Relenting (Dirty Cops #2)

Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

Roxy

“ W ait. Six?” I gasp, absolutely horrified by what he’s telling me. Apparently, there’s one very crooked judge in town who’s been taking bribes in order to lock innocent men away.

“That we know of.” He grips the steering wheel tighter. “There could be more. But the ones we do know about are now in the process of being released.”

“That’s so awful. They’ve lost all that time. All those years.” God, I just can’t fathom it. The poor innocent men losing their freedom over money. Greed is the root of all evil. “What’s going to happen now?”

“We have some pretty high up people in our corner, babe, and they’re going to ensure the men are set for life. But I’ll tell you….” He comes to a stop at the light and turns his head in my direction. “You never know what being on the inside has done to them. Some may not be able to handle life on the outside. There’s definitely one on that list that I’m terrified about. His reputation in prison would have the boogeyman running scared.”

A shiver runs through my shoulders at the thought. But it’s understandable. After being locked up for a crime he didn’t commit, torn from his life, surrounded by monsters, having to defend himself night and day, and going to bed every night knowing that the system that was supposed to protect him stole his life away, yeah, I’d say that may cause him to turn criminal.

“Sorry, babe.” He reaches across the console and squeezes my hand. “Didn’t mean to upset you. I promise you I’ll never let anything bad happen to you. You’ll always be safe with me.”

I lean over and give him a kiss on the cheek. “I know I’m safe with you.” He’s my very own bodyguard. He’s huge, has a gun, and I’m pretty sure if anyone laid a finger on me, they’d die, so I’m not scared of anyone trying to hurt me. “So where are you taking me for dinner?”

“I was going to take you for meatloaf at the diner, but would you prefer something different?”

My cheeks light up. “You are the best. It’s exactly what I’ve been craving.” I’ve been trying new recipes from the cookbook every night, wanting to have a home-cooked meal on the table for him when he gets home from work, so it will be nice to go out for a change.

My phone suddenly buzzes in my purse with a text, interrupting my thoughts and reminding me that I still owe Chrissy a call. We’re supposed to have a shopping day this week and I never got back to her.

Derek: Need to see you, sis. It’s been too long.

God, he’s such a lying ass. The last time I saw him he swore he was going to make more time for me. It’s been a month and this is the first time I’m hearing from him. Not that I care. I no longer wait by the phone for his call. I no longer go to bed upset he never made contact. In fact, I haven’t thought about him at all, and I really don’t want to think about him now.

“So, what are you getting for dinner?” I ask, ignoring the text and the pit of guilt creeping into my stomach. It’s the only thing I haven’t shared about myself with Bentley. He knows everything else. My deepest secrets, my hopes and dreams, all the crazy that lives inside my head, but he doesn’t know that I had a relationship with my stepbrother, and I need it to stay that way. I don’t want to taint what we have with something ugly from my past. I don’t want him to think less of me. I want to keep this perfect thing we have from being ruined.

“I’m thinking I’ll get a burger.” He shoots me a wink. He knows that it’s my second favorite food at the diner and I know he’s going to share. He truly is the best boyfriend. So considerate and sweet. Always putting me first. I’ve never felt so special in my life. And I can definitely say that Derek, even when things were good between us, never made me feel the way Bentley does.

“And for dessert?” I ask, biting back my smile. I know exactly what he’s going to say.

“Chocolate pie.” And that’s my second favorite dessert.

My phone buzzes again, and I’m tempted to turn the thing off for the night. I chance a look at my phone in spite of my good judgment, and my good mood falters again.

Derek: I’m sorry, baby. Things have been busy. Work’s been crazy. But I think about you every day. Miss you so much. Please don’t be mad at me.

Mad? The only thing I’m mad about is the fact that he’s interrupting my night. Once again assuming that I’ll just forgive the fact that he failed to call or text, and that I’ll just drop what I’m doing to meet him. I think it’s time for me to tell him that will no longer be the case.

Me: I’m done, Derek. Please don’t call or text me again.

I can see the scrolling dots and know he’s coming up with some manipulative response, trying to convince me to meet him because he needs sex. I can’t believe I fell for it for so long. I allowed him to string me along when all along he was never going to choose me. I was forever going to be a sidepiece. The dirty secret. Ha, I bet that’s what he thought. He’d get married and then keep me as his mistress, claiming some lame excuse that he had to marry some “it” girl for the sake of appearances. Although, he should know me better than that. I’d never sleep with a married man. I’m not a homewrecker, nor am I cheater. And now that I’m in a loving relationship, one that makes me feel like I’m living on cloud nine, I never want to even see Derek again.

Derek: Don’t be like that, Rox. I’m in love with you. What we have is special. You’re it for me, sis. The perfect girl. Just give me another chance. I promise I’ll be available more. I promise I’m going to make you the priority. And soon, I’m going to make you my wife.

Special? No. It was never special. What I have with Bentley is special. What I had with Derek was something fucked up and shallow. It was empty and disappointing, and it left me feeling insecure. I couldn’t see it at the time, but now it’s crystal clear. And he’s a fool to think that I’d ever marry him.

“Who you texting with, babe?” Bentley shuts the car off and I hadn’t even realized we arrived.

My shoulders tighten as I quickly shove my phone in my purse. “My brother just texted. He wants to get together, but I told him I’m done. You’re my family now.” I reach out and pull him in for a kiss, thanking him with my lips for being so incredible. God, I’m so grateful he arrested me that night, and that he broke past my insecurities, that he never relented.

“That’s right, baby. I am your family.” He slips away, looking deep in my eyes. “But just know that if you did want to see him, I wouldn’t hold you back. I would want to be there to ensure your safety. But I would never stand between those you care about.”

My hands slide up along his scruff, cupping his cheeks, looking into his loving eyes, and I know. My restraints are completely off. My fears have relinquished their hold on me and I have fallen completely in love with this man. “I love you,” I finally admit the truth that’s been there all along. Growing deeper and stronger every day. “I love you so much, Officer Bentley. You own my heart.”

He’s been telling me all along that he’s not going to let me go, that I’m stuck with him, but the fear of him breaking my heart still lingered in the periphery. But not a day has gone by that he hasn’t proven that fear to be unwarranted. He loves me for me. My messy hair in the morning. My cranky mood when I’m hungry. My stubbornness. My love of sexy clothes and my ridiculous addiction to chick flicks. He takes me as I am. And he wants all of me. The good, the bad, and the sometimes crazy.

And I know without a shadow of a doubt that I want to spend my life with him.

“You have no idea, babe. Been dying to hear those words for a while, although I already knew.”

I raise a brow at him. “Oh, really?”

“It’s impossible not to feel it, babe. It’s in the way your voice lights up when I call you during the day. And how you run into my arms the moment I walk through the door, wrapping yourself around my body, telling me how much you’ve missed me. It’s in your kindness and how you take care of me. It’s all the little things. And every day before I leave for work, you get tears in your eyes when you tell me to be safe. So, yeah, you’ve been doing a damn good job of showing me how you feel.”

I don’t think I ever stood a chance of not falling for the man, but I gave it a worthy fight. But I’ll admit this is one battle I’m happy I lost. Because this is the man of my dreams.

“Aren’t you going to say it back?” I narrow my eyes in, feigning my irritation. I know exactly how he feels about me, because he’s shown me day in and day out, but I still want to hear him say it.

His cheeks turn up into a smirk, and I’m about to smack him for holding out on me. “I love you too, baby. But you already knew that.” I did. I saw it in his eyes from the moment we first met. No one has ever looked at me the way he does.