Chapter 48 Logan
Logan
The station stank of stale coffee and paperwork. I’d signed the release, gotten my belongings back, and still couldn’t shake the taste of blood in my mouth. My knuckles throbbed where they’d cracked against a deputy’s jaw.
I told myself I didn’t regret it. Not when they’d stood in my way. Not when Raine had been out there.
But the truth was, I wasn’t just angry. I was ashamed. While Adam Stoker and his men fought tooth and nail on that ridge, I’d been cooling my heels in a cell like some reckless teenager. My sister deserved better.
“Carter.”
The voice came from behind me, low and steady. Hawk. His arm was bandaged, his clothes torn, but his eyes were sharp as ever. He leaned against the doorframe, looking me over like I was a problem he wasn’t sure how to solve.
“You done throwing punches at deputies, or should I give you a new face to swing at?”
I ground my teeth. “You here to take a shot too?”
“No.” He pushed off the frame, walked closer, boots heavy on the tile. “I’m here because Stoker says you’re not useless. And because I saw you fight once, years back, when you were a SEAL. You’ve still got something to offer.”
I snorted. “Funny. Didn’t look that way last night.”
Hawk’s gaze didn’t waver. “We all screw up. Question is—are you gonna sit in your shame, or are you gonna use it?”
My chest tightened. For a second, I thought about Raine—her limp, her bruises, the way she clung to Stoker like he was the only thing keeping her alive.
“What are you asking me, Hawk?”
He folded his arms. “We’re digging. Stoker’s right—backup was delayed on purpose. Somebody wanted us pinned down, maybe even gone. You want redemption? You want back in? Then join us. Help us find who’s pulling the strings.”
I hesitated. Not knowing what to do. Hookinh up with Stoker’s men meant crossing a line—stepping away from the safe path, the one where rules still meant something.
But rules hadn’t saved Raine. Stoker had.
I looked Hawk dead in the eye. “Alright. I’m in.”
His mouth curved, just a hint. Approval, maybe. “Good. Let’s see if you can keep up.”