Sugar

Chapter 4

Victor turned the corner and heard the end of Sugar's conversation. He stood there listening until she hung up.

"You know listening in on a private conversation is rude." Sugar said

"I'm sorry, Sugar," Victor said

"Not a problem, Victor." Sugar said, walking to the elevator.

"What's wrong with you?" Victor asked, making Sugar walk back so she was in his face

"Excuse me?" she asked

"You're faking your smile; your chipperness is all fake. Your demeanor is happy, but you're not," Victor said

"How would you know?" Sugar asked

"I've noticed things over the weeks I've known you. And this... this isn't you." Victor said

"You notice things like that, but maybe you should figure out what's wrong with yourself," Sugar said, walking back to the elevator. As it opened, she went in, but before it closed, Victor squeezed in.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Victor shouted. The elevator opened on the first floor, and he growled out. "Take the stairs."

When the door closed, he slammed the emergency brake so no one could use the elevator.

"What are you doing?" Sugar asked

"I want to know what's wrong with you. You're my partner, and you've been avoiding me. Just tell me why?" Victor said

"Let me out of the goddamn elevator Victor." Sugar growled out.

"Not until you talk to me," he said

***

Sugar turned away from Victor. Being trapped was never a good thing; in her case, it made her tiger anxious, and angry claws came out of her fingernails.

He touched her shoulder, and she immediately attacked him, but instead of fighting back, he just held her wrist so she couldn't cut him with her claws. Instead, she decided to swing her head back and then quickly move it forward to crash it into his and, breaking his nose, blood gushed out.

Sugar quickly realized what she had done, and her claws rescinded. Breathing heavily, she closed her eyes, trying to calm down.

"Are you done?" Victor said quickly, snapping his nose back into place.

"Yes. I'm sorry." Sugar said, still breathing heavily.

"Not the first time I had my nose broken. I'm pretty sure it won't be the last," Victor said

"I don't do well in captivity." Sugar sighed

"I wasn't holding you captive, sweetheart. I just wanted to talk," He slowly reached for her hand, and she let him.

"I'm sorry," Victor said. He pulled the emergency brake button, and the elevator started moving. He silently wiped his nose on the edge of his shirt.

Once they were on their floor, they headed to their desks

"I requested a partner transfer." Sugar said

***

Bloody nose, forgotten, he looked up and stood there stunned.

She speeded to her desk, which was far from his, but he followed her.

"No," Victor said

"What do you mean no?" She whispered

"I mean no."

"You can't say no. I already asked, and the papers are in progress." Sitting in her seat, she tried to roll away from the other side of her desk, but he stepped on the bottom of the chair.

"Why?" Victor asked

"I don't need a reason." Sugar said

"This is because we slept together," Victor stated. "Isn't it?"

"I am not the one who had a problem with that smartass." Sugar whispered

"If not that, then what? Is this because of that woman? Um, Paris, something?" He asked

"Wow, all women blur into one with you, don't they? Her name is Paris Parker." Sugar growled

"It's about her."

"It's about you having my back as a partner and not taking any pretty bimbo's side when you don't know the facts." Sugar said, getting up and going to the break room.

There were a few people in the room sitting at the table.

"Get out," he growled at them, and they all scattered. "Are you jealous? Jealous that I was flirting with your friend?"

"Why would I be jealous? Because you can't remember f*****g me? No, I accepted that. Or because you flirted with this unknown woman and took her side over mine. Vic." She said his name with so much coldness he shivered.

"Okay, so not jealousy for a friend. Betrayal from a partner." Vitor said, understanding better now.

"She's not my friend; she's nobody's friend. She uses people for her own needs and throws them away when she's done. People don't..." Sugar sighed. "People don't survive when she's around."

"Are you saying she kills people?"

Victor asked

"No. But her boyfriend Bobby sees what he wants and takes it, hurting whatever is in his way." A single tear dropped from her face. She closed her eyes so no more could follow, but they kept coming.

"Who'd you lose," Victor asked

"My boyfriend, Jackson Corga. When we were about 15, Paris introduced me to Bobby on a double date. He liked me a lot, which made Paris jealous, so she flirted with Jackson. But he didn't give her the time of day. We were so in love that no one else mattered to him but me." Sugar gave a small, tearful chuckle. "Bobby wasn't paying attention to Paris; he never did, but she loved him anyway. He tried to take me to his car while Jackson was in the bathroom. I didn't want to go with him alone, but Paris said it would be okay and that she would wait for Jackson and get the bill, so I followed him outside, and he jumped on me, trying to kiss me, but Jackson got him off before anything could happen. They fought, and the next thing I knew, there was a knife in Jackson's chest, and he was bleeding out. I didn't have my phone. I begged Paris to call 911, but she stood there while Bobby drove off. He only had ten months in juvie for that because she said I was lying and it was self-defense. She said Jackson attacked Bobby. Then, ten months later, she's back with him like nothing happened. I never spoke to her after that." Sugar said, wiping tears away.

"Wow. I am so sorry for not having your back. Do you know why she came the other day?" Victor asked

"No, you played hero too fast." Sugar smiled

Victor gasped. "There goes a genuine smile. I haven't seen one of those in days. Partners?"

"I'll be your partner on one condition." Sugar said

"Which is?"

"Trust and communication. You'll talk to me when something's bothering you." Sugar raised a brow when he sighed in relief.

"It goes both ways," Victor said

"Deal."

"Let's tell the captain you want to be partners again."

"Okay. One more thing Kevin knows is that we slept together."

Sugar ran to the captain's office as Victor roared. "What?!"

***

Sugar practically ran to Kevin's office, with Vic hot on her heels. She locked the door to Kevin's office and sat down at his desk. Victor practically banged the door down until Kevin opened it.

"What is going on here?" he asked. No one said anything; Victor just stared at Sugar with a scowl on his face. "Should I guess?"

"He knows you know that we had a moment." Sugar said vaguely.

"The whole precinct knows about that moment," Kevin said

"The whole precinct knows we slept together!" Victor shouted so loud the windows shook.

"Oh, that moment," Kevin said

"Nobody knows we slept together. Besides, we didn't do much sleeping." Sugar sighed

"But I'm pretty sure with that roar they do now," Kevin said

Victor shook his head.

"Why are you in my office?" Kevin complained

"She is not allowed to transfer to another partner," Victor said

"I'm not allowed?" Sugar said

"No. You're my partner for better or for worse sickness and health, and there's nothing you can do about it." Victor stated

"That's marriage, dumbass," Kevin said

"I'm never getting married." Victor and Sugar said together.

"Right." Kevin chuckled. "So you are staying partners then?"

"Yes." Sugar said

"Okay, then I have to stop some paperwork. That I never filed. If you two are so friendly, I assume you told him that Paris is bad news?" Kevin said

"I know it all," Victor growled