Jasper arrives first—surprised to find Edward already here. I tell him about my day, and like I thought, he freaks out and goes on a tantrum about how I need to be more careful.

"Yeah, I get it," I say. "I should have waited for back up, but I didn't know how badly Jane was hurt and needed to get to her."

"You're going to get yourself killed if you don't stop playing the hero."

So, he's not exactly wrong about playing the hero. I have a complex, and I'm well aware of it. I became a cop because my dad was one, and I love it. In Seattle, I worked SWAT and loved the adrenaline rush I'd get during a raid.

But then it all went wrong, and I was shot three times, nearly dying from my injuries. That's why I moved here. I still wanted to be a cop, but I needed a slower pace. It kind of rocks you to your core when you're so close to death.

"Next time, I'll wait for backup," I promise as there's another knock on the door.

All the guys get here within minutes just as I take the pizzas out of the oven. We gather round the table, and Jasper deals out the cards as I pass around the bowl to put our money in. It's only 20 dollars to buy-in.

We do this once a month just to blow off steam. Honestly, I suck at poker. I barely understand the rules and the whole poker face thing? I do not have one. But when Jasper invited me into the friend group after I moved in, I couldn't say no.

Emmett, James, and Eric have made me one of their own, and considering that James is the mayor, it's never a bad thing to have him on your side as Chief of Police. I know I get away with a lot that other cops can't because of him. Plus, he's adorable with glasses and a nineteen-eighties pocket protector.

"Are you okay?" he asks me as we look at our cards. "You have to be in immense pain."

"Nah, our girl can take it," Emmett says. He's a firefighter with Jasper. "Whew, you all are in trouble tonight."

"I raise the bet," Jasper says, pushing in a few chips before we all do the same. "And no, she can't take being beaten with a bat. This town has gotten dangerous."

"It's not that bad," I protest. "If I'd have waited for backup, I wouldn't have been hurt. This town does have a domestic violence issue that we need to do something about."

James nods. "Maybe we can include a message in the festival somehow. I know you're competing, Bella, but maybe Eric can hand out flyers with some of the other officers. We can talk about it openly and maybe save a few women from ever experiencing it."

I nod. "Sounds good to me. The department has a booth for safety, but this year's message can be about domestic violence. I'm tired of getting these calls."

"Yeah, they really weigh on you," Eric says. "I blame the mine closing for some of it. These men are out of work, and now, a lot of them are sick. Of course, that's not an excuse for hurting another person, but these guys need help."

I completely agree. When the mine closed, things changed in this town. Half the men here worked in it and are now struggling to find jobs. We've taken on three new officers who used to work in the mine. Those guys are the lucky ones.

"I'll talk to the chief of the psych department and see if we can't come up with a meeting or something for the men," Edward says. "Another issue is substance abuse. I see so many overdoses in these men."

"It's a fucking shame," Emmett says. "Also, read them and weep."

He lays his cards down and everyone curses. A royal flush.

"Fuck you, bro," Jasper says, tossing his cards down. "So, the bake off is happening soon. Are you gonna compete again, Edward?"

He smirks. "Someone has to dethrone the queen."

I roll my eyes. "In your dreams, Doc. Now give me my cards. I'm ready to kick some ass."

I don't own Twilight.

Thanks to Ashley, May, and Mary prereading and Sally for beta'ing.