MAY 20, 2025!!

Chapter 1

March 2024

As he sat there in his police car chomping on a spicy crispy McChicken from McDonald’s, his phone rang. It rang through Bluetooth over the loudness of his favorite band playing. The band was called W.E.T. featuring his favorite singer, Jeff Scott Soto! The song, Watch the Fire Burn! It’s about facing all your enemies and how karma is a bitch that will get you burned.

Needless to say, it pissed him off!

“How fucking dare you interrupt my jamming time!” He laughed.

The never-ending eye roll ensued as he checked the caller ID. It was his older brother, David. The world-renown psychiatrist. What the fuck did he want? He let it go to voicemail. But if there was one constant in this world, it was his persistence that was the most annoying thing ever.

His phone rang five more times. Damn him! In the tone of one of his favorite fictional characters, Doctor Fraiser Crane. Chris laughed at that.

“Yes!?” he asked in his famous Bruce Willis tone from the movie Armageddon.

 “Hey, I was just wondering, are you and Beth coming over for dinner?”

“Oh, depends on work. We got a hot case.”

“So, I’ll tell Mikey that cause of work, his Uncle Chris can never come around and miss spaghetti Wednesday!”

“Damn, David, really, look, I’ll try to make it, but I can’t guarantee and stop throwing my work up in my face! I could easily say the same thing about you!”

“I at least make time for my family. I don’t know how Beth puts up with it. That boss of yours is a slave driver. I think you should look for something else, bro. Seriously.”

“You are slowly working your way out of my life!”

“Does that mean I won’t be best man at your wedding?”

“Ha. I already have a best man at my wedding!”

“Oh yeah, that Indian dude, what’s his name? Not even American. He should be deported. The people you keep, bro, they are…”

“Shut the fuck up. Dude, this is about it for you!”

He ended the call. It was the same thing every time he called. Now he was making fun of his best friend, Rohan. Saying he should be deported. He’s an American Indian. He has more right to this country than them. He called his brother back.

“And another thing. Rohan is his name. He’s an American Indian and has more right to this country than we do, you mother fucker! You know what, I’m done with you. Done with the entire family! You can tell Mikey that his dad is a total rich asshole who needs to mind his own fucking business!”

He ended the call by not giving him satisfaction to say anything else. Chris was hot. He needed something to take the edge off. And called Dawn before calling Beth.

“Hey, do you need me the rest of the day?” he asked.

“Hey Rieny, um, well, I don’t think so. Just keep your phone on in case I do.”

“Are you busy by chance?”

“Yeah, I’m busy with Jacob and his family.”

“Oh, right, shit.”

“Chris, what’s wrong?”

“I just had it out with my brother. I’ll call Rohan. It’s okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Sorry I called.”

“Hey, it’s okay. You can call me anytime. I mean that, Rieny!”

“Okay. Thanks, Huds.”

He ended the call and went to Clancy’s. It was around four pm and he was thankful that Huds didn’t need him the rest of the night. He was going to see his nephew Mikey but damn. David had to go and ruin everything. Chris checked his phone. Nothing from him after that. He called Rohan.

“Hey, bro, what’s up?” Rohan asked.

“I need you tonight, bro. I just had it out with my brother, and I need someone.”

“What about Beth?”

“I need a drinking partner. I feel like some drinks, and she can’t be around that, and I don’t want her around me when I’m this way. Meet me at Clancy’s.”

“Okay, give me a few.”

Fifteen minutes later, Chris arrived at the Irish pub and hoped his famous waitress, Jennifer McGuiness was here. She got him. She was an awesome listener. He hated lying to Beth about this, but he needed his wingman tonight.

As he entered, he sat at the high round table and saw his girl. He smiled wide and ordered a Michelob Ultra. And ordered one for Rohan too.

“Hey, tall drink of water. Been a long time.” She smiled.

“Yeah.”

“Where is your other half?”

“At home. Just me and Rohan tonight.”

“Uh oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Be right back with your order.”

“Thanks.”

Five minutes later, Rohan entered, and Chris had already half the beer gone. Rohan saw the Michelob on the table and there was one for him as well.

“Oh, boy, it’s a Michelob, night?” Rohan chuckled.

“Yeah.”

“Oh, boy.”

“Is that all you can say?” Chris asked.

He sat down and took a swig of his beer. Chris also ordered some wings for them and tonight, it was just boys’ night. But his phone buzzed and this time it was Beth. She’d be pissed if she knew what he was doing.

“Hey, babe, what’s up?” he asked.

He pulled the phone away and placed his hand over the speaker so she couldn’t hear. He shook his head at Rohan, and he laughed.

“You best tell her the truth, bub,” he said.

“Yeah, okay.”

Chris turned back to Beth and blew out a few long breaths. After he told her everything that happened, there was a long pause.

“Babe?” he checked.

“I want to kill that fucker that is your brother!” she stated.

“Well, you won’t have to. I ended it so; he won’t be at the wedding either.”

“What’s your family gonna say?”

“Who cares. I’m my own man!”

“Right, I love you, babe! Be careful. Tell Rohan, hi. I’m hanging out at Dawn’s, talking to Rachel, I find we have a lot in common. She is quickly becoming my best friend. Thank you for introducing me to these guys.”

“Okay, tell them all hi.”

“I will, I love you!”

His eyes widened. She actually said it. When he asked her to marry him back in December 2023, he never thought he would settle down. He was a playboy. His idol was the fictional character Sam Malone from the show Cheers.

“I love you!” he spoke.

The call ended and his phone buzzed again. It was an odd number. He never answered those. And always let them go to voicemail and delete them later. He put his phone in his back pocket and glanced over at Rohan who was watching the TV that sat across from them on the wall between the doors. One door led to the patio and the other door was the entrance.

As his eyes watched the TV, two police officers entered. Not again. Back in December 2023, he was arrested for bullshit charges. Mark Winslow tried to have him convicted of murdering his daughter who wasn’t even murdered. Plus, there were a bunch of other bullshit charges. The officers walked over to their table. This was a cop bar shared with Shelby and Starling Pd’s. He nodded to them, and they decided to join them.

“I’m Officer McKenzie and this is Officer Black.”

“Nice to meet you guys, what brings you in? You’re on duty, right?” Chris asked.

“No. We decided to come and hang out. What about you?” Officer McKenzie asked.

“I’m here with this guy.” He pointed at Rohan. “We are from Starling PD.” He eyed officer McKenzie and her stunning beauty with her black poker straight hair and pulverizing blue eyes just took him back.

But her partner, Black, had the true meaning of tall and dark and the one you didn’t want to mess with type.

“We came for the pool. You guys shoot stick?” Officer Black asked.

“We do.”

Him and Rohan rose off their chairs. Officer Black and McKenzie joined them. They walked the short walkway to the two pool tables that sat across from the bar to the far right near the back exit.

There was a big burly guy and a skinny little runt playing at the moment. Chris stopped and the big burly guy smiled at him. He got right in his face.

“And just what do you think you four plan on doing?”

“Calling the next game,” Chris said.

He laughed in his face. Chris rubbed his mouth and shook his head. Rohan knew what was coming. He put his hand on Chris’ chest and pulled him back.

“Not now, dude. You know what will happen,” Rohan said.

Rohan pulled him further from the guy and Chris shook his head.

“Fucking assholes like him. I just wanna…” Chris spoke.

“I know dude. Just not right now!” Rohan said.

“Hey, you called me asshole and you don’t even know me!” the big burly guy spoke.

“Yeah, sorry. Just you come off as one.” Chris chuckled.

He swung at Chris, and he ducked. Chris swung back and connected. Rohan pulled him back once more, but the big guy attempted to hit the strapping Mohican. Rohan was taller than him by two inches. Officer Black and Mckenzie also helped fight this guy. Mckenzie swung at him and as he stumbled, she pulled out her cuffs. Chris’ eyes widened and he smiled at her.

“You sir are under arrest!” she spoke.

“Oh my gosh, dude, that was awesome!” Chris stated.

Chris’ phone buzzed once more. He rolled his eyes and shook his head. This had to stop. So, today, he’d put an end to it, hopefully. He answered.

“Hello, who the hell is this?” he asked.

“Hello, detective. I see that temper of yours is about to rear its ugly head again.”

“Who the hell are you and how the fuck do you know that?”

That eerie rugged voice pissed him off more than it gave him chills. He shook his head. Rohan nodded at him. He showed him and put the phone on the speaker.

“And there he is, your sidekick. That tall dark and sexy Mohican. I hear he is the last of his kind, is that right? I can’t wait to play with you both!” the man laughed. “I know about the secrets you keep, Detective. How you were once married and how a child died in your care. I know about the others you have killed too! Imagine if Beth found out about that being so close to giving birth to a new child.”

The call ended. Chris sighed.

“See what I’ve been dealing with? On the last case, the case that Huds took me off, he was calling and supposedly put a hit out on Beth. But nothing happened.” He didn’t let Rohan hear the last part. No way could anyone know about that. But he feared it would come out soon.

“And now he’s calling again?”

“Yup.”

“Weird. He’s just playing with you.”

“Yeah. I don’t know. I need to find out who this psycho is!” Chris said.

“We will bro, before your wedding to Beth in May!”

“Yeah.”