Protecting Him✔️

Chapter One

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Warning

There are mentions of sexual assault, rape, violence, cussing, and drugs.

If any of these bother you I suggest you do NOT read this book because in every chapter there is something about one of those things I just mentioned. Don't get mad at me for not warning you at the beginning of the chapters because I warned you here.

The book goes back and forth between the present and the past. When it switches there will be a date, time, and location of where the event happened.

——————June 14, 2021———————
29 years old
Clear View Police Department
Clear View Hills, Ohio

The police station was hectic tonight. After a large shootout on main street, a couple of robberies, and a killing, the place was humming. People were being brought in with handcuffs around their wrists and multiple groups waiting to give their statements on recent events. Among them all stood killers and to find them she was called in.

Sheriff Drew is a 5'2 woman, with grey eyes that hold no emotion, long wavy brunette hair, and a scar stretching from the corner of her lip to her eyebrow. She carried authority in the way she held herself despite her height. One glare from her and you'd wish to dissolve right in the spot. She's been through a lot, more than one person should be put through, but it was all worth it.

"Has he been brought in yet?" Katie, the receptionist, shakes her head.

"Officer Ronald dropped off some pictures in your desk earlier from the case," Drew nods a thanks before heading into my small office. Some might complain about the amount of space but she seems to like it. There's just enough space for a desk and two file cabinets on each wall.

On her desk, two pictures sit alongside a computer and phone. The left picture is of two children, the older one kissing what seems to be her younger brother's head. On the right is a young man. He wears a black suit, the green in his eyes light from the flash, the top of his head holds messy curls, the girl pictured next to him wears a deep red silklike dress and looks at the guy like he's the love of her life.

A big yellow envelope sits on her desk- NORTHWEST HOMICIDE- written in big bold letters on the front. Sitting down in her chair she opens the envelope. Inside are photos of the dead body from different angles, picturing different wounds on the body, a knife, and the woman's belongings spread on the ground of the alley.

She begins to read the reports. Drew's body freezes at the name, Ember Ashton. Drew checks the date, Ember would be turning  thirty in two days. She pushes the thought away and continues to read the rest.

The body was found at 2:15 AM, June 10th, 2021,  in the alley between Mark's Pub and Rosemary Florist, only four days ago. Fingerprint marks were found on her throat, 30 stab wounds all over her body, and the cause of death was blood loss.

Sheriff Drew pulls out the photos, looking at the  fingerprints along the neck, Ember's eyes wide open, no longer the bright blue. Her makeup was smeared from tears, clothes were ripped and stained with blood. She brings the picture closer to her, there's a marking on the wrists, that almost looks like a logo, one that she could draw with her eyes closed, the same one she sees in her nightmares every night. A knock disrupts her from her thoughts.

"Come in," she yells to the person. Officer Ronald opens the door with two cups of coffee in his hands. Ronald has the build of a bouncer but the attitude of a five-year-old.

"Hey," he says with a smirk, she rolls her eyes at him.

"What do u want?" She asks crossing her arms over her chest as she sits back in her chair.

"Nice to see you too, I was thinking-"

"When you think it's never good," she interrupts. "What do you even want Sam?"

"First today I see, I like the way my name sounds in your mouth maybe-"

"You have three seconds to tell me what you came in here for before I show you what I did to the last guy who said something like that," she warns him.

Sam Ronald had always been a player since she could remember meeting him. He has been trying to get with her ever since they met but never got the hint she's not looking. He keeps claiming they have chemistry. The only chemistry they had together was when they busted some guy for his meth lab after selling to minors. Ronald doesn't know that she saw him grab some from the scene. She doesn't care as long as the job gets done, but also because not too long ago she would've done the same thing.

"Fine," he sighs as he leans against her desk. "There's a guy he saying he was involved in the shooting of the young woman, won't tell us anything. Said he'll only talk to you."

"What's his name?" She asks rubbing the exhaustion out of her eyes.

"AJ something, although I don't think that's his actual name because why would a parent name their kids two letters? His voice is irritating in that 'I want to slap him across the face way," she doesn't stick around to hear what else he has to say about AJ before she's out the door heading to the interrogation rooms.

"Which room?" She yells as she turns down the hallway.

"Third on the right," Ronald gives her a perplexed look even though she can't see him.

Sheriff Drew stops in front of the door, her hand resting on the door handle. Taking a deep breath to calm the nerves, she walks in.

A guy sits at the table, hands resting on the table. He looks up when he hears the door. A slight gasp comes from her mouth as she looks at him. He has a full beard now, and a couple of tattoos on his neck, but what shocks her most is his appearance. The bags under his eyes, the unkept hair that looks like it's been unwashed for weeks, and his wrinkled clothes. He looks nothing like the boy she knew 13 years ago.

AJ looks up the shock of seeing him evident on her face. He can barely make out his old best friend through his bloodshot eyes. She's grown up now, the spark that was once in her eyes is now gone, he notices her badge lastly. Happy, that she got her dream job, but upset about her abrupt vanish.

His voice is deep and rough almost like its needs cleared, "Hello Skylar."