Center Mass (Code 11-KPD SWAT 1)

It was always comical to see the chaos. Luckily, though, the other boys in blue showed up just in time for the show.

And we put on one hell of a party.Chapter 10Men are usually too focused on the cleavage in the shirt to see the crazy in the eyes.

-Life Lesson

Luke

“Those parents didn’t look too happy with their kids,” Reese smiled as we walked hand in hand into the Whataburger.

No, they hadn’t. In fact, the father had been downright livid.

Which was good.

Parents needed to instill the fear of God into their children.

If more people did that, there wouldn’t be as many over indulged shitheads running around this earth.

The quarterback, for instance.

He’d been adamant that he wouldn’t be going to jail.

I’d only smiled, because it was more than evident to me by the weed I’d found in his pocket that he was.

He’d learn that he wasn’t invincible, and that being the star of the college wouldn’t give him a free ride in the real world.

“No, they didn’t. But that’s good. Kids, now-a-days, don’t have the same discipline that we had. You wouldn’t believe how many young kids I arrest every week and their parents could give half a shit.”

“I tried to sneak out once in high school, and my father locked the window I snuck out of after I left,” Reese said, smiling at the memory fondly. “He wrote me a note on the back door telling me he left me a blanket on the rocking chair on the back porch, and to enjoy my night outside. It was awful.”

I snorted. “My dad’s a police chief in Wyoming. The last time I snuck out of the house, he had one of his boys arrest me and leave me in the drunk tank all night. It was awful, and I smelled like shit when I finally got out the next morning. And he made my mom pick me up, which was even worse, because I hate disappointing my momma.”

She laughed at that, I’m sure picturing a younger me having to explain what I’d done to my mother.

“My sister had a falling out with my father when she was younger. It was awful. My dad would ask about my sister. My sister would ask about my dad. They were both so freakin’ stubborn. Now, if you saw them together, you wouldn’t know they ever had a problem. That they’d refused to talk to each other for years,” Reese said, taking a pull of her milkshake.

I wouldn’t. I’d seen them together at the party last week. It only went to show that I didn’t know everything.

“Your old flame is across the aisle staring at you like you’re her missing teddy bear,” she said, stirring her shake with the straw before pulling it out and wrapping her tongue around the end.

My cock hardened, and suddenly it was a smidge hard to breathe without panting.

“What’s she look like?” I asked, trying my hardest to control myself as she licked the straw clean before answering.

“Long black hair, green eyes. Straight, pretty white teeth. Big boobs,” she murmured, dipping the straw back into the ice cream. “The one from the bakery.”

Watching the movement avidly, I explained. “That’s my ex-girlfriend, Lydia. I still haven’t figured out why she’s here. The last time I talked to her was six years ago.”

Her brows rose. “Six years is a long time. I never heard any of the details of why y’all broke up, other than her not liking the fact that you had a kid.”

She was digging, trying not to look as interested as I knew she was.

I shrugged. “It was an average breakup, I guess. She didn’t want kids and I had a kid. It’s not like I can really get rid of the kid I do have to make her happy. I think I truly surprised her when I chose Katerina over her. We broke up once she admitted that, and I moved down here within the month.”

Her mouth had dropped open. “You had the kid before you met her, obviously. Who the hell would just get rid of a kid because the new girlfriend didn’t want kids?”

I shrugged. “Don’t know. I assume there’s more to the story. Her father was pretty uptight, and didn’t like me having a child out of wedlock. I assume that Lydia made me sound worse than I really was. I had a feeling during the entire relationship that it wouldn’t work out. I told myself that I was just passing the time with her, though. That was the only reason I stayed with her for so long when I knew it wouldn’t work out.”

She sat back in her chair, a smile on her face. “So you used her for sex?”

I shook my head. “No. That’s not what I said.”

“Oh?” She asked. “Then what did you mean?”

“It means that I was having fun. She was an amusement, one that might have turned into something more in time, but wore out her welcome when she told me she didn’t like my child,” I said coldly.

I wouldn’t have said it as coldly if I hadn’t seen Lydia stand up in the mirror above Reese’s head. Just having her anywhere near me set my skin to crawling. Just as it’d done when I’d left her.

I saw her flinch and turn around, as did Reese, who gave me a sympathetic look.

“You’ve got this twitch…right above your eye,” she said, a grin playing at the corner of her lip. “I think I really like you. I didn’t think anyone could be as mean as I could.”

“Are you done yet, or are you just going to play with that straw with your talented tongue?” I asked, exasperated.

She winked.

“What,” she asked, licking the straw completely before sucking it into her mouth. “Does this bother you?”

She was playing with fire.

“You know,” I said, standing slowly. “I’ve had one hell of a week. I’m running on fumes, and you’re getting really close to pushing my last button.”

She stood too, taking the half eaten milkshake with her.