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Figured I’ll get enough shit over arresting him in the first place.”
    “Well, the charges for what he did to his wife are there. And he can say what he wants – that shit would never fly with the lieutenant.”
    “I know.” Anyone under their lieutenant’s charge knew she’d never turn a blind eye to actions like Sanders’. “But she’s not the one out on the streets who’s supposed to have my back, and Sanders isn’t in our platoon anyway.”
    “So you don’t have to deal with Sanders or any of his buddies. Not unless you have to arrest him again, anyway.”
    “Fuck that. Someone else can take the call.” He said it, but he didn’t mean it. He’d do it all over again if he had to. Letting someone else take the call might mean letting Sanders get away with it.
    Elijah nodded, and silence filled their shared apartment.
    “You sticking around tonight?” Elijah asked after a while.
    “Yeah. Why?” He had work the next morning. All he wanted to do was grab a shower and some food and zone out in front of the TV with the AC cranked high before going to bed.
    “I’m thinking of ordering in some Thai. You were MIA last night, and I had to finish off a pizza by myself.”
    “I thought you were into cooking healthy instead of ordering in. That phase over already?”
    “You know I only cook on my days off. I’d been making big batches of food to last through the week, but I didn’t have time this week since I ended up getting called in for overtime on my last day off.”
    “So, a whole pizza – really milking it for all it’s worth, huh?”
    Elijah shrugged. “They were having a special – a large one topping for eight bucks. Not like I was going to pass that up, especially with what we get paid. And you’re one to talk, anyway – all you cook is bacon.”
    “I buy those fresh rotisserie chickens from the deli – that’s almost cooking.”
    Elijah gave him a look of disbelief. “No, it’s not.”
    “Well, whatever. I’m up for Thai. No plans tonight.”
    “Last night not go so well?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I saw the receipt from the florist on the counter. You went on a date, and you came home early.”
    Jackson rolled his eyes. “You trying to make detective?”
    “Hey, you left it lying out.”
    “I wasn’t on a date.”
    “Treating yourself to a fresh-cut bouquet?”
    “The flowers were for an old friend. Figured I owed her something.”
    “Why?”
    “Caught her flying over the bridge yesterday and wrote her a ticket.”
    For a second, Elijah stared, his eyes narrowing to laser focus. Then he burst into laughter.
    Jackson frowned.
    “You’re fucking serious, aren’t you?”
    Elijah didn’t wait for Jackson to answer. “No wonder you didn’t get any. You dug your own grave, man.”
    “I didn’t know it was her when I pulled her over.”
    Elijah shook his head. “Only you, I swear. Do yourself a favor and don’t waste any more money trying to get back in that chick’s good graces. It’s not gonna happen. Only hope you have of seeing her again is in court.”
    Jackson shifted in his chair, irritation chafing at him.
    “We go way back. She’s not petty enough to get her panties in a bunch over a ticket.”
    “You honestly believe that, don’t you? You’re gonna end up old and alone.”
    “At least I’ll have you for company, Casanova.”
    “Say what you want. If I meet someone I think would make a better roommate than you, you can be damn sure I won’t write her a ticket.”
    Jackson pushed back his chair. “I’m grabbing a shower.”
    “If you use all the hot water because you’re in there fantasizing about that woman, I’m gonna be pissed. She’s out of your reach.”
    “I used to think so,” he said, heading down the hall, “but I was wrong.” He paused by the bathroom door. “You should see her. She could’ve had anyone – still could.”
    “Calder,” Elijah called before Jackson could shut the bathroom door, “you’re the biggest idiot