Killing Me Softly: A Thriller Romance Novel [FIRST DRAFT]

Chapter 10

Jamie drove right past the hospital. I saw Janice's car parked at the far end of the parking lot. There she was now, working the night shift at the ER. And there I was with Jamie, someone Janice had warned me against. Guilt bit at me, but so did irritation with Jamie.

"What do you mean I wouldn't want to be with him? Are you crazy? I'd give anything to be with Theo!"

Jamie rolled his eyes at me and raised his voice at me. "Oh, come on, Delilah! So would half of the other women in this town. But, if you knew half the things I knew about him, you wouldn't want him anymore. Trust me."

"What do you mean?" I shrieked and turned to face him from the passenger seat.

"Look, the guy's not all butterflies and cupcakes like you think he is, alright? He has his imperfections, too! I can assure you," Jamie said, gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles looked white. "If there's one thing I've learned as a law enforcement officer is people are never what they seem, Delilah.

Now, I know you've been obsessed with Theo since the ninth grade, but you have got to get your head out of the clouds, okay? You need to see things for what they are and people for who they are! Alright?"

Surprised by Jamie's outburst, I sat back in my seat, wondering if coming with him tonight was a mistake.

Jamie sighed and softened his voice. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you like that, Delilah. It's just, I don't want you to get hurt. That's all. I don't want you filling your head with all these little fantasies and doing something you might come to regret. It's not that I don't think Theo Jameson is a good guy. It's just I know good guys have a bad side to them, too. Alright?"

"Yeah? You have a bad side, too, then? Should I not be sitting here trusting you?" I retorted and crossed my arms. "You're a good guy, too, aren't you?"

He briefly leered at me from the corners of his eyes before breaking into a small laugh. "I never said I was a good guy, Delilah. In fact, I can tell you right here, right now, there are no 'good guys' in this world. Guys are terrible. They're awful! I've seen the lowest of the low."

Confused, I blinked blankly at him, trying to figure out what the hell he was even talking about. "So...Can I trust you or not?" I asked when Jamie suddenly slammed on the brakes just as a red car roared through the intersection.

"Son of a bitch! You see that?" Jamie jerked his head to me.

"Yeah, what was that?" I asked, bracing my hands to my chest without realizing it. My heart jolted so heavily that it felt like it had jumped into my throat.

"Son of a bitch. Now I have to go get him," Jamie said and punched the gas pedal while slapping on the siren and lights, racing after the red car far ahead of us through downtown Yoakum. "Sorry, Delilah, you have to come with me."

I braced myself as he jerked the cruiser in and out of traffic to catch up to the red car. Luckily, most drivers saw us coming and pulled over to the side of the road to let us pass, but it was still nerve-wracking.

"I thought you were off duty!" I shrieked.

"That's what pisses me off about being an officer. It is my duty," he said and spoke into the two-way radio on his shoulder. "Unit 1064 in hot pursuit of a red Camaro. Ran a red light while speeding. Over."

Chasing the Camaro was exhilarating. I could see why being a police officer was both an exciting and dangerous job!

Luckily, we had caught up to the car, and they pulled over into the Walmart parking lot. It was almost like a switch went off in Jamie. Before he got out, he hardened up and sternly told me to stay inside the vehicle. The way he seemed so protective of me was both concerning and endearing, and I found how he handled the situation to be appealing. I always liked it when Jamie protected me and our group when we went out with him in Dallas. Jamie was meant to be a police officer; I could see it now. He was always one to see things through and was never afraid to speak out against injustice.