Riley squared up in the training room, her fists raised, a grin tugging at her lips as she circled Brett. He was quick on his feet, but she was quicker. They'd been sparring for about ten minutes, jabs and crosses flying back and forth, the air thick with the sound of their footwork and playful smack talk.

"You're slowing down, Miller," she teased, darting to the left to avoid a half-hearted swing.

Brett chuckled, shaking his head as he dodged her counter. "Nah, Torres, I'm just taking it easy on you. Didn't want to bruise your ego too much before shift."

She snorted, landing a light punch to his shoulder. "You wish. I'm just warming up."

"That all you got?" Brett quipped, blocking her next hit. "Come on, Torres, I thought you'd be tougher than this."

"Oh, I'll show you tough," Riley said, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she moved in again, her eyes gleaming with determination. They exchanged blows, neither going full force but both enjoying the challenge.

The banter between them made the room feel lighter. Sparring with Brett was easy, fun. No pressure, just two officers letting off steam before the grind of another shift.

"Alright, let's see you try this," Brett said with a grin, taking a more aggressive stance. He swung at her, but before Riley could react, a voice cut through the room.

"Torres, keep your guard up. You're leaving your left side wide open."

Riley froze mid-movement, her head whipping toward the entrance of the training room, causing Brett's punch to land square on her jaw. Riley staggered back a few steps.

"Shit!" Brett exclaimed, taking off his gloves and moving forward to inspect Riley's face. "I didn't mean to do that. Are you okay?"

Riley nodded and turned to the door where Luke stood, arms crossed, his eyes narrowed in that all-too-familiar look of disapproval.

Her mood immediately darkened. "What are you doing here, Maddox?"

Luke stepped inside, his gaze flicking from Brett to Riley. "Just making sure you're not getting lazy before shift. You're dropping your shoulder when you dodge—gonna get you knocked out one day."

Riley rolled her eyes, stepping back from Brett and wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. "I'm fine. I don't need a lecture."

"You're fine now, but out in the field, that habit could cost you." Luke's tone was stern, his eyes locking on hers in that intense way that always got under her skin.

Brett, sensing the tension, stepped back, glancing between them. "Uh, I'll just grab some water," he said, backing toward the door.

"No, you stay," Riley snapped, glaring at Luke. "Maddox, seriously, just leave me alone. I can handle myself."

"I'm just trying to help," Luke said, his voice lower now but still laced with authority. "You're too stubborn for your own good sometimes."

"And you're too overbearing for your own good," she shot back, her frustration bubbling over. "I don't need you hovering over me every second, critiquing everything I do."

Luke's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond right away. Instead, he just stared at her, the silence stretching between them. Riley could feel her pulse quickening, not just from the sparring but from the weight of his gaze. She hated how he could get under her skin like this, how he made her feel like she had something to prove.

Finally, Luke sighed, shaking his head. "Just... be careful, alright?" His voice was softer now, almost resigned, as he turned to leave the room.

Riley clenched her fists, watching him go, the frustration still simmering in her chest.

"Wow," Brett said, breaking the silence as he walked back over, his expression curious but not pushing too far. "You two always like this?"

Riley let out a breath, shaking her head. "You have no idea."

Brett raised an eyebrow but didn't push for details. Instead, he leaned against the wall, giving her a playful smile. "Well, if you need to blow off more steam after shift, how about we grab a drink?"

Riley's annoyance with Luke faded a little at the invitation, her lips quirking into a small smile. "You trying to beat me in smack talk over drinks now, Miller?"

He laughed, shrugging. "I'm just saying, it'd be nice to hang out when we're not throwing punches."

Riley considered it for a moment, her mind still swirling from Luke's unwanted critique, but Brett's easygoing demeanor was a welcome change. "Yeah, why not? Sounds good."

"Cool," Brett said, flashing her a grin. "After shift then."

As she watched him walk out, Riley felt a strange mix of satisfaction and unease. It was nice to have someone who wasn't constantly criticizing her. Maybe Brett could help her forget the whirlwind that was Luke Maddox, at least for a little while.

_____________________________________________________________

It was a warm, breezy evening, and Riley and Luke stood side by side, watching the ebb and flow of the crowd at the local event. Bright lights and music filled the air, vendors calling out to people, kids darting around with cotton candy, and the constant hum of conversations surrounded them. It should've been exciting, but they were on crowd control duty, which meant standing around and keeping an eye on things—a pretty boring gig compared to the usual adrenaline rush.

Riley leaned against a metal barricade, scanning the sea of faces with mild disinterest. "You ever wonder about these people?" she asked, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

Luke glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow. "Wonder what, exactly?"

Riley shrugged, gesturing vaguely at the crowd. "I don't know. Like, what their stories are. Why they're here, what they're thinking about. That guy—" she nodded toward a middle-aged man juggling two kids, both of them tugging on his arms and whining. "He's probably been dragged here by his wife. Bet he's thinking about cracking open a beer as soon as he gets home."

Luke smirked, following her gaze. "Nah, I'm thinking he's a single dad, hoping this will tire the kids out enough that he can have a quiet night for once."

Riley laughed, enjoying the unexpected game they were playing. "Alright, your turn." She pointed to a woman in a flashy sundress, laughing loudly with a group of friends near a food stand.

Luke watched for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he considered his options. "She's on her first night out after a bad breakup. Her friends convinced her to get dressed up, but all she wants is to go home and binge-watch reality TV with a pint of ice cream."

Riley grinned. "Nice. You're good at this."

Luke glanced at her with a sideways smile. "I've got a talent for reading people."

"Yeah, yeah," Riley said, rolling her eyes playfully. "Let's see about that." She scanned the crowd again and picked out a guy standing alone near the ticket booth, his arms crossed, looking around with an expression of mild irritation. "What about him?"

Luke studied the guy for a moment before shaking his head. "Easy. That dude looks like he steals from the dollar store."

Riley snickered. "Probably."

They both chuckled, the ease between them settling in. Moments like this—where they weren't at each other's throats, when the walls were down just a little—it was almost easy to forget the tension that always simmered between them. They continued with their little game, the made-up backstories devolving and getting less and less plausible.

"She looks like she rides a motorcycle - but not well. Like she's definitely tipped it over more than once."

"He looks like he would have gone pro if it weren't for the tragic knee injury that ended his football career- that he sustained trying to jump off a roof into a pool and missing."

"That man is one hundred percent a Russian spy."

But the peaceful boredom didn't last long.

Suddenly, a loud commotion erupted from a nearby line for one of the food stalls. Shouting. People shoving each other, spilling out of the line. Riley's eyes snapped to the disturbance just as Luke's posture straightened beside her.

"Trouble," he muttered, already moving.

Riley followed him as they waded through the crowd toward the growing chaos. Two men were in each other's faces, shouting loud enough to draw a circle of onlookers. One of them was gesturing wildly, shoving the other back, while people in line either tried to back away or egg them on.

"Alright, break it up!" Luke's voice boomed, cutting through the noise as he pushed through the crowd, stepping right into the middle of the fight. His presence alone made most people freeze, but the two guys didn't seem to notice at first, too focused on their argument.

Luke stepped between them, his hand out in a commanding gesture. "Enough! Step back!"

The more aggressive of the two—a wiry guy with a shaved head—sneered and tried to shove past Luke to get to the other guy again. Without missing a beat, Luke grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back, forcing him down as he pulled a pair of cuffs from his belt. "I said, enough."

Riley circled around the other man, making sure he didn't try anything. The guy held up his hands defensively, mumbling something about the other guy starting it, but Riley didn't care who started what. "Alright, let's cool it, both of you."

Luke had already restrained the first guy and was pulling him toward the barricades, giving Riley a nod. "Let's bring them both in." He looked at the two of them meaningfully. "Let them cool off in a cell overnight so they have something to think about the next time they get sick of standing in line."

Riley grabbed the second guy, who offered no resistance as she cuffed him, and the two of them led the men through the thinning crowd. She couldn't help but feel a strange sense of pride watching Luke handle things with such calm authority. Even when he got under her skin, there was no denying he was good at his job.

Just as they were about to load the men into the back of the cruiser, Luke's radio crackled to life. "Possible shots fired at The Warehouse Club. Need units to respond."

Riley's heart skipped a beat. She knew the Warehouse Club well—strip club, bar, and breeding ground for illegal activity in her old neighborhood.

Luke's expression darkened as he glanced at Riley. "Get them in the back," he said quickly, tossing her the keys to the cruiser. "We're going."

Without a word, they moved into action, securing the two men in the back seat. Riley climbed into the passenger seat, her adrenaline spiking as Luke slammed the car into gear, the sirens blaring as they tore away from the event.