CHAPTER FOUR
The Wild One
Savannah
New Orleans, Louisiana
I figured if I have to get the truck and sped out of the parking lot before Addie could come and call me out of the truck by my hair. Not a chance big sister. I dug around blindly in the glove box as I pealed out of the parking lot. Finding my favorite 70s mixed tape, I pushed it into the ancient cassette player and cranked the volume.
The sounds of Suzi Quattro's The Wild One crackled through the speakers as I headed down the highway. By the time I pulled up to the address Pope had given me, my neck ached from all the head banging and my voice was hoarse.
I took a minute to look myself over in the mirror. The wind had tousled my natural waves and flushed my cheeks. I adjusted the crochet vest that I’d been forced to hide behind the seat since Addie had threatened to burn it on sight if she ever caught me wearing it again, and slipped on a stack of bangles from my bottomless purse. A swipe of mascara and my favorite tinted lip balm, and my fresh from the beach boho look was complete.
God I’m good.
I typed out a quick message to Pope letting him know I'd arrived and took a moment to pull myself together. He'd said it was just a casual cookout with some buddies from the precinct, nothing formal and certainly nothing to be worried over.
Yeah fucking right.
Everyone knew that if the boyfriend’s friends didn't like you, it was like the kiss of death for the relationship. I'd never really had trouble with people liking me, but then again, I'd never really cared what other people thought. Somehow it seemed as though being with Pope was changing more than my maturity level, it was starting to change my outlook on life.
I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. What I was sure of, was that I was falling in love with him, so if that meant caring about what the people in his life thought about me, then I supposed it was okay.
For now at least.
Stepping out of the truck I headed for the walkway, I could hear music playing from the backyard and briefly wondered if I was supposed to go straight back to the party or knock at the front door first. I didn't have to think about it long, because as soon as I opened the front gate I spotted Pope coming around the side of the house.
He was dressed as he always was when he was off duty; blue jeans covered his strong thighs, his white t-shirt clung across his broad chest and strained at his biceps…
How could one man look so fucking edible?
A dimpled smile that I knew was reserved just for me, greeted me as he approached. "Hey, gorgeous.”
Instead of the peck on the lips I expected, he pulled me close to his body. The fresh scent of bar soap enveloped my senses and I tilted my chin up just in time to meet his waiting lips. He devoured my mouth, his tongue slipping against mine in a toe curling kiss that I'd never experienced with him outside of the bedroom.
Pope was fairly reserved in public, opting to leave passion for private moments. I wasn't sure if it was the fact that we hadn't seen each other since our fight, or if our argument had broke loose some dormant alpha tendencies, but I liked it. A lot. If this kiss was a preview to the make-up sex we were going to have later, I was ready to drag him back to his house, double time.
Once he’s sufficiently fucked my mouth, he pulled away slowly, easing back with a few soft kisses to my swollen lips.
"Hi," I whispered.
"Hi."
"What was that for?"
His eyes crinkled a little bit at the corners as he smiled widely at me. "I just miss you, is all. I feel like I haven't kissed you in weeks.” His thumbs stroked my cheeks as he spoke, his breath tickling my already tingling lips. “I don't want to go that long without seeing you again."
"Me either," I said softly tightening my grip around his waist to emphasize my point.
The time we’d spend apart was just as hard on me as it seemed to have been on him. I hadn't realized until he’d kissed me how much he'd come to mean to me in the past few months and just how much a few days without him could hurt.
He pulled away and took me by the hand, leading me back around the side of the house where he’d come from. “Now come on, I want to show you off.”
When the hedges opened up at the back of the house we were met with a party in full swing. Led Zeppelin was blasting from a boombox set up on the back porch and there were kids chasing each other with water guns around the backyard.
Pope led me first to a cooler where he twisted off the tops of two beers and offered me one. I gratefully accepted, feeling like I was going to need something to settle my nerves. Next he guided me with a hand at the small of my back towards the guy manning the barbecue who could’ve rivaled Bam Bam in size.
“Hey Gus!” Pope called out over the noise. “I want you to meet someone.”
When the mountain of a man turned around I noticed a long silver scar that bisected one cheek running from the corner of his eye all the way down to his jawline. The scar would've made the man look menacing had he not been grinning from ear to ear.
"So you must be the famous Savannah. This fucker won't shut the hell up about you."
Pope’s right fist shot out and Struck Gus in the shoulder. The blow would've knocked a normal man on his ass, but Gus didn’t even flinch.
I laughed, it was good to know that even though he hadn’t introduced me to his friends before, he’d at least talked about me.
“And you must be the infamous Gus.” Pope had told me about his partner Gus and how he’d been ecstatic to find out that he’d been assigned to work with his old buddy from the Academy when he transferred to the NOLAPD.
A gorgeous woman with braids piled high into a knot on top of her head joined out little trio. The woman's white sundress contrasted beautifully with her dark skin, and aside from the large baby belly that she sported, she looked as if she could’ve come straight from the runway. When she approached, Gus threw an arm around her. “Hey sweetness,” he said planting a kiss on her forehead.
“Savannah, I'd like you to meet my wife Gabriella. Gabriella, this is Savannah, Pope’s girlfriend.”
The woman beamed at me.
I guess there’s some truth in that pregnancy glow shit people talk about.
She reached out her thin arms and enveloped me in a somewhat awkward hug, considering her giant belly.
“Oh my goodness, it's so good to finally meet you! We had Pope over for dinner a few weeks ago and he couldn't shut the hell up about you.”
Gus snorted. “Yeah, I told him we needed physical proof that you weren’t a blow up doll.”
Pope gave him another little shove. “Can you believe I have to depend on this asshole to keep my ass safe out on the street?”
Gus pointed his barbeque tongs at Pope. “I did a pretty good job of saving your ass from that dude with the knife last week.”
Dude with a knife?
Gabriella must've recognized the look on my face, because she smacked Gus in the stomach and gave him a stern look.
Bile rose in my throat at the thought of Pope getting hurt. “Someone tried to kill you?”
The ‘oh shit’ look that crossed both Pope and Gus's faces would've been comical had I not been stunned. I’d never really taken the time to consider just how dangerous his job really was.
All the stories he told me were of funny drunks trying to pee in fountains and lost tourists. I guess I just assumed that he was always patrolling Bourbon Street and knocking around drunks. The only law enforcement I'd ever known was Sheriff Cooper, and he was either drunk or half-asleep most of the time.
“Hey,” Pope said, taking my face in his hands. “Gus is just being an asshole and making it sound worse than it really was. I promise, I wasn’t in any real danger, just a drunk guy with a pocket knife. He could barely stand, let alone successfully stab someone.”
“But—“ I started, but Pope cut me off.
“I know you, if I told you every little incident that happened while I was on beat; you’d drive yourself crazy. We handled the situation and no one got hurt, so I didn’t see a reason to make you worry.”
Wasn't sure how I felt about him not telling me that he’d almost gotten stabbed. Was not knowing really better than knowing?
“Well,” Gabriella said loudly, bursting our little bubble. “We're gonna leave you boys to man the meat. I’m going to take Savannah over to meet all the ladies.” Gabriella linked her arm with mine and guided me away from the men. “Oh and Pope? Make sure Gus doesn’t burn the steak this time.”
We both laughed at Gus’s protests as I let her steer me through the crowd. Once we were out of ear shot of the boys, she leaned in close and whispered in my ear. “Being one of us, being with a cop is not an easy task. We live the job just like they do, sometimes even more. You guys are going to have to sit down and discuss how you’re going to handle it at some point. You’ve got to figure out whether he tells you everything or nothing at all. Can't be half in, half out, that'll drive you crazy.
“What do you and Gus do?” She laughed and shook her head as if she were remembering something funny.
“At first, I didn't want him to tell me anything, but then he got called to a bar fight one night and took a glass bottle to the side of the face,” she said, indicating with a pink fingernail on her own cheek, the path of the scar on her husband’s face. “When I got the call come to the hospital I was terrified. I knew then that I needed to know everything otherwise every night I stay up and wait wondering. Some nights I still do but it's still better this way. Of course anything could happen on the job, but let me tell you, most of the time, your imagination is worse than the reality.”
“How long have you two been together?”
If possible, her smile got even bigger. “Going on fifteen years, married nine, been together since high school.”
“Is this your first baby?” I asked, and she blinked at me. Her face suddenly completely blank.
“What do you mean?” she asked, her tone sharp.
My heart seized.
Shit.
She let out a huge belly laugh. “I'm just fucking with you! This is our third actually; the other two are around here somewhere, probably setting something on fire.” She waved a hand dismissively in the general vicinity of the house.
Oh thank fuck.
“Girl you should've seen the look on your face, that shit never gets old. Come on, let me introduce you to the girls. We have a little wives and girlfriends club; it's kind of like a support system. If you ever feel like you’re cracking, give one of us a call, we’ll talk you through it. Most of us have been around a long time, we've seen it all.”
“Do you guys always go all out for a Monday night cookout?”
“Cops don’t have regular schedules, it’s difficult to find a day that works for everyone but we try to get together at least once a month.”
“That’s pretty cool.”
Gabriella squeezed my shoulder and ushered me forward towards the group of women hanging out around the fire pit. “We’re a family, you’ll learn soon enough.”
A giant German Shepherd came bounding over to where we stood. He looked friendly enough. He circled me, smelling the ground at my feet and ultimately sizing up the newest arrival.
"Oh who's this guy?" I squatted down and scratched behind his ears, instantly endearing him to me for life. Animals were easy, a little love and attention went a long way.
“That's Rufus, if he likes you, you're in.”
Done with the mini massage, Rufus nosed between my legs and started sniffing quite enthusiastically. I delicately tried to shove his giant head away from my crotch and stood up. It didn't deter him. Instead, he slammed his head between my knees in search of the clearly intoxicating scent of my cooch.
I took a step back and futilely tried to block the dogs’ pursuit
"Okay that's enough,” I ordered, but he just kept coming.
The women in the small circle that I hadn't even been introduced to yet, started to laugh.
"Oh my god! I swear I washed my vag today!" I announced, feeling the need to clarify that there was something wrong with the dog, not my lady bits.
The laughter around me escalated to full on cackling. Gabriella was no help; she was doubled over in hysterics. "You got a steak hiding in those shorts?” She asked through ragged breaths as she tried to regain her composure.
I tried in vain, again, to push Rufus away.
"Rufus, come!" A loud male voice commanded suddenly and I looked up to see Gus and Pope coming toward us to witness my humiliation.
Thankfully the dog retreated, trotting off to meet Gus.
"What the hell is wrong with your dog?" I asked pulling down my shorts that had ridden up in the struggle.
Gus looked concerned. "I don't know, he's been through years of specialized training, I've never seen him act like that when he wasn't on duty."
Huh? "On duty?"
"Yeah, he's a trained K-9 unit. Had to retire him last year because of a bum hip."
Oh fuckity fuck fuck.
I gulped. “Like a trained drug sniffing dog?”
“Exactly,” Gus said absently, scratching behind Rufus’ ears. “What's wrong with you bud?
Pope pinned me with a knowing look. “You have a joint in your pocket don't you?” he accused.
Maybe this was why Pope didn't want you to meet his friends? Not even fifteen minutes into the party you’re about to get arrested.
“Uhhhhhh maybe?”
The composure Gabriella had regained was immediately lost again as she bent forward holding her giant baby belly and laughing so hard I wasn't sure if she was breathing. Gus joined in his laugh louder than the music that was blaring and Pope just shook his head.
Way to make a first impression Savvy.
“Relax,” Pope said. “It's fine, but next time you go to a cop party probably don't want to bring contraband.”
“So you're not going to arrest me?”
He threw an arm around my shoulders and pulled me in close so only I could hear him. “No, but I might use my handcuffs on you later tonight.” A chill ran through my body. That I could handle.
“Oh you are so in,” Gabriela said, finally catching her breath. A chorus of female shouts and hoots came from behind her.
A redhead sitting in a lounge chair by the fire pit hollered and raised a fist in the air. “Hell yeah!”
“Oh she'll fit in just fine,” the blonde next to her said in agreement.
And just like that I was accepted into the fold. The boys went back to the grill and I was quickly pulled in to a conversation with the redhead, Charlie, about our most recent vintage purchases and our favorite eBay shops. By the time the food was passed around I was feeling comfortable, like I'd known these people for years. All my previous worries about Pope having some secret double life that I didn't know about quickly slipped away.
That was until a late arrival showed up.
The guy was about Pope’s age and was wearing a backwards baseball cap and cargo shorts. Everyone seemed to know him because they all laughed as he walked into the backyard and shouted at the top of his lungs, “I'm here fuckers! Let's get this party started!”
Pope leaned into my side and whispered into my ear. “That's Johnny, I went to college with him.”
“Is he a cop?” I was praying the answer was no. He seemed like the kind of guy I’d have dated before Pope, so basically a douchecanoe.
“Used to be, but he decided the private sector was more lucrative so now he does personal security.”
“That guy does personal security? For like rich people?”
Pope’s smile seemed forced, but he gave my thigh a reassuring squeeze. “Yeah, rich people and politicians, mostly.”
“Aren’t they the same thing?”
He chuckled at that. “I suppose they are most of the time.”
“I can’t picture frat boy over there protecting millionaire oil tycoons.”
“Try billionaire.”
I felt my eyes widen in shock. “Are you fucking serious?”
“He’s not always this…” he paused, searching for the word, “exuberant.”
“I see.” I took a long pull of my beer, sensing I was going to need it as I watched Johnny make his way over to us, giving high-fives and hugs along the way.
“Q my man,” he said clapping Pope on the shoulder. “I haven't seen you in a grip! Who’s this fine specimen next to you?” He grinned at me, but the little wink he added was less lecherous and more friendly, like he was playing up the sleazeball act to fuck with Pope. Which I fully approved of.
I gave them a little finger wave. “I’m Savannah.”
“Ha ha dude! I saw your dad the other day he said he hasn’t seen you in a while because you’ve been putting in overtime, I guess I know what he meant.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me, but looked confused when he saw my smile fall.
Pope had told me that his parents were out of town for an extended trip and that's why I hadn't met them yet. But if what Johnny had said was true, he’d lied. I found a way to understand thing from his side before. I’d realized that my feelings were hurt over him not opening up to me, but he hadn’t actually done anything wrong. Until now.
I could overlook a lot. My past relationships proved that. But I would not tolerate being lied to.
Johnny immediately jumped into apology mode. “Shit, I didn’t mean to offend you. I am so sorry I was just joking around.”
I managed a passable fake smile. “You’re fine, I just forgot I needed to call my sister. If you’ll excuse me for just a second.”
Pope tried to catch my eye as I stood, but I avoided his gaze and made my way around the side of the house and through the front gate.
I was sick and tired of playing this shadow game with him. I felt like I was the only one trying, while he continually put up roadblocks. If he wanted me in his life, he had a shitty way of showing it, and I was done trying to force it out of him.
I parked sideways in the driveway and left the truck idling as I ran into the house.
“Kevin!” I called as I came rushing into my room. He popped his head up from a mountain of blankets in the center of my bed. “Get up lazy ass, we’re leaving.”
Within minutes I was out the door with my stuffed messenger bad slung across my shoulder and a pig under my arm.
As soon as I slammed the truck door, the tears I’d been holding back started to fall, and they didn’t stop the entire drive back home to Terrebonne.
There was only one person that could help me now, and she had the best Vodka south of the Mason Dixon.