Chapter 6

Nathan’s biggest problem over the next few days was his inability to stay focused, his attention wandering back to Jen and her problem.

Is she safe? Is she okay?

Is she well?

He bit the inside of his cheek to banish the worrisome thoughts and bring himself back to full awareness.

As soon as he’d been able to clear his head of her, Nathan had made a few phone calls to old friends.

He’d trained most of them, watched them climb the ladder into different positions within the force.

Nathan had never, ever considered contacting them for anything other than maybe an odd drink here and there. He didn’t want to be one of those cops, the ones who misused their power, their connections.

But this—this wasn’t for him.

It was for her.

He’d called in some favors, gently poking around the edges without saying what he needed the information for. There’d been some raised eyebrows, but they all knew he wouldn’t have come and asked for help if he didn’t have a good reason.

She’d given him the punk’s last name—Tanner.

It wouldn’t be hard to put it together with recent parolees and an incident at a medical clinic three years ago.

So he waited for his favors to come back home and wondered if Jen was okay.

And mentally berated himself for a lack of focus as he snapped his attention back to the street.

This sort of daydreaming could be dangerous for anyone, but it was possibly lethal for a policeman. A careless slip, a lack of awareness for a few seconds, and he could not only be in deep trouble, but he’d bring his partner down as well.

Daydream as an accountant, and you might cost someone a lot of money.

Daydream as a cop, and you might end up six feet under.

Henry hadn’t noticed, thank goodness. The rookie was taking it all in and learning fast. His enthusiasm helped keep Nathan sharp, his constant drill of questions keeping his training officer on his toes. The young man would go far with that type of mindset as long as he stayed focused.

This was a concentrated effort for his senior as they circled the block on a late-night patrol, aiming a searchlight into the dark alleys to find the haphazard shacks and shelters built out of everything from discarded tarps to broken shopping carts.

Nathan gestured to his right. “In there.”

The spotlight swung over a huddled figure warming his hands over a garbage can fire.

“Hey,” Nathan yelled. “You okay tonight?”

The man froze for a second, then slowly raised a gloved hand and waved at the policemen. He gave the pair a thumbs-up before returning his focus on the fire.

Nathan waved back and tapped the gas to move forward. “Stay sharp. Homeless people get robbed and hurt all the time. We’re here to protect everyone. You see something out of place, you speak up, and we’ll check it out,” Nathan said. “Remember the sleeper? If we could have gotten to him sooner, we might have been able to convince him to get inside. Say hello, wave, do whatever you do to get their attention and confirm they’re okay.”

“Don’t some of them hate us?” Henry asked.

“Some do. Some don’t. Doesn’t matter if they’re being victimized.” Nathan slowed as they came to another intersection. “Protect and serve. That includes everyone.”

Henry fell silent and studied the narrow alleys.

Is she safe?

Nathan tightened his grip on the steering wheel and tried to push his mind back on track.

He cleared his throat. “Watch when you get into these lanes. If you look down, you can see the cobblestones. I figure they used to be horse paths before—easy enough to snap off a side mirror or scrape up the doors if you’re not careful. You don’t want to turn the car in all banged up unless you’ve got a good story to go with it.”

Henry hummed a response.

Nathan tried to push his mind back on track and failed.

All he could think about was Jennifer and how he had to do something more to protect her.

It wasn’t only his job as a policeman, although it would be enough to justify his ongoing concern for her. It was part and parcel of what he felt as a submissive, his personal responsibility to keep her safe and sound during her time with him.

In a perfect world, it would be twenty-four hours a day, but that wasn’t possible right now.

He needed to make sure when she came to him, she felt comfortable and safe, secure enough so they could both let themselves go and enjoy their time together.

He could give her that much. The dead bolt was strong and firmly set, almost impossible to break down with mere force.

But that was all he could do. All she would allow him to do.

Nathan didn’t know what else to do to help her when she drove away out of sight.

He did know things had changed between them and would continue to change.

Because as soon as he got the information he’d requested, he’d know more about her than any client of HP ever did about his Domme.

And their relationship would change yet again.

“They’re pretty interesting folks.” Henry waved at another street person wearing a series of sleeping bags.

“Don’t let your guard down,” Nathan warned. “They can lash out at you at any time.”

“Why would they?”

Nathan rolled his head around, feeling the tension in his neck muscles. “Some of them might be sick. Hallucinations from a variety of sources—off their medication or maybe got some bad drugs from a pusher, ill from not seeking medical attention. A cut can get infected fast, and they’re afraid to go to the clinics or get any help.” He grunted. “And some of them plain don’t like cops. They get rousted too many times or harassed, they’re going to throw the first punch and damn the consequences. Watch yourself and be prepared for any situation. Most of them are okay, but there’s always the odd one out.”

Henry turned his attention back to the streets.

Nathan hoped Jen wouldn’t be too mad with him.

You’re interfering, he imagined her sharp reply. I didn’t ask you for anything more than advice.

But I’m a cop. And your sub.

And I won’t let you be worried or scared if I can do anything about it.

The radio flashed to life, the commands blaring out from the speaker and banishing any thoughts of Jen from his mind.

Henry grinned as Nathan hit the lights and siren.

“Time to earn our paycheck,” Nathan said.