Kristen Ashley - Rock Chick

Until now, Ive never been in trouble with the law.

Its cosmically impossible, Im a cops daughter.

Cops Daughter Karma protects me and seeing as Im not a drug addict, drug dealer, thief, prostitute, gangster or murderer (all traits that would negate Cops Daughter Karma), Im protected.

This isnt to say I havent done stupid things that are not exactly law-abiding, in fact, Id done a lot of stupid things that are not exactly law-abiding.

Lets see

Ive had a number of parking tickets but they dont really count.

Ive been stopped for speeding on occasion, though I never got a ticket.

Ive been known to jaywalk when Im in a hurry (which is a lot).

Further possibly-non-law-abiding exploits include the fact that I conned my way backstage at an Aerosmith concert. I went so far as to touch Joe Perrys chest with the very tips of my index and middle fingers and, after making contact, I felt an electric spasm of sheer delight fly through my body (especially certain parts of my body) that has gone unequaled, before or since. Unfortunately, I only got the touch in before the bodyguard hauled me out.

Im not certain its against the law to lie your way backstage and touch Joe Perrys chest but considering the experience had to be far better than many illegal activities, it should be.

But, twenty minutes ago, my employee, Rosie, told me something I didnt want to hear.

Rosie could be difficult but this was ridiculous.

And hed involved another employee (and one of my most favorite people in the world), Duke.

Then, five minutes ago, Rosie and I locked up and stood at the front of my bookstore, Fortnums, wondering what to do about that something.

Then two guys came up to us, we had a chat that did not go well (and if Im honest, the reason it didnt go well is because of me) and then they shot at us.

Shot.

At.

Us.

With guns.

Guns filled with bullets.

We made a hasty getaway which, luckily, didnt leave a trail of blood.

Now, were in my car, hyperventilating, sitting in a dark corner of a dark alley in the bowels of Baker Historical District that hadnt yet re-gentrified and Im staring at my cell phone wondering what, in the fucking hell, to do.

Lets rewind.

Im India Savage, known by all as Indy. Im Tom Savages daughter and practically every cop knows me, even the rookies. Thats because, when I was young, I spent a lot of time at the station waiting for Dad or hanging out with Dads friends.

Oh, and Dad and I still go together to the Fraternal Order of Police (or F.O.P.) hog roasts

There is also the fact that I look the way I look. Im not bragging or anything, its just that being a cop means you have to have an overabundance of testosterone and, well, Im a girl.

Most of Dads colleagues noticed me from the age of about sixteen. Unfortunately, if any one of them touched me (even after I came of age), the others would have shot him.

Such is the life of a cops daughter. You take the ups with the downs.

In my not-so-clean-and-tidy past, I was caught one night by Dads friends, Jimmy Marker and Danny Rose. Ally and I were underage drinking and were taken to the station.

My Dad had not been angry at this youthful stunt. Dad had one kid and a dead wife. Hed been hoping for a boy to come along but my Mom died when I was five. Seeing as they had their hands full with me, theyd never got around to a second child and Dad had never got over Mom enough to find another wife.

Dad always said Katherine Savage was the kind of woman you didnt get over.

He also said I looked a lot like her and the pictures prove it (except, of course, my blue eyes, which come from my Dad).

And everyone says I act exactly like her.

Anyway, Dad thought my drinking binge was kind of cute, and, if I had been a boy, my getting picked up by his cronies would be a rite of passage. His best friend and long-time partner, Malcolm Nightingale, agreed.

Malcolms wife, my Moms best friend and the woman who swore to my mother on her death bed that she would help Dad raise me right, Kitty Sue Nightingale, did not find my short-lived incarceration amusing.

Kitty Sue didnt find any of my youthful foibles amusing, not in any way, shape, or form. Kitty Sue worried over my immortal soul.

Kitty Sue had her hands full. Not only did she make a death bed promise to my Mom, she also had three kids of her own to look after. And two of those kids were Lee and Ally and that right there is enough said.

Kitty Sue talked to preachers, teachers and high school counselors, little league softball, baseball and football coaches, neighborhood busybodies, anyone she could to set up her network of Nightingale/Savage Child Watch. Even with all this effort, it didnt work so well.

Allyson Nightingale is my best friend and has been since birth. Ally is Kitty Sue and Malcolms youngest child and shes far crazier than me, mainly because she isnt scared of anything.

Lees another story altogether, Lees a Bad Boy with capital Bs.

After getting caught on the side of the road puking our inebriated guts out by Jimmy and Danny, Ally and I smartened up. After that, when Ally and I were underage, out partying and were done over-imbibing, we called Lee and he came to get us.

No matter what, no matter where, Lee would show up in his vintage Mustang, hold open the passenger side door and grin as we stumbled out of someones house and into his car. Lee knew the exact sounds a person would make before they were going to hurl and thus knew when to stop and haul a body out so they could do it on the side of the road and not in his car. Lee also had lots of experience with holding a girls hair back when she threw up.

In our partying days, we tried calling Allys other brother, Hank, a couple of times but he would always give us a lecture. Hanks the oldest of the three Nightingale children and therefore felt the need to behave responsibly. He may have lectured but he didnt snitch, snitching was a shade too far.

Not surprisingly, Hank became a cop.

No one knows what Lee is.

Henry Hank Nightingale was captain of the football team, prom king and voted Best Athlete, Most Popular, one half of Best Couple and Best Smile. Hes six foot one, has thighs that could crack walnuts, has just the right assets to fill both the seat and crotch of his jeans, a killer smile, thick, dark brown hair with just enough wave and whisky-colored eyes. In High School, Hank was good-natured, chivalrous and had a steady girl. Not much has changed (except there was no longer a girl).

Liam Lee Nightingale could hot-wire any car going, had both a Mustang and a motorcycle, started smoking when he was thirteen, was rumored to be able to get a girl pregnant by just looking at her and was also voted Best Smile. Hes six foot two and gives the impression that faded jeans had been divinely created just for him. Lee also has thick, dark brown hair with just enough wave and chocolate-colored eyes with a heavy rim of long lashes. Lee was good-natured as well, but in an entirely different way. Without any effort at all, (mostly by crooking his finger, casting a glance or, if a girl was playing hard to get, hed pull out The Smile), Lee nailed everything that was female, had long hair, big boobs, a fine ass and was breathing.

Every female, that is, but me, no matter how hard I tried and lets just say I tried real hard.

I, too, have big boobs, a helluvan ass, long, russet hair (with just enough wave) and was, as far as I could tell, not the walking dead.

Id been throwing myself at Lee since I could remember.