“All right partner. I’m out of here unless you need me.”
“Nah, we’re done for the day. Go enjoy your family. Give my love to that sweet woman who birthed you.”
“Will do.”
When Pete was gone Isaac sat at his desk finishing up paperwork. Between questioning the firefighters of station 12 on their new case, assigning Detectives Jack Runyan and Lonnie Spencer to do the same at station 23 and bringing them up to speed on the case, not to mention following up on a lead in a separate case, and filling out paperwork related to his sergeant duties, it had been a very long day.
They’d gone back to the firehouse a few hours ago and questioned a couple more firefighters before their next call came in, cutting things short yet again. Isaac was finally resigned to the fact that this was going to be a very slow process if they continued to try and accommodate the firefighters.
“Hey, Sarge. You’re here late.”
Isaac looked up and grinned at Detective Isadora Cruz, one of the night shift homicide detectives. He glanced at his watch and stood.
“Yes, I am. And I’m going to fix that right now.”
He put on his jacket and watched as the other three night shift detectives all trickled in. Then he grabbed the paperwork from his desk and shut off his computer.
“You all have a safe night.”
“You too, Sarge.”
He entered Gavin Hayes’ office and placed the paperwork on his desk. “Good night, Lieu.”
“Have a good night, Ike.”
He left Hayes’ office with only one thought on his mind — getting home to Sidney. He couldn’t wait to take his beautiful wife into his arms and forget the tensions of this day.
“Detective Taylor! Just the person I was looking for.”
In the middle of the stairwell Isaac stopped and turned around, looking back up. Channel 4 News’ famed reporter, Janelle Mandrake, smiled down at him.
When he’d left Hayes’ office he’d spotted her across the pit, but he averted his eyes and kept walking. Had she just chased after him to get his attention?
It was a fairly new development since he’d saved Ms. Mandrake’s life a few months ago. One of the off-duty-off-the-books incidents that Pete liked to call their Psychic Batman cases, meaning it had something to do with a crime Isaac had ‘witnessed’ via his psychic abilities.
In that particular vision, he’d seen Janelle being strangled by an intruder in her home. He and Pete had gotten there just in time to stop it from happening. And ever since, the woman the entire police station called The Barracuda had been super syrupy sweet to him. Which, in Isaac’s mind, only made her more terrifying since she wasn’t sugary sweet to anyone else.
“I’m afraid I’m on my way out, Ms. Mandrake. Whatever it is will have to wait until tomorrow.”
“No, I just need two seconds of your time. I promise!”
Isaac sighed, not bothering to hide his annoyance, and walked back up the few steps to the landing. Ordinarily he wouldn’t have even bothered. But since she was being nice, he figured he could be nice too.
“What can I do for you?”
“You can give me and Channel 4 the exclusive when you close this mysterious firefighter case.”
Her statement brought up so many questions Isaac didn’t know where to begin.
“Ms. Mandrake, I have to ask… where are you getting your information? How do you even know that I’m investigating the firefighter case?”
Janelle smiled at him, tossing her long brunette hair over her shoulder, but said nothing.
“Because I happen to know for a fact that neither Fire Chief Richards, nor Fire Investigator Hudson have released any information that would suggest homicide is involved in the investigation of their lost man,” Isaac continued.
It was true. To protect Jim Lawson’s family and the integrity of the investigation, they’d gone to great lengths to keep the details quiet. But he supposed not even the Fire Chief could control every firefighter under his command.
“Come on, Detective. You know I’m not going to answer that question.”
“Umm hmm.” Isaac folded his arms over his chest.
“But don’t worry. I have no intentions of running to press with this story. Not yet anyway. That wouldn’t be fair to Jim Lawson’s family.”
“How noble of you.”
“Do you really suspect one of his fellow firefighters of murdering him?”
“No comment.”
Janelle rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’ll wait. But I do want the exclusive, Isaac. Promise you’ll talk to only me?”
“Ms. Mandrake, in case you haven’t noticed by now, I don’t typically talk to the press unless I’m ordered to speak at a press conference. I don’t do one-on-one interviews.”
“Yeah, why didn’t you jump all over that Willow Harper thing when you had the chance?”
She was referring, of course, to the death of superstar singer, Willow Harper, who had been murdered in their city after a concert last year.
“I never understood that, Ike. Most people would’ve hired a publicist to manage all the TV requests and gotten booked on everything from Dateline to Good Morning America. Maybe even turned it into a book deal.”
“I’m not most people.”
In truth, he was still being hounded by different national news outlets wanting to interview him about Willow Harper’s death. They all wanted to hear from the detective who had famously led the investigation and found a superstar’s killer. His answer to them was always the same — no. It was bad enough that clips of him from those news conferences of the case were still being shown.
“No, you are definitely not most people.” Janelle’s smile was almost salacious as she looked him over. “Surely you can make an exception for me, Isaac. It wouldn’t even have to be a formal interview. Just a few questions about the investigation, one friend to another.”
“Are we friends, Ms. Mandrake?”
“Well, with the way you keep calling me Ms. Mandrake instead of Janelle, I’m beginning to wonder.” She reached out and poked his arm with a single finger, as if admonishing him.
It was a very flirtatious gesture and Isaac flinched, thanking God he had a dress shirt and a leather jacket as a barrier. The last thing he needed was to see another flash of her life.
“I really do need to be going.” He turned for the stairs again.
“Please! Just think about the exclusive.”
“I will give it thought. Good night, Ms. Mandrake.”
“Janelle!”
He merely waved a hand in response as he descended the stairs.
He avoided eye contact with everyone after that, hurrying through the station and out to his car.
By the time he made it home and dragged himself from his car, he felt mentally drained, but the aroma of something savory and delicious had him perking up again.
“Meow.”
“Well, hello there, Mr. Hitchcock.” Isaac bent over and picked up the large, brown-point, Ragdoll cat that was his buddy and scratched behind his ears. “How was your day today, hmm? Did you lay in the window and watch the birds and squirrels all day?”
He got the hum of a steady purr and a tiny wet nose in his ear in response, and it made him smile. He carried the cat into the living room where he found Sidney sitting on the sofa with a book.
“Hey, baby. Late day today, huh?”
She stood and moved toward him, the pert nipples making their presence known through the thin material of her t-shirt snagging his attention. She always looked good enough to eat.
“I know. I’m sorry. I should’ve called.” He set the cat down and took Sidney into his arms instead. He kissed her full, luscious lips, and gave her bottom a quick squeeze through the fabric of the blue striped pajama shorts she wore.
“It’s okay. You’re not that late.”
“Dinner smells amazing.”
“It’s just a simple meatloaf. Why don’t you go get comfy and I’ll get it on the table.”
“Gladly.”
He kissed her again before he headed for the bedroom where he put away his gun and holster, got out of his work clothes, and pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. When he got out to the dining table, Sidney had a plate heaping with generous portions of the meatloaf, mashed sweet potatoes, and roasted asparagus.
“This looks great.” Isaac sat down and dove right in.
They ate in silence for several minutes and Isaac gradually became aware his wife was watching him devour his dinner. He looked at her and felt a flutter of nerves at the smile she was giving him.
“What?”
“Nothing. I just love watching you eat. You have such a healthy appetite. You’re fun to cook for because you’re always appreciative and you eat practically anything.”
Isaac chuckled around his mouthful. “Is that a nice way of saying that I’m a pig?”
“What? No.”
“A glutton?”
“Ike.”
“A big, fat, corn-fed boy who never misses a meal?”
He had Sidney laughing now, and that was always a good thing as far as he was concerned. He loved the sound of her laughter.
“I’m just saying that I love your healthy appetite. And we both know that you are nowhere near what anyone would consider fat.”
“Only because I spend most days running up and down the stairs at the PD.”
“Yeah, and the push ups and pull ups I’ve seen you do each night around the house.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. My body just naturally looks this way.”
Sidney laughed out loud and he smiled at her. He’d installed a pull-up bar in the doorway of their walk-in closet in the bedroom when he’d first moved in with her, and he spent about fifteen minutes doing a set of pull ups and a set of push ups before bed each night. He didn’t always have time to spend in the PD’s weight room, so it was how he kept his abs and arms so ripped.
“So how was your day, darlin’?”
“It was good. Routine. We’ve got a full house right now though. ”
“Yeah?”
“Seven women with ten kids between them.”
“Wow, that is full. No uninvited surprise guests at the Hope House lately?”
The women’s shelter she helped run had been the site of a couple of incidents that contributed to Isaac’s worst nightmares — once when an angry husband with a gun took the place, and everyone inside it hostage, and another time when Sidney had knocked a drunken husband on his ass and pulled her gun on him.
Isaac was incredibly proud of her for following her passion to help abused women, but sometimes just the thought of all the things that could happen there terrified him like no monsters ever could.
“No. Not lately. And don’t talk that stuff up! You’ll jinx the streak.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“What about you? How was your day?”
Isaac sighed and reached for a second helping of food. “It was… interesting.”
“That sounds somewhat ominous.”
“More sad than anything else. Did you hear about that big fire last night at the old canning plant?”
“Yes, we saw that on the news at work. Zoe said she has a nephew that worked at that plant.”
“Yeah, well, a firefighter was killed in that blaze.”
“Oh, yes. The news did mention there was one fatality. A firefighter.”
Isaac nodded. “That fatality is my new case.”
“Why would you be investigating a fire?”
“Because both the Fire Investigator and the Medical Examiner say that firefighter was murdered.”
“I don’t understand. The news made it sound like his death was the result of the fire.”
“I know. That was done purposely. But Hiroshi insists something, or someone broke that firefighter’s neck, killing him instantly. There was zero smoke in his lungs, which means the fire wasn’t the culprit. And now Pete and I are tasked with questioning every firefighter that was involved in putting that warehouse fire out.”
“And, I’m guessing, basically accusing one of them of murdering his or her fellow firefighter in the process?”
“That’s the way they’re seeing it. But it can’t be helped. I mean, it’s not our intention to accuse any of them of murder, but we have to question them to find out what each of them may have seen. We’re only doing our jobs, and I don’t know of any other way. But Pete and I are definitely getting some push back for it at the firehouse.”
“I can imagine.”
“It’s only going to get worse in a couple of days.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I’m seriously thinking that we’re going to have to haul them into the PD one at a time to question them.”
Sidney gave him one of those I-sure-hope-you-know-what-you’re-doing looks, and Isaac was suddenly hoping that too. But he didn’t see any other way around it.
“I know what you’re thinking, but I’ve got no choice. We tried twice today to question them at the firehouse, and both times the entire place cleared out when they got a call. So we actually only got to talk to four of them today. And we’ve got two firehouses to get through.”
“Two?”
“Yeah. There were two fire stations involved in controlling that fire the other night. I’ll give it one more day, but I’m not holding out much hope. In the interest of time, I think we’re going to have to have patrol escort them in one at a time. That way, if they get a call, our interviews keep moving forward.”
“Well, I know you’ll handle it as delicately as you can.”
“Mmm, that’s the plan, but… I don’t know. I feel like this situation has the potential to stir up bitter feelings between the cops and the firefighters, and after everything the CPD has been through the last few months, a feud with other first responders is the very last thing we’d need.”
“I agree, the CPD has been through hell. I’m still surprised those calling for Chief Branson to resign backed down after the FBI’s investigation ended.”
“You and me both. But I don’t want to talk about work anymore, darlin’. It’s giving me a headache.”
“I’m sorry, baby. Want me to get you some aspirin?”
“No.” He scooted his chair back and reached for her, pulling her into his lap in a straddle position. “I want you to give me something else.”
“Oh.” Sidney wrapped one arm around his shoulders and ran the fingers of her other hand through his honey blond hair, gently scratching his scalp with her nails. “Something like this?”
She kissed his cheek.
“Mmm.”
“Or maybe you meant something like this.” Her lips pressed against his neck, then she ran the tip of her tongue from that point, up his neck, and lightly bit his earlobe.
“Swooo, ah!”
Tingles of ecstasy danced down his spine and exploded at his groin.
“Something like that?” she whispered.
Isaac nodded. “Yes.” The word was hissed out on a soft pant. “Exactly like that.” He grabbed a fistful of her crazy curls and fused his mouth against hers in an urgent, hungry kiss.
His passion suddenly took on a life of its own, shutting out everything else and focusing only on her. On his Sidney.
His hands roamed over her body, slipping easily beneath the thin fabric of her t-shirt and feasting on warm, soft flesh. He loved the fact that she rarely wore a bra at home when they were simply having a quiet night in.
Hands full of breasts, he squeezed and teased and was rewarded by the soft moan of delight. He lifted the t-shirt up and over her head. His lips had circled one perfect brown nipple before the shirt landed on the floor.
Sidney arched her back and rocked her hips forward, rubbing against the bulge in his sweatpants. Driving him crazy.
“Fuck.” He couldn’t stand it anymore. He tugged at her pajama bottoms. “Take these off.”
Two seconds later they were completely naked and back on the chair, their bodies joined, writhing and grinding against each other.
Sweat mingling.
Hands groping.
Hearts pounding.
“Ooh! So deep.” Her words were choked out on a strangled breath.
“That’s right. Take every inch of that big dick, darlin’.”
“Oh, God!”
There were times he still couldn’t believe this was real. That he’d actually found her. A woman he could touch. A woman he could hold and caress. A woman he could truly share his life with.
A woman who made him feel normal.
It was a dream come true for someone like him. He’d spent so many years — his entire life really — avoiding physical touch. Avoiding intimacy. Avoiding happiness. His world was cold and lonely and dark until Sidney breezed in with her light and her warmth and changed everything.
With Sidney he had a life.
With Sidney he had a future.
With Sidney he had the most amazing experiences. Sex. Dancing. Touching her skin. It was all new and exciting and more life than he had ever lived before.
His hands caressed her waist and her ass, holding her close for his long, deep thrusts. He buried his face in her cleavage, filling his lungs with the spiced honeysuckle scent of her while he pounded up into her sweet spot over and over.
“Isaac. Oh, God!”
They sailed over the edge of ecstasy together. Then she collapsed into him and he held her close. Her whole body trembled with aftershocks, and Isaac never wanted it to stop. He felt her everywhere — in his arms, across his lap, surrounding his manhood, embedded in his heart — and he loved it. If he could bottle this feeling and pour it all over himself every minute of everyday, he would.
He looked into her eyes.
“I love you so much, Sidney.”
“I love you back, baby.”
“What do you say we leave this mess for later and take this conversation back to the bedroom?”
“Normally I don’t like to leave a mess lying around. That could lead to kitty vomit. But if you’re promising to give me another orgasm like that one, I’m sold.”
“Oh, I can give you that and much, much more.”
“Then you’re on, Detective. Screw my brains out.”
Isaac laughed out loud at her word choice. She often said things that totally shocked him, and he loved it. In fact, there wasn’t much about his gorgeous wife that he didn’t love.
When they stood, he took her by the hand.
“Come on, sassy ass.”
Without warning, he swooped her up and over his shoulder.
“Whoop. Isaac!”
He gave her delectable derrière a playful swat and smiled at the sound of her giggles as he carried her back to their bedroom.