Page 45 of Cop Blocked

I’m beyond ready to get this done and over with. This experience won’t be pleasant. At least I know what to expect, it’s not the first damn time I’ve been tased, but it sure would be nice if it were the last.

Ten minutes later, we’re underway. There’s all the formal bullshit, reviewing the guidelines and precautions, discussing when it’s appropriate to deploy a taser, and what our goals should be when using any kind of force to subdue a suspect.

Then, it’s my turn.

Good ol’ Smitty and Rhys volunteer to hold on to me and guide my seizing body to the ground.

“Remember, you always want to give the instruction. Let the suspect know if they don’t comply, you will tase them,” Lieutenant Cassel instructs.

Smitty wraps one arm under my shoulder, and Rhys has got hold of the other. I take a deep breath, knowing it’s about to go down.

“Taser, taser, taser.” POP.

“Son of a ….” I grunt, and my body goes rigid. The guys lower me to the mat in the front of the room with quiet snickers.

“And if need be,” I can hear the director’s voice, but there’s not a damn thing I can do about what’s next. “You can always move in and give another shock to the back of their leg.

Fucking hell.

Then it stops. Shew. Holy shit. Someone pulls the prongs from my back, and I roll over to sit up, making sure I’m not going to topple right back over before standing.

“New recruits, you’ll stay behind. Everyone gets a go at feeling what it’s like to be on the other end of one of these.” Lieutenant Cassel orders. “Day shift, you’re on the clock. Night shift, thanks for sticking around, you’re free to go. And thanks to Officer Walsh for being our volunteer for today.” He laughs, giving me a handshake.

“Hey man, you survived!” Smitty says as soon as well leave the room.

“Smitty, I survived two tours in Iraq, that is nothing.”

“Humble brag, huh?‘I survived two tours in Iraq,’” he mimics. “I’m only giving you shit, Walsh. Go home and cuddle up with your girl.”

I wish I were going home to cuddle up with my girl. Since it’s her first day back to work on desk duty- which she is so thrilled about- I’ll be bringing her lunch before I head home.

The minute I step out of my patrol car, twenty minutes later, I feel eyes on me.

Three floors up, I spot Rachel in the window with a smile on her face. I give her a wink as I walk around the car to grab our lunch from the passenger seat. When I lean in, I swear I see something flash and for a split-second adrenaline kicks in. Until I look up again and see Rachel with her phone pointed at me. I’m pretty damn sure she just took a picture of my ass or tried to, because if she has the flash on, then I know it bounced off the window and blinded the shot.

Deciding to be a little mischievous, I lean over again, just for fun. Every movement I make is deliberate as I begin posing like some lunatic, in the hospital parking lot. Hell, I even move to lean across the hood, just for good measure. I can’t hear her, but I can see her body shake with laughter, just as two other nurses join her. Now I have a full audience.

Christ, the whole hospital could be watching now for all I know.

I give the women one more pose before I shake my head and lock up the car, heading inside to greet my girl.

“Visitor for Rachel Beasley, she’s a NICU nurse on the third floor.” I present my driver’s license to the security guard at the visitor’s registration. Even in full police uniform, they still require my ID before they’ll let me up. Not that I blame them, you can never be too safe these days.

“Ah, Logan. Back again. Haven’t seen you in a while,” Charlie teases. I guess I do come here often when I’m on a first-name basis with hospital security.

“First time this week, thank you very much,” I chuckle.

“Don’t tell; I’m not even going to call up. I’m sure she’s waiting for you. Go on.” Charlie hands me a visitor’s pass and waves me through.

Rachel greets me with a breathless, “Hi,” the moment I step off the elevator.

Even in her powder blue scrubs, and hair piled high on top of her head in a messy bun, she takes my breath away.

“Hi to you, too, Ms. Paparazzi.”

She laughs. “I’m not even the least bit sorry for trying to snap a picture of your ass. But I’m pretty sure you gave Nancy and Marilyn a heart attack with your little performance.”

I follow her out onto the terrace near the Mother’s Garden, the gorgeously landscaped balcony that takes up over half the length of the eight floor. I’d never given it much thought before, but it’s a nice touch, and I imagine an excellent place for those NICU families to step away for a moment without being so far away from their new addition. As soon as I set down our lunch and drinks, I pull her close and greet her properly. “That performance was nothing. Wait until later,” I mumble against her lips.

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