Chapter 1

I jumped over the toppled trash can, sidestepped an elderly woman with a large umbrella and shot through another back alley. When I slipped on the pavement for about the third time since the chase had begun, I cursed under my breath, righted myself quickly, and continued on my way.

Up ahead, the perp continued to expertly navigate his way through the drenched streets, darting through alleyways, knocking down unwary pedestrians, and overall doing a whole lot better at staying on his feet than I was.

Not far away, I could hear the blaring of a car horn, which seemed to be the origin of a domino effect, when car horn, after car horn rented the air. No one should be out in this weather. I cursed again when I almost slipped, and it was when I turned down another side road that I made a split-second decision to use as a shortcut.

The day had started out shitty and it was going to end the same way. I was drenched right through to my underwear, and with every step, I felt the wet fabric rubbing against my sensitive flesh. The sloshing of dirty street water in my shoes was just as distracting, but it was all these things that gave me the drive I needed to continue. I was out in this crappy weather because of the asshole and I’d catch him if it was the last fucking thing I did.

I skated across the slick street and ran as fast as my tired feet could take me. With each step I felt the squishing between my toes and I tried to keep on the balls of my feet as I ran, hoping the strategy would propel me further and prevent me from falling yet again.

When he darted across the empty road, I followed him, and when he turned down yet another darkened alley I never lost sight of him. The tail of his shirt billowed behind him, the drenched material flapping in the wind. Still, he kept running, never seeming to tire and always in the lead.

The wind tore through the streets, allowing the loose trash to circulate and the rain seemed to pour harder with every passing minute as the heavy droplets tried to beat me into submission. But I was never one to give in. Not now, not when I had him just within my grasp.

I ran past another pedestrian who was holding a flimsy little umbrella and jumped over an empty cardboard box. I could hardly keep my lids open in the downpour and more than once I raised a hand to clear my eyes, which only succeeded in slowing my footfalls.

The fucker was fast, I’d give him that. Unless he slipped, or grew tired, the chances of me catching him were slim, which was why I made another split-second decision to take another route. If I was lucky, he would turn left at the next corner, and by taking this route I could grab him as soon as he took the bend. If not, then he would have won and this would have all been for nothing.

So I ran.  It bothered me that I could no longer see him in front of me, but that did nothing to weaken my determination. I would not lose. Not today and not to him.

I took in nothing around me, observed not a single detail as I blazed past the buildings. Instead, I kept my head straight, my eyes focused on what was before me and as luck would have it, the perp had in fact turned left at the bend. I spotted him before he spotted me, and a moment later I slammed into his side, taking him to the ground with me.

He fought only for a moment, then he lay flat on his back—panting as his eyes held mine. The second I moved to take out my handcuffs was the precise moment the timer on my bureau-issued watch went off and I felt it vibrating on my arm. I cursed under my breath and Simon chuckled from where he lay under me as his went off as well.

Just five seconds later and I would have been the victor.

I rolled off him and grunted when I hit the asphalt. I allowed the back of my head to rest on the ground as I lay there and the rain beat down on me, forcing me to close my eyes against the torrent. What a day. When Simon kicked the side of my thigh I brought my arm up to shield my eyes and looked up at him. He was standing now, his head bent against the rain’s assault as he looked down at me.

“Let’s go,” he said, and with a grunt and a sigh, I peeled myself from the dirty asphalt and stood.

“Did I tell you how much I hate training exercises?” I asked and he chuckled.

“You can’t win ‘em all the time Ed.”

I worked on putting one foot before the other as we made our way back to the others—where I knew a round of jeering awaited me. No, you couldn’t win all the time, but losing to a man who had spent most of his career around a desk fiddling with gadgets? That wasn’t a loss, that was a damn shame.

It was a long walk back to the rest spot and by the time we made it, I was bone tired and feeling miserable. The guys watched our approach from where they stood—nice and dry under the overhang—and some of them laughed when they realized Simon hadn’t come back in cuffs. Those who had cast their bets in my favor, shook their heads in disappointment and I shrugged.

“If it weren’t for the rain, his ass would’ve been mine,” I told them grumpily and beside me, Simon snorted.

“Yeah, sure Eddie.” Peter drawled sarcastically as he patted me on the back and I bristled.

I just wanted a hot shower, dry clothes and my nice, warm bed.

“Alright, let’s continue this tomorrow, it doesn’t look like the rain’s gonna ease up anytime soon,” the team leader announced and everyone was quick to agree.

I pulled off my shoes right there and let the water pour out, then pulled them back on and watched as the others ran for their vehicles. When I spotted Simon’s car close by, I thanked my lucky stars he’d had the insight to park so close to the rest stop, but when I took a few steps toward it, he stopped me with a hand on my arm.

I glanced up at him.

“You’re crazy if you think we’re messing up my seats,” he said, and I stared at him in disbelief.

“Who cares about your damn seats, I’m freezing my ass off.”

He looked at the splash of red he called his car and then looked at me. “We’re only two blocks from the Bureau, come on,” he said before turning away from me and heading back into the rain.

He was really gonna make us walk it.

“God-dammit Sy.” I cursed, and after a quick and longing look at the car we were leaving behind, I followed him.

I knew this day would end just as shitty as it had begun.

……………………………..

I hated training exercises—always had and this time was no different. Jesse, our team leader, had really gone all out this time with the location and the idea to have special agents acting as pedestrians as a way to add some realism to the activity. The rain had just been a bonus for her.

 I rested my head against the wall and cursed the day she’d been given the responsibility. Beside me, Simon sat fidgeting with the phone he’d pulled out of his locker not five minutes before, and I cursed him too. It was his fault we were now forced to wait for a vacant shower stall. If we had just taken his precious car we would have been here before the crowd.

I pulled my shirt over my head and let it fall to the floor, then I stood and pulled off my pants, before wrapping the towel around my waist. At least it was warm in here.

“You got Kyle’s invitation?” I asked my partner as I sat beside him once more and he nodded without looking up from the screen.

“You going?”

He shook his head. “Not my thing.”

“It’s an all-expense paid cruise, how can it not be your thing?’ I asked in amusement and finally he dropped his phone onto the bench between us, and leaned back onto the wall with his arms folded over his bare chest.

“Nate will be there,” he explained, and I shook my head. “He already can’t stand the sight of me and I’m tired of feeling like I’m walking on eggshells when I’m around him.”

“You guys need to just move on and get over it,” I commented and he shrugged.

“Yeah well, easier said than done.” He said, then he looked at me. “Hey Ed?” he began.

I raised a brow. “What?”

“Hand me my shoes will ya?” he said and I frowned as I bent to pick up the boots, wondering what use they could possibly be to him wet.

By the time I turned around to hand them to him, I caught sight of the tail end of his towel before he turned the corner heading for the showers, then I cursed under my breath when Peter walked into the locker room, clearly just leaving the shower.

The little fucker tricked me into getting the vacant shower stall first.

With a sigh, I settled back against the wall to wait.

……………………………

It was a good fifteen minutes later before I got my turn and I stood under the hot torrent, grateful for the heat soaking into my skin. Across the way, Simon stood under his own shower head, with the palm of his hand resting on the wall before him and his head bent as he allowed the steady stream of hot water to cascade over his body.

As I soaped my own flesh, I watched him, taking in his powerful frame, and I followed the separate streams of water as they traveled over him, sliding smoothly over his neck, past the dimples in his lower back and over his firm ass cheeks.

When I felt my body reacting to the sight, I looked away. It had been one year since I’d been out of the closet and despite the number of times we’d fucked since then, I still couldn’t get him out of my system. It was just as Michelle had said—I didn’t see anyone else when he was in the room.

I hadn’t believed it back then, but after  I had been badly injured on my last undercover OP a year ago, I had woken up in the hospital, and even while she sat by my side, holding my hand and smiling down at me, it was Simon’s name that had left my lips. He was the reason she had left me then—even if he didn’t know it—and he was the reason I couldn’t move on with anyone else.

I tried to get my breathing under control as I stood there. Embarrassing myself in a room filled with my colleagues wasn’t on the agenda tonight. One could only take so much shit in one day. The thought didn’t stop my eyes from drifting his way again however, and by then, he had his head tilted back, allowing the water to splash his face and travel down, down down…

I shook my head. I really needed to get out more, meet other people, get laid—by someone other than Sy for once. It wasn’t healthy, this obsession, especially when it was aimed at a man who fucked anything that moved. I stepped out of the shower before he did, wrapping the towel around my waist as I entered the locker room. Ten minutes later, while I sat tying my shoe laces he entered the room, and pulled open his locker.

 “Wanna grab a couple beers later?” I asked. It was something we did almost every Friday night—something to help us relax after a stressful work day.

He grinned down at me and I shook my head.  I knew what that smile meant.

“Hot date tonight,” he said and I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah? You know her name this time?” I asked, and he gave me the finger.

It was then that I decided it… I would go out tonight, meet some new people and maybe even get laid. I stood and straightened my clothes, feeling the determination run through me. It was unfortunate then, that later that night I found myself sitting in front of my TV with a beer in hand and my feet propped up on the coffee table before me.

                                         AUTHOR'S NOTES

 DON'T WORRY GUYS, LONGER CHAPTERS TO COME AND I'LL BE DOING WEEKLY UPDATES. I STILL CAN'T DECIDE ON AN EXACT DAY..BUT WE'LL SEE. 

ALSO CELL MATES 1 HAS BEEN PUBLISHED ON AMAZON, IBOOKS,BARNES AND NOBLE, KOBO SCRIBD AND PAGE FOUNDRY . THE PAPERBACK WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE IN A FEW WEEKS. SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN OWNING THE EBOOK, GO AHEAD AND CHECK OUT THE LINKS FOR THE ONLINE STORES OVER ON MY PROFILE.

THANKS FOR READING GUYS AND KEEP SWEET!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.