Page 35 of The Sunny Side (Rojo 2nd Generation: Rojo Police Department #3)
We groaned, but Marley cheered us up by asking, “How much liquor do you think it would take to get Noble to perform that song at karaoke?”
“Oh, we’re gonna find out,” Colt answered with a laugh.
“Will it be too early to drink when we’re done here?” I asked.
“It’s five o’clock somewhere, buddy, and we’re all off-duty today,” Lawson reminded me. “It’s so on.”
“Hell yes.”
◆◆◆
CLANCY
“I’m not sure if this is what I should do, but this is what I think any other long-term member of your group would do, so here we are,” I said when my cousin asked me why in the hell I was calling her so early on a Saturday morning.
“What the hell are you rambling about?” Fallon asked.
“Last night, Brawley’s friends came over for a cookout and to commiserate their loss to a bunch of teenagers in a trivia challenge. Now they’re passed out all over his house and yard in various states of . . . undress and whatnot.”
“English, Clancy,” Fallon muttered.
“I have a video of Noble Hamilton dancing in a towel while flexing his pecs and singing a song from Moana . I felt like you should rally the troops because he’s sleeping in said towel and is covered in tattoos made with a dry erase marker so his character impression would be more realistic.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Others may get there before me, so just open the front door so they don’t wake anyone up knocking.”
I didn’t have a chance to respond before my cousin hung up. I had a feeling I’d just made the best decision of my life or the absolute worst. It didn’t feel like there was any in-between with this one.
“What did you do?” Brawley croaked from somewhere behind me.
“You have just enough time to hide in the bedroom with the dogs. I put some ibuprofen next to two bottles of Gatorade on the nightstand. Make sure you lock the door.”
“I love you more than . . . Fuck, my head hurts. I don’t know exactly how much I love you, but it’s a lot.”
“Love you too,” I said as I gave him a quick kiss. I shook my head as I took a step back and said, “Go ahead and brush your teeth before you go back to bed, okay?”
Brawley didn’t really answer, he just grunted in acknowledgement before he walked into the bedroom where the dogs had been relaxing since their walk after breakfast. While cruising around the park, a little faster than I’d normally go since Max was quite the athlete, I realized I should probably share the fact that the majority of Brawley’s friend group was passed out at his house after drinking way too much the night before.
After getting back and calling Fallon, I was now going to relax and watch the fireworks. I knew without a doubt that the next few hours were going to be hilarious.
A woman I recognized but whose name escaped me walked inside and looked over my shoulder toward the back door before she smiled and said, “Good morning! How did this happen?” I must have looked confused because she added, “I’m Dixie, by the way.”
“Oh! You’re Lawson’s sister.”
“Yes. So, do you have any good blackmail material on him?”
I pulled my phone out as I asked, “Have you ever seen your brother’s impression of John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever ?”
Dixie’s laugh was downright scary as she took my phone and pushed play on the video I’d pulled up. “That’s fantastic. Why is he wearing a bra on his head?”
“I have no idea. He must have wandered into the laundry room at some point and decided to wear it as a hat. He had a beer can in each cup for a while, but they kept slipping out every time he turned his head.”
“Did you get that too?” Dixie asked.
I grinned as I nodded and pulled it up for her.
Dixe was smiling from ear to ear when she looked up at me and said, “You’re my hero.”
“I do what I can.”
It was at least two hours later when I crawled into bed beside Brawley. I was surprised when he opened one eye and asked, “Are there still people in my house?”
“A few, but not as many as before.”
Brawley grunted before he slipped his hand under my pillow and pulled me closer. “Thanks for putting up with the craziness last night.”
“From what I gather, it’s par for the course with your family and friends.”
“Did you save some of the videos for blackmail later?”
“Of course I did,” I assured him.
“Good girl,” Brawley muttered before he squeezed me a little tighter. I could feel his erection pressing against my hip and laughed when he said, “I love you, and the cock wants what the cock wants, but the rest of my body is not quite ready yet.”
“Let’s take a nap and then you can wake me up later in that way I like so much.”
“It’s a deal.” Brawley yawned before he said, “Thanks for taking care of me last night, sweetheart.”
“No thanks necessary. You take care of me better than anyone else ever has, so it’s nice to be able to repay the favor.”
“It’s not a favor, babe. I do it because I love you and always will. Someday, you’re gonna be my wife and the mother of my children. I’m gonna take care of you through all of that and then some until my dying day.”
“You’re a pretty romantic guy.”
“Don’t tell anyone. You might ruin my reputation.”
“Oh, that won’t ruin your reputation, but some of the videos from last night probably will.”
Brawley opened his eyes and stared at me for a second before he asked, “What do you have on me?”
“Blackmail. Copious amounts of blackmail.”
“That’s okay. I love you anyway, Clarisse .”
“Love you, too, Officer D.”