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Back First Comes Love Save as PDF
Chapters (92)
  1. First
  2. Love Connection
  3. Zero
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. One Month Later
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Six Months Later
  21. Sixteen
  22. Seventeen
  23. Eighteen
  24. Nineteen
  25. Twenty
  26. Twenty-one
  27. Twenty-two
  28. Twenty-three
  29. Twenty-four
  30. Six Months Later
  31. Twenty-five
  32. Twenty-six
  33. Twenty-seven
  34. Twenty-eight
  35. Twenty-nine
  36. Thirty
  37. Thirty-one
  38. Thirty-two
  39. Thirty-three
  40. I Have Never
  41. One
  42. Two
  43. Three
  44. Four
  45. Five
  46. Six
  47. Seven
  48. Eight
  49. Nine
  50. Ten
  51. Eleven
  52. Twelve
  53. Thirteen
  54. Fourteen
  55. Fifteen
  56. Sixteen
  57. Seventeen
  58. Eighteen
  59. Nineteen
  60. Twenty
  61. Twenty-one
  62. Twenty-two
  63. A Christmas Date
  64. One
  65. Two
  66. Three
  67. Four
  68. Five
  69. Six
  70. Seven
  71. Eight
  72. Nine
  73. Ten
  74. Eleven
  75. Twelve
  76. Thirteen
  77. Fourteen
  78. Fifteen
  79. Sixteen
  80. Seventeen
  81. Eighteen
  82. Nineteen
  83. Twenty
  84. Twenty-one
  85. Twenty-two
  86. Note from the Author
  87. Sneak Peek – To the Stars and Back
  88. Two
  89. Three
  90. Four
  91. Also by Camilla Isley
  92. About the Author

I shoot off the bed and grab the bars again. “Apologize? Apologize? They mistreat me. Arrest me for no good reason without reading me my rights. Then they keep me locked in here for hours without letting me speak to a lawyer or make a phone call… and I should apologize?”

“The officer had probable cause; a Miranda warning wasn’t necessary. And since you haven’t really been charged with anything yet, you didn’t need a lawyer.”

“Since when did you become such a legal expert? You’re not even American.”

“I came to the rescue with a lawyer friend. She’s waiting for me outside.”

She? I get a mental picture of a sleek, attractive femme fatale in stiletto heels. Like Kim Basinger in LA Confidential. Another friend.

“So what are my options?”

Richard shrugs. “If I were you, I’d suck it up, apologize, and go home to shower.” He flares his nostrils for emphasis. “But if you want to spend the night in here with your furry inmate and face real charges, be my guest.”

“Easy for you to say. You weren’t mistreated.”

“Now, you’d better decide,” Richard says, turning his head toward the main entrance. “The officer in question is coming. Want me to wait and give you a lift home?”

Hell, no. The less time the boss spends with me while I’m this messed up the better. And I can’t stand to meet his lawyer “friend” in this state either. “No, thank you. I’ll call my roommate.”

“See you tomorrow at the office, then.”

Richard winks and walks away.

Mr. Mutt barks.

“I know,” I say, patting the dog. “I like him, too.”

***

By the time I get out of jail, it’s already dark outside and the animal shelter is closed. The rental company has retrieved the car from the location of my arrest, and there’s no cab or Uber in the world who’d take me for a ride while I’m this dirty. Not to mention the gasoline-soaked pup. Unfortunately, Nikki doesn’t have a car—I only used that excuse to get rid of Richard. So I—we—have to walk home. Luckily, this morning I picked shoes comfortable enough to drive in so they’re not too bad to walk in either, and my house is only a few blocks away.

On the way there, I stop at a Petsmart and buy all the dog-grooming products they carry. At home, I give Mr. Mutt a very long bath. Then I give the bath a thorough cleaning before finally showering myself, hoping to wash away not only the dirt, but today’s humiliation as well. I’m dry and wearing PJs before Nikki comes home.

“Is that a dog on our couch?” my roommate asks as she comes into the apartment.