Page 98 of Cuffed By Your Love
She pressed her forehead to mine, wet lashes brushing my skin. “I hate him for what he did to me. But I hate that part of me still cared.”
I kissed her knuckles, one by one, slowly. “You’re not weak for that. You’re human, baby. You loved him once, and love doesn’t just vanish so easily. But you have me now. All of me. And I’ll never put you through that kind of storm.”
Her breath hitched again, but this time, she let herself sink into me, sobbing into my chest. And I held her, strong as the walls I swore I’d always be for her.
The sirens swallowed the night. IA swarmed the house, tape went up, cameras blinked red, and Jonay’s home stopped being hers. It was evidence now. They led her outside, wrapped in a blanket, while I gave my first clipped account under flashing lights. I caught her eyes once before they put her in a cruiser to wait. Fear. Relief. Love. And the unspoken question in both of us:What now?
The ride back to the precinct was dead silent.
Not the peaceful kind of silence. Not the kind that settled your spirit.
This was the kind that screamed in your chest and made your pulse feel like it was trying to escape your skin. Chambers drove. I rode shotgun with my fists clenched so tight, my fingernails left crescents in my palms.
I had just saved Jonay’s life.
But my soul still felt like it got dragged through broken glass and spat out the back of a funeral home.
When we pulled up to the IA office, it felt like a coffin with fluorescent lights, filled with gray walls, burnt-out coffee smell, and that damn red dot blinking on the recorder like an unblinking eye.
IA was already posted up in the conference room. Chief Milner stood at the edge of the hallway, arms folded, face unreadable, like he was trying to decide if he should thank me or fire me.
The precinct lights flickered like tired eyes. That overhead hum of busted fluorescents buzzed above us like a choir of petty demons. As soon as we walked in, the air thickened. I heard whispers. Felt stares.
They knew.
“Edmonds. In here. Now,” Milner said, voice tight.
I slowly stepped into the room. No fear in my bones. Just fury dressed in professionalism.
My badge was polished. My report was already drafted in my mind. Facts on lock. Intent clear.
“Officer-involved shooting. Explain,” Milner said.
Chambers leaned against the wall, arms folded, eyes locked on me with that look that said be calm. Be clear. Be undeniable.
So I did.
I sat with my badge on the table between us. It felt heavier than usual, like every stripe, every scar, every good deed I’d ever done was being weighed against the three bullets I put in Kameron Sweets.
Two investigators sat across from me, pressed suits, pens clicking.
The lead investigator cleared his throat, eyes flat. “Detective Edmonds. Walk us through what happened.”
I laced my hands together on the table, knuckles pale. My voice came steady, though my chest felt wrapped in barbed wire.
“At approximately 2300 hours, Chambers and I responded to a motion alarm at Detention Deputy Jonay Jacobson’s residence. The rear entry had been forced open. We entered and cleared the first level, then proceeded upstairs. The suspect, Kameron Sweets, was located in Deputy Jacobson’s bedroom, lying in wait for her to arrive home. He was armed with a firearm. Rope was on the nightstand, and multiple controlled substances were scattered across the dresser.”
The second investigator leaned forward. “What happened next?”
I exhaled slowly. “I issued verbal commands for the suspect to put the gun down. He did not comply. Instead, he began making threats toward Deputy Jacobson. He confessed to the murder of Taleah Carter, citing her interference with his medication regimen, and stated his intent to continue targeting Deputy Jacobson. His behavior was erratic, but his intent was clear.”
The lead investigator’s pen scratched across paper. “And then?”
“He raised his firearm and discharged a round in my direction,” I said, voice clipped. “At that point, I returned fire—three rounds, center mass. The suspect collapsed immediately. EMS confirmed DOA.”
Milner exhaled. “You have body cam?”
“Chambers does.”
