Chapter 16

I heard a soft noise coming from outside of the bathroom as I was waking up. Blinking my eyes open, the first sight of the day was of the side of the bathtub. Now that's something to get excited about. It wasn't the toilet like it was yesterday morning when I woke and the day before. Nope. Bathtub... It was so exciting to wake seeing that!

Yawning, I rolled over until I was resting on my back on the hard floor. The sleeping bag and blankets beneath me were a disappointment for the fact that it didn't help much with comfort. But until Luke trusts me enough to sleep on my own, this was my new bed. A nice cozy bathroom floor. You can't really blame him for not trusting me yet though for the fact that the moment he did, I would betray him and run.

The sound I had heard when I woke came again. It was the sound of the lock in the door Luke installed from the outside. And a moment later, I heard the quiet whistle of the door opening. Glancing towards the door by my feet and sitting up slightly, I saw more light enter the bathroom from the rest of the house.

"Albany?" I heard his voice lightly. Luke appeared in the door a moment later as well, looking down at me from where I was laying. He noticed I was up and when he did, he swung the rest of the door open. With that little action, he let all the light that was coming from bright house flood into the dark bathroom. The only light in here before was a small plug in night light that only gave off enough light to see just barely in front of me.

The light rushing into the dark corners of the one room without a window of course, I winced from how bright it was. The transition from dark to light came too fast. Oh irony. You got to love it.

"Damn dude!" I groaned, not liking the abrupt attempt to blind me this early in the morning. "Be gentle with me in the morning." I smirked up at him after I was able to adjust my sight well enough. "That's what she said."

"Sorry," he said, ignoring my last comment. "But we are late."

Late? I sighed, sitting up more and resting my hands on my hard bed behind me. I kept myself propped up in that position. I took him in better now that my eyes were pass the torture he temporarily made them go through. Looking at him as he stood there in the doorway, I noticed that he wasn't in his usual clothes. He was in his uniform, clad in that dark blue T-shirt with matching yet professional looking long pants. His shirt supported a nice looking collar that just barely brushed against the short hairs on his neck. Buttoned up, there were two pockets on each side of his chest, each having a flap that supported a button and made it look even more professional. Above the pocket on the right side of his chest was his silver and gold badge. There was also a small walkie-talkie up near his badge, hooked or snapped on just below his shoulder with a long black spiral cord that hung down and connected to something on his belt. Which held more things than I noticed before.

I noticed that his gun was secured at his side in the holster on his left. Looking next to it, I noticed another holster that held a long baton stick and that went for most of the things on his belt. They all had a different holster for each thing. Handcuffs and a flashlight as well, I noticed. On his right side, there was a pouch in the shape of a cylinder and knew that he held his pepper spray in there. Next to it was a little speaker that the walkie-talkie that was by his chest connected to. There were a lot more little holsters and pouches on his belt but it concealed whatever was in it and I couldn't tell what else there was. All I knew was that it must be a ton of weight for his belt. I could only assume he had a large package to keep it up. Of course, that would mean having to keep his dick aroused the whole day to support all that. God, he's got some super power if he could do that....

"Hey, we got to go," he said, distracting me from taking in his uniform. Looking up at him, he looked much more wide awake now than I was. I could only assume it was earlier in the morning. How dare he wake me up so early.

"Go where?" I asked, stretching my legs out before me as well as my arms. "You are obviously going back to work. I don't like this whole 'we' thing, especially so early."

"Well, I'm not leaving you here by yourself," he said, as if it were stupid to even think about him leaving me home. "You are coming with me."

I sighed, getting to my feet in the bathroom and stood before him. "Why? Don't you trust me? I'm your sweet and innocent stepdaughter," I said lightly, already knowing there was no getting out of this anyway. As I waited for him to answer, I turned around in the bathroom to quickly bend over and fold up the sleeping bag and blankets. I was never good at folding. That's why three seconds of an attempt led to the pile of fabric being thrown in the bathtub out of the way for now.

"I trust you to an extent," he said, sounding slightly amused. I didn't like the sound of that. I knew he still didn't trust me enough but until he does, I am stuck here. And that means the more time I spend with him, like today. How much more time with him will it take until I become too soft, too weak? Yesterday at the mall, I realized I was becoming too nice and feeling emotions I shouldn't want to. I shouldn't want to continue to be his friend. And I shouldn't let that give me anymore guilt over leaving when the time comes.

I had to at least try to keep myself in check today. I couldn't get any closer to him. I wasn't going to go cold and give him attitude, wasn't going to act up much or anything like that. I was going to be his friend like I was yesterday for the fact that I had fun and it was a good day. And though it might sting a bit more when I do leave and betray him, well, it will be for my own good. Not to mention, that little hurt and guilt... I realized it would be worth it to have a friend and a nice time until it's time to leave. I just wouldn't get any closer to him, not gain anymore feelings of kindness for him. We could still be friends in a way though still.

"What do you do at work today?" I asked.

His eyebrows dipped a little but his small smile remained. "I think you will like what I'm doing today."

That was all he said before he turned and went downstairs, telling me to get ready and that he will be waiting. So as I got dressed and put on the shoes we bought from the mall, I couldn't help but wonder what he meant by that. I found out not an hour later.

***

We were sitting in his cop car, facing the busy road. Meaning, we weren't on the road. No sir, we were backed up and behind a ton of thick brush by the road, making us invisible to whoever is driving by us from the right. And all we were really doing was just waiting to see someone go over the speed limit. So all was silent. For maybe a minute. After all, you put me in this sweet looking cop car, I wont be able to shut up no matter how bored things were getting with no action. Just the car kept me occupied.

I was able to get a better look at everything now that I was in the front seat with him and not in the back. So you can imagine how many questions I had. After he answered my question about how he turned the sirens on, he answered my other question as well about the walkie-talkie hooked up to the car. He said that it was for when you are in a high speed chase in most cases. He could speak into the walkie-talkie and it would come through the speakers mounted outside of the car. Now, onto the next question!

"What is this for?" I asked, gesturing to the computer that was mounted to the dashboard. It was a fairly large computer screen. It was attached to the dash in a way so it was mostly facing the drivers side, the keyboard to it separately mounted just below it under the radio to face him more.

This whole time, his eyes were on the road in front of us, watching every car it seemed and all the traffic. Watching and waiting for someone to exceed the speed limit. But every time I would ask him something, he wouldn't give me not just half of his attention but rather all of it.

His green eyes turning and finding mine, he answered as he glanced to what I indicated. "That's my dashboard computer."

I snorted. "Very creative name."

He smiled slightly as he went on. "I can type in information connecting to a person and what will come up is whatever we have on file of them. We can also change or add information when we have to give out a ticket. This would document it I guess you could say."

I nodded, figuring that was what it was for and understanding. My eyes were on the move in the next second to the next curious thing I saw when entering the car.

It was hard to describe. I saw that there was a track or belt of some sort built between us, parallel to our thighs, and at level with where my ass sat and his. The track started where the big shot gun was propped up near where the backs of our seats started; and ended just below the keyboard and the radio. It wasn't too big but I knew it was significant. There were all these gadgets and devices attached onto this track. But the most noticeable was the small screen that was tilted upward towards Luke I first noticed. I noticed that it was a GPS and it was being held to the track by small latches that were connected to the belt and hooked onto the base of the GPS, meant to keep it in place while driving. But that was just at one end of the belt. There were many other devices that were also mounted onto the track. Some I could identify and some I couldn't of what made up this row of equipment.

I swear, it was the weirdest thing I have ever seen inside of a car - except for the time I saw this woman eating ears of corn out of a bucket in her parked car in a parking lot of a store. All I have to say is that it was weird and I love corn on the cob.

"Alright, now what the hell is this? Does it charge your equipment or something?"

Glancing to me before he looked down at the track with all the things on them I was speaking of, he said, "This is, what we like to call at the station, 'the broken fucker,'" he said, indicating the whole track.

He paused, glancing back up to me when I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows at the nickname they gave the little track. I laughed and he grinned slightly, chuckling with me at how ridiculous that sounded. "The broken fucker?" I looked down at the track that held all these little gadgets before glancing back up at him in question and asking for an explanation.

He pursed his lips, nodding as he looked back out the window and towards the road where the traffic raced by early in the morning, most on their way to work I assumed. Looking back to me with a smile, he answered. "Yes. The broken fucker. You see, about a year and a half ago, all of us at the station were given new police cars - which is quite rare and too good to be true. And it was," he chuckled. "All of our cars are the same and always have been in the past. Except in these cars, there is this type of belt built into each," he said, pointing to it before he rested his hand on the top of the GPS that was mounted on this belt. "This here is the GPS and, along with all these devices on here with it, are designed to be mounted onto these latches," he said, pointing to the extremely small and black metal latches that were holding the GPS to the track. "All of the equipment here can be mounted on this track and hold it in easy reach and charge it. But it's called the broken fucker for a reason," he smirked and went on, glancing back up to me for a minute and I snorted at that name again.

"It wouldn't be because it's broken, would it?"

He scoffed, eyes between us on the track. "Anyway, we figured after we got the cars that these latches that mount our equipment were meant to slide and move." He showed me what he meant in the next second when he applied pressure to the hand that was resting on the small GPS. I watched the device as he pushed it a few inches back and forth on the track, as if it were on wheels. "So this stuff mounted, it all slides," he said and moved his hand that was on the GPS to another gadget on the track, doing the same thing quickly to that and a few other devices, showing me they could slide on the length of the track too. Looking up at him, I saw his pretty and amused green eyes were now on mine. "Which, we figured, was cool at first. I mean, it can hold all our shit and charge it, slides it on a track so none of the holders on it are permanently placed if we wanted to remove or put something else on it. Plus, the latches hold it and keep it on the track so it doesn't fall off and is always on the track."

"So how is it broken?" I asked.

Watching the road, he explained it to me. "Well, after a few days of using the cars, we all hated the belts. When driving at a high enough speed, some equipment will fall off. The damn latches are too weak so if you turn fast, there goes the walkie-talkie that was mounted - and that goes for any device on here," he said, glancing down at all his equipment hooked onto the belt. "Most of the time it doesn't happen when just driving steady but if you turn hard enough, slam on the breaks, at least something will fall off."

He paused, shaking his head and chuckled. "So that's how it's broken. We added 'fucker' at the end of it because it really pisses you off after a while. But also, the fact that everything slides... it didn't help and wasn't as cool as we figured. If you are driving and you reach for something on it, you end up grabbing whatever was next to it or something. It's a distraction because it slides up and down when the car moves for the fact that there are small wheels on the bottom of the latches you can't see - which is how they slide. And also, if the holders with everything on it slides hard enough, some devices fall off when they hit each other because there are so many devices on this that slide and are jammed on the track." He paused in speaking, turning to look at my face after watching the traffic move in front of us on the road. He grinned immediately and snorted and I knew the cause must have been my expression. He waited for me to speak, his eyes over my face still amused at whatever look was on my face.

I started laughing as it all registered. Jesus. Poor little cop, can't keep his gadgets under control. I guess it was just fate for his personal devices to rebel. "Well, that's just a kick in the ass to start your day at work, huh? Got to love that Newton. He knows how to fuck with people and not look guilty."

I got a reaction out of that one and it made me smile at him. He burst out laughing at my comment. Looking at him, he turned his head forward and shook his head, chuckling at that.

"The broken fucker...." I shook my head, scoffing and he glanced back at me. "That's awesome," I went on laughing and looked to his amused face.

"You know," he started. "You figure just a normal control panel would be good enough. We had those in our old cars. Nope, these bitches are installed into the car and it goes against technology progressing. We later found out that these dumb latches are suppose to be so strong, nothing should bend or break them easily." He scoffed and his eyebrows dipped and I wanted to laugh at seeing that this frustrated him again. "Of course, 'turning quickly' and 'moving fast' obviously just don't count. 'Christmas bonus for us all' my ass," he muttered. "I just about had enough of it."

I bit my lip, seeing this made him pissed off at just thinking about the stupid belt and that they were ripped off. It was hilarious first of all, seeing him explain that this track that charges and holds their things have all these stupid flaws. That the things on the track slides when the car is in motion and that the latches are weak and causes the equipment to fall off. The hilarious part is how this terrible cheap little belt has made him, along with all his co-workers, appear pissed off over the track that they now call it 'the broken fucker.'

"Well, I'm sure. I mean, Christ," I shook my head and said sarcastically. "I totally agree. If you reach for the back-up walkie-talkie on the belt and end up grabbing the GPS instead on accident.... I mean damn, that's got to be so stressful. Of course you had enough."

At hearing just how much I 'agreed' with him, he shook his head, amusement in his eyes but he held a straight line upon his lips. He stared at me, seeing that I thought he was going overboard. "You would understand how frustrating the track is if you were here when it screws up all the time," he said, smirking.

I nodded, pretending to consider his words. "Right... right. Especially if the radio you have mounted on the track were to tip over...." I shook my head, pursing my lips after I gave an over dramatic sigh. "I can't even imagine how you are able to make it through the day when you have stuff like that holding you back and weighing on your shoulders. Must be so depressing."

He couldn't hold back his laugh anymore and his lips broke open with a bright smile, his laugh filling the space in the car and my ears with the sound of his deep chuckle. "Okay fine, I see how I might have sounded foolish. It's not that bad; I'm just saying that it sucks having this track in here."

"Well, yeah it sucks but you were getting really worked up just then," I pointed out, smirking and teasing. He didn't get that worked up like I claimed. But I was trying to see if goading would work with him. "I think you have an anger problem," I said, biting my lip as I watched him take that in, seeing if he would bite at the bait. Seeing his expression of his eyebrows dipping lower, an amused scowl on his face, I knew he was.

"I don't have an anger problem," he said. "You wouldn't understand unless you experienced it."

Bingo! "You're right. Because I don't see what you're so mad at. It's just a dumb track."

He shook his head and scoffed. "Really?"

"Yeah. The only way you can get me on your side is if you show me...."

He chuckled slightly, tilting his head back as he nodded, a smirk on his face at seeing why I was going on about this. Glancing back to me, he said, "Okay, now I see what you're getting at. I'm not falling for that."

Damn it! "Oh come on," I complained. Was it so much to ask for him to just start the car, put on the siren and act as if there was an emergency so we could hit the gas at top speed? Then slam on the brakes to prove that this belt really does piss one off? I groaned. I wanted some fun and to experience what it would be like to feel the thrill of actually whipping around in a cop car. "Show me. All we have to do is just start the car and go. We wont miss anything; there is nobody speeding on this road that we have seen yet. It will just take a minute."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "You don't care about the track and to see if it makes you mad or not," he pointed out. "You just want to experience my bad-ass cop driving skills in action." He smirked, knowing.

At his words, though true, made me laugh hard. "Yes!" I laughed, begging. "Dude, you know you want to show off."

He shook his head and I saw his answer was sincere. "You know I'm not going to do it. If someone drives by over the speed limit, then we will go and pull them over and you will get the idea of it - and the stupid belt acting out. And, if you are lucky enough, it could turn into a high speed chase and you could really experience it," he said, trying to convince me.