Say It Ain't So (SWAT Generation 2.0 9)

Sammy sighed dramatically. “I’m ready to go home.” He squinted his eyes in Louis’s direction. “I don’t like you enough to allow you to take me home. I’ll be riding with my baby mama.”

Louis gave me a ‘can you handle this’ look.

I nodded.

“That’s fine,” Louis said. “But I already called your mother.”

I nearly groaned aloud at that news.

Sammy gasped in outrage. “You didn’t!”

“I did,” he said, then looked at me. “That’s who I was talking to when Malachi called you. She’s handled this… before.”

My lips curled up into a smile.

“It’s fine,” I promised. “We’ll just have visitors and go to his house.”

Louis nodded. “That’s where I told her to meet us anyway.” He lowered his voice and moved a bit closer to me. “I wasn’t really sure that he would want you to see him like this since y’all are so… new.”

New.

You could call our relationship that for sure.

“It’s okay.” I smiled. “Just gives me some more book fodder.”

Louis’s laugh escaped him in a short huff. “Please, please, please tell me that I can read it when you’re done.”

I shrugged. “As long as you like reading about sex, I have no problem with that.”

He gave the air a fist pump.

“I don’t.” He paused. “I’m more interested in urban fantasy novels than romance. But if it’s about him, I’ll read just about anything.”

I tilted my head to the side.

“Have you ever read Jim Butcher? Illona Andrews?” I asked curiously.

His eyes widened. “No. Who are they?”

I gasped. “You claim to say that you read urban fantasy, and you’ve never read them?”

He grinned. “I don’t have much time for reading, but I’ll definitely be looking them up now.”

I winked. “You do that.”

“I’m ready!” Sammy said.

I turned to find him only an inch away from my face.

Damn, he was big.

I looked up into his face and stared at him as he grinned goofily down at me.

“He’s like a large Great Dane,” Louis said. “He’s harmless, but a big motherfucker who doesn’t realize the strength he wields.”

“I’ll remember that,” I murmured. “You ready, Sammy?”

“I’m ready, Tasty Cake,” he agreed.

I felt my face flush.

“I got the reports,” Malachi called. “I have to make a pit stop to visit someone on the NICU floor, but when I’m done, I’ll drop these back off at the station.”

Louis nodded. “I’m heading on patrol.”

Then he was gone just as fast as he’d appeared.

Malachi gave us a chin lift and disappeared, leaving me standing there with Sammy.

“Can we stop for ice cream?” he asked, holding out his bright pink cast. “Will you sign my arm?”

I felt my lips curl up into a small smile. “I’ll sign it at home. Is that okay?”

He nodded. “Now, about that ice cream?”

After making sure he was, in fact, allowed to go, I loaded him into my car and started to Sonic.

Once there, I ordered him the largest Blast that they offered with M&M’s, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Snickers.

I ordered a mini with Butterfinger.

As we drove home, he told me about what happened.

I winced when he got to the part about Patman getting his face punched.

“Did you know that your mom, dad, and Patman used to have this like, love triangle thing going on?” he asked. “I think that’s why he was so mean to you. You probably look like her when she was younger, don’t you?”

I did.

“I guess,” I admitted, feeling something uneasy start to fill me at Sammy’s words.

I’d have to call them later and find out.

Because I did not like where this was going.

“You can’t file charges anymore.” Sammy sighed dramatically. “Apparently your assault gets canceled out by my assault. If I want to keep my job.”

My mouth fell open.

“You were at risk for losing your job?” I gasped.

He shrugged. “Worth it.”

I thought about all that as I drove home, pulling into not Sammy’s driveway, but my own.

I didn’t miss the beautiful brunette that was across the street pulling a box of what looked like barbeque out of her back seat, though.

She turned with a friendly smile when I got out. That friendly smile fell off her face slightly at the sight of her son waving at her behind me.

“Mama!” he called out. “You’re going to be a grandma!”

I felt my face flame.

That was also when I realized that there were quite a few people out in front of their houses.

It was shift change. Some were getting home at the same time that others were leaving.

Son of a bitch.

“Sammy,” I hissed. “Put a sock in it!”

Sammy smiled and moved clumsily around the car, as if he wasn’t quite used to his large feet.

He walked right up to his mother and asked, “Are you happy?”

Mercy’s eyes went from me to Sammy and back.

“Umm,” she said. “Is it true?”

He whipped around and put his hands out like Vanna White presenting a fucking car.

“Yes, it’s true!” he cried. “I’m going to be a daddy!”