The Switch by JC Emery

what I don’t understand is how does awful taste in men translate to your friend getting kidnapped and you stealing a big ass fucking diamond?”
    Her mouth shuts, lips clamped together in resistance.
    “Look, whatever the story is behind the diamond, I’m not going to tell anyone. I just need to know. In case you haven’t noticed, I got sucked into your fucking mess, and I can’t help protect you and Becca if you don’t tell me what’s going on and why.”
    She blows out a breath , and I can see her thinking behind her contemplative eyes.
    “I knew what Victor was. I wasn’t stupid. If we were out and he had business to attend to, he’d take me along. I’d either sit in the car or wait outside with one of his guys. But he never left me behind. At first he’d talk real quiet and in code about his business, but after he noticed I’d never asked , he started to loosen up. He started to talk about shipments in front of me and was even planning a trip for us to the Caribbean. He was nice, there was no drama, and I liked the fact that he’s a powerful guy. He makes things happen with the flick of his wrist. I liked being a part of that.” Her voice trails off. She’s told me about her and Victor’s relationship, but she hasn’t really explained how she got sucked into this world yet.
    It’s barely noticeable , but out of the corner of her eye a small tear forms. She wipes it away before it’s able to fall. I cup her cheek with my hand and give her a soft smile. She’s opening up, and I can’t afford to let her backtrack.
    “We’d only been together a few months, but he started talking about moving in together, and then one time he said , ‘When you’re my wife . . .’ and I kind of started freaking out from that. I mean, I’m only twenty-four. And we weren’t even serious, or I thought we weren’t. So when Victor would call, I’d let it go to voicemail. And then when he’d want to go out, I’d make up an excuse. I probably should have just told him I didn’t want to see him anymore.”
    “It wouldn’t have mattered,” I say. Her eyebrows pull together in confusion. “Losing a beautiful woman like you would have made him lose his shit no matter how you went about it.”
    Her expression softens and a small smile tugs at the corner of her lips. I catch myself watching her mouth as her lips part. A sudden heat rips through my torso, practically knocking the breath out of me.
    Shelby’s a beautiful woman , but the chaos of the situation had been bearing down on me before. I was unable to really look at her and appreciate her beauty. From her thin frame to her wavy brown hair and right down to her inviting gray eyes, Shelby is a knockout. No wonder this Victor guy is pissed and determined to get her back. If I had her in my bed . . .
    I stop the thought the moment it appears. Quickly, I stand and stride to the kitchenette where the water is now at a full boil. I turn off the heat and lean against the sink taking several deep breaths. I’m letting myself get sucked in. Beautiful girls always come with trouble, and I’m just not at a place where I can afford the kind of trouble she’s going to bring.
    Maybe two years ago —hell, maybe even a year ago I could have done it. But not now.
    While I wait for the water to cool, I take several deep breaths and stare at the line of trees marking the edge of the forest like fucking fairies are about to pop out or something. I focus in on what I’m going to say to Sarge when I call and think of what I’m going to tell my mother when she asks why I’m not home yet. I focus in on anything that doesn’t have to do with Shelby and her gray eyes and inviting lips.
    Anything.
    Including that one time I walked in on Sarge in the showers at the station and he was naked.
    But no matter how much I focus in on Sarge and my mother, none of it’s working, because I can hear the noises Shelby’s making from behind me as she sips her bourbon from her