Always Yours by Kari March

America and the State of Colorado against all enemies, both foreign and domestic..."

    "Stop brooding around like a chick and go fucking see her," Blake said as he plopped down on the couch next to my feet.
    I lifted my arm, which was resting on my face and looked at him."Dude, she doesn't want to see me, and I'm not brooding, asshole." Really, I was. I'd been doing it all week. I didn't even know why I was so grim. It's not like I had lost her, she was never fucking mine.
    "You are, and if you keep it up, I'm going to the store to get you a box of tampons." He chucked a pillow at my head. "Seriously, what's the worst that could happen? She's already avoiding your calls and texts. How much worse could it get? At least if you go, you'll get some fucking answers so you can move on."
    "Hey, rookies, how about you go clean the engine instead of sitting here on your asses," Captain Landry ordered as he walked through the room.
    "Yes, sir," Blake replied and we both stood up.
    "I swear, Bentley, if you call me Sir one more time I'm gonna transfer you out of here. Call me Captain, Landry, or Cash, but not Sir, do you understand?" Cash warned as he pointed at Blake. "This isn't the academy anymore. That formal shit won't save your ass when you're in a burning building."
    "Sorry, Captain," Blake said. Cash nodded and left the room.
    Cash Landry was the youngest Captain in the whole department and he was also the best. At only thirty-two he had several merit, valor and honor awards under his belt and he ran his team like a well-oiled machine. I was proud to be a part of his station and prayed that I wouldn't let him down.
    Adam and Brent, the other two members of our crew, started laughing behind us."The two of you can finish your girl talk when you make dinner later," Adam said as we walked by.
    "Should we run out and grab you some pink aprons too?" Brent joked.
    "Don't be a dick to the chef, guys. You never know what'll end up in your food," I warned over my shoulder as we walked out to the garage. Blake busted out laughing. I knew I was going to pay for that remark later but I wasn't in the mood to take any more shit from the two of them. Blake and I were rookies, yes, and I knew how the hierarchy worked in the department—rookies did the bitch work—but I didn't need to be disrespected.
    While we were cleaning the engine I thought about what Blake had said and he was right. I needed to figure out what was going on, I needed to go see her.

    As I pulled up to Maggie's Place I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had no clue what Cara was going to do when she saw me tonight but personally, I didn't care anymore. I was sick of the unknown. It was just after one in the morning and I knew things would be slowing down with last call. I was hoping to catch her when she wasn't busy so I would at least have a chance to talk to her.
    After showing my ID to the bouncer, I walked through the doors and spotted her straight away. She was behind the bar, leaning on the counter talking to a customer. The dark haired douche-bag she was chatting to was a little overdressed for Maggie's Place, with his green button-up shirt and black pants. His demeanor alone screamed egotistical bastard and the blatant way he was flirting with her and doing a piss poor job at it was enough to make me want to hurl. But what was even worse was that Cara looked as though she actually enjoyed his comradeship.
    She was giggling like a school girl at everything he said, throwing her head back in fits of laughter like he was a fucking comedian.
    How could she think I was an arrogant bastard and not see through that cocksucker's facade?
    Every time she looked away I could see him gawking at her tits—those beautiful tits, that just two weeks ago were mine. I was about to lose my shit watching them interact.
    I just stood there, glaring at them—at her—trying to figure out what their relationship was. Then, as if she could sense my presence, she snapped her