I do not own anything related to Lucifer, DC Comics, Vertigo, or Sandman series, either thru television, written books, or film. Everything belongs to Tom Kapinos, Fox, and mentioned above. I do own all the created characters. I do not own any songs, or literature mentioned. They are included to enhance the written words. Please read, review, and enjoy!
Chapter Twelve
Song(s): Yes, and? (Ariana Grande), You Would Have To Lose Your Mind (The Barr Brothers)
LUX Nightclub, 6868 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, California…
6:21am
Slowly opening her eyes, Miriam stared hard at the unfamiliar bedside table before taking in a deep breath of lingering expensive cologne that seemed imbedded in the black pillowcase. Rolling over onto her side, she sat up and winced as the morning sun shown brightly into the bedroom.
This is not my bedroom
"It's about time you woke up lab rat."
Hearing the man's irritating accented voice from the foot of the bed, Miriam groaned as she took note that she was still fully dressed from the night before.
Thank fuck
But I do remember him kissing my neck last night…
Sitting up straight as she pressed her back against the headboard, she moved her eyes around the room, spying a piece of oil painted artwork and a small safe that looked to be built into the stone wall.
"Is this your bedroom?" she questioned, catching his eye as Lucifer Morningstar sat back in a black comfortable looking armchair.
"It is. What do you think?"
Is he asking me for my opinion on the décor?
"It definitively looks like a bachelor pad, though I wouldn't have thought you to have an interest in anything biblical, even if your name is another for Satan."
Smiling widely as he looked to the carved stone walls, he leaned forward and fixed a flirtatious eye on the young woman sitting up in his bed. "Actually, the name Lucifer means Light Bringer."
"I know that we didn't sleep together last night, so stop staring at me like you've seen me naked" Miriam spat as Lucifer let out a chuckle.
"Sure, scold the man who thought to bring you a Venti Americano with an extra espresso shot."
Sliding down to sit at the end of the bed as she shook the black sheets off, Miriam analyzed the Starbucks cup that sat beside his empty hand. "Do I have to ask if you've put anything in that?"
Narrowing his eyes as he knew she was referring to some kind of drugs, he scoffed before thrusting the cup out towards her.
"Please, don't insult me. I don't need to drug a woman or a man to get them into my bed. All, come willingly" he growled as Miriam pressed her lips together tightly before taking the cup from his long fingers.
"You didn't answer any of my questions last night."
Catching her eye as he brought his own Starbucks cup up to his lips, Lucifer gave a slight shake of his head. "I dare say that you didn't last too long before you saw my king size bed" he smiled as Miriam ran a hand through her hair.
"The Lieutenant said that I called him Cain. Who is Cain?" she questioned, taking a long sip of her drink as Lucifer crossed his black dress panted legs.
"Surely you've been exposed to some Bible School gibberish" he spoke, stretching his arms up and over his head.
"Yes, I know the story of Cain and Abel if that is what you are referring to."
"Indeed, and I am curious as to why you seem to know who he is, yet not remembering the words you have spoken."
Wait…
"Are you trying to tell me that Lieutenant Marcus Pierce is Cain? From the Bible?" she blurted out as Lucifer kept his eyes steady on hers while he took a sip of his coffee.
"First off, the Bible is not real. Jesus walking on water? God speaking from a mountain, Marcus Pierce wandering Earth since the dawn of time? That is insane. The Bible is a book written by old white men for men."
"Dear child, the Bible is very real, and so are all the major players. Some of whom…you have already met."
He is a complete nutjob
We may be in Hollywood but this is not a fantasy fucking world
Setting her cup down on the floor boards, Miriam rose to her feet as she spotted her shoes upturned on the throw rug. "Yeah no. Sorry, but that's not good enough Mr. Morningstar. Cain and Abel are not real people, and God does not exist."
…
345 E 1st Street, Apt 3, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California…
7:46am
Rubbing her tired eyes as she trudged up the humid staircase all the way to the third floor, Miriam kicked aside a fresh stack of LA Herald's as she stepped up to the window that faced down into the alleyway between her run-down red brick building and another. Watching a white aproned young male hauling out a black garbage bag of kitchen scraps, she felt her stomach rumble as she realized she hadn't had anything to eat. Except for the Venti Americano with two extra shots of espresso happily provided by Mr. Lucifer Morningstar.
"God…"
Hearing the moan falling from her lips as she shook her shoulder length brown hair out from the black hair elastic, she teased out the strands before wiping at the corners of her mouth.
"You didn't sleep with him, that's the most important thing," she muttered as she walked up to her door. Taking out her keys, she turned the lock and stepped inside, desperately desiring a shower and some sort of breakfast before getting her things ready for the beach. Listening to the radio on the drive home, she was pleased it was suppose to be sunny for the next seven days with no chance of rain and a minimum of eight-eight degrees during the daytime.
Maybe it was a blessing that you suspended me for the week Marcus Peirce when it's suppose to be gorgeous surfing weather she thought as she made her way down the hallway towards her bedroom. Pushing her door open as she tossed her shirt onto the floor next to her cloth laundry bag, she was not expecting to hear anyone walking out from Dakota's bedroom as she turned around.
"And where did you spend last night?" Dakota questioned as she waged a single finger in front of her face with a smirk.
Why bother lying to her, I'm sure it will come out in casual conversation one day
"I…actually went out to a nightclub last night" Miriam spoke as she gathered her hair back up in a half ponytail before moving to her closet. Opening the door, she grabbed a white tank top and blue jean shorts before moving to her chest of drawers.
"Okay, that's not like you to go to a club, especially not on your own. I tried calling you" Dakota spoke as she watched her best friend pulling out a black bikini top and bottom.
"I haven't turned my phone on yet today. Have you seen my wetsuit zippered top?"
"Are you going through some kind of early midlife crisis? You never go to nightclubs. It's like fighting tooth and nail to even get you to come out with a group of friends," Dakota whined as she watched Miriam toss all her items onto her white comforter.
"Who did you go with?"
"No one."
"Uh huh, and which club did you go to?"
Jesus, why is she on my case? If she's hoping I'm going to say I went to a nightclub with Marcus Pierce, she is going to be waiting all summer, and fall, and winter
"I went to LUX. It's on…"
"Bullshit."
Throwing her eyes onto her friend, Miriam was amazed to see Dakota momentarily speechless.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I call bullshit that you got into LUX."
Okay, now this is getting ridiculous
"Have you ever been to LUX?" she questioned, catching Dakota's laugh as she came and sat on the edge of the bed.
"I dare say that we are not the type of people that are welcomed in that place."
Type of people?
She means the rich, young, good looking clubbers who smell of money and order expensive drinks without a thought to the end of the night bar tab
"And if I told you that I got in because my name was on the list?"
Watching Dakota's mouth fall, she felt it strange that she didn't pick up on the woman's jealousy or envy, but rather, she saw something else…
Panic
Worry
"Why the hell would your name be on his guest list?!"
"Believe it or not, Lucifer Morningstar works with the LAPD as a Civilian Consultant."
"There is a rumor going around Los Angeles that the owner…does favors for people" Dakota whispered, as Miriam went back to her closet to search for her wetsuit.
"Isn't Los Angeles known for being the City people flock to for their hopes and dreams? To strike it rich?" she muttered as she caught Dakota leaning towards her.
"I've heard that some people say that he is the Devil himself."
Breaking out into laughter as she spied the bright orange sleeve of her wet suit stuffed behind her black peacoat, Miriam moved the hanger aside as she tossed the surfing garment onto the bed.
"The Devil? Really Dakota?"
Watching her friend's face remain as still as stone, Miriam grabbed her swimsuit, shorts, and tank top before moving towards her door for the bathroom.
"I'm deadly serious Mir, I have heard that many people have sold their souls to him for a favor."
Closing the bathroom door with her foot as she dumped all her clothing on the closed toilet seat, Miriam switched on both faucets to the shower before peeling off the rest of her clothing. Leaning on the edge of the sink as she peered into her reflection in the mirror, the young twenty-one-year-old took in her tired eyes as she thought of Dakota's earlier words.
"I've heard that some people say that he is the Devil himself."
"Well, with a stage name like Lucifer Morningstar, he can play up being the Devil all he wants. Who is going to cry copyright? The real Devil?"
…
Topanga Beach, Malibu, California…
Staring up into the sunny blue sky, Miriam smiled as she spotted not a single cloud in the sky. Blasting the latest Ariana Grande song over the speakers of the Civic, she drummed her thumb against the wheel and made herself a promise.
"yes, and?"
Say that shit with your chest…and
Be your own fuckin best…friend
Say that shit with your chest…
Keep moving like "what's next?"
"Yes, and?"
"No fucking men today. No Lucifer Morningstar, and no Marcus Pierce."
Catching sight of the other surfers amongst the waves and the families with their children closer into shore, she took a deep breath of the salty air before letting her Jansport book bag fall to the sand. Laying her board down, she kneeled down in the sand and unzipped the main pouch to take out her wet suit jacket. Pulling off her white t-shirt, she slipped the tight-fitting fabric over her arms before zipping it up to just under her breasts. Pulling off her jean shorts, she adjusted her black bikini bottoms before taking out a box of surfboard wax and a leash.
Running the wax along the top of the board, she made numerous small circles as two small toddlers dressed in matching one-piece suits and pink floppy sunhats ran by. Giving a small wave with her free hand as the girls giggled and ran back towards their Mother, Miriam stuck her leg out and fastened the black leash around her ankle before tucking everything back into her bag.
"God it's gorgeous out."
Picking up her board as she gathered the excess cord of the leash into her hand, Miriam slowly walked across the sand and felt the warmth of the water around her toes as she walked out deeper. Laying on her board as she felt the water against her face, she paddled with long deep strokes as she threw all thoughts of the LAPD and Marcus Pierce out the window.
Forty Minutes Later…
Setting her board down as she sat down in the sand beside it, Miriam ran her fingers through her wet salty hair as she breathed deeply.
Laying back as she stretched her arms up over her head, she closed her eyes and felt the hunger in her stomach as she remembered the Kind bar she had packed earlier.
"OH MY GOD!"
Sitting straight up as she heard the woman's scream, she looked all around her before spying a growing group of people near the upper part of the sand line that met the grass and a large overbearing palm tree.
"SOMEONE CALL THE POLICE!"
Rising to her feet as she stared at the crowd, she quickly bent down to grab her Blackberry before taking off at a jog.
"What's going on?"
Catching the eyes of a man who had been earlier building a sandcastle with his son and daughter near the water's edge, she spied the worry in his eyes as he struggled to speak.
"Someone's found a dead body."
"Male or female?"
Offering a questionable stare as he shook his head, Miriam moved around him and spied a life guard shouting into a walkie talkie.
"Has anyone called the police?" she questioned, moving to the front of the crowd as her eyes fell on the exposed legs of a woman laying flat on her back in the sand. Swallowing hard as she moved her eyes up the body, she took in the black shorts and light pink t-shirt before spying the deep bloody slash that started at the left side of the throat clear to the right side.
Squinting her eyes as she stared at the woman's cut throat and the bloody sand beneath her, Miriam heard the chatter around her as she moved towards the life guard.
"I am with the LAPD Forensic Department, have you called the police?"
"I did, and I think someone else in the crowd did too. What do we do?"
Crowd control
"We have to get everyone back from the scene."
Feeling the rush as she watched the guard turn around, she heard his loud shouting as the sounds of sirens echoed off in the distance.
What do I see?
"Brown hair, same strangulation marks, deep cut through the throat with almost decapitation" she whispered to herself before suddenly straightening up.
It's a serial
Quickly pulling her mobile phone out from the inside of her surf jacket, Miriam thumbed in 911 and as she brought the speaker up to her ear, she frowned as the dial tone beeped to signal that the call could not be completed.
Please try your call again, this is a recording
Re-dialing the number, she swore under her breath before scrolling through her contacts for Ella Lopez's number in the Evidence Lab.
"Come on Ella, pick up, pick up…"
Hearing the same repeating dial tone, Miriam stared down at the screen and chewed on her bottom lip as she didn't know what to do.
Did I get it wet?
Sand?
Scrolling back up to try Ella's number one last time, her eyes fell on the local area code of a received call that had brought her outside of her apartment in record time, and on the back of a certain man's motorcycle, only to hear that he had not thought her to be anything exceptional.
"Lieutenant Pierce" she breathed as the sirens of the ambulance and police cars grew louder and more urgent.
Hovering her thumb over the options to call or message, Miriam Tyler held her breath and pressed the green call button as she brought the phone back up once more to her ear.
Please go through…
…
Los Angeles Police Department, North Hollywood Division, 11640 Burbank Boulevard North Hollywood, CA…
Hunching over his desk as he scribbled his name along the second last page of the documents that would see him sell his home for a hundred thousand over asking price, Marcus Pierce glanced at the empty packing boxes that would be full before the end of the evening.
This is how your life will forever be Cain
No more marriages
No more children
No more relationships for fear that one day, she will ask you why you are not growing old with her, why your face never ages with wrinkles
Feeling the vibration of his mobile phone in his back pocket, Pierce leaned forward and pulled it out, letting it drop on the desk before turning to the final page of his bill of sale for his house. Moving his eyes onto the phone number displayed on the screen, he shook his head and dragged his finger along the bottom to answer Miriam's call before hitting speaker phone.
Do you feel what I feel Miriam?
Like a thin invisible tether that refuses to break?
"You still have six days remaining in your suspension Ms. Tyler" he breathed, taking his pen up to sign the final page that would see him selling his beach front Marina Del Rey property.
The last step before he left the state for another fifty or so years.
"Lieutenant, you need to have Ella Lopez and Detective Decker come down to Topanga Beach in Malibu right now. There is a dead female with her throat slashed just the same as the crime scene at the park. Someone already called the police I think, but…her throat is cut just the same…"
Catching the rush of her words as he sat up straight pressing his back against his chair, Pierce released the sheets and pushed them away as he narrowed his eyes, catching the back of Chloe Decker retreating towards her desk.
"Say again, where are you?"
"Topanga Beach, in Malibu. I told the lifeguard I was with the LAPD and we are trying to do crowd control."
Nodding his head as he rose to his feet, Pierce held the phone firmly against his ear as he ripped open his office door.
"DECKER! Get Lopez, we leave in five minutes!"
…
Topanga Beach, Malibu, California…
Staring at the young dead woman's feet as a long sheet was pulled over to cover her body, Miriam couldn't help but shiver as the afternoon sun disappeared around a group of clouds.
"What prescient are you with?"
Turning her attention back to the young uniformed Officer as he flipped open his notebook, Miriam watched over his shoulder as another marked cruiser parked in the lot.
"I am a Forensic Science placement student from Cal State at the North Hollywood Division under Lieutenant Marcus Pierce" she spoke, watching the Officer scribbling.
"Did you touch the body?"
"No. I just walked around her leaving two feet in distance. I could see her throat slashed open but I didn't see anything around her knives, anything sharp" she replied, gathering her damp hair up and into a ponytail. Rubbing her left arm as she felt the nylon/polyamide and elastane fabric, she was about to ask if she could quickly run to her car to change, when she spied Chloe Decker with Lucifer Morningstar bringing up the rear.
Guess I should get use to him showing up every time
Spying Ella in the distance exiting out of a grey Dodge Charger, she held her breath as she spotted the Lieutenant standing next to the driver's side door.
You did call him
"Because none of my other phone calls would go through."
"Pardon?"
Blinking quickly as she shifted her eyes back onto the Officer, she shook her head before smoothing her hands over the dried sand on her thighs as she wished she had put her jean shorts back on and not hanging around in her swimsuit bikini bottoms.
This isn't a fashion show, it's a crime scene
Catching Ella's eyes as the petite Forensic Scientist halted beside the covered dead woman, Miriam was about to step forward just as she heard a throat clearing behind her. Turning back around, her eyes fell on Pierce as he adjusted the sunglasses resting on the bridge on his nose. He said nothing but simply stood still as he brought his hands up to rest on his hips.
"Good afternoon Lieutenant."
Offering the pleasantry as she felt his eyes looking her over from head to toe behind the tinted lenses, she reached down and brushed more dried sand off the front of her bare leg.
"I think you should speak to a Psychiatrist."
Straightening up slowly as she watched him remove his glasses, Miriam rested her hands on her hips as she felt the stretching of her wet suit jacket.
"Well if that isn't the nicest hello I have ever received" she spat, watching the Lieutenant taking a step forward.
"You've seen two dead bodies and have been at two raw crime scenes. You may be a student who is gun hoe to become a Police Officer, but you are my responsibility and I don't plan to have you snap emotionally before you get your chance."
Your responsibility?
Brushing her hands together as she gave a slight nod of her head, Miriam turned around and watched as Lopez set about putting on her gloves.
"She could use the help."
Hearing Miriam's words as he hung his glasses off the v-neck of his white t-shirt, Pierce cleared his throat as he tried with all of his might to not look the young woman over once more.
You are seriously killing me Miriam
"You are still suspended."
Stepping past her as Miriam gritted her teeth, she watched as Detective Decker paused to take out her mobile phone before she caught the wide smile of Lucifer Morningstar.
Fine then
Walking over to the uniformed Officer she had spoken to minutes before hand, she signaled for his attention as she felt her arm being bumped.
"You seem to have lost your shorts" Lucifer grinned as Miriam ignored the man at her side.
"You wear a three-piece polyester suit even when it's almost one hundred degrees?"
Stopping short as he gave an irritated snort, Lucifer shoved his hands into his pant pockets as he caught up to her once more.
"Polyester I think not Student" he growled as she stopped in front of the Officer.
"Do you need anything else from me, or can I leave?"
"You don't want to stick around? Perhaps maybe put on a show in the water for the Lieutenant?"
I just really want to get out of here
Roughly bumping her elbow into the man's ribcage as she heard his groan, Miriam smiled to herself as she made her way towards the roped off crime scene. Giving the area a large berth, she could feel a certain pair of eyes following her as she spied her bag and board on the upper part of the beach.
"I don't think our brief conversation last night warranted to answers you may have been looking for. So, I have decided to offer you another invitation. Come to my club tonight at eight, and I will answer any questions you have regarding your desires, and…"
"I know what I desire Mr. Morningstar, and it isn't you" she growled as Lucifer came to stand at the tip of her surfboard.
"Pity, because I'm sure you'd love one good night in the sack with me to release all your pent-up anger concerning that tall, square jawed, blue eyed wanderer of the world."
…
Marcus Pierce's Residence, 3806 Ocean Front Walk, Marina Del Rey, California…
Tossing his keys down onto the wooden side table just inside the front door, Pierce stood in the setting evening sunshine and breathed in deeply as he heard Lopez's words echoing through his mind.
"Lieutenant, this woman's death is very similar to the case from three months ago, and similar to the body found at Monlux Elementary. Very similar strangulation marks to subdue, and one very similar deep cut across the throat exposing the pharynx and esophagus occurring post mortem."
"And you spotted it Tyler" he spoke out loud as he walked up the stairs and sat his backpack on the dining room table.
Staring out of the large floor to ceiling window as he watched two surfers gliding along the waves with ease, he closed his eyes and pictured Miriam standing in front of him, her brown hair damp and tossed from the salty sea water in nothing but a pair of swim bottoms that showcased her slim legs and a wet suit jacket that was zipped up to rest just beneath her bikini top.
Looking over to his closed black backpack, he unzipped the main pocket and withdrew the real estate papers that would have him free of this place by tomorrow afternoon. Holding them firmly in his hands, he slowly ripped them in half before tossing them into the trash bin beside the kitchen island.
"Never, have I felt anything of this magnitude for anyone else except her" he breathed slowly as he straightened up and removed his gun and holster from his hip. Reaching around his other hip and under his white t-shirt, he massaged the fading yellowish green bruise that was a result of his shotgun injury.
Miriam.
I knew a Miriam once.
A hard working, strong feminist female. The sister of Moses and Aaron who watched over her brother in the marsh of the Nile and led the Israelites in the Song of the Sea
Blinking his eyes quickly, he reached a hand out and steadied himself against the kitchen island as he remembered the first time he had laid eyes on the young girl of the same name many many years ago…
(Flashback)
The coos of the infant child wrapped in cloth met his ears as he watched the back of the hunched over girl smile before sticking her tongue out to distract her brother.
"We must be strong in these trying times. My son has been saved by the grace of Bithia and the God of Abraham, and he shall have no fear or want for the rest of his life" Amram spoke as he watched his wife Jochebed shoo Miriam away from the infant's basket.
Catching the young girl's eyes as she grabbed the chipped water pitcher, he watched as she crossed her arms and twirled around.
"Miriam enough! Complete your chores as a child of this family!" her Father scolded as the young girl stared at Cain.
"I too will be mighty one day. Moses may lead, but I will help those in great need with my own hands and voice…"
"So very similar" he muttered, walking to the far wall of the east end of the house. Scanning his eyes, he found the rock among the hundreds that lined the various surfaces and as he took it up between his fingers, he smoothed his thumb along the jagged edge that had rested once against the outside wall of the small dwelling that had housed the family of Moses.
"Why do you take such a stone?"
Hearing the young girl's voice as he turned around and slipped the rock into the pocket of his robe, Cain nodded his head as she stared up at him in a combination of fear and wonder.
"For memories child."
…
345 E 1st Street, Apt 3, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California…
7:11pm
Setting down her cup of instant coffee beside her laptop, Miriam ran a hand through her damp, freshly washed hair before taking a seat at her desk. Flipping open the lid, she ran a finger over the mousepad and watched as the screen popped up to life.
Breathing slowly, she brought up the sticky notes application and started making her to do list to tackle first thing in the morning when she closed her eyes and felt a shiver running over her shoulders.
"Good night Cain…"
Opening her eyes quickly as she stared at the blinking cursor, she tasted the unfamiliar name on her tongue as she rested her fingers lightly on the keys.
"Cane…Kane?...Cain?"
"You called me Cain…"
"Where else in literature is there a Cain…except in the Bible" she muttered, scoffing as she brought up Google. Typing in the name Cain, she hit enter and sat back against her chair before taking up her coffee mug. Taking a deep sip of the scalding hot liquid mixed with cream, Miriam stared at the approximately 75,7000,000 detected results before moving her eyes down the listed results:
Cain and Abel – Wikipedia
Curse and mark of Cain – Wikipedia
Cain: Story & Meaning: Britannica
The Untold Story of Cain and Abel
Cain and Abel: Scriptures and Legends
"Everyone knows the story of Cain and Abel" she muttered, remembering her brother's announcement that his Sunday School class was to learn about sibling rivalry, courtesy of the world's first murderer and his unfortunate younger brother.
"Why would I call you Cain Lieutenant Pierce? That makes no sense…" she spoke in a low tone as she hovered over the Ancient Hebrew link. Clinking on the link, her eyes fell on a grainy colored picture of two men each kneeling in front of stones with flames emitting smoke up towards the sky.
Abel as the shepherd with his lamb and Cain with his fruit and vegetables
"The Bible is nothing but fiction. Written by men, for men, and with no female input" she spat, slamming the lid down as she listened to Dakota banging around in the hallway outside her door.
"He seemed so irritated to see me."
Grabbing her coffee as she moved towards her bed, Miriam pulled back her sheets and took a seat on the mattress as she propped her pillow up.
"This is only day one of seven…"
Before I see him again
Rolling her eyes as she finished her coffee down to the last dregs, she reached for her phone and stared at all of the days phone calls.
How could all these phone calls not go through?
"Yet, your phone call Marcus is the only one?"
She had never had no reception on that beach before in all the years she had been surfing and hanging out, yet today of all days, nothing had gone through except her call to the Lieutenant.
You've got to stop thinking about him, this is an obsession and it's already cost you a suspension for acting on something foolish and childish
"There is no way in hell this is a coincidence. Looking up at her ceiling, she felt the distaste in her mouth as she was not about to ask God if he was trying to play matchmaker.
"I wouldn't give something that doesn't exist the satisfaction."
Looking at the time on her phone as she cleared the call log, she heard light tapping against her door as Dakota pushed it open.
"I thought you said you were going out tonight?"
Tossing her phone aside in the sheets as she rose onto her elbows, Miriam rolled her eyes as her best friend took a seat on the edge of the bed.
"It's nothing fancy" she lied, rolling over and getting up onto her feet.
Are you really going to go back to Lucifer Morningstar's penthouse?
He looks like he might be the kind of sicko who would spike a woman's drink
But I really want some answers…
Grabbing a pair of blue jeans with a rip along the left knee, she pulled them on before grabbing a plain white t-shirt with a pocket above the right breast. Tucking the bottom of the shirt into the front of her jeans, she ran her fingers through her damp hair and decided to leave it down before reaching out on her dresser for her Urban Outfitters opal moon ring set.
"So, you've given up on the Police Officer?"
Sighing as she turned towards her friend, Miriam rolled her eyes before walking across the floor towards the door.
"I don't even know if I want to tell you about my phone."
"What about your phone?"
Walking into the kitchen as she grabbed a glass and turned on the faucet, Miriam downed it all before shaking her head.
"So, aside from having to talk to the police about the body on the beach, I…had to call him. But it had everything to do with the deceased woman."
"Okay…so why do I get the feeling you are about to freak out?"
Crossing her arms over her chest as she glanced at the time on the stove clock, Miriam swallowed hard as she opened her mouth to speak.
"Because before I called him, I had tried to call 911 and the call wouldn't go through. I then tried to call Ella Lopez who is the Forensic Scientist in the lab at the prescient, and that call wouldn't go through."
"What do you mean the call wouldn't go through?"
"I mean…I would dial the number, and I would get that sound of a wrong number. But when I called Marcus Pierce as a last resort…it went through with no problem."
Clicking her tongue against her cheek as she watched her best friend processing her words, Miriam shook her head and walked out of the kitchen alcove towards her tom shoes.
"I…don't even know what to say to that. But I'm telling you, this shit has to be fate."
"Yeah well, fate is greatly pissing me off right now" Miriam cussed as she grabbed her phone and shoved it down the back pocket of her jeans. Taking up her car keys, she gave a small wave before pulling open the door knob as she came face to face with fate himself.
"What in the fuck?"
Hearing her swear as he blinked quickly in complete surprise, Pierce slowly lowered his raised fist and stood in perfect silence across the threshold.
"Are you really kidding me right now that you are standing outside my apartment door?" It was no holds back as Miriam tightly clutched her car keys feeling the searing pain in her palm as she stared up into Pierce's blue eyes.
"I…"
"You are too late if you think this girl has been sitting around on the couch waiting for you Officer. In fact, she's going off right now for a date with a guy who deserves her. A guy who knows that she is hot, fun, and hella good in bed! So, you're too late."
Watching Pierce's mouth falling open as Dakota blurted out from behind her at the threshold of the doorway, Miriam wanted nothing more than to scream as she turned around and roughly pulled the door shut with a loud bang.
"Lieutenant…"
"You have a date?"
Pressing her lips firmly together as she crossed her arms over her chest, she held her chin steady as she kept her poker face.
No
"Yes, as a matter of fact. And if you don't mind, I don't want to be late" she spat, stepping around him as she felt a strong, yet gentle hand gripping her upper arm.
"I wanted to give this back to you."
Looking down to his other hand, she caught sight of her identifications as she felt insulted.
"Right, so…you can't make up your mind if I am suspended now?" she spat, pulling her arm away as she moved her keys into her other hand. "We've done this before, and I really think I want the seven days to clear my head and not see you. So, keep those."
"You impressed me today Miriam."
Hearing his words as she shook her head, she took out her phone and looked at the time before shoving it back into her pocket.
"Glad that I could provide you amusement Lieutenant Pierce."
Crossing his arms over his broad chest, she was secretly pleased that he was getting pissed off and damn it, she was going to have the last word.
"The fact that you were able to recognize a similar kill pattern, the fact that you didn't just leave the discovery of a body to anyone else on the beach, shows great initiative and attention to detail. Something the LAPD will be lucky to have in you if you become an Officer."
Okay, now I am pissed
"I don't get it with you. One day it's praise, the next it's a suspension. I already have plans for tomorrow, day two of my suspension, to see about a job for the rest of the summer, so…"
She was not prepared for his next move.
Taking a small step backwards, she barely had time to react as Pierce closed the distance between them. Cupping her face with his hands, he leaned in and captured her lips with his own. Feeling his lips parting hers, she couldn't help but let out a small moan as she felt her fingers tightly twisting at the excess fabric of his shirt in the bid to pull him closer against her. Breaking their kiss as he rested his hands on her shoulders, Miriam had only one thing to say as she felt her knees weakening.
"Technically, that can be counted as assault."
Feeling his upper lip twitching as he gently squeezed her shoulders, Pierce lowered his lips against her left ear as he whispered.
"Technically, you assaulted me first."
Holding her breath as she felt her stomach muscles tightening, Miriam felt the warmth of his breath against her ear lobe as she closed her eyes.
I can't take much more of this if two days later he decides I'm not worth it anymore
"Take your identification, and report back to the Lab at eight."
Feeling his hands leaving her shoulders, she nearly put up a fight as she watched him walking towards the staircase.
Don't go
Don't go
…
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