Cops and Robbers

We lounged on the couch after some time. Sierra had my head in her lap, absently running her fingers through my hair as we watched COPS. I had already discussed with her about my situation at work, and she had agreed to comply and come in to work with me tonight. She was wary at first. Scared out of her mind that I turned her in.

Let’s just say, she was a big fan of throwing things at me, mainly pillows, when she told me I set her up for an arrest. It was cute to see her huff and stomp around the livingroom when she finally believed my word.

I leaned up, stealing a kiss to her jaw, catching her attention. I smiled at her when she looked down at me, and she flicked some of my hair into my face. While I giggled she gave me a dark grin, raising her hands up.

Oh hells. No. Don’t you dare.

But she did, digging her fingers into my sides. I howled with laughter, kicking at her softly, almost kneeing her in the face. With her pretty strong grip though, she held me in her lap and on the couch without dropping me onto the floor.

After I plead for mercy, she stopped, kissing my forehead. It was a sweet gesture, one that made me smile. I don’t know what it was that had drawn me to the red head, but whatever mysterious force it was, I’m eternally in debt to it.

“What time do you want to go?” She asked, eyes meeting mine.

I glanced at the clock. It was barely five fifteen. We had ordered a pizza not long after spending a few extra minutes in the kitchen poking fun at the other and the occational kiss, so we were fully fed.

I didn’t understand why I hated kissing Vicki so much, but it was a craving to have if I didn’t get one from Sierra.

Then all we could figure out to do was lounge on the couch in boredom and relax with one another. I tried to nap but Sierra gave me a pout, telling me she wasn’t tired and only wanted to nap if it was with me. Her sweet side wasn’t something I wasn’t ever going to get used to.

“I don’t know,” I shrugged, “Whenever I guess. Lana did say that she was going to be at the office until ten.”

Her eyes slanted, “That’s like, five hours to kill.”

“We’re not going to go in at ten, Sierra.”

She scrunched her face, “I never said that.”

“You were thinking it, lazy butt.”

She playfully shoved me off the couch and feigned innocence when I glared up at her from the floor. She looked away, pretending that I had fallen on my own accord.

“Oops, wow you’re sure clumsy.”

Huffing, I stood, poking her in the chest, “You pushed me.”

She gave a look of mock horror, placing her hand on her chest, “Me? Push you? Never.”

I sat in her lap, meeting her gaze, mood falling serious. Her aura relaxed, matching mine in mood. My voice lowered when I spoke to her, and she looked generally concerned when I did.

“You know, you could’ve hurt me.”

She scoffed, “Don’t like being roughed up?”

“Not by you. Maybe I’ll go be with my other hookers.”

She smiled slightly at that, ruffling my hair, “I need to shower before we go to see your boss. Want to join?”

Her question made my cheeks flame up, and I bashfully crept off her lap, shaking my head. I was good. I didn’t need to see everything on her yet. Her charm was smooth, and hells did I know that it was a tempting offer but again, new relationship. Not a good way to start it. I wanted her for herself, not her body. I wasn’t another client. I was her lover, and that’s what I wanted it to stay as for us until we were both comfortable in our relationship to get that far.

“Suit yourself. You’re missing out on seeing a starved female body.”

I poked her stomach, “Starved. Uh huh. Sure. Who ate half the pizza to themselves?”

She shrugged, walking by me while removing her heels, “Beats me. They were really hungry though.”

While she dissapeared from view, I bit my lip, and ran behind her, wrapping her in a hug momentarily until I let go. She smiled briefly at me, then entered the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her.

I twiddled my thumbs, sighing. What to do while waiting? I didn’t necessarily need to be at the office tonight in my uniform, so I could always pick out an outfit. Probably something proffessional. I wouldn’t want to wear something nice when I knew how the director was going to be. Flirty, wanting. Wonder how her wife handled her, knowing she looked ready to jump anyone’s pants.

I respected the woman, truly, but when she was on the prowl for anything, it scared me. A promotion wasn’t worth doing a wedded wife, nor ruin a marriage. I was good.

I picked up the livingroom, tidying up the kitchen as well. My hands were buried just about mid arm into a sink full of bubbles and hot water when I was caught in a train of thought.

What would be my first job as a real cop after this interview? Would I be reasigned to a different part of the city? Would the director let me keep Sierra with me? Hells she better. I’d fight tooth and nail to keep that woman with me. She had just grown into a special place in my heart, there was no way I was going to let her go. Hells, not that easy.

Lips nuzzled my jawbone, arms winding around my waist. Their face was buried into my cheek, tilting my head slightly to the right. I smiled despite all of it, and knew of course it had to be Sierra.

Their head moved so their chin was on my head and I chuckled.

“You’re making me feel short.”

There was a scoff in my ear, “It’s not my fault you don’t wear heels.”

“With how much you wear them, you’d think your feet would have grown into a pair of their own.”

She chuckled, chest bouncing against my backside. Her laugh was a rarity too, and I loved the sound of it. It was a beautiful sound, not often heard.

“That sounded so stupid, Drake.”

I shrugged, “Hey I think I’m funny.”

We didn’t speak for a moment after that, just enjoying the warmth we shared with one another. She purred above me, giving a big yawn, which in turn made me yawn. The day felt like it was dragging on quite slowly.

“How was your shower?”

She moved so she was helping by stacking the dishes on the dish towel. Her black fingernails tapping on the dishware. She had put on a blue, lacy blouse with a pair of tan short shorts that showed off her legs beautifully with her matching blue heels. Jeez, how many heels did this woman have? Where did she put them all?

“It was boring for the most part. I usually shower with my partners before they send me off back to my street.”

Oh. So it was tradition for her to ask me to join her.

“Sorry, that I turned it down. I mean we just started dating today...”

“Shut up. Stop apologizing so much, Drake. Sheesh. I’m not mad. Actually, I respect that you did that. You really want to take this slow don’t you?”

I nodded, looking down after being corrected.

“Then yeah, I can do that. Take it slow. Will be a first, but s**t, I knew one day I would settle down with a hot girl and we would be doing this.”

Her words hit my heart and made it skip a few beats, in turn making me smile. I leaned over, giving her a warm kiss that she returned. Then my mind reeled back to her comment.

“You think I’m hot?”

She laughed so hard she nearly dropped the plate in her hand, holding onto the counter to steady herself. “I spoke to you from the heart, and all your mind did was zero in on how I called you hot? Wow, your priorities, Drake.”

I fumed slightly, trying not to smile at the rediculousness. She wasn’t wrong. My mind did in fact pick up on that comment and nothing more honestly.

“You know you turn red pretty quick. It doesn’t take much teasing from me to make you blush.” She leaned in towards my ear, “I must know all your buttons.”

I punched her in the shoulder, looking like a rabbit trying to box with a giraffe. She only chuckled harder, keeping balance on her heels magically. Till she took my hands and kissed the knuckles.

“God, you’re funny to tease, babe.” She smirked, “Remind me to do it some more.”

I huffed, returning to the dishes with fevor, trying my best to avoid her gaze. She just beamed, bragging to herself that she had thrown me for a loop. She kept with my tempo fine, drying as fast as I was washing. Soon we had the dishes done, and she reached passed me, passed my chest, and undid the plug in the sink.

Her eyes met mine. She stepped towards me, fueling the fire in my stomach. I could taste the tension in the room on my tongue, licking my lips in anticipation. She mimicked me, leaning down to kiss me, arm taking my waist whenever she did so.

But the sound of screeching car tires distracted us both and our heads snapped in the direction of the sound. A black car sped by house, unloading waves and waves of bullets towards it.

I screamed, grabbing Sierra and throwing her to the floor with me. I covered my ears, closing my eyes. I felt my girlfriend wrap her arms around me in protection. She held me to her chest, whispering things into my ear.

There was swearing, more tire screeching and banging on my door. I heard the window above us shatter, feeling the glass pelt us, and all Sierra did was curse. She didn’t flinch, unphased.

“I didn’t want to bring you into this.” She mumbled close to my ear. “I didn’t want you hurt. This is a part of me you don’t need to see.”

 When my door was kicked in she threw me behind the counter, covering me in chairs as my eyes opened. I was shaking, shaking bad. My training prepared me for this, yet I was frozen in fear, cowering under the chairs as my girlfriend threatened her life for me.

Sierra started to speak loud, yelling in Spanish at the intruders. She drew something from her short shorts, cocking a pistol. From my distance I couldn’t tell what kind, but she made clean work of the two men who tried to enter.

She leaned on the pantry door, peeking out carefully every so often. Again, she screamed, something sounding close to an order. Maybe a threat to drop their weapons.

The men, and some women, replied back with the same tongue, obviously denying my girl. Her face twisted in anger. She looked scary. Terrifying even. I knew she had been in some of the gangs around the city, but I didn’t know to what extent. Apparently enough to shoot a gun that good. She would make a nice cop.

Her eyes looked my way for a brief moment, meeting my gaze. Her expression softened and she mouthed to me to stay down. I only nodded, keeping to my hiding spot. I wanted to help. I wanted to be useful. But I knew getting in her way wouldn’t be useful whatsoever.

There was a ripple of bullets again, and out of instinct I covered my face, screaming slightly. I heard some of the dishes shatter in the cabinets and a few grunts when Sierra had taken aim again.

Men swarmed the doors, trailed by a few women as they all tried to enter at once. Sierra nailed a few in the knee caps with her heels, sending them to the floor groaning. Only the women and two men remained, and they managed to climb inside up the stairs.

Sierra cursed, running from her spot and sliding by my hiding spot. She unburied me, taking my hand.

“You have to trust me.”

I nodded, “I do.”

She gave me a deep but short kiss, squeezing my hand. She guided me through the living room to the sliding glass door that lead to the backyard. Her grip was tight, almost like she was afraid. Afraid of losing me? I didn’t know what went on in her mind, but I could feel her heartbeat mine. She was scared. Definitely scared.

We trailed through the grass, moving passed some of the old boxes I had thrown out here after moving in. She kicked at a loose board on the fence, cursing as she gave it her all. With some luck she managed to get it broken at the bottom, enough to fit us through one at a time.

She looked at me straight away, bending me down, gesturing me towards the hole. I gave her a quick nod, shaking as I crawled through to the other side. I could hear the drumming sounds of footsteps inside the house. They were swarming inside. Probably still looking for us.

Once I made it I looked behind to check on Sierra. She had her back to the hole, standing ridged. She was shaking as well, speaking to someone on the other side. Again, it was the same tongue. I knew some Spanish, but with how fast they spoke I couldn’t keep up well enough to translate.

Sierra knelt down, crying out, holding her shoulder and I heard, rather than saw, the bullet ricochet off one of the other boards. Her shoulder was bleeding, the bullet had made it clean through. She dug her nails into it, clawing at it, and I finally got a good image of the man staring her down.

My girl hissed at him, taking a quick aim at his head, but he was quicker, aiming at the same target on her. They were in a staredown, guns ready, both fingers itching to pull the trigger.

But the sound of sirens, a familiar sound really, made everyone in the house flee, shuffling out into their cars and sepperate like the rats they were. Unfortunately, the man was unphased, unwavered, her never removed his gaze from Sierra.

“Where’s the money, Palmer? We gave you a warning.”

Oh. So they speak English too. Finally, maybe something will make sense now.

“Just take it. It’s not worth it if you’re going to come after me and my girl on her own property,” Sierra hissed again, shaking her gun as a threat. I think? “It’s under her bed. But the cops are here, so if you want that money, you gotta be faster than them to get it.”

And with the odds against him, he growled in frustration. The policemen were inside, following over the distruction of my home, probably leading their way out to the back yard as they spoke.

He shoved his gun into his waistband and flipped Sierra off as he kicked over part of my back fence and got away. Shouting over his shoulder, “This is the first warning, Palmer. You deliver that money to the West Subway Station, or this won’t be the last one.”

Dropping her gun, she shakily turned around, examining me instead of addressing her wounds. She grabbed my face with her good hand, moving my head around. Sighing in relief, she helped me into my back yard, holding my hand. I watched the blood trickle down the other arm, and frowned, my heart sinking into my stomach.

As I lead her inside I was greeted by two familiar faces. Lana. And Mason. Of course those two would be here first. The director and her ever so angry side kick had their arms crossed as part of their team checked the rest of my house.

Lana’s eyes danced between Sierra and I, before stopping at our conjoined hands. Then soon after, they looked at her wound and she ordered an officer to fetch a medical kit.

Turning to Mason she excused him, telling him to check the perimeter with his team. He was reluctant, but eventually he left our presence. Lana pulled up two of my chairs from the floor, setting them beside one another. Next, she took one for herself and sat before us.

Her hands joined in front of her face, something she did when she was deep in thought, and they sat in her lap. After some time thinking she leaned back in her chair, as did Sierra.

“Red head, I’ve seen you from somewhere.”

She shrugged, wincing when it tugged on her shoulder, “You could have. I’ve been working the streets a long time.”

Lana’s eyes narrowed slightly, “No, no. Somewhere else. Didn’t you go to the police academy in New York? Graduated top class.”

My heart stopped. What?

Again Sierra shrugged, but this time it was more stiff, as if forced. She was trying to play it cool. Play it off. So, wait. What? Was what Lana saying true? Was Sierra really a cop?

“No. You’re confusing me with someone else,” Her voice was emotionless, bored even.

When some of the officers had returned with the medical kit, I wasted no time bandaging Sierra up while she spoke.

“If I’m not mistaken, you’re Director Lana Hans. Wife of High Director Cyrus Hans. I heard a lot about you,” Sierra winced slightly when I pulled on the bandage to keep it tight around her upper arm and shoulder.

Lana didn’t respond. Not at first anyway. She was sizing up my girlfriend, making mental notes and observations. What was she thinking about? Was she mad at Sierra for addressing her so casually? Surely she meant it out of respect.

Then the director snapped her fingers and pointed at the red head, “Pandora Harlyn.”

Sierra went ridgid in her seat, squeezing my hand to the point of pain. I bit my lip, trying hard to scream or yell. Her eyes narrowed slightly, both eyes like knives. Something she wishes she had the director’s throat right now.

“That’s not my name.”

Lara smirked, “No, not anymore. You had it legally changed to escape your past. It’s all in the files.”

So wait. It really was true? My girlfriend is an ex lady cop? No. I wouldn’t have guessed any of that. She really wouldn’t keep that from me right? ....Right?

“You know that there’s a big bountry on your head right now?”

Sierra nodded.

“And yet you put one of my officers in danger being around her.”

“I tried to warn her-”

“Shut it.” I had never heard the director’s voice so cold. Usually it was loving, caring, maybe stern, but warmer, much warmer, than the voice she chose to use on the red head. “I’m not here for that anyhow. I’m here from a call we recieved from Drake’s neighbors. There was a shooting. Her house was the target. And we’ve been told by Drake that you have very valuable information on two of the biggest gangs in this side of the city. So,” She tapped her fingers on her leg, “start talking, and maybe we can work something out.”

I wanted to speak up. Maybe say something or two, but I couldn’t find my voice to form words. Everything was a jumbled mess from what had just occured moments before. My heart was still trying to slow down to a better pace. And it didn’t help that I was just NOW finding out about my girl’s hidden past. Something she failed to mention.

Or maybe this is exactly the reason why she told me she wasn’t supposed to fall in love with me. Because her life was this dangerous. Because she couldn’t bear to see me hurt.

I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and she leaned over momentarily to kiss my forehead. The gesture had Lana slightly smile, but her facial expressions were mostly business. She wanted answers, and she wasn’t going to leave us alone until she got some.

“So, tell me what you know about Vyper and Inferno.” She grinned, and I swear, it was like watching Satan himself make a deal.