Sincerely

Once we were all suited up with vests and gear and guns, as much as I disliked lethal force, the seven of us loaded into two black SUVs. Greyson was driving one and Creed was driving the other. Creed had Alice and Dean, the tech who’d set Alessio up with a new body while, I, Chris, a hostage negotiator and Liam, a weapons specialist and medic were with Greyson.

We parked on opposite ends of the street from where the gated mansion was. Surprisingly, the gate was unguarded. I guess it had been too much to replace Alessio once he left or maybe they just didn’t want to risk the guard going rouge again. We checked our weapons and equipment over, turned on our radios and prepared to descend upon the mansion.

We were splitting into three groups, one for each side of the house and one for the main door. I and Creed were going around the left side of the house while Alice and Dean were going around the right. Greyson, Chris and Liam were going through the front door. Creed, of course, didn’t like it, I could tell he was worried about Greyson, but normally the head does take the most dangerous route.

We waited at the back corner, in the shadows, while the others got in position. Once everyone was ready, we kicked the doors in and announced ourselves.

“SPD, show yourselves,” I could hear Greyson shout from the other end of the house.

We heard a flurry of footsteps and panicked voices. One guy tried to throw himself out a window but I grabbed him and put him in cuffs before he got too far. I heard the cocking of a gun and when I looked back up I came face to face with the barrel of a glock. I looked past it and saw Jason Drover, the head of the Drover family. I knew I had cuffed one of his sons but which I wasn’t sure. He had half a dozen kids and all of them looked like young carbon copies of himself.

“Let him go,” Jason hissed. “And I might just spare your life.”

I glanced around trying to figure out where Creed had gone. I spotted him hiding around a corner out of sight of Jason.

“You endorsed murder and harmed both humans and androids, all of which are crimes, what makes you think you deserve to be let go? Not to mention all the other crimes you’ve committed over the decades,” I hiss.

“You won’t be able to prove it, who’s going to believe androids and a drug dealer?” he questions in reply. “What you should be worrying about is your life right now, so what do you value more, arresting us or living?” he countered.

“He doesn’t have to choose, you do,” Creed replies and shoots him in the ankle.

He goes down but not without putting a bullet in my shoulder before Creed can disarm him and cuff him. He bandages our wounds quickly before radioing to Greyson about injuries and their cuffed status.

There were still five other residents unaccounted for.

Greyson said he was calling for an ambulance before sending Liam our way. Liam appeared within five minutes.

“Did they get anyone else?” I ask.

“Three more of his kids are in cuffs with Alice and Dean watching them. Chris is watching another. Greyson is looking for the last one,” he replies.

“Is he going to be okay?” Creed asks concerned.

“It’s a clean shot through, some stitches and he’ll be fine, nothing major was struck,” Liam informs him quickly.

“Wounds happen don’t blame yourself,” he adds quickly.

“Entering the basement,” Greyson informed over the radio.

Creed held his breath.

The next few minutes were filled with silence and anxiety.

“Last suspect has been apprehended, let’s bring them in,” Greyson stated breaking the silence eventually.

Creed breathes a sigh of relief.

“We’ll all be bailed out in twenty-four hours, just you wait,” Jason exclaimed.

“Can it,” Liam hissed glaring at him.

Backup was called in, and the seven suspects we removed from the premises and hauled off to jail. I was taken to the hospital, Greyson and Creed came with me to make sure I was fine and Deckard showed up quickly after. He looked worried. The doctor had stitched me and we were back at the station before midnight. Heath didn’t look impressed.

“If I had gone, no one would have come back injured,” he muttered to himself.

“Creed saved me actually,” I stated plainly, glaring at him.

Deckard glanced between me, him and Creed and seemed to understand somewhat. He reached down and took my hand, of course, when he did, his skin retracted turning white and Heath, of course, noticed.

“Damn androids,” he mutters.

Once the incident report is filled out and everyone is booked, we are all able to be sent home for the night.

I and Deckard get into my sedan to go home for the first time in a week and a half. I’m sore but grateful to be home. Now all I had to worry about was my father and if he would come back for Toby. Sure, we had a lot of work to do to make sure the Drovers stayed in jail permanently but our focus could be elsewhere for the first time in a while we could rest without looking over our shoulders.

I and Deckard changed our clothes, I threw mine out because they were blood-stained and cut up from the hospital visit and we laid down in our bed. Deckard lay on the opposite side from the wounded shoulder. He held my hand and rested his head next to my shoulder on a pillow.

I knew it would be fun attempting to get the Drovers to talk. They normally lawyered up and bailed themselves out with blood money and threw their lackeys under the bus.

I curled closer to Deckard hoping this time would be the last I had to worry about them at the least.

“You’re safe, I promise,” Deckard whispered close to my ear.

I looked over at him, giving him a small smile before kissing his cheek.

“I know,” I replied quietly.

“We are from the Drovers anyway, my father on the other hand is a different story,” I comment.

“He’s one person, it’s easier than having a whole family after you,” he replies. “He can’t hide forever if he wants Toby back either.”

I didn’t really want to get into this right now. I snuggled in closer to his side, my head resting on his shoulder now, he had one hand behind me now and the other resting on my chest still avoiding the shoulder. I shut my eyes and listen to his heartbeat. I pressed my lips to his neck and I could feel the heat coming off him.

“Lev?” he whispered.

I opened my eyes and he was looking down at me.

“We’ll find him, I promise. We won’t stop until we know Toby and Chloe are safe,” he reassures me.

“I know,” I whisper leaning up and kissing him deeply on the lips.

Deckard returns it, one of his hands ends up in my hair while the other lightly brushes my injured shoulder, causing me to wince. Deckard pauses when he notices this.

“Sorry,” he murmurs, leaning back into the pillows.

I shake my head, “It’s fine, I’m okay. Let’s try to get some sleep.”

He nods in return and we both settle down in a comfortable position next to each other with the comfort of the sounds of hearts and our warmth. Our love was as sincere as anyone else’s regardless of who or what we were.