Read Brent Sinatra: All of Me for Free Online
Authors: Mallory Monroe
years.”
“And then?”
“More work for the two of us. We’re going to have to keep an eye on them. I don’t trust anybody else to do it.”
“Neither do I,” Eddie said. “And it’s needful, Brent. I have
my eyes on a couple of them already.”
“I’ve got a few in my sight too,” Brent said, and walked over
to grab his hat.
“That damn union prevents good policing.”
“Don’t knock the union,” Brent said. “They do what they’re supposed to do. They look out for their officers.”
Then Eddie looked at Brent. He had something else on his mind. “I heard Chief Joffee died.”
Brent glanced back. “Oh, yeah?” Joffee was the former
chief of police that Brent replaced. “Sorry to hear that. What
happened to him?”
“Old age probably. And
all that heavy drinking didn’t help.”
But even Brent could tell Eddie had something on his mind,
and it wasn’t Chief Joffee’s death. He
grabbed his hat, and waited for Eddie to get to the point.
“Some day off, hun?” Eddie asked.
“Tell me about it.”
“So what do you plan to do?”
“I think I’ll go home, change, and go fishing. Then who knows?”
Eddie hesitated. Then
he decided what the hell. “I heard
Makayla’s moving to Jericho.”
Brent looked at his captain. When Makayla first came to town, and before she and Brent hooked up,
Eddie had a thing for her. She was this
big, busty bombshell of a gorgeous black woman in a town where black women were
in short supply. He subsequently backed
off when it became obvious that she and Brent were going to give it a go, but
those first impressions were hard to forget. “Yeah,” Brent said, “she’s making the move. She accepted a position in the D.A.’s
office.”
Eddie smiled. “You
going to be able to handle that?”
“Handle who? Makayla? I’ve been handling her
for the past four years. What’s going to
be different now?”
“Proximity,” Eddie said. “Closeness. You’re a natural
flirt, Brent.”
Brent laughed. “Who? Me?”
“Yeah you! And me
too. Both of us like the ladies. But you can’t pull that shit with your main
lady right under your nose. Women claim
to be all liberated, but she will not be amused.”
Brent had a reputation around town as a ladies’ man, but most
of the ladies who were claiming to have slept with him were lying. Before Makayla came along, he was very discreet
and discerning with the way he gave it out. Since Makayla, he wasn’t giving it out at all. She was all he needed or wanted. “We’ll be okay,” he responded.
“I don’t know now,” Eddie said doubtfully. “You’re a confirmed bachelor, Brent. You said yourself countless times that nobody
was tying you down. Now that she’s
coming to town, you are, by definition, tied down. What changed?”
Brent knew what changed. When Mal left D.C. and moved back to Maine, he knew what a sacrifice
that was for her. And to give up even
more to move to Jericho? She showed him
what she was made of. She showed him
that she was not going to break his heart the way every woman before her had done. And now he was ready to make her his. Officially. He had changed.
“What gives?” Eddie asked.
Brent frowned. “Who
are you? Fucking Oprah? You ask too many questions.”
Eddie studied Brent, as if he was wondering if there was some
daylight there; if there was an opening for him to exploit now that the lady
was coming to town. “But you’re certain
she’s the one?”
Brent frowned. “Of
course she’s the one! What do you think
I’ve been doing for four years? Playing
games with her?”
“You haven’t married her, I know that.”
Brent exhaled. Then
nodded. “True.”
“And until that happens, she’s fair game.”
Brent looked at his friend. Eddie was a hard guy to figure out, but he’d stab Brent in
“And then?”
“More work for the two of us. We’re going to have to keep an eye on them. I don’t trust anybody else to do it.”
“Neither do I,” Eddie said. “And it’s needful, Brent. I have
my eyes on a couple of them already.”
“I’ve got a few in my sight too,” Brent said, and walked over
to grab his hat.
“That damn union prevents good policing.”
“Don’t knock the union,” Brent said. “They do what they’re supposed to do. They look out for their officers.”
Then Eddie looked at Brent. He had something else on his mind. “I heard Chief Joffee died.”
Brent glanced back. “Oh, yeah?” Joffee was the former
chief of police that Brent replaced. “Sorry to hear that. What
happened to him?”
“Old age probably. And
all that heavy drinking didn’t help.”
But even Brent could tell Eddie had something on his mind,
and it wasn’t Chief Joffee’s death. He
grabbed his hat, and waited for Eddie to get to the point.
“Some day off, hun?” Eddie asked.
“Tell me about it.”
“So what do you plan to do?”
“I think I’ll go home, change, and go fishing. Then who knows?”
Eddie hesitated. Then
he decided what the hell. “I heard
Makayla’s moving to Jericho.”
Brent looked at his captain. When Makayla first came to town, and before she and Brent hooked up,
Eddie had a thing for her. She was this
big, busty bombshell of a gorgeous black woman in a town where black women were
in short supply. He subsequently backed
off when it became obvious that she and Brent were going to give it a go, but
those first impressions were hard to forget. “Yeah,” Brent said, “she’s making the move. She accepted a position in the D.A.’s
office.”
Eddie smiled. “You
going to be able to handle that?”
“Handle who? Makayla? I’ve been handling her
for the past four years. What’s going to
be different now?”
“Proximity,” Eddie said. “Closeness. You’re a natural
flirt, Brent.”
Brent laughed. “Who? Me?”
“Yeah you! And me
too. Both of us like the ladies. But you can’t pull that shit with your main
lady right under your nose. Women claim
to be all liberated, but she will not be amused.”
Brent had a reputation around town as a ladies’ man, but most
of the ladies who were claiming to have slept with him were lying. Before Makayla came along, he was very discreet
and discerning with the way he gave it out. Since Makayla, he wasn’t giving it out at all. She was all he needed or wanted. “We’ll be okay,” he responded.
“I don’t know now,” Eddie said doubtfully. “You’re a confirmed bachelor, Brent. You said yourself countless times that nobody
was tying you down. Now that she’s
coming to town, you are, by definition, tied down. What changed?”
Brent knew what changed. When Mal left D.C. and moved back to Maine, he knew what a sacrifice
that was for her. And to give up even
more to move to Jericho? She showed him
what she was made of. She showed him
that she was not going to break his heart the way every woman before her had done. And now he was ready to make her his. Officially. He had changed.
“What gives?” Eddie asked.
Brent frowned. “Who
are you? Fucking Oprah? You ask too many questions.”
Eddie studied Brent, as if he was wondering if there was some
daylight there; if there was an opening for him to exploit now that the lady
was coming to town. “But you’re certain
she’s the one?”
Brent frowned. “Of
course she’s the one! What do you think
I’ve been doing for four years? Playing
games with her?”
“You haven’t married her, I know that.”
Brent exhaled. Then
nodded. “True.”
“And until that happens, she’s fair game.”
Brent looked at his friend. Eddie was a hard guy to figure out, but he’d stab Brent in