By
Morticia Knight (Guest Blogger)
I
write a lot of men in uniform stories. I also write historical,
sci-fi and BDSM, but a significant amount of my books involve those
alpha heroes we love to fantasize about. Justice Prevails
(Sin City Uniforms 3) just came out last Friday and that makes it the
tenth book I’ve written with at least one of the men in a
profession that is typically associated with uniforms. I’ll confess
that Beau, the homicide detective who was featured in book 2 (Copping
an Attitude), doesn’t necessarily wear a uniform, but
everyone wanted Beau’s story, so here we are.
My
next step was to find to find Beau a man who would lead him to his
HEA. Sometimes I feel like a matchmaking service as I put my two men
together, searching for their perfect match in terms of temperament,
things in common, chemistry and all the varying attributes that bring
a couple together in real life. One of the more significant aspects
of a character, in my opinion, is what it is that fictional person
does for a living. Our careers define a big part of who we are. Even
the lack of a career or one we’re only in temporarily speaks to
what our personality and interests are. Another important part of the
career choice is that it can be how our characters meet.
In
Sin City 1, All Fired Up, foot patrol officer, Shawn, meets
fireman, Trent, during a failed rescue attempt. Shawn jumps into the
freezing waters of the Bellagio fountain in Las Vegas to save a drunk
who’s drowning, but soon gets dragged under by the struggling man.
Strong alpha Trent saves Shawn, and their story goes on from there.
They don’t work together, but they still meet for the first
time due to circumstances that are specific to their chosen careers.
In
Copping an Attitude, Officer Parker meets prostitute Slade
during a routine arrest. Slade gets away, but the pimp wars on the
strip and the presumption that Slade is in danger causes Parker to
seek him out, if only to get him into a program. Circumstances arise
that throw them into close proximity, and they begin a romantic
relationship. I’ll confess, building a romance between a cop and a
rent boy to was a challenging!
For
Justice Prevails, I already had Beau. But who would be a good
match for him? What type of interests would they share or not share
that would shout to them that they were meant to be? What type of
career would Beau’s love interest have, and would that be how they
met? I imagined that Beau would want someone who understood the type
of pressures a homicide detective faced. He would want someone smart
and fun who could take him away from the grim reality he sometimes
faces. Part of Beau’s personality though, is that he doesn’t know
that those traits are exactly what he needs. It isn’t until he
meets Investigative Technician II, Austin, that it becomes clear.
You’re
probably wondering what the hell an IT II is, unless you’ve ever
worked for the District Attorney’s office. While I was still in the
process of figuring out everything for Justice Prevails, I was
having lunch with a friend who was describing to me the job she used
to do for the District Attorney’s office in Riverside, California.
She would serve the subpoenas to reluctant witnesses for cases the
D.A. was taking to trial, deliver evidence files from the police
station to the D.A.’s office, and in some cases, sit in on internet
chat rooms under an alias looking for pedophiles or wanted felons.
I’d
never heard of such a profession. I understood that there was someone
out there performing those tasks, but I’d never heard it named and
I had no idea this individual worked directly for the D.A. Since I’m
always looking for less run-of-the-mill professions for my
characters, I asked her to share with me some of her experiences.
More than once she had to have police protection when she served a
gang member a subpoena to snitch on another gang member. Some of her
stories were frightening, others were funny. The first time she hid
on the floor of her car as gunfire erupted around her however, she
was done. Her tales inspired me to make Austin Kent, Beau’s love
interest in Justice Prevails, an IT II. The opening scene in
Justice is loosely based on an incident she described to me.
Excerpt
“You
wanna fuck later?”
“Jesus,
Romeo. How can I resist when you put it like that?”
Austin
Kent wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief before
stuffing it back in his jeans pocket. The Las Vegas heat sucked ass
in June. It had its moments the rest of the year too. Picking up his
binoculars, he then peered through them at what, to anyone else,
would appear to be an abandoned trailer. He ignored Kyle’s offer.
Austin was currently more interested in the police officer’s
protection than his dick.
Don’t
see why I can’t carry a piece on the job.
Apparently,
Investigative Technicians weren’t considered to be the bad-asses of
the justice system in Vegas.
“Was
that a yes?”
He
decided it wouldn’t be a good idea to punch Kyle, since it would
give away their location. Other than that, it was an awesome idea.
“That
was a vehement ‘no’. I never know what I’m getting into with
you.”
“I
thought you enjoyed last time.”
“I
shot a load. That part I enjoyed. The rest I could’ve done
without.”
“I
wanted to surprise you.”
“Oh,
I was surprised all right.”
“You
know, a lot of guys like it when—”
“Shh.
Here comes Daniel now.”
Kyle
grabbed the binoculars. “Shit. In the nick of time too. Our boy’s
on the move.”
“Hey.
Do you mind?” Austin yanked the glasses back. “Goddammit.”
It
looked as if his witness was going to evade being served yet again.
It was ironic since Austin had originally thought it would be quick
and simple. He’d met Vinnie at the first annual Powwow on the
Paiute Indian Reservation when they were both only ten years old.
Austin’s stepdad was almost full-blooded and had taken him so he
could experience the culture. He’d explained that even though
Austin didn’t have enough Paiute blood in him to be considered an
official tribe member, he should still learn about that part of his
heritage. Ever since then, he and Vinnie had been close friends—even
if things had eroded somewhat in recent years. It sucked to be the
one who had to serve him.
He
missed his stepdad The guy had treated him pretty good. Ben had
always told him to live his life the way he wanted, that when he got
older, people would try to change him—tell him how he should be.
Austin had always wondered if Ben had known all along that Austin was
gay. Not too long after that first Powwow, the Gulf War had begun and
Ben was a part of Operation Desert Shield. He never came back.
“Hey
guys, we had a scuffle at the golf course. I got here as soon as I
could.” Their backup, Daniel Ochoa—Kyle’s fellow officer of
Paiute law enforcement—kept his voice low as he approached.
Austin
snorted. “I guess those old white guys can get vicious on the
green.”
“You
have no idea.”
Austin
and Kyle were hidden behind a large boulder. Daniel crouched next to
them and Austin noted that the Paiute officer had parked his vehicle
down the incline and out of sight. He’d driven in on the same back
desert road that he and Kyle had used to avoid detection. Kyle
elbowed him in the ribs.
“Ow.
Fuck.”
“Look,
look, look. He wasn’t leaving. Vinnie’s just sitting out there
smoking.” Kyle had the binoculars pressed to his face. “This is
better, man. We can see everything around him.”
“Except
for who’s in the trailer, dickwad.”
Daniel
nodded his head. “Austin’s right, Kyle. There’s no telling who
might be in there. We approach Vinnie now and we could get picked off
in an instant. One of Marquez’ guys could be in there cooking. We
should secure the residence before Austin tries to serve him.”
Kyle
frowned, seemingly butt hurt over Daniel not taking his side.
“There’s never been any intel to indicate Vinnie’s trailer was
being used to manufacture meth.”
“Right.”
Daniel swatted at a small bug flitting around his sweat-soaked face.
“But there hasn’t been any indicator that he wasn’t
cooking in his home either.”
Home
was too kind a word. Vinnie’s abode wasn’t in any danger of being
featured in Architectural Digest, or
anywhere, ever. It was lucky to still be upright. The dented, rusted
mess was a blight, set way back on his mom’s property, a mockery to
her beautiful recently built house. He’d told Austin a few years
back that as long as he didn’t have to see her face or hear her
shit, he didn’t care what he lived in.
Austin
sighed, too stressed out from the whole cockstorm that had been his
day to dwell on all that had gone wrong with the life of one of his
longest and closest friends. There was a job to do and he was the
fucker who got to serve a witness subpoena to someone who would view
it as an act of utter betrayal.
“Okay
then. What’s the plan?”
Austin
directed his question to Daniel. Kyle had gone on Austin’s ‘you’re
brain dead to me now’ list after the ‘you wanna fuck’ remark in
the middle of their stakeout.
“I’m
gonna sneak around the back. I can make it without detection if I
keep low behind the sage brush over there.” He gestured toward the
area he meant. “When I radio that the trailer is clear, I want you
both to advance on him.” Daniel turned to Kyle. “Don’t draw on
him, but be ready. We don’t want to come in aggressive, get him
worked up. Hopefully, when he sees Austin, he’ll be cool.”
Austin
prayed Daniel was right. Since Vinnie had been off his meds, no one
knew what to expect from him anymore. Iraq hadn’t been kind to
anyone close to Austin. Not only had he lost his stepdad in the Gulf
War, he’d in essence lost his closest friend to the Iraq War.
Whatever it was that had happened to Vinnie when he’d served had
forever broken him.
“Be
ready.” Daniel turned toward his destination, but whispered over
his shoulder before taking off. “Kyle, make sure your radio is on
low and listen for my all clear.”
Kyle
grunted after Daniel was out of earshot. “Can you believe that
shit? He always treats me like I’m an idiot.”
Even
though Kyle had walked right into that one, Austin was too cranky and
heat exhausted to run with it. He bit at his lip and futilely tried
to get his bristly dark hair to stay off his face. He typically kept
it short—it would get too frizzy otherwise. But he was a busy guy,
and other than staying in reasonably good physical shape, he didn’t
give too much thought to his appearance.
There
was a small crackle from Kyle’s radio then he whispered into it. He
nodded at Austin to go ahead. Austin’s joints complained at being
in the unforgiving position for so long as he rose to his feet. He
was only thirty-five years old, but his body was constantly being
abused on the job in one way or another. It didn’t help that he
could be a bit klutzy at times either. A nice soak in the hot tub at
his condo later would be a welcome treat. The first rush of pebbles
and dirt down the incline once they’d gotten close to their target
caused Vinnie to twist around. His eyes widened in shock then quickly
narrowed in anger as he glared at Austin. He threw his cigarette to
the ground.
Come
on, guy. It’s
me. Just doin’ my
job.
“Hey,
Vinster. How goes it?”
“Fuck
you. Don’t even be acting like you’re my friend. Fucking
traitors—both of you!”
“Look,
Vinnie, this sucks for me too.”
He
guffawed and waved his arms around. “Oh! Oh, really? Sucks for you?
You?”
Vinnie
lurched toward them and Kyle pulled his weapon, pointing it at
Vinnie, bracing the hand that held his Glock 17 with the other. “Stay
right where you are!”
Austin
held up both hands as if in surrender. “Hey now. Everyone chill.
All I wanna do is give you this piece of paper then we’ll all be on
our way.”
“Then
he might as well shoot me. Cause my life ain’t gonna be worth shit
if I testify against the Marquez brothers. You know it, he knows it
and they know it.”
Austin
noted Daniel coming up from the rear on the other side of the
trailer. He had his weapon drawn, but was approaching slowly,
carefully. All of Vinnie’s attention was on Austin and Kyle, his
frantic gaze flitting back and forth between them. He was obviously
unaware that Daniel was behind him.
“It’s
gonna be okay, Vinnie.” Austin was desperate to get his friend to
hear him, to believe him. “I’ll make sure you’re protected.
Please, man. Let’s not do this.”
A
drop of sweat left a long trail in its wake as it worked its way down
from Austin’s hairline, into his brow then onto his eyelid. As soon
as he blinked, the salty water momentarily blurred his vision,
stinging his eyes. He squeezed them shut. The loud bang of two
firearms going off almost simultaneously jolted him, his eyes flying
open in time to see Vinnie hit the ground.
“No!”
He
rushed to his friend who was lying face down in the dirt, his legs
and arms splayed in crazy angles away from his torso. The gun he
must’ve had hidden on him was a few feet from his right hand.
Austin dropped to his knees then rolled Vinnie over, cradling him by
his shoulders. His half-lidded stare confirmed what Austin had
already guessed when he’d seen the copious amount of blood soaking
his shirt right where his heart would be.
“Fuck,
Vinnie.” He spoke softly, his words not meant for anyone else. It
was all so senseless. They’d been so excited after their respective
graduations, anxious to begin their lives. “Why can’t we go back,
man? Why can’t it be like it was when the world was still new to
us?”
Daniel’s
agitated voice brought him back to the present. He turned his head
toward the sound. The officer was in a similar position holding Kyle,
who had obviously been hit too. He was anxiously speaking into the
radio mic attached to his shoulder. Austin’s gut clenched. Goofy
Kyle couldn’t be gone too. It would be the thing that pushed him
closer than ever to becoming as broken as Vinnie had been. Austin
never saw the glitter of Vegas. He only saw the ugliness.
Once
Daniel had finished calling it in, Austin gently laid Vinnie back
down then rose. He looked away, not able to bear seeing him like that
anymore and dreading the conversation he felt it was his duty to have
with Vinnie’s mother. Austin hurried over to where Daniel tended to
Kyle. He had a bandana pressed to Kyle’s abdomen. Kyle appeared
unconscious—at least he prayed that’s what it was.
“Is
he…?”
Daniel
shook his head. “No. But I hope the ambulance doesn’t take too
long.”
Austin
nodded grimly. A woman’s shrill scream broke out and he twisted in
the direction of the sound.
Vinnie’s
mom.
After
taking a deep breath, he jogged toward her, anxious to stop her
before she could see her son’s bloodied body lying in the dirt.
When he finally reached her, his expression must have told her all
she needed to know. She collapsed in his arms, weeping
uncontrollably. He consoled her the only way he knew how, by holding
her and letting her cry. There was nothing to say.
As
she poured out her grief, he surveyed the surrounding desert of the
reservation. The Spring Mountains were a peaceful backdrop on the
east side of the Paiute land and Austin wondered why no one had ever
been able to save Vinnie. Maybe there was something more Austin
could’ve done when Vinnie had decided dealing drugs was a better
way to go than getting his rightful salary as a member of the Paiute
Tribe.
Maybe
it’s because we all have to save ourselves.
Justice
Prevails is available now at these links:
About
Morticia Knight
M/M
Erotic Romance author Morticia Knight enjoys hot stories of men
loving men forever after. They can be men in uniform, Doms and subs,
rock stars or bikers - but they're all searching for the one (or
two!) who was meant only for them.
When
not indulging in her passion for books, she loves the outdoors, film
and music. Once upon a time she was the singer in an indie rock band
that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She is
currently working on more installments of Sin City Uniforms and The
Hampton Road Club, as well as the follow-up to Bryan and Aubrey's
story from Rockin' the Alternative.
