Free Pierced: Pierced Trilogy Boxed Set by Lashell Collins

a big cooler.
    “ Yeah, sure,” I mumble gratefully and walk over to examine the contents of the cooler. It’s full to the brim with just about every brand you can think of. “Nice variety,” I mumble with raised eyebrows.
    “ That’s because it’s all confiscated,” he says with a smirk. “Why pay for beer for a party when we can just collect it?”
    I chuckle as I grab a Corona and open it up, wishing I had a slice of lime. “Thanks,” I say to the guy that offered. As I take a swig, I realize that I recognize this guy as one of the cops that used to come to my house a lot when I was a kid. The thought is a little sobering and I take a few moments to look around the yard, examining the faces in attendance. And as I do, I realize that there are many faces here that I remember. They’re all a little older now but, so am I. And I find myself wondering again for about the hundredth time if any of these guys remember all the shit that went down in my house when I was a kid.
    I notice that there’s an empty table off to the side so I saunter over and take a seat. I’m looking around and wondering what the hell I’m doing here when suddenly Parson and Marcos both take a seat at the table.
    “ So, how have you been, Guy?” Parson looks me right in the eye and uses a name I have not heard in several years. The name they all used to call me when I was a kid. And all of a sudden my heart is pounding in my chest and I start to sweat. I look from one man to the other and they both return my nervous gaze just as calm as you please, and I think I see a smile playing at the corners of Parson’s mouth.
    “ Um … I’ve … I’ve been okay,” I mumble. I swallow nervously, and I realize that I’m clutching my bottle of Corona like my life depends on it. Marcos smiles at my response and Parson watches me closely.
    “ How’s it feel being cut loose?” he asks. “Think you can handle the job?”
    I blink at his unexpected question, then nod wordlessly. I finished third in my class at the police academy and I sailed through my 90-day training period once I was hired. And I just helped diffuse a tense situation on a family trouble call a couple of days ago. I kept my head and talked down a kid with a gun aimed at his brother’s chest. Yeah, I think maybe I can handle the job. I hope so anyway. “Yeah,” I respond a little shyly to Parson’s question, “I think I can.”
    He nods slowly at me. “We think you can too, Guy. Some of us were a little surprised when you hired on, and I don’t mean that in a bad way, kid. Although we did wonder what the hell possessed you to pursue this line of work. But we’ve been watching you, and we’re impressed with what we’ve seen.”
    I don’t know what to say. I stare back at him in silence and disbelief and I’m not sure why exactly, but his words mean a lot to me.
    “ We wanted you to come tonight because it’s important to us that you understand that the past is the past.” He speaks to me in that same levelheaded tone that he always used with me as a kid and his eyes are burning with sincerity. I get the feeling he’s waiting on a response from me so I nod at him.
    “ Yes, sir,” I say quietly.
    He chuckles. “Don’t start calling me sir; you’ll make me feel ancient.” Then he falls serious again and says, “Just remember what I’ve said.”
    I nod again and take a deep breath as I glance around the yard. And as I do, I notice that most of the guys are looking over at us. Some of them smile at me, others raise their beers to me. I return the gesture and take a swig. Yeah … I guess they do remember me after all.
    “ So, you still into cars, Guy?” Marcos asks with a smile.
    I turn back to him and smile. We talk then about much less intense matters for a while, and by the time I’m ready to leave a couple of hours later, I feel much more at ease. I feel accepted. And I feel relieved to know that these guys all remember the gory details of my shitty