Knowing Luce has the situation under control, I go back outside to wait for the cops.
Leaning against the wall, I breathe deep the California air. Jorja opens the car door and gets out. Without saying a word, she lifts my arm and slides under it to cuddle. When the police arrive, we're still in the same position.
“The two assailants are inside. Unconscious.”
He nods, and they walk to the door.
“Lucifer, come.”
They stop, and the look they give me would've made me laugh under other circumstances. Luce trots out of the room, and they both take a step back, clearing out of his way.
“Oh.” They smile. “Good name.”
“Yeah. We each took one down.”
“Let us get them secured, then we'll take your statements.”
Jorja drops down to her knees and throws her arms around Lucifer, then she begins to cry. Not hard, boohoo sobs, but tears of relief. He looks up at me, and his eyes feel her pain. When she lets him go, he licks her face making her laugh. “You're my hero, Luce. Thank you!”
He wags his tail, then lays down at our feet. She slides back under my arm to wait.
An ambulance pulls in, followed by a couple of cars who must have police scanners. Three EMT’s get out. While two unload a stretcher, one walks over.
“We're good. But they're not.”
He gives me a head nod and changes course. He disappears into the room, then stands in the door and waves for the stretcher.
Jorja spins around in my arms and puts her face on my chest. The feeling of holding her after being terrified that I might lose her nearly overwhelms me. I guess I’m in shock too.
But when two cops walk out with the toothless assailant in handcuffs, the lump in my throat vanishes. His face is covered in blood. His eyes are swollen shut. He has no nose that I can see, and his lips are busted. He got off easy.
Then the stretcher carrying the knife welding motherfucker comes out. His mauled arm lays across his chest. My fist balls up again, wanting to inflict more damage, but I force it to flex.
All three EMT’s glance over at us. I give them a head nod. “Motherfuckers are lucky to be alive.”
Two more cops walkout, then come over to us.
“I’m Officer Roberts. This is Officer Lou. We can take your statements now.”
I nod. “Sure.”
Officer Lou speaks to Jorja. “Ma’am, if you would walk with me over here.”
She squeezes my waist, tilts her face to mine, and our eyes lock. She puckers her lips, and I give her the reassuring kiss she needs. Then she lets me go and follows him across the parking lot. I turn so that I can watch her. Her back's to me. Her arms crossed in front of her body in a defensive posture, hugging the blanket.
Her head is down. Her shoulders slumped. She speaks and nods, recalling what happened.
Officer Roberts takes a pen and a little pad out of his pocket. “What’s your name?”
“Jocko Malone.”
He stops. Looks up at me. Looks down at Lucifer. Then says, “tell me what happened.” While I recount the events as they unfolded as I was trained to do without emotion, he jots down notes for his report.
“Where's the knife?”
I point to the hood of the car.
“Does the dog have a current rabies vaccination?”
“Yes. His papers are all in order.”
“Good. I don’t foresee any problems. You can call tomorrow for the case number.” He shakes my hand. “You may have just apprehended the perps who've been pulling off a string of armed robberies over the last few months. We won’t know for sure until after the DNA tests come back, but the MO is the same.”
I shake his hand and wait for Jorja to finish. When Officer Lou closed his note pad and stuffs it in his pocket, I walk over to them. Jorja lifts my arm and cuddles up again. I shake his hand when he says, “Jocko. Nice to meet you. If you weren’t already somewhat famous around here, you most certainly will be now.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jorja
“Mmm!” I stretch. “Is that coffee I smell?”
“It is.” Jocko’s deep voice vibrates next to my ear.
“Did you make coffee?”
“No. I brought it back from Better Buzz.”
I sit up. “What time is it?”
“Almost noon.”
“What?” I look around, bewildered.
He chuckles and hands me a latte cup with Better Buzz’s logo on the side. “Your friend, Margie, wants you to call her later on when you get up.”
I sit cross-legged on the bed and reach for it. “How long have you been up?”
“Since 5:00 AM.”
“Why didn’t you sleep?”
“I did, but Lucifer and I run every day at 5AM.”
“Every day?”
“Every day.”
I sip my latte. “Have you eaten?”
“Yes, I went to Bertha’s Café for pancakes. I brought you some back.”
“Mmm. I’m hungry. Thank you.”
He leaves me to go into the kitchen. When I come out of the bathroom, I hear the beep of the microwave. As soon as I enter the room, Lucifer comes over and rubs his head on my legs like a cat. “Good morning, sweet boy. How’s my hero?”
He wags his tail and lays at my feet when I sit down at the table. Jocko brings my plate of pancakes. He's topped them with slices of banana, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and drizzled with butter.
“Are you trying to spoil me?”
“Yes.” He grins that sexy as fuck sideways grin. “Honey or syrup?”
“Honey.”
He sets it on the table, then sits down to watch me eat.
“Gawd, this is so good!”
“I’m an excellent cook, by the way.”
“You can teach me. I’m not.” I laugh. “I’m lazy, but I do love to eat.”
He smiles, then says, “I received a text about an hour ago. I have to sign for my household goods.”
“Oh….” I can’t keep the disappointment out of my voice. “I was hoping you would be staying with me for a little while.”
He grins, stands up, pushing his chair back, leans over the table, and kisses the fuck out of my mouth. “Eat your pancakes. I'll be back before you know it.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“Minimum of a couple hours. It could be as many as four. The military's famous for hurry up and wait.”
“Ok. I'll go to the grocery store. You eat a lot more than I do.”
He laughs, opens his wallet, takes out a couple of hundred-dollar bills, and lays them on the table. “I’m pretty easy to please. I’m a meat and potatoes man. Steak, burgers, roast, chicken.”
I nod. “I'll get some of each.”
He sucks his lips, “Come on, Luce.”
Lucifer gets up and the new alpha males in my life walkout.
“So, did you enjoy your coffee this morning?” Margie laughs into the phone.
“As a matter of fact, I did.” I laugh with her. “What time do you get off today?”
“In ten minutes. Why?”
“You won’t believe what happened last night.”