Broken Shield Part 6

"Okay, how about-"

"No pointing," Ashley blurted out, before taking another sip of her drink. "More soda, please," Ashley said, pushing her gla.s.s across the bar.

"Okay, but look. That woman in the back of the bar, leaning against the pool table." Kelly looked again towards the back of the room and elbowed Ashley. "You can't see her face, but she has a rock solid body. Man, I would do her if I were gay."

"Lesbian."

"I'm sure she is or she wouldn't be here."

"No, I mean 'you would do her if you were a lesbian'. Guys call themselves gay."

"Oh really? Who knew?" Kelly shrugged her shoulders.

"It's just one of those things I have a pet peeve about. I mean it isn't a hard and fast rule, but it's how I think about things." Ashley took another sip of her drink and looked towards the back of the bar. "It's like calling toilet paper tissue. While they might do the same thing, they just aren't the same."

Ashley turned and took another sip of her drink, looking at the tall woman over her gla.s.s. The tight t-shirt was stretched nicely over broad shoulders that weren't too masculine. She could see the softness of the rounded muscles and smiled. The short brown hair wasn't spiky and it hit the woman about mid-neck. Ashley watched as another woman ran her fingers through the brown locks and stroked the woman's arm.

"Looks like she's taken," Ashley said, nonchalantly.

"Well, she's still hot."

"Yeah, she's got a great body, but maybe her face could stop a train, as my mother used to say."

"Gosh, I haven't heard that one in a long time, Ash. Ever the optimist, huh?"

Ashley felt a slap to her arm. Feigning injury she looked at Kelly. "Hey, that's battery."

A yell and then a loud slap reverberated through the bar and both women turned to see the tall, brunette rub her face just as her frisky companion walked towards them.

"No, that's battery," Kelly said, grabbing the woman's arm as she walked past them.

"Hey, what gives? Take your hands off me right now or I'm calling the police," the woman said as she tried to pry her arm from Kelly's grip.

"Well you're in luck," Kelly said as both she and Ashley pulled their wallets from their back pockets. Opening them, they flashed their badges in the angry woman's face. "We are the police. That's considered battery in this state and unless you were protecting yourself from her, you could be under arrest."

"For what? She likes it rough. Besides, she didn't take it personal. I did."

"What do you mean?" Ashley let Kelly continue the line of questioning as she watched the woman in the back of the bar. She debated whether or not to go back and talk to the woman, but decided to wait until she had this woman's side of the story first.

"Look, who wouldn't want a hot chick crawling all over 'em? Besides, we have history. Now let me go," Ca.s.sie said still trying to pry Kelly's fingers from her arm. "If that leaves a bruise I'm going to sue you."

Clearly this woman thought she was hotter than she really was and it made Ashley want to puke. Looking the woman over, it was clear she was high maintenance. From her little designer bag to her designer strappy heels, she had player written all over.

"Tyler, get your a.s.s up here and clear this s.h.i.t up," the angry woman yelled. "Please," she said a little more sweetly. Tears started to form as she looked back at Kelly and Ashley.

"That isn't going to work with us, so try a different tactic," Kelly said, rolling her eyes at Ashley.

"G.o.d," Ashley said, looking back towards the back. "Tyler? Did you just call her Tyler?"

"Yeah. Why, you know her?"

"Your Tyler?" Ashley asked, looking at Kelly.

"No, my Tyler has long hair. Besides, she's been hibernating for the past two weeks," Kelly said, rising on her tiptoes to get a better look.

A crowd had gathered around the three women and it was starting to make Ashley uncomfortable. Alcohol, p.i.s.sed off women, and s.e.xual tension were not mixes for a good c.o.c.ktail. The mumbling had started and a big butch had pushed her way to the front.

"Problems here, Ca.s.sie?" she said, grabbing Ca.s.sie's other arm.

Before Ca.s.sie could answer, Kelly pulled her closer and pulled out her cuffs. "Unless you want to go with her for interfering with police business, I suggest you walk away." Kelly's voice dropped an octave as she went into police mode. Before she knew it, Sam was over the bar, shouldering her way between Kelly and the butch.

"Back-off, Beatrice. This isn't your business."

"Beatrice?" Kelly whispered just loud enough for the three to hear it.

"It's Bea," the butch said, puffing up her chest.

"Yeah, I got your Bea," Sam said, puffing up her chest. "If you want to keep it, you'll back off or I'll kick ya from the bar, permanently. Got it?"

The near mini riot was starting to dissipate. Ashley took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders. Bea still stood close enough to worry her, but Sam stood between her and Kelly. Both women mad dogged the other until, finally, Bea sauntered off back to where she had parked her drink. A short blonde femme slinked over and stroked the arm of the butch. Clearly, Bea had scored enough points to win a date tonight.

"Ashley, I'm gonna take her outside and call dispatch to send a car down to pick her up. Can you get that other woman and bring her outside too, so we can figure out what's going on?" Kelly finished cuffing Ca.s.sie and pulled her elbow, leading her towards the door.

"Sure. I'll question her in here first and then bring her outside." Ashley walked to the back of the bar, but the woman wasn't there. She had only taken her eyes off her for an instant, obviously enough time for the woman to disappear.

Chapter Thirteen.

Splashing cold water on her face, she looked in the mirror at the stinging hand print on her face. She could almost make out the impression of a ring near her eye and the lines of Ca.s.sie's palm were clearly visible on the side of her cheek. Tyler moved her jaw back and forth trying to loosen it up. She had been trying to explain why she wouldn't sleep with Ca.s.sie when the woman hauled off and slapped her. A pop and a crackle echoed in her ears as she continued to move her chin back and forth. Turning her neck, she saw a bite mark just under her t-shirt collar and her nipple hurt where Ca.s.sie had pinched the h.e.l.l out of it. Tyler liked it rough, but usually she gave it when asked and rarely was she on the receiving end of a spanking. Twisting her neck around, she felt a pop and then another as she dipped her chin down to her chest.

"Excuse me. I'm Officer Henderson. Can I speak to you?"

Tyler froze. She had a feeling they would come looking for her when Tyler saw Kelly cuff Ca.s.sie. Standard procedure, she thought. Without moving her head, Tyler looked down and turned the water on and answered.

"Sure. Can you give me a minute? I just need to wash my face and then I'll be right out."

Ashley's quick breath a.s.sured Tyler she had seen the slap mark on Tyler's face. Tyler needed a minute to calm down before she exposed herself to Ashley's probing questions. What had Ca.s.sie said to Kelly and Ashley? She was about to find out. Dabbing at her face, she tossed the paper towel and took a deep breath. Now what? Tell the truth and hope to h.e.l.l Ca.s.sie didn't accuse her of something awful. Pulling open the door, Tyler had to adjust to the darkened club. Searching the room, Tyler heard someone calling her over. Ashley sat on a stool at one of the tall bar tables, pen and paper in hand.

Taking the seat opposite Ashley put the light at her back and shadowed her face. She could see Ashley searching her features before realization hit.

"Tyler? Tyler Jackson?"

Tyler hunched her shoulders and let out sigh.

"You cut your hair. Wow, it looks great. You look so-"

"Boyish," Tyler said, cutting Ashley off.

"Actually, I was going to say different. But okay, boyish if that makes you happy." Ashley wrote something on her pad. "Can you tell me what happened, Tyler?"

Tyler fidgeted with a napkin that had been left behind, tearing it into strips. Twisting her neck around again, she felt another pop, this time catching Ashley's attention.

"Are you hurt?" Ashley wrote something else down on her pad and continued, "Of course you're hurt. Stupid question. Sorry." Ashley smiled nervously.

"Look, I don't know what she told you, but-"

"She hasn't told us anything other than she couldn't believe you would turn down a hot gal like her. Now, she's outside with Kelly and maybe she said something out there, but all I know is what I witnessed. So, wanna tell me what happened?"

Tyler felt Ashley's gaze checking out the reddening hand print. "I think you might need some ice for that. Let me ask Sam for some. I'll be right back."

Tyler put her hand up to her cheek and felt the heat rolling off it. Ashley was right. She needed to make sure it didn't swell too badly. Hopefully, the ice would help with the black eye she was sure she would get from the ring so close to her eye. She didn't want Ca.s.sie to get into any trouble, but she had a feeling it was too late for that. Tyler rubbed her hand across her b.r.e.a.s.t.s just as Ashley laid the ice on the table. Embarra.s.sed at being caught, Tyler just looked down and applied the ice to her swelling face.

"Okay, so where were we?" Ashley opened her pad and pulled out her pen. "We heard a yell. Was that you or Ca.s.sie?"

"I don't yell."

"Okay, so Ca.s.sie yelled. Do you remember what she yelled?"

"No."

"We saw her strike you. Did you strike her?" Ashley methodically asked the questions without looking at Tyler and wrote down her answers.

"I don't hit women. Look, it was a misunderstanding, that's all." Tyler still looked down at the table, her shoulders hunched in defeat. Tonight had turned out to be a bust and she wasn't in the mood to sit and be grilled. Her pride had been wounded and now she had to sit across from a woman she earlier thought she wanted to get to know. Now, it was a cop/victim relationship and she knew better than to cross that line. The look of impropriety was enough for her.

"Well that's good to know. I'm not sure I would've had your restraint, Tyler. She pushed my b.u.t.tons, just sitting there listening to her. I can only imagine how you felt."

Tyler looked up at Ashley, surprised by the admission. Even in the dark, Tyler could see sparkling green eyes that conveyed understanding.

"So, she was pretty explicit in what she said," Ashley continued, her hand resting on Tyler's. "She said, and I quote, 'who wouldn't want a hot chick crawlin' all over 'em?' Unquote."

Tyler smiled at the remark from Ca.s.sie. She definitely thinks highly of herself, Tyler thought. Ashley cleared her throat, obviously waiting for an answer from Tyler. But for once, Tyler didn't have anything to say or want to say for that matter. Turning her head, she looked over to where her motorcycle jacket lay.

"Is that a bite mark on your neck?" Tyler felt Ashley pull back the collar of her t-shirt, exposing the mark. "Tyler?"

"What?"

"Really?"

"What?"

"Look, that's battery. She could have some kind of disease-something serious like Hepat.i.tis or HIV. You need to get that looked at now. I don't have to tell you, Ms. Hot Paramedic, that these types of things can be serious. There are so many germs in the mouth ..." Ashley stopped mid-sentence and looked at Tyler who had a c.o.c.ky smile on her face. "What?"

"Did you just call me Ms. Hot Paramedic?"

Tyler watched as a blush crawled up Ashley's neck and warmed her face. A slow smile from Ashley captured Tyler's attention and she smiled back.

"What?" Ashley said, looking back down at her pad and writing something.

Tyler grabbed her jacket and slipped it on. She needed to get out of Ashley's s.p.a.ce or she would say or do something stupid. Her nerves had gotten the best of her all week and the final act with Ca.s.sie was the coup de grce. Edgy, Tyler pressed the ice pack to her face and shifted from foot to foot waiting for Ashley to finish. She could smell Ashley's perfume as she leaned closer to see what Ashley was writing. The fresh smell reminded her of the lake for some reason and wildflowers. Tyler loved camping; the smells, the freedom, and the outdoors nourished her soul, revived and replenished her. So why haven't I gone lately? The thought hung out there, but lacked an answer.

"Where are you going?"

Tyler was sucked back into reality by the question. "Me? I'm going home. I've had a c.r.a.ppy week and an even c.r.a.ppier night. So if you don't mind, we're done here." It was a statement more than a question. "If you need more information, call me," Tyler said taking out her wallet and pa.s.sing Ashley her card.

"I'm going to need more information, Tyler," Ashley said following Tyler out of the bar.

Just as they both exited the bar, Ca.s.sie was being put into a police cruiser. Seeing Tyler, she began to yell.

"Tyler, d.a.m.n it, you need to fix this. I didn't do anything wrong. Tell 'em you like it rough. Come on, Baby. Don't do this to me." Kelly slammed the door shut, but Ca.s.sie continued her rant.

"Geez, that's some bruise, Tyler," Kelly said walking over to the two women. "So what happened in there, Stud?" Kelly smiled and b.u.mped Tyler's shoulder with hers.

Tyler looked down at Kelly and wondered what was going through her friend's mind. A banging made all three women look at Ca.s.sie as she pounded her head against the window. Kelly walked over to the car and opened the door slightly.

"Look, if you don't stop, I'm going to hog-tie you and that won't be pretty with you in a skirt and all."

"Tyler, fix this. Tell them I didn't do anything wrong," Ca.s.sie screamed.

"It isn't Tyler's choice. We witnessed the slap. So you're going downtown to booking and that's the end of it. Everything will be explained when you get downtown."

"b.i.t.c.h."

Ca.s.sie tried to spit on Kelly as she shut the door for the second time. Pulling out her pad she added another charge to the list of charges the woman would be facing.

"Disgusting," Kelly said, rejoining the group. "You look like h.e.l.l, Tyler. You need to go get that looked at, now."

"She's got a bite on her shoulder, too. I suspect from the lovely woman in the car," Ashley added, pulling down Tyler's collar.

"Geez, Tyler. Did you ask for that?" Kelly grimaced looking at the bite.

Tyler's look said it all. She was a lot of things, but she wasn't into painful foreplay like that. Pulling her neck away, she tugged the t-shirt back into place and zipped her jacket.

"Wow, when did you get the haircut?" Kelly reached up and scuffed up the short hair. "You look like George."

George was Tyler's younger brother, the other playboy in the family. Tyler pulled her head back and smiled at Kelly's joke. She should get used to the comments, because they were a regular way of life at the station these days. So why should her friends be any different.

"Can I go now? I've had a rough week and tonight was just the icing on the cake." Tyler sighed, wishing she hadn't gotten out of bed that morning.

"You okay?" Concern showed on Kelly's face.

"Yeah. I've just had a tough week and now all I want to do is go home and try to forget all this," Tyler said giving a weak smile to her friend. "Look, I don't want to press charges against Ca.s.sie. She just had a little too much to drink and wouldn't take no for an answer."

A camera flash caught both women unaware as Ashley clicked off a few pictures of Tyler's face. Puzzled. Tyler looked at Ashley and frowned.