A Nothing Special New Year - A.E. Via Page 0,3

the task force’s leads with anyone since the entire department was currently under IA investigation for officers that were on the take, but Free had long ago determined he could trust Mason. “He has a pretty good idea. The enforcers, Ruxs, Green, Tech, and Steele are bringing in dealers every night, trying to get to the big man. He and Day think we’re close.”

“I’m sure if anyone can get that bastard, it’s God.” Clark nodded.

“Yeah, God always gets his man. But still, be careful out there. This new drug has a combination of synthetics that causes symptoms of psychosis, so some of these users and dealers are becoming more unpredictable.”

Mason and Clark glanced at each other, silently communicating that they’d keep that under strict advisement. They were always careful, but Free was warning them of a potentially new threat. “Thanks, Free.”

“I will be on the comms all night. Mason, you know what channel to use if you need me,” Free said and strolled through the bullpen, waving to a few other officers who were also just as fascinated with him as Mason was.

“Y’know, kid, being saddled with a whippersnapper like you is beginning to have its perks,” Clark said as they walked through the parking lot to their patrol car.

“Don’t you fuckin’ start,” Mason laughed, but of course, his partner continued. This was his second favorite thing to tease him about after his computer illiteracy.

“You got fucking Lennox Freeman—a man that has the capability to eliminate someone’s existence with the click of a few buttons on his tablet—drooling all over your cluelessness and keeping an eye on us while we’re patrolling.” Clark opened his door. “A guy could do worse.”

Jesse

“I feel like I’m gonna throw up, Worm.”

“Jesse you’re going to be alright, man. You know this is the only way.”

Jesse chewed on his bottom lip as he paced back and forth behind the Greyhound bus he was supposed to board along with the twenty or so other passengers headed to Atlanta. He did know this was the only way out of his messed-up situation, so he tightened the straps of his backpack and hefted his large, leather duffle bag onto his shoulder. With his phone still pressed firmly against his ear, Jesse got on the bus and slowly made his way to one of the seats in the back. He didn’t want anyone to see how terrified he was. Leaving in the middle of the night to an unknown city with only a few bucks in his bank account wasn’t the smartest move he and Worm could’ve come up with, but it was all they had.

“Do you think he saw you leave?” Worm asked after Jesse stuffed his duffle underneath his seat.

Jesse chewed on his thumbnail as he checked the dark parking lot. “I don’t think so.”

“Did he hurt you, Jess?” Worm bit out. “Tell me the truth. Did he do something to you?”

“No. But the suggestions were getting more and more…” Jesse whispered. “He wasn’t going to stop trying, Worm.” Ugh, this is such bullshit. “I should’ve just kept my damn mouth shut until it was time to go back to school.”

Worm sighed in exasperation. “That was your home, Jesse. You shouldn’t have to be harassed every time you go on break or come home to visit.”

“I did the right thing telling my aunt, right?”

“Yes,” Worm agreed. “Your uncle is a closeted, cheating son of a bitch. And your aunt will come around. She’s just shocked and mad. Give her some time, dude.”

Jesse nodded as if he was trying to convince himself. “I had no choice. She needed to know.” He thought of how devastated and heartbroken his aunt looked after he told her that her husband had been coming on to him. That the man she’d been married to for the last eleven years has been secretly craving cock… his cock and heaven knows who else’s.

Jesse had come to live with his aunt and uncle after his mother passed away from a brain aneurysm four years ago. Aunt Sonya was the only family his mother had left after she divorced her husband and came out as a lesbian to her conservative family. His aunt hadn’t been enthusiastic about taking him in since she didn’t have kids and enjoyed her freedom. But he’d been nineteen back then, and it helped that he came with a hefty life insurance policy. His mother had made the decision to raise him on her own, and she’d always put him first in every