Shadows In Blue
In the heart of New York City, the NYPD never sleeps—and neither do its secrets.
Detective Jocelynn Sanchez is all sharp edges and silence. Closed off, cold, and constantly on guard, she’s built walls few have dared to climb. Her time at the academy left her scarred, thanks to a group of recruits who made it their mission to break her spirit. Now, years later, she’s forced to join a new unit—led by none other than Andrei Smirnov, friends with the men who put her through hell.
Andrei has always wanted to work with Jocelynn, though she has no idea. Unlike his friends, he saw her strength back then—and admired it. Her arrival on his team feels like fate. But earning her trust proves harder than expected. She barely speaks, avoids everyone except her one friend, and seems to carry a past she’ll never share.
Still, Andrei is patient. An open book with a big family and an even bigger heart, he slowly begins to break through Jocelynn's defenses. And in doing so, he discovers the truth: she’s not cold—she’s protecting herself. Jocelynn sees that Andrei isn’t like the men who hurt her. He’s kind, steady, and genuinely wants to understand her.
But there are secrets she won’t risk exposing—not even to him. Like the fact that her godfather is their precinct captain, or the real reason she cut ties with her family. As cases grow more dangerous and their bond deepens, Jocelynn must decide if she can finally let someone in.
Shadows in Blue is a slow-burn detective romance about trauma and trust, told from both perspectives.
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Chapter: Andrei - Cold TrailsI receive a call from Ian on our way back to the station. He canvased the area around the crime scene with a few uniformed officers and found out that our victim had been at a bar last night. Perhaps someone from the bar will be able to identify him and give us a lead on this case. He sends me a photo of our victim, one he received from Emory. We stop in the street in front of the bar. As Sanchez climbs out of the car, she zips her black puffer jacket halfway up and places her hands in the pockets. I lead the way toward the big black door and the neon sign that says 'Cheers and Beers'. Once opened, I gesture for her to enter. The men in the bar stares as we approach. Not at us, but at the woman walking in front of me. The woman currently looking around the place like she might find our suspect lurking in a dark corner. Stopping her from walking past the bar, I put a hand on her back and nod for her to take a seat on one of the stools. "Hi," the male bartender says, eyeing my partne
Last Updated: 2025-09-05
Chapter: Andrei - Are we kids?For the second time today, we are in the captain's office. It feels like we have been called into the principal's office to be reprimanded for fighting. Captain Baker wears a scowl of disapproval and disappointment as he looks at James. When his eyes rest on the woman sitting beside me, his eyes soften and fill with concern. "What was that?" he asks, swinging his angry gaze back on James. "She punched me," he says, his words slightly muffled by the ice pack pressed to his face. Baker looks back to Sanchez. "Jocelynn?"Wait. He addresses her by her first name? That is strange. "He wanted to know if I punch like a girl," she says, shaking her head. "Did you need to demonstrate?""Yes,"From the look they exchange, it is clear that the two of them are familiars. They know each other outside of this building. What kind of relationship they could have is beyond me, though. He slants his head at her, and she rolls her eyes, both of them pissed off and defeated. "I remember saying some
Last Updated: 2025-06-21
Chapter: Jocelynn - Partners?I step through the doors to Emmy's lab and wonder why she couldn't have taken a job in Forensics or Cyber Crimes. Instead, in order to see my best friend, I have to walk through these doors every day. The smell is enough to make me gag each time. She's sitting at the back of the room, staring into a microscope and taking notes on the little notepad next to her. "Hey," I say, walking through the room and bypassing a man in an identical coat to hers. Her head snaps up and she beams at me. "Hi," she says, turning in her seat. Her brows pull together as she studies my face. "What's the matter?"I shake my head and walk over, taking a seat in the chair next to hers. "I got transfered,""What?" she asks, a smile on her face. "That's a good thing, right? No more of Jonas's bullshit. Why don't you look happy about this?""To Homicide,"The smile is wiped from her face. "No," she says quietly, shaking her head. "Yeah,""Oh my god, why?""Baker says it'll be a good image to show the state,
Last Updated: 2025-06-19
Chapter: Andrei - Peace, anyone?From my desk, I watch her walk back into the squad room and set a cardboard box on top of the empty desk. She starts piling things out of the box (a plaque with her name on it, a framed photo, an external hard drive, three journals, a blue wireless keyboard and a blue-and-white key lanyard. She has had that lanyard since the Academy. When the box is empty, she tosses it under the desk and takes a seat, pressing the power button on the monitor. Yes, I realize I am staring and she might punch me if she caught me, but I cannot help it. My eyes seem to wander to her every time I try to focus on the report I am supposed to be writing. When she sinks in her seat and takes out her phone, I drag my eyes off her and focus on the screen in front of me. The rest of the unit (Ian, Leonard and James) are crowded around Leonard's desk. They are talking, not so quietly, about how much they do not want to work with Jocelynn Sanchez. I do not understand their reluctance to work with the sharpest de
Last Updated: 2025-06-18
Chapter: Jocelynn - TransferI was called awake for this at three this morning. When I arrived at the scene, I stayed as far from the body as possible and focued on scoping the rest of the area. I'm a narcotics detective, so I was unsure of why I was called in for a homicide case. That was until I saw our captain at the scene. He informed me that his Homicide team has suspicions that the murder is gang related. We in Narcotics haven't gotten wind of anything like it, and I don't think that the idiots in Homicide know more than we do about New York gangs.What I found on the scene was nothing out of the ordinary for a typical homicide. Yes, it was clear that the murder was premeditated and that whoever did it had to have been seriously motivated. But nothing about the crime scene screamed 'related to narcotics' to me. I leave the scene after the body is hauled into Emory's truck and she and her team take off. If this is related to Narcotics, our medical examiner will find it. "Detective Sanchez," someone calls.
Last Updated: 2025-06-15
Chapter: Andrei - New BloodA body lies at my feet, covered in blood. Bullet holes in the chest, abdomen and shoulder. I do not need to be closer to tell that this victim was strangled before he was shot repeatedly. Early mornings like these make me question why I chose this career, but I would not trade it for anything in the world. Sirens sound from behind me and I can hear the chaos start to unfurl as civillians swarm the crime scene, reporters hot on our trail. I turn to Ian. "What do you see?" I ask, pulling my hand out of the pocket of my jacket. He shakes his head with a grimace. "Blood, Andi. I see a lot of blood,""I meant about the crime," Clearing his throat, he amends his answer. "Strangulation, bondage around the wrists, and a whole lot of gunshots,"I nod. "Whoever did this was pretty pissed off,""I'd say way more than pissed off, but yeah,""Detective Smirnov," someone calls. I turn to see one of the CSI techs waving me over. "Could you take a look at this, please?"Stepping away from the bod
Last Updated: 2025-06-04
Sink or Swim
After two months of surviving on her own, Kieran returns to Concord, stepping straight back into the suffocating warmth of family love she isn’t sure she’s ready for. Fresh from a funeral and carrying wounds no one fully understands, she’s greeted by watchful grandparents, anxious relatives, and questions about a future that no longer feels like hers to decide.
Concord is familiar, comforting even, but it’s also filled with memories she hasn’t healed from. Chief among them is Lucas, the boy who was once her best friend and then, without warning, walked away. No explanation. No goodbye. Just silence that hurt deeper than any fight ever could. His absence lingers, heavy with unanswered questions and unspoken feelings Kieran has never allowed herself to name.
Seeking space, Kieran escapes to her favorite spot by the lake, hoping for peace. Instead, fate intervenes.
The unmistakable growl of a motorcycle announces Lucas’s return, changed, bigger, sharper, and undeniably no longer the boy she remembers. One glance is enough to shatter the fragile calm she’s built. The past isn’t buried. It’s right next door.
As summer begins, Kieran is forced to confront unresolved hurt, broken trust, and the dangerous pull of someone who once knew her better than anyone else. Some friendships don’t end cleanly...and some feelings refuse to stay buried.
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Chapter: Kieran - The Morning AfterI think this headache might be the death of me. Because the only medication is in the kitchen, I make my way down, trying my hardest not to wake up any family members who are still asleep. Though, that is a wasted effort, because it's sunday and everyone has already woken up and gotten to work on lunch preparations. Luckily for me, though, they’re all outside. I grab a Tylenol from the cabinet in the kitchen and then fill a glass with water. Laughter behind me scares the crap out of me and I nearly drop the glass. When I turn around, I find Drew sitting at the dining table, having breakfast. “You’re up late,” he says to me, clearly amused. “I know. Shush,” “How was your night?” “Good,” I tell him. If I’m honest, I have no idea what yesterday was. Thinking about it is giving me whiplash. I vaguely remember flirting with Luca, which…what the hell, Kieran? After I had food, though, I calmed down enough that I stopped asking suggestive questions and making stupid comments abou
Last Updated: 2026-01-26
Chapter: Kieran - Where Yesterday Still BreathesI think this headache might be the death of me. Because the only medication is in the kitchen, I make my way down, trying my hardest not to wake up any family members who are still asleep. Though, that is a wasted effort, because it's sunday and everyone has already woken up and gotten to work on lunch preparations. Luckily for me, though, they’re all outside.I grab a Tylenol from the cabinet in the kitchen and then fill a glass with water. Laughter behind me scares the crap out of me and I nearly drop the glass. When I turn around, I find Drew sitting at the dining table, having breakfast.“You’re up late,” he says to me, clearly amused. “I know. Shush,”“How was your night?”“Good,” I tell him. If I’m honest, I have no idea what yesterday was. Thinking about it is giving me whiplash. I vaguely remember flirting with Luca, which…what the hell, Kieran? After I had food, though, I calmed down enough that I stopped asking suggestive questions and making stupid comments about him ta
Last Updated: 2026-01-20
Chapter: Lucas - Tell Me When You're SoberWide eyes and a flushed face. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that look on Kieran’s face. She looked equal parts surprised and intrigued, which just boosted my ego. If that look is any indication, she might start seeing me the way I’ve always seen her. I push the thought out of my head as I get a t-shirt from my cupboard. I wonder what she’s doing here. Don’t get me wrong, I love that she’s here and that she seems to want to hang out with me, but she doesn’t seem to be in a very good mood. “Luca?” she says from my desk, her voice quiet. I take a seat on my beed. “Yeah?” “I’m going to ask you a question and I need you to be honest with me,” “Okay,” She turns around then, facing me. “If I hadn’t figured out that Devon is cheating on Alexia, would you have told me?” “I don’t know,” She nods, clearly not satisfied with my answer. “Listen, I’m not okay with what Devon did. I don’t condone cheating,” I continue. “Alexia should break up with him, in my opinion, but no matter how
Last Updated: 2026-01-16
Chapter: Kieran - Caught Off GuardI wake up on Saturday morning with newfound optimism. I’m not quite sure where it came from, but I decide to embrace it for the sake of my sanity. Since the summer started and I moved here, every day has been the same, the days starting to blend into each other. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and I appreciate their love and support. I enjoy spending time with them, especially Drew. However, it would be nice if the friends I used to have would respond to the messages I’ve sent them. I’m not mad about it. I wouldn’t know what to say or how to act around me if I were them. Even so, I wouldn’t avoid a friend I’ve had for years for no reason. It’s okay, though, because I still have Lex. And Luca. Something happens to my stomach the second the image of Luca passes through my mind. That’s new. Not necessarily the feeling, but the person it is directed at. Luca and I are barely friends again and now my body is reacting to the mere thought of him? No. I get for the day, pushing all t
Last Updated: 2026-01-13
Chapter: Kieran - Almost A PromiseOne especially infuriating thing about Kieran Darjee is that she thinks she knows every fucking thing. She thinks she knows exactly how I feel and what I think. If she’d bother to ask every once in a while, she’d know just how wrong she is.Disregarding however I might feel about her, why would I not want her to be at the celebration? She’s been my best friend since we were kids and we’ve always gone to the celebration together, so why would that change now? We’ve let bygones be bygones and are choosing to ignore the fact that we were estranged for two years, so ideally, nothing has changed between us. Or am I expecting too much?I shake my head. “It’s none of my business,”“What isn’t?”I release a sigh and shake my head again. If I tell her what I know, she’s going to tell her best friend about it, who is then going to break up with Devon, as she should. Devon will be pissed at me for airing out his business, though. And while I don’t agree with what he’s doing, I don’t think I coul
Last Updated: 2026-01-11
Chapter: Lucas - When the Noise Doesn't WorkI need this week to end.I feel like I’m suffocating, like someone is pressing their heavy as fuck shoe on my chest, keeping me from being able to take a proper breath.Anxiety crawls up my neck every fucking day and the only thing that’ll make it better right now is a drink. And the only place I can get shit faced without being scolded or berated for it is at Devon’s.After work on Thursday, I text him to find out of he’s home. He doesn’t text back, which either means that he isn’t home or that he’s already drunk in his backyard. I make my way over and hope that he’s not too drunk. I don’t want to have to drink alone.At Devon’s, I park my bike in the driveway and venture into the backyard with my helmet in hand. I hear the commotion before I make it past the driveway.There are at least twenty people in the backyard, littered around the swimming pool, crowded around the bonfire pit. I scan the crowd for Devon, who is standing in a corner making love eyes at a girl who is most defini
Last Updated: 2026-01-09
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