Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83777 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83777 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
I knew how he felt about cops. Hell, I felt the same way. We all did. They were our biggest threat, but for reasons I couldn’t explain, I didn’t let that stop me from going in deep with Devin. But she wasn’t a cop anymore. Not that her quitting solved anything. She had the mindset and the connections. Years and years of connections. That alone should’ve been enough to end any thoughts of seeing her again.
It didn’t.
There was a piece of my heart that would always be hers. Not just back then or until I found someone else. Hell, I could fall in love a thousand times over, but that piece will always be hers. And with that in mind, I grabbed my phone from my pocket and pulled up the file Shep had sent me on Devin.
As soon as I found her address, I drove over and parked across the street. I was tucked half behind a battered oak tree and a mailbox that was leaning like it had been hit more than once. I grabbed my phone and started reading through what Shep had sent.
Devin Kennedy
ID- 217069421
21 Cross Reeves Lane
Little Rock, Arkansas
Age: Thirty-seven
Occupation: Professor of Criminal Law at LR Community College
Lives in a modest single-story with white trim and a porch swing that’s seen better days. Two kids. A boy—Austin, fourteen. A girl—Chrissy, twelve.
The report had felt clinical. Cold, dry facts and matter-of-fact statements. But sitting here, staring at the house, it felt anything but. I hadn’t felt so warm and alive in months, and I wasn’t even with her. I was just reading about her. That hit hard.
It had been years since she walked out. I found myself wondering if she’d really let go of me, cause I sure as hell hadn’t let go of her.
I hadn’t been sitting there long when a blue pickup pulled up to the house. The driver's door opened, and Detective Maddox climbed out, looking like he owned the place.
His shirt was tucked in, and he had his sunglasses on top of his head in that way that cocksuckers do. Seconds later, the back doors flew open, and two kids got out. They were moving too slow for his liking, so he shouted, “Any day now!”
The son shook his head with aggravation as he tossed his backpack over his shoulder and started up to the front door. The daughter followed behind with her head down, and even though I didn’t know the kid, it was clear she was upset about something.
Maddox gave them a quick wave as he ordered, “Call me later.”
The asshat didn’t even wait for them to make it inside before he was back in his truck and peeling off. Damn. I didn’t like that guy, and if their standoffish behavior was any indication, they didn’t care for him much either—at least, not at the moment.
I sat there for a while longer, hoping maybe she’d come out.
I wanted to see her, even if it was just for a second. But the door stayed shut. And eventually, the sun started to set, and the lights came on.
A few houses down, a man came out to his car, and he noticed me right away. He leaned to the side, getting a good look at me. I took that as my cue to leave. I started the engine, and after one last look at the house, I pulled away.
I didn’t get what I came for.
But I wasn’t giving up. Not even close.
The next morning, I was sitting at her college with a campus map in my hand. I’d studied the thing for God knows how long before I finally found the building where Devin taught. I sat there a minute, trying to decide if this was a bad idea, and the next thing I knew, I was pulling off my cut and lying it across the back seat.
Last thing I needed was to draw more eyes than I already would. I wasn’t exactly subtle, even without the patch. I was a good bit older and a lot more rugged than most of the folks on campus.
I pulled her schedule up and double-checked the time before getting out of the truck. I crossed the lot, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I didn’t belong there. I didn’t. Not with all these kids with their backpacks slung over their shoulders and coffee cups in their hands. They walked around like they didn’t have a care in the goddamn world.
I won’t deny it. I was a little envious. They were all around the age Devin and I were back when we were dating. It was a time when it was new and hot and full of things that felt like forever. I passed a couple sitting on a bench. They were tucked in close, laughing about something on a phone screen, and it hit me in the gut harder than I expected.