Page 10 of Hey, Daddy

A throat cleared and I looked over to find the manager once again standing there, though this time she was clearly antsy.

I waved her closer, and she hurried toward us.

“You got the footage?” I asked as the night manager came to a stop next to me.

“Yes,” she confirmed, handing it out to me. “It’s all on a thumb drive. Everything that’s happened in the last twenty-four hours.”

“Thank you,” I said. “Have a good night.”

She nodded and walked away, shooing her employees inside to get to work.

Since the scene was still being processed, and there was nothing else that I could do until the owner of the car arrived, John and I decided to head back to the station to watch the tape.

“You eat yet?” John asked as he took a seat at his desk.

“No,” I admitted. “Had a beer, though.”

“Don’t tell Cap.” He chuckled. “But I did, too.”

We weren’t supposed to drink when we were on call, but I was beginning to get to the point where I just didn’t fucking care.

Which sounded bad when you thought about it.

I wouldn’t drink so much that I’d be driving drunk, but if I wanted a goddamn beer, I’d have it.

“The ‘I’ in my name stands for ‘I don’t care,’” I told him.

My partner blinked. “You don’t have an I in your name.”

I grinned. “I know.”

He rolled his eyes and jerked his chin toward the back wall. “I’m ordering Indian food.”

“Butter chicken,” I ordered as I queued up the video footage.

I used to think bulls were crazy for chasing red flags, yet here I am.

—Nastya’s secret thoughts

NASTYA

“Can you give me a ride back to my car?” I asked my brother.

We were at Milena’s coffee shop, which was within walking distance of my new apartment.

Last night, Auden, Maven’s husband, had called to tell her that Lola was sick and asking for her. Instead of dropping me off at my car, she’d gone home, and I’d gotten a ride home from Auden’s brother, Atlas.

Atlas worked at Dallas Police Department and happened to be driving right past my apartment complex.

Though, Atlas hadn’t been happy about my choice of apartments, and had barely concealed his disgust when he helped me move eighteen packages into my apartment that looked like it could be rushed at any moment.

He’d left, but not before giving me a lecture.

But it was the morning now, and I really needed my freakin’ ice maker!

Though, I was unsure how I was getting that big ass box out of my car and up two flights of stairs…

But first, coffee.

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