1. Police Sirens

POV: River Lockhart

The last thing I wanted was to fall in love with a police officer.

Every scene that happened during the exquisite lunch looped in my head. It wasn't the first time my father acted that way toward me. Plates slamming against the wall behind me, and his wife screaming at the top of her lungs to stop us from using any violence, while the waiter beside us kept count of the tableware that my father destroyed.

It was my father's birthday, and yesterday I received an invitation from his wife asking me to attend the lunch as he would be happy to see me. I wore a plain shirt beneath and a black jacket to show a little formality, but I never went for a proper tuxedo because I believed it wouldn't be an issue.

Things were all under control. The venue was good, and it was lit dimly to make it appear even more elite. The aroma in the private room made me feel at ease, although I felt like a stranger in there.

That was when my father came in through the doors with his wife clinging to his side, holding his upper arm and whispering something in his ear, to which he laughed a deep chuckle. (My step-brother, Chase, didn't come to the dinner as he was abroad in France, completing his studies.) I almost had my eyes rolling, but I held it in. As he sat in front of me, I stood up and presented him with the black leather box in which I had a nice watch as his gift.

He nodded in affirmation but didn't look too happy to see it. My eyes shifted to the gift his wife was giving him. But my eyes almost instantly caught the bracelet she was wearing.

It belonged to my mom.

Why. This woman, my father's current wife, had all the expensive things she could ask for. Hundreds of different jewellery pieces and bracelets, and she even owned a jewellery shop where she had met my father.

Why was she wearing my mom's bracelet out of all?

Afterwards, what I saw was only red in my eyes.

~.~

"Fuck. Go on the correct path, you wuss." I curse at the vehicle in front of me, which goes so slow and boils my blood, as I am already mad. My hand bangs against the horn for the tenth time in a row, leaving it red against the leather. But the pain in my hand doesn't bother me the slightest. It is the driver in front of me who drives me mad.

"Chill, River. The fact that your father scolded you doesn't mean you can drive like this. You are going to kill yourself if you drive like this! At least think about my poor life here! I am not part of anything," my best friend, Lucas Turner, says with his blue eyes widening as he sends his hand through his dirty blond hair.

But once again, I slam my hand against the horn in anger.

"That bitch is the reason! Ever since my dad married that gold digger, he's been disrespecting my mom! She was wearing my mom's bracelet! My mom used to wear it before she died!" I exclaim.

"Well... you could've ignored her only for this time. You love your mom, and that matters the most." Lucas reasons.

"No way! Dad acts like his late wife doesn't even matter to him. It was last week, and he didn't even attend the ten-year death anniversary of my mom. How can I calm down?" I ask him.

"Um. Kinda fair in that sense," he says, watching the vehicle in front of us.

I am in no mood to fight. If I were, I would've already slammed my vehicle against theirs and picked a fight with them. I just want to drive my anger away.

The vehicle in front of us comes to a stop, so I change gears and drive past it at high speed in the wrong lane, overtaking around ten vehicles, and the speed meter shows 90 miles per hour.

"A police officer might stop us," Lucas says, holding onto his seat and looking a bit concerned. But as he's used to my temper tantrums like this, he doesn't mind much.

"Like shit, they will. They know me well. They might as well kiss my ass," I say, speeding even more, but the Porsche doesn't support any speed after 110, as I've set it for safety precautions. Although I act recklessly from time to time, I keep it at a safe limit.

"River, I swear one day, if I die because of your short temper, I will come back and haunt you for the rest of your life. You better spare my life," Lucas says next to me. His eyes widen as we zoom past dozens of vehicles. And that's also when I hear the police siren.

I look through the side mirror and notice a police car behind us, a mini car with a red and blue light on top of it, with its siren blaring in my ears. I continue with my speed but slow down as the police car doesn't stop following us.

I thought they knew my number plate. Once they see it, they stop chasing after me.

Strange. It's not stopping today.

I slow down to an 80, and the police car overtakes us. I look to my right just as it drives past me and see an unfamiliar person in the driver's seat, but I cannot see him well as he overtakes my vehicle and stops in front of us, blocking my way.

I come to an abrupt stop with my boot slamming against the brakes. The police car door swings open, and an unfamiliar person walks out of it. Around six feet tall, his black hair combed back in a unique manner.

He moves toward us with a commanding stride, his uniform highlighting his well-defined physique and the shirt with the numerous badges perfectly hugging his body. As he stands next to my window, I notice his cold gaze. It makes my heart skip a beat, leaving me momentarily breathless as I pull down the window while secretly tossing a beer can from the front to the backseat.

Lucas looks at me with wide eyes, signalling with his eyes about the alcohol bottles in the backseat as well. Hopefully, the tinted windows won't show those empty bottles to the officer outside.