Derek

We enter the station and three of my deputies are present. They all take notice of Tracy at my side. I fucking hate the way they look at her. It makes me want to shoot all of them on the spot. “Let’s go into my office.” I press my hand to the small of her back and lead her into my office, closing the door behind me.

“What’s wrong? Are you embarrassed that they think we’re together?”

I laugh out loud. “I put a fucking neon sign that we’re together on your finger. Pretty soon, I’m hoping there’ll be a very telltale sign that you’re mine.” I rub my hand on her flat abs. “I’m not embarrassed at all. I want them to stop staring at you. Every damn day since we met, I’ve been doing all I can not to blind the guys around here,” I finish with a grunt. I’ve never had a reason to be jealous before. Now it’s like even the slightest smile thrown her way is liable to make me lose it.

She expresses her amusement with my territorial behavior. “Makes sense now why you didn’t want me to work with Blake. I thought you were just looking out for Amelia.”

“Yes and no. I don’t want anyone eyeing you like their next meal. You’re only mine.” She shakes her head and rolls her eyes before taking a seat.

I just take my seat around the desk when I hear a loud commotion in the hall. It’s a woman hollering, and furniture being kicked about.

I open the door to find my sister being escorted into one of the holding cells and another guy, I clearly recognize being taken into another. I turn to Tracy. “Stay here.” I step out and close the door behind me. I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t want Tracy to get hurt in any way.

“What the hell is going on?” I call out. Deputy Sanchez, the one who just locked up the man turns to me and says, “These two were caught back at the scene of the crime. We let them sneak in. It seems they were trying to find something they dropped. We have it right here,” he chuckles out, holding a small piece of paper with a phone number. It’s probably their contact, especially if they were willing to come back for it.

I look over to my sister who at this moment is so damn high she doesn’t even recognize me. “What the hell are you looking at lawman? I bet you’d like me to service you after hours, right?”

Holy fuck, I don’t know whether to be fucking revolted or depressed. I’m feeling both at the moment. “Call me when the detectives arrive,” I tell Sanchez. I refuse to look in her direction, instead, I go straight into my office. I can’t believe that woman out there is my big sister. It’s a damn travesty what drugs do to you. As fucked as it was that she went after Tracy, something tells me she would be willing to go after Amelia if Blake wasn’t around. I wonder if they had staked out the bakery, but my run-in with her last week had fucked up her plans. There are so many questions I want to ask, but I can’t until she’s somewhat sober.

As soon as I’m in my office, Tracy looks up from reading the Houston newspaper that’s on my desk. “What’s wrong?” I guess I didn’t mask the pain in my heart. Fuck. How do I tell her my sister’s been arrested on charges related to her attack? Or how she accused me of planning to accost her later? A shiver runs through me in disgust. “Seriously, what’s wrong, Derek?” she asks, standing up and walking to me.

My intercom in my office buzzes. “The detectives are here.”

“Give me one minute,” I respond.

I pull Tracy into my arms for a brief hug, letting her go before she pushes me away. I know that would have gut me to feel and witness. “I know this is going to sound very fucked up, but if you want to leave me I’ll do my best to convince you not to go.”

“You’re scaring me, Derek.”

“I don’t mean to. The thing is…the woman screaming has been arrested for breaking into your apartment.”

“Oh goodness. Tell me it isn’t your sister.”

I run my hands over my face because fuck if there’s anything I can to do to erase all of this. “She is.” Tracy sits down, then starts to get up, then sits back down.

She looks up at me and concern crosses her face. She stands up and wraps her arms around me. “I’m sorry.” My heart drops. She’s going to leave me. I can’t do this. I can’t let her go. Before I can respond she sees the panic on my face. “I’m sorry about your sister. I’m not going anywhere, Derek. This isn’t your fault. I know you love her, but this time you’re not paying for her sins. You deserve to be with me if that’s what you want.”

“It’s all I’ve wanted from the moment I met you. I love you so much, Tracy.”

I open the door and let the detectives in. “Hello, I’m Sheriff Derek Wright.”

“I’m Dennis Johnson and this is my partner Aaron Reeves.”

“Let me introduce you to my fiancé, Ms. Tracy Hope,” I say, grabbing her hand and pulling them close.

“Wow, this is an interesting development. Have you updated Ms. Hope about the arrest?”

“That’s what I was doing when you arrived. Please, let’s have a seat.” I give Tracy my chair while I stand behind her. The detectives take the seats in front of my desk.

“Well, so here’s the deal. We believe they are working for a trafficking ring that abducts women and teens for prostitution. As we speak the FBI is infiltrating the main operation. They were already onto the group and were about to strike when we contacted them.”

“I wouldn’t let them traffic me.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Hope, but most of those women who fight, die. Very few escape. It’s not like they treat you good. They beat you until you can’t fight them, then inject you with heroin until you become compliant and addicted. Then you’ll do whatever they say.”

“Are you telling me that’s what’s wrong with my sister?”

“Yes and no. She’s been arrested for straight prostitution on the street. She hasn’t been trafficked she chose that life. Although, she may have not always chosen it. She had a chance for help about ten years ago but refused to roll on her handler.”

“They refer to that behavior as Stockholm Syndrome. I’m sorry, but it’s a strange phenomenon that alters their perception of their captor. Along with the drugs, she may be unreachable.”

“Do you think that she can get help?” Tracy asks.

“I don’t know. She needs a lot of help that she can’t get around you all.”

“After her time served, if you want Tracy, we can check to see if she wants to get to know us.”

“I wish you all the best. We’re going to take them into our custody if you could please sign them over.”

“Of course.” I turn to Tracy. “Please stay in here. She’s not in her right mind and I’m afraid of what she’ll say or do.” I lean over and kiss the top of her head, then walk out with the detectives.

About twenty minutes later, my sister and her cohort are carted off to a Houston jail. I feel nothing but relief. “I’m calling it a day,” I tell her. There’s enough staff here to make sure everything is okay. I only came in to deal with the break-in.

“Maybe we should talk to Amelia about this.”

“Let’s save it for another time. Right now, I want to go home and make love to you and forget the past hour.”

“Lead the way,” she tells me, swatting my ass before we exit my office.

“You’re in trouble for that, woman.”