Page 11 of The Brothers Next Door

Chapter 5

Darrin

What a hell of a day. My shoulder hurt like a bitch, thanks to a criminal I was in pursuit of who I stupidly chased off a two-story building and into a dumpster. Who did I think I was, Superman? The criminal I could understand considering he was on speed. Me, it was plain stupidity. So the remainder of my day was spent in the hospital, putting humpty dumpty back together again. Why couldn’t crime take a break—just one day, that’s all I ask. Why did the criminals have to run? We’re going to get them anyhow, why run? Just fucking admit defeat, give up, and save us all a whole lot of hassle and emergency room visits.

Ha! Fat chance of that, though.

The lieutenant was nice enough to give me a couple of days off to recuperate. Maybe I would take Nate up on his offer to go to the clubs and get myself a little stress relief of the female variety. My shoulder was messed up, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t still fuck.

Who was I kidding, one night stands were Nate’s thing. The latest notch on his bedpost was some chick that had just moved back here. According to him she was a little uptight at first, but by the end of the night she was like a wildcat. Though what Nate said and the truth when it came to women were two entirely different things.

Entering the elevator, I pressed the button for the thirty-fourth floor and then leaned against the railing at the back of the elevator, watching for the doors to slide closed. I was so exhausted and hopped up on medication that just waiting for the doors to close felt like an eternity.

“Hold up,” a female voice called just as the doors came together. I hesitated a moment, then leaned forward and pressed the OPEN DOORS button. “Thanks,” she said, panting a little.

I gave her a quick glance. She was an attractive woman, with raven black hair that fell to her lower back and dark eyes that contrasted with her ivory skin. After a moment, it registered that she was the woman I’d passed in the elevator earlier today, the one with the screeching cat. I fucking hated Siamese cats, obnoxious little bastards. It was as though they always had to be at the center of attention.

She stared at me a moment, her porcelain complexion growing even paler than it had been a moment ago, looking at me as if I were a mutant with three heads and a tail. She opened her mouth as if to say something to me, then snapped it shut again. Abruptly turning from me, she made a motion to press the elevator button and then froze. Her hand pulled away from the buttons and she stepped back to the other corner of the elevator, putting as much distance between us as possible.

Whatever… beautiful, but peculiar. Just my luck psycho bunny with the hell cat was on my floor.

Instead of asking her what her problem was, I sighed, closing my eyes, and leaning back against the railing, not giving her another glance. I was irritable. Hurting and grumpy, and just needed sleep. Maybe with some shut-eye I wouldn’t be such a bastard with a hate on for a cat.

With my eyes closed, I could hear her breathing. I ignored it. The ride seemed to take forever when in fact it was closer to thirty seconds. When the elevator dinged my eyes flew open and I stepped forward, pausing a moment to let her exit before me. She scurried out of the elevator as if hell hounds were on her heels, power walking down the hallway. She came to a stop, one apartment before mine, and attempted to thrust the key into the lock, but seemed to be having trouble. Her hand was shaking, ever so slightly.

Looking down at my uniform, it made me wonder if her behaviour had less to do with being a psycho bunny and more to do with the fact she was intimidated because I was a cop. The only person who would be in a rush to get away from a cop would be someone who had something to hide…

I clucked my tongue off the roof of my mouth as I walked past her, pausing a moment to inspect her from the side. She didn’t look like an addict. Maybe she was a call girl? This building wasn’t cheap so it didn’t usually get much in the way of riff raff. My instincts were telling me there was something wrong with this girl and my instincts were never wrong. I’d have to keep an eye on her and see—just not tonight, she wasn’t going anywhere.

~*~TT~*~

Layla

You have got to be kidding me! I hesitated before entering the elevator as I stared at the man who’d fucked me and left me a thank you note. I was at a loss of what to do or say. My mouth opened, but no words seemed to want to come out. What in the hell I was planning on saying if I could find words was beyond me.

He was looking at me as if he had no idea who I was. Not even so much as a hello. What kind of asshole does that? One that fucks a new girl each night, that was who, a voice in the back of my mind chimed in. I bet he didn’t even bother to log his conquests anymore, he had so many. Squaring my shoulders, I stepped all the way into the elevator and went to press the button for my floor and realized that it was already pressed.

Shit, he lived on my floor!

Stepping back, I leaned against the opposite corner of the elevator and silently prayed that the ride would be quick so I could end this torture. I kept watching him out of the corner of my eyes, while pretending to watch the numbers on the digital display go up. As the seconds passed, the elevator felt more and more like a tomb, it was becoming suffocating.

Maybe he’s waiting for me to break the ice. The thought was fleeting. He wasn’t a shy person, so if he wanted to talk to me he would. As soon as the elevator dinged and doors slid open I stumbled over my own feet I was in such a rush to get out.

I could hear him hot on my heels as I rushed down the hallway, not wanting to run and look like an idiot, but walking fast enough that it didn’t look suspicious. The key was already in my hand by the time I reached the door.

Ohmygod! Why can’t I get this damned key into the lock!

I groaned out my frustration when the key didn’t seem to want to insert into the lock. My hand was shaking and I couldn’t stop it. Finally, just as he walked past me, the key found its spot and slid in. I gave it a twist, and the lock made a soft click and I could have cried out in triumph. Another second and I’d be out of the hallway and safe inside.

As I opened the door and proceeded to step inside, I couldn’t stop my head from turning and taking a quick look in the direction of Nate, who was opening the door to the apartment next to me. Shit. A part of me hoped that he’d look in my direction one last time. He didn’t. He opened the door and slipped in without so much as a secondary glance.

Stepping inside of my apartment, I quickly closed the door behind me and fell back against it, releasing the breath I hadn’t realized that I’d been holding until that very moment. That was when the indignation set in. Why was I running away from him like a scared bunny rabbit? I bet he hadn’t given me a second thought and his blatant disregard for me both this morning and again right now was proof positive of that. If he was not bothered by my presence than I’d be damned if I’d be troubled by his.

Screw Nate Striker! The night we had together was vaulted.

I nodded to myself. That was that.

~*~TT~*~

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