Disparity By Design 9/10
Title: Disparity by Design
Fandom: Nikki & Nora
Pairing: Nikki & Nora
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17 - some parts are more risqué, some have serious language and deal with mature themes and adult concepts like violence, offensive language and naughtiness.
Disclaimer: I’m sure I’ve covered this in the previous 7 stories I’ve written in this fandom, but to cover my bases, I’ll repeat myself - Not mine. I’m playing with someone else’s toys, Nancylee Myatt's and others actually. All for fun and if money is being made off what I’m writing, someone should let me know.
Ch. 9 - Chamber the Cartridge
“I think,” Nikki grumbles around the steaming cup of coffee in her hands, “that we should have stayed in bed for at least a little bit longer.”
Wiggling, I settle onto the couch and open my arms for her to snuggle into my side while she gripes and wakes up. It’s not like I didn’t want to stay in bed either, but we have a lot to do today, I.A.B. at nine a.m. sharp, that should take us at least two to three hours to get through if the last month’s meeting was anything to go by.
On top of that, Nikki scheduled us both for requals at one this afternoon.
We still need to figure out what we’re going to do with this case…which is why I dragged us out of bed at six. We need to think, talk, prepare.
I really need to get a better idea of where her head is at.
I know she likes Cass, they aren’t best friends, but I know they’ll hang out together without me. I know Nik also likes going to someone to bitch about me that isn’t someone from work or our families.
I just don’t know how she’s going to handle it if Gabby is involved.
I also don’t know how I’m going to handle it and what will happen between Cass and me.
Kissing the top of Nikki’s head, I mumble into her hair, “I know. Sleeping more would have been nice, but we’ve got a busy day and we need to talk before we get bent over by I.A.B.”
“Hmm,” she grunts, “pains in my ass.”
I snicker and smile.
Right there with ya, babe.
“We need a plan,” I think out loud and take a sip of my own morning fix.
“Plan?” Nikki questions me, resting her head in the crook of my neck as her feet stretch out to dangle over the arm of the couch. “For I.A.B.?”
“Nope,” I shake my head. “For this stupid cluster of a case. We need to talk to someone that knew Stohs and Kirkpatrick.”
“Nothin’ goin when we tossed their places,” Nikki supplies unhelpfully.
“Luke should have their phone records today. We should get something off of that. I just think it’s weird that they didn’t make some impact or talk to any of their neighbors.”
I feel Nikki give a small shrug. “Stohs was in WitSec or supposed to be at least. I don’t think the program fosters personal relationships. I’m really not too shocked.”
“What about talking to the Widows’ leader?” I suggest and bite my lower lip.
“Don’t have a name. Ron said that he’d try to talk one of his C.I.’s and see if they have information that we can start working from, but…”
“I don’t think their leader’d be helpful either. Although, it may shake them up a little. People get nervous when we start sniffing around,” I say and prop my feet on the coffee table.
I get a swat to my thigh and immediately lower my bare feet from the table.
“Thank you and if they get nervous, one of them’s bound to catch a case of the stupids.” Nikki removes my arm from around her shoulder and sits up, swinging her legs to the floor so she can twist around to face me. “Nor, we could go through Gabby…”
I shake my head. “No, no way.”
“But, if she is…” my lover tries to but in.
“IF she is involved with the Widows then we have a whole other set of problems, Nik.” I stab my chest and remind her, “I was romantically involved with a potential material witness, Nikki. You think I.A.B. would turn a blind eye to that? It puts the case, not mention our jobs, at risk if we involve her and we don’t need to ‘cause if she’s involved, Cass will be too. You know how she gets.”
Nikki gives me a sour look and pouts. “What if we give it to Georgia and Jesse?”
I take the right corner of my lower lip and chew.
Maybe…
“Do we have enough to pass on just yet?” I wonder.
I watch my partner run a hand back through her hair, tug at a handful of it and shake her head.
The fingers on my left hand drum across the arm of the couch cushion. We’ve got a big stinking pile of dead ends. A potential informant that we can’t really go to and uh, I glance at the clock, an hour before we need to start getting ready.
Right.
Sighing, I look up at Nikki seeing that she’s just about as fresh out of ideas as I am.
That really doesn’t help.
At all.
She works her jaw, her tongue rolls around and causes her cheek to protrude. She’s thinking about something.
“Alright,” she starts then stops, swallowing before she picks back up, “Darius is over at the House today. Let’s swing by there on our way to our meeting with I.A.B. I don’t think he’ll have a name but I’m sure there will be someone that he can point us to…”
“If not?” I interrupt her, compelled to at least ask that question.
She shakes her head. “Why don’t we burn that bridge if it comes to? I’d rather see if we can get something from Darius and go from there. If, and it’s a big if, he can’t help us out here, then we catch Jesse and Georgia up to speed and let them go question Gabby.”
She sets her own coffee cup on the table, reaches for mine and places it next to hers before she laces our hands together. “We’ll do what we have to, Nora, we’ll protect Cass, if we can, as much as we can.”
I swallow around the building lump in my throat and nod.
“I’m not going to risk everything we’ve done the past few years to protect us and our jobs though. If we play it smart, we’ll be fine.”
“And Cass?” I manage thickly.
“She’s a smart girl, baby. I trust her enough to know that if Gabby’s involved, she isn’t.”
I search her bright, brown eyes for any hesitancy or dishonesty.
All I see is Nikki.
And she’s right.
Above all else, even if I don’t protect myself, if anything happens, I need to make sure she’ll be okay.
Nik comes first.
That thought alone settles the unease that’s blanketed me since seeing Casey’s phone. Keep my priorities in line, Nikki, Family, work and all else comes in a distant second.
“Okay,” I finally agree. I lean forward and rest my forehead against that of my lovers. Breathing in and letting the air out slowly, I say, “I’m on board.”
“Good,” she whispers and reaches out with her lips to peck mine.
“Do I have to say ‘I love you’ now?” I mumble.
She shakes our heads. “Nope, you can come shower with me and show me instead.”
I feel her eyebrows wiggle against me and I laugh.
Of course.
“Fine,” I say, pushing her away and off the couch. I stand with her and take her hand to lead her up the stairs teasing her, “You really are the most demanding woman and I have a sneaking suspicion you’re just in this for the sex.”
That earns me a swat to my ass, but she doesn’t deny it.
“Rashad! Pick your feet up, son, move!” Darius shouts from the sidelines of the basketball court.
Nikki and I hang back and watch the kids play while Darius…
Shouts.
The kids, ten total, are running a full court game. Five of the kids have blue mesh shirts on and the others are in grey t-shirts. All of them are wearing black shorts.
They seem to be having a good time.
Since Dan started volunteering here with the kids, he’s organized and managed an intramural league for the kids that come here for various purposes, interim housing, tutoring, after school programs to keep them off the streets. I swing in and do what I can when I can, but the man that’s sort of stepped up when Dan’s not able to is Darius and Patrick.
He’s helping here at the House and another youth shelter that Nikki does fundraising for. Chris convinced his boss at Sony to help fund part of the house and music program and I know Darius has his thumb in that pie as well.
“Jessica, ‘D’ up!” Darius’ right hand smacks his forehead and he shakes his head. “Tajon it’s called a screen!” He shakes his head before bringing the whistle dangling around his neck up to his lips and blows.
The shrill alarm halts all the activity on the court and Darius jogs out to the right side of the court. I tune him out as he starts to position and instruct the kids.
“He can be a little scary,” I stage whisper to my partner.
Nikki just laughs and shrugs. “It’s actually way too early for him to be up. You know he hates to be up before ten and it’s,” she looks down at her watch and back up at me, “just before eight. He can’t be happy.”
“Chssss,” I hiss and playfully add in a thick Louisiana drawl, “Al’ dat new fangl’ music, keepin’ da chil’ren out ‘till all dem hours. Cryin’ shame.”
“Oh, heaven help me,” Nikki swats at my arm and giggles.
“Come on, you know you liked it?” I poke at her and wiggle my eyebrows.
Our laughter draws the attention of the kids and Darius on the court, ‘cause the next thing I feel is Rashad wrapping me up in a hug around my waist.
“Nora! Nikki!” he yells into my abdomen. “Help,” his voice drops as he lets me go and looks up between Nikki and me, “he’s cranky today.”
This earns a snort from my lover as I run my hand over the top of Rashad’s head and give it a shake. I pull it away and realize that probably wasn’t the smarted thing, considering he’s covered in a fine sheen of sweat. The evidence of his exercise is slick against my palm…
Hmmm.
I look around and realize that I’m sunk.
Discreetly, I run my palm down my thigh and greet Darius as he trots up, “Kouzin’, Nora, what brings ya’ll by on this fine mornin’?”
Nikki sends the man an award winning smile and shrugs her right shoulder.
“Ah, it’s one of those social calls. A’right, give me a minute,” he says and holds up his finger before spinning around to the group of kids. “Everyone, we’re on a break. Take fifteen and be back here ready to play like you want to win.”
The kids scamper off, no doubt heading inside to the House’s kitchen.
“You comin’ Rashad?” Jessica, a sinewy blonde hollers for the boy.
“Yeah,” he hollers right back and offers us a wave before sprinting after his friend.
“So,” Darius says as the door to the back closes and raises his eyebrows.
“Yep,” I say and slide my left hand in the left hip pocket of Nikki’s jeans.
Darius and I stare at each other, waiting for one of us to give in, but Nikki puts a stop to our little game and says, “You two are worse than those kids that just left. Darius, we have business.”
He huffs and I break the staring contest by shooting a grin at my partner. She rolls her eyes and leads us to a bench set back behind the bleachers of the basketball court.
I finally take my hand out of Nikki’s pocket, only to have it taken away from me as she laces her right hand with my left and sets us down. Darius takes up the spot next to me, leaving me in the middle.
“Did you hear about the Widows that were found over off Walker Loop?” Nikki asks, looking around me to Darius.
“Lemme guess, those two belong to you and you need what from me?” he asks folding his arms over his chest.
“From what we know, there’s a good chance it was someone from the Widows that pulled the trigger,” I answer and bump his shoulder, “We know a good bit about the group as a whole. What seems to be eluding the police is the name of the Widows’ leader. Do you know?”
He shakes his head, rattling the beads at the end of his braids and frowns.
“Darius,” Nikki sings.
“No, kouz’, ya’ll don’t get to give me that tone. The only thing I know is that they ain’t a group you want to start messin’ with.” He points a finger at Nikki and then at me. “You two got a tendency to be a little froggy when you’re back up in it.” He shakes his head again. “If the Widows capped two of their own, trust me there was a reason.”
I look at Nikki, silently asking her if disclosing everything is a good idea. It’s actually a manipulative move but…
“There’s more Darius,” I look him in the eye and say, “There’s a good chance Casey’s wrapped up in this somehow. We need to protect her.”
“Damnit,” he hisses and growls, “I told her to stay away from that woman.” He jabs a finger in my shoulder and says, “Ya know, it’s all your fault. She wouldn’ta gone after Gab if it weren’t for you and those dumb ass…”
“Hey,” I try to cut in on his tirade.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Nikki does shut him up, “What the hell are you talking about?”
Rolling his eyes, he snips, “I met Gabby the first night she came to town. We were playin’ at Phantoms. Recognized the tat right away and tried to warn Cas off, but they’re old friends.” Darius shrugs and raises his arms. “What are you gonna do with that?”
“Can you help?” I ask lowering his hand from in front of my face.
His eyes narrow and skirt between Nikki and me. Sighing, he answers, “Sometimes I hate you both. Causin’ all this worry in the pit of my stomach. Seventh Circle isn’t something you guys want to be messin’ with, but if you really are going to go down that road, the only cat that I know that deals with them is Larry Dimmick. He’ll be at White’s Pawn Shop just getting ready to open.”
“There it is,” Nikki points to my right just as I spot the sign to White’s Pawn Shop. I coast past it and look for a parking space.
We have forty-five minutes before we need to be downtown at Central.
“Maybe we should wait until we get done with I.A.B.,” I worry.
I’m not sure how long this is going to take, but if Dimmick does say something of use, which I highly doubt, what’s to say he won’t tip anyone.
“Chances are he’ll keep shut. I just want to try.” Nikki points out a spot a block up from the shop and I pull up behind a rusty Honda Civic. “What’s wrong?”
Killing the engine, I look over at my partner, shrug and bite my lip. “I don’t know. I just think that…”
I shake my head. “You know, you’re right, let’s just get this over with so we can go get our asses handed to us because I didn’t fill out a form right and I.A.B. can claim our relationship interferes with our ability to properly perform our job and split us up.”
Nikki’s eyebrow quirks at my outburst and the smirk rises on her lips. “They won’t do that.”
“You know that how?” I snip and grip the steering wheel.
She snorts. “’Cause we all know that you’re the biggest stickler for paperwork the N.O.P.D. has ever seen. Sugga, why do you think I let you do mine?”
“You hate it,” is the first answer that springs from my lips. The second, “You’re lazy,” I tease.
“Hey now,” she warns and pokes a finger in my direction.
I shake my head and try to let some of the apprehension for this morning roll off my shoulders.
It doesn’t really work.
The anxiety sits square and heavy on my back, but I get out of Frankie anyhow.
I meet Nikki on the side walk and adjust my holster, making sure that my badge is visible on my hip.
The traffic is pretty heavy this morning, but the sun won’t come out to play. It’s hidden behind thick grey clouds. Beams of sunlight barely poke through some of the layers causing a grey tint over the morning’s activity.
We stop at the intersection to the pawn shop’s block and wait for the signal. I keep a finger pressed on the crosswalk button until it beeps and the light indicates we can cross.
We’re an alcove away from our destination, Nikki on my left closest to the building when I notice the beige Yukon rumbling down the street. The only reason it catches my attention apart from the other flow of traffic is its speed.
It ambles down the street, but slows and stops right before we reach the shop’s front door. The blacked out windows aren’t a street legal shade of tint. Nikki’s halfway through the door when the windows of the Yukon roll down and two muzzles light up the interior.
Fuck.
I pull Nikki down before she even notices what’s going on.
The automatic gunfire deafens the morning traffic.
Glass shatters. Bullets ping.
I can’t feel Nikki next to me as we hug the cold, grimy concrete.
“Nik!” I shout with my eyes still clamped shut.
I feel a leg hit my hip and try to open my eyes, but the glass is still falling.
I hear metal groan.
The shower of gun fire ceases right before I feel air brush past my face and something crashes to the sidewalk.
I look up, peaking through my hair and see the metal window frame twisted and broken laying an inch from wear my head’s at.
“Nora,” Nikki shouts.
“Fine,” I croak back before the squeal of tires cuts off anything else that I was going to say.
I snap my head towards the street and see the Yukon take the corner we just crossed on two wheels.
Unthinking, I spring from my position on the ground and take off after it. Gun already drawn, I turn the corner blindly and see the Yukon disappear down a side street.
“FUCK!” I yell as Nikki comes up right behind.
“Nora?” Nikki grips my shoulders, spinning me towards her, “Are you okay?”
Unthinking, I nod and wipe at the perspiration snaking down my forehead with the back of my hand.
“No, you’re not,” my partner proclaims as she takes hold of my hand and shows me the blood.
I don’t care so much about that. I care about the scrapes and bloody smears across the backs of Nikki’s hands.
“You?” I grunt.
“From the glass, come on,” she says pulling me back towards the pawn shop.
Her gun’s drawn, as is mine, when we enter the shop and she calls out, “N.O.P.D!”
There’s a weak groan behind a shattered display case.
My gun’s holstered and I’m calling for backup as we round the corner and see an older black guy laying in a pool of blood.
Next>>>
Fandom: Nikki & Nora
Pairing: Nikki & Nora
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17 - some parts are more risqué, some have serious language and deal with mature themes and adult concepts like violence, offensive language and naughtiness.
Disclaimer: I’m sure I’ve covered this in the previous 7 stories I’ve written in this fandom, but to cover my bases, I’ll repeat myself - Not mine. I’m playing with someone else’s toys, Nancylee Myatt's and others actually. All for fun and if money is being made off what I’m writing, someone should let me know.
Ch. 9 - Chamber the Cartridge
“I think,” Nikki grumbles around the steaming cup of coffee in her hands, “that we should have stayed in bed for at least a little bit longer.”
Wiggling, I settle onto the couch and open my arms for her to snuggle into my side while she gripes and wakes up. It’s not like I didn’t want to stay in bed either, but we have a lot to do today, I.A.B. at nine a.m. sharp, that should take us at least two to three hours to get through if the last month’s meeting was anything to go by.
On top of that, Nikki scheduled us both for requals at one this afternoon.
We still need to figure out what we’re going to do with this case…which is why I dragged us out of bed at six. We need to think, talk, prepare.
I really need to get a better idea of where her head is at.
I know she likes Cass, they aren’t best friends, but I know they’ll hang out together without me. I know Nik also likes going to someone to bitch about me that isn’t someone from work or our families.
I just don’t know how she’s going to handle it if Gabby is involved.
I also don’t know how I’m going to handle it and what will happen between Cass and me.
Kissing the top of Nikki’s head, I mumble into her hair, “I know. Sleeping more would have been nice, but we’ve got a busy day and we need to talk before we get bent over by I.A.B.”
“Hmm,” she grunts, “pains in my ass.”
I snicker and smile.
Right there with ya, babe.
“We need a plan,” I think out loud and take a sip of my own morning fix.
“Plan?” Nikki questions me, resting her head in the crook of my neck as her feet stretch out to dangle over the arm of the couch. “For I.A.B.?”
“Nope,” I shake my head. “For this stupid cluster of a case. We need to talk to someone that knew Stohs and Kirkpatrick.”
“Nothin’ goin when we tossed their places,” Nikki supplies unhelpfully.
“Luke should have their phone records today. We should get something off of that. I just think it’s weird that they didn’t make some impact or talk to any of their neighbors.”
I feel Nikki give a small shrug. “Stohs was in WitSec or supposed to be at least. I don’t think the program fosters personal relationships. I’m really not too shocked.”
“What about talking to the Widows’ leader?” I suggest and bite my lower lip.
“Don’t have a name. Ron said that he’d try to talk one of his C.I.’s and see if they have information that we can start working from, but…”
“I don’t think their leader’d be helpful either. Although, it may shake them up a little. People get nervous when we start sniffing around,” I say and prop my feet on the coffee table.
I get a swat to my thigh and immediately lower my bare feet from the table.
“Thank you and if they get nervous, one of them’s bound to catch a case of the stupids.” Nikki removes my arm from around her shoulder and sits up, swinging her legs to the floor so she can twist around to face me. “Nor, we could go through Gabby…”
I shake my head. “No, no way.”
“But, if she is…” my lover tries to but in.
“IF she is involved with the Widows then we have a whole other set of problems, Nik.” I stab my chest and remind her, “I was romantically involved with a potential material witness, Nikki. You think I.A.B. would turn a blind eye to that? It puts the case, not mention our jobs, at risk if we involve her and we don’t need to ‘cause if she’s involved, Cass will be too. You know how she gets.”
Nikki gives me a sour look and pouts. “What if we give it to Georgia and Jesse?”
I take the right corner of my lower lip and chew.
Maybe…
“Do we have enough to pass on just yet?” I wonder.
I watch my partner run a hand back through her hair, tug at a handful of it and shake her head.
The fingers on my left hand drum across the arm of the couch cushion. We’ve got a big stinking pile of dead ends. A potential informant that we can’t really go to and uh, I glance at the clock, an hour before we need to start getting ready.
Right.
Sighing, I look up at Nikki seeing that she’s just about as fresh out of ideas as I am.
That really doesn’t help.
At all.
She works her jaw, her tongue rolls around and causes her cheek to protrude. She’s thinking about something.
“Alright,” she starts then stops, swallowing before she picks back up, “Darius is over at the House today. Let’s swing by there on our way to our meeting with I.A.B. I don’t think he’ll have a name but I’m sure there will be someone that he can point us to…”
“If not?” I interrupt her, compelled to at least ask that question.
She shakes her head. “Why don’t we burn that bridge if it comes to? I’d rather see if we can get something from Darius and go from there. If, and it’s a big if, he can’t help us out here, then we catch Jesse and Georgia up to speed and let them go question Gabby.”
She sets her own coffee cup on the table, reaches for mine and places it next to hers before she laces our hands together. “We’ll do what we have to, Nora, we’ll protect Cass, if we can, as much as we can.”
I swallow around the building lump in my throat and nod.
“I’m not going to risk everything we’ve done the past few years to protect us and our jobs though. If we play it smart, we’ll be fine.”
“And Cass?” I manage thickly.
“She’s a smart girl, baby. I trust her enough to know that if Gabby’s involved, she isn’t.”
I search her bright, brown eyes for any hesitancy or dishonesty.
All I see is Nikki.
And she’s right.
Above all else, even if I don’t protect myself, if anything happens, I need to make sure she’ll be okay.
Nik comes first.
That thought alone settles the unease that’s blanketed me since seeing Casey’s phone. Keep my priorities in line, Nikki, Family, work and all else comes in a distant second.
“Okay,” I finally agree. I lean forward and rest my forehead against that of my lovers. Breathing in and letting the air out slowly, I say, “I’m on board.”
“Good,” she whispers and reaches out with her lips to peck mine.
“Do I have to say ‘I love you’ now?” I mumble.
She shakes our heads. “Nope, you can come shower with me and show me instead.”
I feel her eyebrows wiggle against me and I laugh.
Of course.
“Fine,” I say, pushing her away and off the couch. I stand with her and take her hand to lead her up the stairs teasing her, “You really are the most demanding woman and I have a sneaking suspicion you’re just in this for the sex.”
That earns me a swat to my ass, but she doesn’t deny it.
“Rashad! Pick your feet up, son, move!” Darius shouts from the sidelines of the basketball court.
Nikki and I hang back and watch the kids play while Darius…
Shouts.
The kids, ten total, are running a full court game. Five of the kids have blue mesh shirts on and the others are in grey t-shirts. All of them are wearing black shorts.
They seem to be having a good time.
Since Dan started volunteering here with the kids, he’s organized and managed an intramural league for the kids that come here for various purposes, interim housing, tutoring, after school programs to keep them off the streets. I swing in and do what I can when I can, but the man that’s sort of stepped up when Dan’s not able to is Darius and Patrick.
He’s helping here at the House and another youth shelter that Nikki does fundraising for. Chris convinced his boss at Sony to help fund part of the house and music program and I know Darius has his thumb in that pie as well.
“Jessica, ‘D’ up!” Darius’ right hand smacks his forehead and he shakes his head. “Tajon it’s called a screen!” He shakes his head before bringing the whistle dangling around his neck up to his lips and blows.
The shrill alarm halts all the activity on the court and Darius jogs out to the right side of the court. I tune him out as he starts to position and instruct the kids.
“He can be a little scary,” I stage whisper to my partner.
Nikki just laughs and shrugs. “It’s actually way too early for him to be up. You know he hates to be up before ten and it’s,” she looks down at her watch and back up at me, “just before eight. He can’t be happy.”
“Chssss,” I hiss and playfully add in a thick Louisiana drawl, “Al’ dat new fangl’ music, keepin’ da chil’ren out ‘till all dem hours. Cryin’ shame.”
“Oh, heaven help me,” Nikki swats at my arm and giggles.
“Come on, you know you liked it?” I poke at her and wiggle my eyebrows.
Our laughter draws the attention of the kids and Darius on the court, ‘cause the next thing I feel is Rashad wrapping me up in a hug around my waist.
“Nora! Nikki!” he yells into my abdomen. “Help,” his voice drops as he lets me go and looks up between Nikki and me, “he’s cranky today.”
This earns a snort from my lover as I run my hand over the top of Rashad’s head and give it a shake. I pull it away and realize that probably wasn’t the smarted thing, considering he’s covered in a fine sheen of sweat. The evidence of his exercise is slick against my palm…
Hmmm.
I look around and realize that I’m sunk.
Discreetly, I run my palm down my thigh and greet Darius as he trots up, “Kouzin’, Nora, what brings ya’ll by on this fine mornin’?”
Nikki sends the man an award winning smile and shrugs her right shoulder.
“Ah, it’s one of those social calls. A’right, give me a minute,” he says and holds up his finger before spinning around to the group of kids. “Everyone, we’re on a break. Take fifteen and be back here ready to play like you want to win.”
The kids scamper off, no doubt heading inside to the House’s kitchen.
“You comin’ Rashad?” Jessica, a sinewy blonde hollers for the boy.
“Yeah,” he hollers right back and offers us a wave before sprinting after his friend.
“So,” Darius says as the door to the back closes and raises his eyebrows.
“Yep,” I say and slide my left hand in the left hip pocket of Nikki’s jeans.
Darius and I stare at each other, waiting for one of us to give in, but Nikki puts a stop to our little game and says, “You two are worse than those kids that just left. Darius, we have business.”
He huffs and I break the staring contest by shooting a grin at my partner. She rolls her eyes and leads us to a bench set back behind the bleachers of the basketball court.
I finally take my hand out of Nikki’s pocket, only to have it taken away from me as she laces her right hand with my left and sets us down. Darius takes up the spot next to me, leaving me in the middle.
“Did you hear about the Widows that were found over off Walker Loop?” Nikki asks, looking around me to Darius.
“Lemme guess, those two belong to you and you need what from me?” he asks folding his arms over his chest.
“From what we know, there’s a good chance it was someone from the Widows that pulled the trigger,” I answer and bump his shoulder, “We know a good bit about the group as a whole. What seems to be eluding the police is the name of the Widows’ leader. Do you know?”
He shakes his head, rattling the beads at the end of his braids and frowns.
“Darius,” Nikki sings.
“No, kouz’, ya’ll don’t get to give me that tone. The only thing I know is that they ain’t a group you want to start messin’ with.” He points a finger at Nikki and then at me. “You two got a tendency to be a little froggy when you’re back up in it.” He shakes his head again. “If the Widows capped two of their own, trust me there was a reason.”
I look at Nikki, silently asking her if disclosing everything is a good idea. It’s actually a manipulative move but…
“There’s more Darius,” I look him in the eye and say, “There’s a good chance Casey’s wrapped up in this somehow. We need to protect her.”
“Damnit,” he hisses and growls, “I told her to stay away from that woman.” He jabs a finger in my shoulder and says, “Ya know, it’s all your fault. She wouldn’ta gone after Gab if it weren’t for you and those dumb ass…”
“Hey,” I try to cut in on his tirade.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Nikki does shut him up, “What the hell are you talking about?”
Rolling his eyes, he snips, “I met Gabby the first night she came to town. We were playin’ at Phantoms. Recognized the tat right away and tried to warn Cas off, but they’re old friends.” Darius shrugs and raises his arms. “What are you gonna do with that?”
“Can you help?” I ask lowering his hand from in front of my face.
His eyes narrow and skirt between Nikki and me. Sighing, he answers, “Sometimes I hate you both. Causin’ all this worry in the pit of my stomach. Seventh Circle isn’t something you guys want to be messin’ with, but if you really are going to go down that road, the only cat that I know that deals with them is Larry Dimmick. He’ll be at White’s Pawn Shop just getting ready to open.”
“There it is,” Nikki points to my right just as I spot the sign to White’s Pawn Shop. I coast past it and look for a parking space.
We have forty-five minutes before we need to be downtown at Central.
“Maybe we should wait until we get done with I.A.B.,” I worry.
I’m not sure how long this is going to take, but if Dimmick does say something of use, which I highly doubt, what’s to say he won’t tip anyone.
“Chances are he’ll keep shut. I just want to try.” Nikki points out a spot a block up from the shop and I pull up behind a rusty Honda Civic. “What’s wrong?”
Killing the engine, I look over at my partner, shrug and bite my lip. “I don’t know. I just think that…”
I shake my head. “You know, you’re right, let’s just get this over with so we can go get our asses handed to us because I didn’t fill out a form right and I.A.B. can claim our relationship interferes with our ability to properly perform our job and split us up.”
Nikki’s eyebrow quirks at my outburst and the smirk rises on her lips. “They won’t do that.”
“You know that how?” I snip and grip the steering wheel.
She snorts. “’Cause we all know that you’re the biggest stickler for paperwork the N.O.P.D. has ever seen. Sugga, why do you think I let you do mine?”
“You hate it,” is the first answer that springs from my lips. The second, “You’re lazy,” I tease.
“Hey now,” she warns and pokes a finger in my direction.
I shake my head and try to let some of the apprehension for this morning roll off my shoulders.
It doesn’t really work.
The anxiety sits square and heavy on my back, but I get out of Frankie anyhow.
I meet Nikki on the side walk and adjust my holster, making sure that my badge is visible on my hip.
The traffic is pretty heavy this morning, but the sun won’t come out to play. It’s hidden behind thick grey clouds. Beams of sunlight barely poke through some of the layers causing a grey tint over the morning’s activity.
We stop at the intersection to the pawn shop’s block and wait for the signal. I keep a finger pressed on the crosswalk button until it beeps and the light indicates we can cross.
We’re an alcove away from our destination, Nikki on my left closest to the building when I notice the beige Yukon rumbling down the street. The only reason it catches my attention apart from the other flow of traffic is its speed.
It ambles down the street, but slows and stops right before we reach the shop’s front door. The blacked out windows aren’t a street legal shade of tint. Nikki’s halfway through the door when the windows of the Yukon roll down and two muzzles light up the interior.
Fuck.
I pull Nikki down before she even notices what’s going on.
The automatic gunfire deafens the morning traffic.
Glass shatters. Bullets ping.
I can’t feel Nikki next to me as we hug the cold, grimy concrete.
“Nik!” I shout with my eyes still clamped shut.
I feel a leg hit my hip and try to open my eyes, but the glass is still falling.
I hear metal groan.
The shower of gun fire ceases right before I feel air brush past my face and something crashes to the sidewalk.
I look up, peaking through my hair and see the metal window frame twisted and broken laying an inch from wear my head’s at.
“Nora,” Nikki shouts.
“Fine,” I croak back before the squeal of tires cuts off anything else that I was going to say.
I snap my head towards the street and see the Yukon take the corner we just crossed on two wheels.
Unthinking, I spring from my position on the ground and take off after it. Gun already drawn, I turn the corner blindly and see the Yukon disappear down a side street.
“FUCK!” I yell as Nikki comes up right behind.
“Nora?” Nikki grips my shoulders, spinning me towards her, “Are you okay?”
Unthinking, I nod and wipe at the perspiration snaking down my forehead with the back of my hand.
“No, you’re not,” my partner proclaims as she takes hold of my hand and shows me the blood.
I don’t care so much about that. I care about the scrapes and bloody smears across the backs of Nikki’s hands.
“You?” I grunt.
“From the glass, come on,” she says pulling me back towards the pawn shop.
Her gun’s drawn, as is mine, when we enter the shop and she calls out, “N.O.P.D!”
There’s a weak groan behind a shattered display case.
My gun’s holstered and I’m calling for backup as we round the corner and see an older black guy laying in a pool of blood.
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