KelseaI have the apartment to myself and it's magnificent. Not that I don't enjoy having the boys with me, but so quickly I turned into a caretaker. My showers are usually between five and ten minutes long. I never get to take a bath anymore. That's about to change today. I'm off work, Nick's somewhere doing manly stuff with Ransom, and Darren's at school. The tub isn't huge in this bathroom, but it's big enough for me to lay down in. The room is steamy, just the way I like it. Taking off my clothes, I dip down into the water, groaning as it caresses my tired muscles. The bubbles and bath oil I use, soak into my skin, relaxing in a way only they know how. Who knew taking care of a home with two other people in it would make me so tired? Tilting my head back against a rolled-up towel, I close my eyes.I must doze off, because the next thing I hear is a sharp intake of breath that startles me. Glancing over at the door, I see Nick. He's wearing a pair of shorts, a tank top, sw

Kelsea"Thanks for coming out with me tonight." I glance over at Stella. "I know you're tired and you didn't really feel like it, so thank you."Darren had ended up asking to stay at my brother's for dinner, which allowed me to have a girls' night."You know I'm always up to have a good time with you, Kels. Even if sometimes I'm not feeling great, don't ever think you can't ask me to come out with you. Speaking of, I can't believe you and Nick haven't decided to put a name on whatever it is you two have. I'd like to kick his ass," she growls as she comes to a stop sign. "If he doesn't know what he has with you, he's a dumbass.""Trust me," I laugh. "I wanna kick his ass too, but I have to believe he'll get a wake-up call. I mean, if we end up being able to adopt Darren, we'll have to deal with each other for the rest of our lives." For some reason I almost cry at the thought. "I have every faith that one day you'll be like me and Ransom. A couple of newlyweds who feel like

CalebIf I could legally kill this son of a bitch, I would do it. I've watched the footage from Nick's body cam twice now. Both times I've fought not to puke. This man has no regard for human life, and those are the miserable pricks that deserve to spend their lives behind bars.They don't get to have the love of a woman, the warmth of a bed, the freedom to move about as they would like to, and to be honest they don't fucking deserve it. As I hear Nick grunt when he gets hit by the bullet, I feel sick again. "I can't watch this shit anymore, I'm ready to kill this motherfucker."Ace clears his throat as he secures his bulletproof vest, then puts a jacket over it, proclaiming he's a member of the Laurel Springs Police Department. Looking at him, I know he's just as ready to put an end to this as I am. "Where we going first?""Dumbass like him? He'd go straight home.""You think so?" I nod, securing my vest, making sure my side arm is ready to go. "He won't have anyone to

NickIf the bullet that hit me didn't kill me, physical therapy sure as hell will. The therapist they've given me is sadistic. Now I know why Ransom was such a little bitch when he was rehabbing. I might owe him an apology or two."Come on, Nick, one more set," she encourages me in this all too peppy voice. "I know you have one more in you."I want to tell her to shut the fuck up, but at the same time, I'm struggling with not being on the job. I badly want to be back in my squad car, riding the roads and taking lunch with Ransom. If I ever want to be allowed to do that again, she has to sign off on it.When I have absolutely nothing else left to give, she claps her hands. "That's it for today, Nick."I'm breathing heavily, wishing it didn't take so much out of me to do PT, but it does. I'm so weak compared to where I was a few months ago, but I'm also better than I was a few weeks ago. "See you in a few days." I wave as I use a towel to dry off my wet hair. Walking into th

NickAs I pull my patrol car up to the house, I glance down at the time. This is my first day back on duty, and I know there's something I have to do. This house? It's held me back in so many ways. Each time I would move forward, it would pull me back, not allowing me to be the man I wanted to be. Getting out, I slowly walk up to the front door, knocking twice before stepping back and waiting for someone to answer. When a woman with a small baby in her arms comes to the door, I give her my best smile."Hi, I'm Nick…""Cooper," she finishes. "You used to live here. I'm Colleen, I used to live over there." She points to another house farther down the block. I vaguely remember her riding her bike with me when she was younger. "I remember.""Yeah." She smiles this time a little sad. "My son and I, we moved here after he was born. Divorce," she says quietly. "I'm not here to judge anyone, I was just wondering if I could look at my old room."Anyone else except her would p