Chapter 24

I sat at the conference table with the rest of my team, nursing a cup of coffee that tasted like sludge. It was like coming home. Thank fuck. I sat back and waited for the guv to walk in, comfortable at last now I was finally out of the itchy nylon porter uniform and back in my own casual office gear.

I pulled my phone out ready to turn it off before our meeting and quickly scrolled through my text messages reading the ones Emily and I had sent each other last night. We'd spent an hour texting each other before she'd finally given in and called me. Gentle conversation filled with laughter as we talked about our pasts and work days. I'd almost felt lulled into telling her about my epiphany. Telling her how I felt. I'd even paused a few times ready to say it. Had actually got as far as "Em's... I really..." and then changed my mind. The phone not really being the way I wanted to tell her, but the coward in me saying "at least you can't see her walk away calling you a nut case after you tell her." So the sentence had finished "like you/miss you/can't wait to see you." Take your pick. I'd said all three.

I opened the last text she'd sent me. It had been waiting for this morning when I'd got up.

"I'll pick you up from yours tonight, Kate's going to see dad so we've got my flat to ourselves for the night. Dinner and a DVD ok?"

I'd replied with a simple "Yes please" as I'd walked over to work. Thankfully it wasn't raining and it was a nice way to wake up. I never took my car when I was in the office for long periods of time. I turned my phone off as the guv walked in with Tony. The laptop on the table turned on, projecting information up on the screen at one end of the room. JJ turned the lights off and Derek started our briefing.

There wasn't anything in it info-wise that I wasn't aware of. Pictures of the people we wanted and such. I was more interested in the raid plans. The guv finished and Tony took over.

His plan was simple. We'd be geared up in full raid gear and would forcibly enter the property at the front and rear at the same time once we knew for sure the two suspects were in the house. Shock and awe it's called, and trust me, when 10 of us run in screaming and shouting, geared up in black body armour after barging down doors, confusion sticks in people's minds and they're easy pickings for us to subdue and arrest. We'd have help from a specialist team of grunts and scarily enough, guns were authorised.

The end of the briefing found a picture of a Ford Kuga flashed up on the screen and Tony and the team 'congratulating' me on finally getting a new car. Fuckers.

I spent my work day sorting out details, checking them, rechecking them and helping Tony with the applications for warrants. We'd have to go and bow and scrape to a judge tomorrow and get them signed. Dot the i's and cross the t's. Like I've said before. If we don't have every single thing sorted the press murder us and the crim's walk on technicalities. It's a fucker.

I walked out of work at 4.30 on the dot and strolled across towards my flat, getting quickly changed into more casual clothes. I was sat by the car park entrance waiting for Emily to arrive, smiling when I saw the red Mini pull up next to me.

"Evening darling, you going my way" came out of the passenger window as she tried to wink at me in a saucy manner. I laughed my arse off as I got into the car. Emily effectively silencing me with a kiss. "You ready for dinner and a film at Chez Fitch then?" she laughed and booted her Mini at speed. Jesus, I was going to have to have words with the traffic department about her, she was a fucking speed freak.

We entered her flat and I had a nose around. It was so cozy, and well, just Emily. Smaller than mine, it was warm and filled with vibrant colours, like her. Whereas mine was pretty sterile, hers was overflowing with nicknacks and such. Cute. Again, just like her.

I followed her into the kitchen, laughing when she held a pizza menu up at me.

"I thought I'd make you feel at home".

So, two pizzas, some garlic bread, a couple of puddings and one hell of a lot of conversation later we were sprawled out on the couch watching some DVD Em's had wanted to see. I didn't care, I just wanted to be near her and touch her. I wanted; no I needed to see if she felt the same. I was a copper; I could figure it out yeah? I mean, ok, just because I'd had it pointed out to me, didn't mean I couldn't see it in other people.

We'd managed to end up with Emily's back pressed against my chest and my hands wrapping around her waist from behind. This was perfect. Perfect except for her sister being on the phone that is. I could hear her voice from where Emily was leaning back on me. I just kept stroking her stomach, revelling in our closeness. She finally put the phone down and I asked if everything was ok.

"It's just Kate being a cow that's all. She's staying at dad's cause she doesn't want to hear lezzers at it. Her words not mine." I just laughed it off and nuzzled her neck with my nose, breathing in her scent.

And so we had lain like that ever since. Cuddled together on the sofa, Emily's back against my chest, my chin resting on the top of her head as we watched some awful comedy film that wasn't even remotely funny. Not that I cared. Every so often I'd press my lips against her hair and hear her as she breathed in my scent nuzzling me back. Each time the action made my stomach flutter.

I felt Emily sigh and she half turned in my embrace.

"What did I ever do to deserve you Naomi Campbell?"

A ghost of a smile crossed my lips and I tilted my head, pausing in serious contemplation and looking at her with mock seriousness. "You're just born lucky I guess."

Emily laughed. I felt the grin that had been threatening to break out on my face make an appearance, feeling overwhelmed with love for her. I met her lips in a sweet, slow kiss.

"God, you're adorable." Emily whispered it as our mouths came back for more again and again, our kisses becoming long and drawn out. Sensual in their tenderness and delicacy. I shifted from underneath her, turning my body so that I could hover above her. Our tongues teased, tasting every inch.

I slid my hand under Emily's top slowly, dragging along her smooth skin and reaching to place it on her covered breast, palming her hard nipple. She arched her back and moaned at the sensation it caused and I felt my own senses alight further, responding to the sound.

There was serious heat between us now. Emily sat up abruptly, pushing me backwards, breaking our kisses. What the hell? Oh! She pointed at my shirt.

"Off. Now" Oh god. Commanding bossy Emily Fitch. Jesus wept, she was a wet dream come true I tell you.

I reached for the buttons on my shirt, beginning to undo them quickly, although apparently not quick enough for her. Her desire ridden gaze watched my motions before she raised a hand to mine stilling them in their movements.

I watched, pausing where I was as she brought her hand to her my lips, slowly brushing the back of her fingers against them. And then her hand slipped back down, joining her other one on my shirt, unbuttoning it slowly, teasingly letting her fingers brush where my bare skin lay underneath as each tiny button came undone. Stroking my scars again with those gentle finger tips. She pulled it off my shoulders as she undid the last button and sat back.

I watched as she bent her head, bringing her lips to my chest and laying hot kisses there. I could feel my body respond whether I wanted it to or not, arching into her touch and causing me to grasp her hair between my fingers, moaning out her name. And, illuminated in the slight glow of the television set, we made love. A thousand unspoken feelings dancing between us.

The television's glow still shrouded the living room in a gentle hue, the shadows of the movements onscreen shifting where the light fell. We clung together on the couch in the most intimate of embraces mingled with the delicate hum of noise that emitted from whatever programme was currently showing. Both of us working to tip the other over that delicious edge, waiting on the pleasure of the fall as it rapidly engulfed us. We collapsed in a mess of limbs when our intense lovemaking had reached its climax, both of us finally satisfied, bodies spent and tingling.

Emily gulped for air as she lowered herself back onto her back; I followed her down, equally as breathless. I wrapped my arms around her and moulded my body flush against hers, resting my face in the crook of her neck, my head under her chin, and sucked in oxygen heavily.

"Y'alright?" I heard Emily ask the question softy, her chest still heaving and her lips pressed into my hair. I let out a quick, low laugh at the question, my own breaths still coming in puffs of air, dancing across her skin.

I pulled her head back from her neck slightly and looked up at her raising an eyebrow, our eyes meeting as Emily gazed down. "What do you think?"

There was humour in my voice as I pointed out the blindly obvious that after that I was more than alright.

Emily managed to find the energy to give me a grin.

Well, obviously what we'd just done had been alright, far better than alright actually, but it had also been extremely intense, and I found myself emotional and exposed. My head swam as my body tried to come down from the immeasurable high it had just been propelled to. It took a minute to get my focus back, to think even remotely clearly again, my body still recalling every touch and stab of pleasure.

I placed my head back into the space between Emily's neck and shoulder, snuggling in tighter to her and letting my nose graze against her skin. I decided this was it. After that there was no way I COULDN'T let her know

"God Naoms…you feel so good." Her voice was a whisper on skin. "You wouldn't believe how much I missed this, needed this." Her lips pressed against my head again. "It scares me just how much."

"I think I might." My quiet voice filled the room and I smiled knowing that she felt the same way. I lifted my head up and looked at her. "I think, wait... no... That's not right". I paused and looked away for a minute, swallowing my fears and paranoia away. I looked back into those dark pools Emily called eyes. "Sorry, that wasn't right. I don't think..." I paused again gently stroking her cheek, "I know I love you. Somewhere along the line in the past month I've gone and fallen for you hook line and sinker Em's. If you want to run away screaming, that's ok and stuff and I understand, but I needed to tell you." I hid my face back in her neck, too chicken shit to watch her response.

I heard her laugh gently and felt her fingers lift my chin up. The pressure lifting my chin up becoming too much for me to fight. I took a chance and looked at her.

"Pity that" she smiled, "cause I think I love you more". A laugh bubbled up from my throat and I met her somewhere in the middle to share a gentle kiss. I broke away after a few seconds and placed my head back into its new favourite place.

"I love you"

"I know. And I STILL love you more"

I just laughed. God, is this what perfection felt like? I heard Emily laugh quietly.

"God I was so scared to tell you." I poked my head up.

"YOU were scared? Ha. I got called a chicken shit." I leaned up and kissed her again.

I could make love to her forever. I laughed to myself. I'd laid my insecurities out there and hadn't been shot down in flames. She loved me back. She fucking loved me back. She placed my head back onto her shoulder, cradling me lovingly. Her hands painting patterns over my skin making me shiver. I gently kissed as much of the skin under my lips as I could reach without moving from my safe haven inside her arms.

"Are you cold babe?" My inner cheer-leading about how great I was was interrupted as Emily asked her question quietly.

"A little bit."

She leaned up a moment, taking the throw from the back of the couch, and draped it loosely over us. Then she adjusted herself against me again, my face once more burying into the soft skin of my lover's neck. I felt her hands combing through my hair and I snuggled in as we both drifted off for a few minutes rest, basking in the glow of a voice finally being given to our shared feelings. I heard her mumble "love you babes" and then I was lost in a blanket of Emily and love.

I woke up to the most annoying noise ever. My phone. Or was that Emily's phone? Nope, it was both of them. Fucking hell. The real world. I lifted my head from Emily's neck, looking around disorientated. Jesus, it was light. When did that happen? Fuck. Emily groaned somewhere above me and I realised we'd fallen asleep all night exhausted from admitting three little words to each other.

I sat up stretching and leant across and kissed Emily, whispering "I love you" before tracking down my phone and clothes and heading for the bathroom. Shutting the door I checked the caller ID.

Fuck. The boss? He'd rung me? I looked at my watch and knew I was going to be late for work, but I had a feeling it wasn't about that. As I looked at it, it started wailing at me again. I picked it up and listened to my boss. He cut me off as I started to apologise about being late.

The raid was being brought forward. Maven was on the move. He had tickets booked to leave the country. Our boys were tailing him and I needed to get to work like, yesterday. Fucking shit. No time to show Em's how much I loved her this morning.

I left the bathroom clothed to find Emily on the phone yelling.

"For fucks sake Kate, I'm allowed to spend time with my girlfriend between your fucking crises. I'll be on my way as quick as I can. I told you not to go back there. Wait for me before you go in"

BAM. The phone was lashed across the room. I walked in and threw my arms around her feeling her still and stiff body start to relax. She sighed as I gently rocked her, nuzzling her cheek with my nose and pressing soft kisses to her neck and cheek.

"Sister?" She snorted.

"Yeah, stupid bitch. I'm going to have to go and sort things out, and I wanted to spend the morning with you." She turned in my arms, threw her arms around my waist and pulled me in for a kiss. "Mmmmmm. I'll drop you off home on my way babes."

I smiled. "No need, could you drop me at work? I've been called in to a big emergency meeting."

We left in a hurry 10 minutes later after several frenzied kisses. I was a little glad of her speed demon nature as we approached my work. After several "I love you's", kisses and promises to call as soon as I could, I ran into work and met Tony waiting for me at the lift.

He started laughing as soon as he saw me looking so scruffy and disorganised. I'm sure I had that "I've just had life affirming sex last night" look.

"Late night tiger?" He leaned in and sniffed the air around me. "Someone was lucky last night".

I gave him the two fingered salute and ignored him. He just laughed and started filling me in on what was happening. The raid was going to go ahead, but as soon as we got to the target house instead of tomorrow. Everything else was the same. Entering the office to a series of catcalls from the boys, I jogged to the equipment store and retrieved my gear, quickly dressing. Thank fuck I kept a spare uniform in my locker.

Uniform (and deodorant), knee pads, arm pads, riot boots, body armour and protective gloves later I felt almost ready. I signed my side arm out of the locked cupboard under the watchful gaze of Tony, picked up my utility belt and helmet and headed back into the office.

The guys were a mass of energy, testosterone and anxiety. Even JJ had stopped stammering long enough to put his gear on. He was sat quietly by his desk, fingers constantly and obsessively checking over his gear. Tony and I walked over to him.

I placed a hand on his shoulder; Tony knelt in front of him, asking if he was ok. His big blue eyes looked up at us, smiling. Good, he was alright. The guv walked out, tooled up. A little power house of calm and authority. The office stilled instantly in his presence.

"Right people. We know the drill; we know what's going on and our roles in this. The Rapid Entry team are on their way to the target house. We're meeting them there. Unmarked vans. Let's go and do this properly." We all trooped out heading for the two vans that would take us there discreetly. As I walked past the boss I heard a quiet "Nice you finally joined us Naoms. She must be something special."

Ah fuck, even the boss knew I'd had sex last night. I glared at Tony. He just smirked as we loaded up into the vans and headed out. The vans were quiet as we travelled to the target house at speed. All of us listening to the radio chatter on our personal radios telling us what was going on.

I loved this period of time before a raid. It was a calm before the storm. My van was quiet, the boys in it were like me. I closed my eyes, needing a quiet zone to get psyched up before going in, a oasis to box off your thoughts to sort through what you were going to do. I'd never been a person who needed to scream and shout to get the adrenaline going; I just needed 5 minutes of peace before all hell broke loose. I knew the other van was full of our boys who did want to scream and holler and act like animals. We left them to it. To each their own.

I concentrated on my radio, hearing the surveillance lads reporting what was going on.

"No further entries to the building. Front and rear under full observation. Four occupants. Two male, both targets. Repeat both targets are present. Be aware, other two occupants are IC1 females. No visual confirmation of weapons."

I felt the van slow and realised we were close to the target house. Derek's voice came over the radio.

"Team 1 you will enter at the back on my command, team 2, you're with me at the front. Entry will be swift and smooth. Let's do this properly gents. No mistakes, no surprises."

The van slowed and I pictured Emily's face last night as I told her I loved her. Satisfied with my state of mine I open my eyes as the van stopped. Tony nodded at me from where he sat and leaned across to bump fists with me. I opened the back door and pocked my head out spotting the backup lads van parked next to us. We'd parked around the corner from Cooks house close enough that we could sneak up without being spotted too quickly. I approached Derek and he nodded us to the front of the house.

"Let's go in and go in hard. Team 2 are in position around the back. We are authorised for weapons hot, but let's only use them if needs be"

Helmets donned, weapons checked and with the enforcer in my hand we crouched and swiftly made our way up to the front door. JJ pushed the door gently and pointed to me where the locks were. I got the enforcer ready and waited for the signal. Coiled, poised, ready to let the wolf out that had been quiet lately. I didn't have to look around me to see the lads were the same. We were quiet, but the adrenaline was surging through my veins, singing to me, waiting for release.

The command came quickly.

"GO GO GO GO GO!"

I stood and beat at the door with the enforcer; it caved in like butter, no problem. The team entered screaming.

"POLICE RAID! EVERYONE STAND STILL!" As the last member to enter after dropping the heavy enforcer I had the privileged position of watching how well we worked. We were power and grace. We were everywhere. JJ and another lad legged it upstairs, joined by part of the other entry team. I followed Tony and Derek into the living room to find Maven and Cook on the floor several coppers restraining them as they struggled protesting their innocence. There was a bag of what looked like Class A on the floor. Fan-fucking-tastic. We had them on SOMETHING at least. I heard a high pitched voice screaming from what I presumed was the kitchen area.

Two lads were struggling with one of the females, I jogged over to help as they dragged her into the hallway, cuffing her hands in front of her. She looked up and I froze.

"Emily?" I looked at her, no not Emily, but a damned good copy. Dark hair and Emily's features, but not. Oh my fucking good god. No, oh no. Please no. Not this, This was fucked up.

Another figure was pulled out struggling. Red hair. Features contorted into anger at her treatment. Emily. She looked up and my heart stopped as her angry, hurt eyes met my horrified ones.

"Naomi? What the fuck?" Everyone stopped. Everything stopped. My heart was beating so loud in my ears it was nauseating. I was vaguely aware of Tony standing in the doorway of the living room. No one was moving. Eyes like an umpires at Wimbledon moving back and forth.

"THIS is your wonder girl?" My eyes snapped back to who I could only presume was Kate or Katie. Cooks bitch and my girlfriend's sister. No, fucking twin. Oh fuck. "THIS is your Prince fucking Charming?" Katie let out a bitter laugh stepped forward and promptly swung her cuffed hands at my face, connecting with my jaw. "My name's Katie you fucking lying twat."

All the noise and commotion rushed back in for a brief second like the stereo had been turned up really loud, and then everything went mercifully dark as I heard Emily sobbing.