Now You Love Me?

I lowered my gaze as I sliced the ham. "Okay."

Ryan sounded like he was briefing an assistant. "From now on, I'll be at the office on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. I'll be home the rest of the time. I don't want you coming to the office to find me."

The system wailed in protest inside my head. "I don't want cheese! I want spaghetti!"

I smiled faintly. "Okay."

Ryan frowned as he watched me finish my milk, push back my chair, and stand.

"Tasha."

I glanced over my shoulder. "Yes?"

He studied me. "You used to be less obedient. What's wrong with you today?"

Honestly, his little speeches hadn't registered at all.

"Nothing," I said with a smile. "Maybe good things are coming."

Ryan adjusted his tie, yet the tight line of his mouth betrayed his frustration. Even agreeing to marry me clearly went against every fiber of his being.

I smiled slightly. "Hey, Ryan? Can you at least wish me a safe return?"

He blinked, snapping back to reality. After a moment, he said, "Come back safely."

"Thanks."

I turned and walked out.

The system was snarky. "That was boring. I thought he'd refuse."

…

I'd been here seven years, and the city's crime rate was fairly manageable. Violent incidents were rare. I never expected my last call as a cop would hit me like this.

It was a brutal kidnapping. The kidnappers demanded 30 million dollars and a van to escape the city.

By the time I arrived, a light rain was falling.

Amy Miller, my partner, sat at the foot of the stairs. Her eyes were red when she saw me.

"Tasha, the negotiator already went in. The kidnappers want to swap the hostage," she said.

"Swap the hostage?"

"Yes, the current hostage is a pregnant woman."

The team went silent.

If the kidnappers agreed to switch hostages, we'd have to take the replacement.

"So, has someone been chosen?" I asked.

Amy bit her lip. "They want a woman."

Among the team, only Amy and I were female officers.

Amy's husband worked in homicide and had been injured recently. He was still in the hospital. I unstrapped my gun and handed it to her.

"I know. I'll do it."

The system screamed in my head, "Tasha, this is not a joke. If you die, you can't go back!"

I couldn't let Amy go in. She had been with me longer than Ryan had over these seven years. We were the best partners. Amy collapsed into my arms, sobbing. "Tasha, I'm sorry. I know you're getting married, I'm sorry, but James is still in the hospital…"

"I know," I said, patting her shoulder before stepping out into the rain.

The factory on the outskirts of the city was abandoned.

Through the drizzle, I could see the woman cradled in the kidnapper's arms. Her face was pale, but her beauty shone through the blood. Her long dark hair clung to her cheeks, and her wide eyes were filled with pleading.

She pressed her hands to her belly, trembling. "Please, help me. I'm pregnant. I'm carrying the Jamison family heir."

My heart skipped a beat.

The system reminded me, "It's Elaine."

I met her eyes through the rain and felt an odd, complicated twist in my chest.

The kidnappers drove the knife into her, and crimson blood poured over her skin.

"Get over here, or I'll send her to hell!"

Elaine's eyes widened in terror as she looked at me. "Tasha, please, I can't die. Ryan will go crazy. If he finds out you didn't save me, he'll hate you forever…"

She knew who I was. I glanced at Amy and sighed. Then, I walked toward the kidnapper.

When the blade hovered at my throat, Elaine stumbled, then scrambled into the safety of the police perimeter.