The Risk Takers

Part 13 | Unexpected News

I dump the plastic bags holding the containers of our Thai food onto the counter and my eye catches the wine bottle that's been teasing me for the past month by the stove. I flick my eyes away from the temptation and whine that I can't even enjoy a glass of wine right now. I hear the jingle of Liam's keys at the front door and I spin around to catch him strolling into the kitchen.

"Hey you, how was your day?" He asks before pulling me in for a nice kiss on the lips. After I pull away I answer, "Shitty. Kavanaugh put Tristan on the Fisher case." Liam notices my bummed expression and pulls me in for a hug.

"Awww baby, I'm sorry. I know you really wanted that one." With my cheek pressed up against his broad chest I mumble, "I worked so hard too. I hate Tristan. He has his head so far up Kavanaugh's ass..."

Liam pulls away from me and tucks my loose hair behind my ears, "Maybe you should start wearing low cut blouses to work and start sweetening up Peabody." I groan at his joke, both of us knowing I would never suck up to pervy Peabody.

"No, I'll just continue to kick ass on the next stupid public case they stick me with and hopefully I'll get the next big one," I mutter. "Since Tristan is going to be swamped with the Fisher case for at least three months, maybe something better will come my way."

Liam laughs, "Is it odd that we both want people to do horrific things so we can prove we are good at our jobs?" He makes me laugh too, which helps pull me from my shit mood. I start untying the plastic bags and Liam grabs forks from the drawer. As I hand him his order I ask, "How was your day? You sounded busy when I called you." I follow behind him past the dining table and we continue right into the living room. We both know tonight is, sit-on-the-couch-and- bitch-about-work-while-eating-shitty-take-out-food night. Which we enjoy about three nights a week, if we are lucky to see each other that often.

"It was bad. Homicide in Glendale. We were there for hours trying to find any kind of witnesses. No one wanted to talk. I was going to hang around tonight after Teddy left, but I wanted to come home to you," Liam says lovingly and we both plop down into our usual seats before digging into our dinner. Liam tosses his phone on the coffee table but I know he won't be more than six inches away from his phone at any time. When duty calls, he answers and flees.

Liam and Teddy both went to the police academy right after completing school at Pepperdine and they have been working as partners as undercover police officers for the past two years. Liam is hoping to become detective soon, so he's thrown himself into his work in hopes of being selected for a promotion. Both Liam and Teddy realize how useful it is to be able to read minds to close open cases and Liam's ability to become invisible shot him straight to the top of his class. He hangs around the crime scene after everyone leaves to search and find his own evidence. We both know our abilities are what make us damn good at our jobs but it also makes us eager and greedy to get to the top. Liam has tasted my need for perfection and now understands why I was the way I was in high school.

I'm glad Teddy stayed in our lives after the Topher fiasco and now him and Liam are best friends and partners. They like that they are both in on how they are able to solve cases and it helps to have someone trustworthy in our lives. Us three are like a tiny family and Teddy spends more nights on our couch than he does at his own apartment a couple of miles away from us.

"Well I'm glad you decided to come home to me. I feel like I haven't seen you in days," I reply before stuffing my face with noodles.

"I know, I told Teddy today that I wanted to try and take Saturday night off. Maybe you and I can go do something on a weekend for once. Go get drunk somewhere and have a nice night on the town?" Liam suggests and I muster up a smile. It sounds nice but I know it's not possible, not in my current condition.