you?" The man asks as he wipes his hand on his pants.
"You Kenny Roberts?" Danny asks.
"Depends, who's asking."
"New york city police." I move my jacket slightly to show my badge clipped onto my belt. Once the guy get's a good at the badge, he makes a bolt back from where he came.
"Why do they always run?" I ask before taking off after the guy. When I come to the fence, I easily vault over it and land right behind the guy. I tackle him to the grass, just before we reach the backyard.
"Nervous man? Danny, I'm going to take a wild guess and say this is in fact Kenny Roberts." I hold him to the ground as I cuff him .
"What makes you think that's me?" I get up the bring him up off the ground as well.
"Well it has nothing to do with the fact you ran after you the badge that's for sure." I comment as I begin to lead him back to the car.
-Police Department-
I'm sitting in interrogation with Kenny and he's being incredibly calm.
"So Kenny tell me, were you ashamed when she bit down on your lip?" I ask as I look directly at him.
"I have no clue what you're talking about." I take a picture that Stella took of Annabel's face out of a folder and place it in front of him.
"Well, let me give your memory a jog. You pulled on this women not once, but twice. The first time, nothing. The second time, was more successful. You enjoyed the pain you saw in her eyes as you started to dig the knife into her face." I stand up from the table and walk over to him.
"Again, I have no idea who this women is or what happened to her." He denys again.
"You put this girl in the hospital! Let me tell you something..." I walk back around to the other side of the table. "We have a DNA sample from you. The girl you did this to I care very much about, and if it matches the DNA we found on her, you'll be answering to me." I walk away from the table and out the door. When I walk out, I'm greeted by Mac.
"So, what's next for this scumbag?" I ask Mac as I slowly let a breath.
"Next, we bring in Annabel and see if she can ID the guy." That right there, scares the shit out of me.
(Annabel's POV)
I'm just about to take a walk to a nearby store when I get a text from Stella. I read it and it says 'got a suspect in for your attacker. Need you to come in and ID him.' Gulping, I reply I'm on my way there then walk outside and catch a cab. Then entire ride to the department, I am shaking from the anticipation. When we get there and I step out of the cab, I'm now sweating slightly instead of shaking. I walk into the building while taking a deep breath. When I hit the bull pen, I see Stella coming towards me, while Flack and another officer stand by the guy I assume is the suspect. When I look at the man and he see's me, he gets a catlike grin on his face. Stella now stands behind me, as Flack grabs a hold of the suspect and brings him in front of me.
"That's the guy." I choke out as I look at him.
"You sure that's him?" Stella asks to make sure.
"I'm positive that's him." Before Flack can take him away the suspect spits in my face.
"Deserved that bitch."
"Let's go." Flack practically yells as he drags the man back to where he ever was before I came here.
"Annabel, you ok?" Stella asks as she grabs me a tissue off out of her pocket and hands it to me. I take it and wipe my face with it.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just going to head home."
"Aren't you going to wait for Flack?" She asks as I start to walk away.
"I'll be fine." I then practically run out of the department, and I take a deep breath. It is so digrating to be spit on, in the face. Ok, it also brings memories back of an ex who constantly spit at me and said I deserved it, finally had the courage to leave him and that was shortly before I came to New York. Taking another breath, I go to walk back inside when Flack walks out.
"Hey you ok? Stella told me you ran out of here quickly." He asks as he brings his hands up to my face and just holds on to it.
"Yeah, it's not the first time that's happen..." I look at him and he drops his hands. Shit, wasn't suppose to say that.
"What?" He clenches his jaw and crosses his arms.
"It was before I met you, an ex used to spit in my face and tell me that I deserved it, like that guy did. That's why I left him." He un crosses his arms and un clenches his jaw but seems unconvinced.
"All right.. Annabel, I have to ask you something." He asks, stepping right in front of me, giving me literally no space at all.
"Ok, but why are you that close?" I ask, my breath hitting his shirt.
"Because I don't want you bolting on me when I say this. I want you to move in with me." Wait, did he just ask me that?
"Wait what?" I ask him. He smiles slightly before he responds.
"Annabel Stevens, I want you to move in with me. I want to make sure that something like that never happens again." He steps away but not to much.
"I don't know what to say.."
"If you need to think about it, then go ahead."
"Well I will, but I need to get home. I have stuff that has to be done." He raises an eyebrow.
"Well that's ominous. I have to stay at work so I can't drive you home but let me get you a cab." He hails me a cab then opens the door for me.
"Just think about it, I love you whatever your decision is." He kisses my cheek before I get in. He closes the door behind me. I give the cab my address and as he drives away, I'm see Flack watching the cab drive off.
The cab drops me off at my place, and by the time I get upstairs, I'm slightly tired and I lay down on my couch. Soon enough, I find myself falling asleep.
I wake up to screaming. I shoot up and see that there's smoke in my place, so I start coughing. I hear another scream then banging on my door.
"Get out, there's a fire." They scream. Fire, shit. I launch up from the couch and run to my door, and open the door. It's crazy as many people are rushing down the hallway. I become among those people but I get down there quicker, since I live alone. On the way down though, I can feel the smoke making its way down my throat, so again I start coughing a lot. Just when I feel that I can't take it anymore, I get outside and the air hits my lungs. I begin to walk, when a paramedic comes over to me.
"Come over here." So I follow her as she leads me to an ambulance, where she instructs me to sit down and she puts an oxygen mask on me.
(Flack's POV)
I'm where the fire at Annabel's building happened. Hopefully she's there safe and sound. She said some stuff needed to be done so hopefully that means they needed to be done outside of the house.
When I get to where Hawkes and Stella are, they come to me.
"We haven't seen Annabel yet Don.." Hawkes tells me as panic starts to rise in me.
"That hopefully means she's not here." Stella assures me. My eyes are still looking at every possible place I can see.
"Don, she's going to be unharmed. I know her, if she's dating you she'll won't be giving up that easily." Then we hear a radio go off.
"Second floor of the building seems to be the most effected." Oh god... I start pacing when we hear another voice go over the radio.
"Everything seems to be, no ones has been hurt. One girl is being treated though, seemed to have breathed in a lot of smoke as well as being coated in soot. She should be ok." My heart beats really fast now. God, where the hell is Annabel, I can't lose her, not now not ever.
"I'll go check and see if that's Annabel." Hawkes gets out before he starts running the other direction. In the mean time, I continue pacing and I continuously run a hand through my hair. I stop when Stella's radio goes.
"The girl, it's Annabel. Third ambulance on the left." That's all I need as I take off down the street, looking for the third ambulance on the left.
(Annabel's POV)
I've sat with the oxygen mask on my face for about 5 minutes when Hawkes comes running up to the ambulance.
"Ohh thank god." He then makes the radio announcement that the girl is me and I'm in the third ambulance on the left before leaving. As I take the mask off, I hear running footsteps. Soon Enough I see Flack run up to the ambulance doors.
"Annabel, your ok." He starts to climb in but the medic stops him.
"Woah, what do you think you're doing?" The medic asks.
"I'm her boyfriend and..." he digs out his badge. "New York Detective." The medics eyes widen.
"Ok, then I'll leave you two alone." The medic climb out the back of the ambulance. The minute she gets out, Flack has taken her place beside me. I get up and try to talk.
"Your... here" I start coughing.
"There's no where I'd rather be." He brings me up against him as he kisses the top of my head.
"Your fine your going to be ok." He says like he's telling himself that. He then gets up and helps me up, then helps me get out of the ambulance. He radios Stella telling her 'he's got me and that he's got me from here.' He leads me towards his car as he's got me practically glued to my side.
"You know I can walk right?" I get out without coughing. Wow, it's my first sentence without having a coughing fit.
"I know." He again kisses the top of my head as we get to his car. He helps me into the car before he gets in himself. He wastes no time as he quickly drives to his place. When we get there, he helps me get upstairs and into his place.
"I'll try to clean..." I motion to my body. "As best as I can." I walk into the bathroom and close the door. I take of my shirt, which is covered in soot but luckily my white tang top underneath is good and so are my shorts I'm wearing. I then get to work cleaning the soot off my arms and face, which I manage to do. When i look up in the mirror, I still have slight soot in my hair and on my face but I'm pretty good. As I walk out of the bathroom, I hear crying. I walk towards the noise and it's coming from the guest room.
Laying down, with his head facing the wall is Flack crying wearing only a pair of sweat pants.
"Are you crying?" I ask him. He looks towards me as he finally notices I'm in the room.
"Yeah, I am." I walk over to the bed and he pulls me onto it, and he situates me so I'm laying down between his legs, and the back of my head is laying against his chest. His arms come to wrap around my waist.
"I think it's time I tell you a story."
Wonder what kind of story he's going to tell her? Something to look forward to :)