Coming Soon!

Chapter1

March 2024

As I sat there in my police car chomping on a spicy crispy McChicken from McDonald’s, my phone rang. It rang through Bluetooth over the loudness that my favorite band was playing. The ban was called W.E.T. featuring my 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 me off!

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

The never-ending eye roll ensued as I checked the caller ID. It was my older brother, David. The world-renown psychiatrist. What the fuck did he want? I 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.

My phone rang five more times. Damn him! In the tone of my favorite guy, Doctor Fraiser Crane. I laughed at that.

“Yes!?” I asked in my 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!”

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

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

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

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

“Hey, bro, what’s up?” he 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, I arrived at the Irish pub and hoped our famous waitress, Jennifer McGuiness was here. She got me. She was an awesome listener. I hated lying to Beth about this, but I needed my wingman tonight.

As I entered, I sat at the high round table and saw my girl. I smiled wide and ordered a Michelob Ultra. I 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 I already had half my beer gone. He 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?” I asked.

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

“Hey, babe, what’s up?” I asked.

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

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

“Yeah, okay.”

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

“Babe?” I 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 at Dawn’s, Jacob, and I are really talking about our time in the Brotherhood. I’ll tell you later.”

“Okay, tell them all hi.”

“I will, I love you!”

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

“I love you!” I spoke.

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

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

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

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

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

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

But her partner, Black, he was 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.”

Rohan and I rose off our chairs. Officer Black and McKenzie joined us. We walked across the way 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. We stopped and the big burly guy smiled at me. He got right in my face.

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

“We get next!” I stated.

He laughed in my face. I rubbed my mouth and shook my head. Rohan knew what was coming. He put his hand to my chest and pulled me back.

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

Rohan pulled me further away from the guy and I shook my head.

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

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

“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,” I chuckled.

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

“You sir are under arrest!” she spoke.

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

My phone buzzed. This mysterious number had been calling me for a while now. It’s like they call, then they stop for a few weeks. I usually never answer those, but this was annoying me.

“Hello, who the hell is this?” I 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 me off more than it gave me chills. I shook my head. Rohan nodded to me. I 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.

The call ended. I 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.”

“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!” I spoke.

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

“Yeah.”