Free Daring Devotion by Elaine Overton Page A

just wanted to shut him up.
    Cal put down the remote and headed in the direction of the kitchen. As he came through the door, Jeff was droning on about his lightninglike reflexes.
    He leaned against the door frame, noting that the only audience Jeff had was KC, the youngest member of their team. Not that KC was listening. His attention seemed to be fully focused on the sandwich he was making.
    â€œAnyway, had I not been there,” Jeff continued, “who knows what would’ve happened.”
    Cal stood and came forward into the room. “All right Jeff, enough is enough. I think you are making too big a deal out of this.”
    Jeff’s eyes narrowed and a wide smile came over his face. Cal thought the overall effect reminded him of a snake.
    â€œFace it, Cal. You don’t belong here. You just can’t cut it anymore.”
    Cal flinched slightly. The cutting remarks caused KC to pause momentarily, then he scooped up the plate with his completed sandwich and quickly left the room. Cal did not miss the fact that the young man would not even make eye contact.
    He took a deep breath trying to hold back the urge to break Jeff Collins in half over his knee. “There is no reason for all that, man.”
    Jeff stood from where he’d been sitting at the table, and came toward the door. “Tell you what. Next time the alarm sounds, why don’t you stay behind and let the real men take the call.” He touched his chin. “And you can bake us some cookies while you’re waiting.”
    Cal reacted before his brain had a chance to catch up with his fist, and he found himself standing over Jeff’s prone body. He looked down at the moaning man not completely regretting his action, then without another word he turned and walked away.

Chapter 8
    â€œW ith all due respect, sir, I haven’t lost my edge.” Cal fought with every strand of willpower he could muster to keep control of his temper. Since his altercation with Jeff, he seemed to have lost complete control of it. He’d been snapping and snarling at everyone over the past week, so he wasn’t completely surprised to look up and find his boss standing in his doorway.
    â€œNo one is saying you have, Cal.” Captain Mark McKinley, a large burly white man commonly known as Mack, stood leaning back against Cal’s office desk, his thick arms crossed over his chest, watching the emotions play across Cal’s expressive face.
    â€œThis suspension is department policy, you know that. Whatever happened in that house has to be addressed. There has to be a formal hearing, and there is not a damn thing I can do about it.” He stood away from the desk. “Look, don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”
    Cal tightened his lips in a thin line to keep the harsh words in his mouth. Everything Mack was saying was true, but it didn’t make it any easier to take.
    â€œLook, Cal. You don’t have to convince me, I’m the one who recommended you for promotion, remember?”
    Cal nodded.
    â€œOkay then, just go home, sit back and wait for this thing to play out.” Mack watched his face, but when Cal said nothing more, he continued. “I’m putting Dwight in charge for now, unless you have another recommendation?”
    â€œNo, Dwight’s your man.”
    â€œGood, now that that is settled,” he stood and clamped his hands together, “I’m going to get going. And Cal…you know you have to make an appointment with the department shrink.”
    Cal frowned, but before he could say anything Mack spoke. “Like I told you before, it is all a part of the policy. I don’t decide this and neither do you. Just get it over with, so we can put all this behind us.”
    Cal stood in the same place for several minutes, long after Mack had left. As hard as he’d tried to hold it all together, things had finally spun out of control and he had no one but himself to