Dirty Ultimatum (Special Weapons & Tactics #8)

Chapter 1

1

“ I read your report, Officer Knight, and I have to say that I’m extremely impressed by the details,” Captain Donald Spook said. He stared at her from his seat in his massive chair. The elder man’s eyes were filled with respect. He was a man who, when he spoke, many listened.

They may not always do what he said, but they at least heard the words that poured from his mouth.

Officer Jordan Knight stood before his desk with her hands clasped behind her back. She stood to her full height in his presence. Not that it was much. At five feet five, she was of average height for a woman and the shortest member of her SWAT unit.

Pride filled her that she belonged to the best damn police department a girl could wish for. She’d busted her ass and earned a spot on the SWAT team. Her training had been brutal, but she’d made it. Her teammates had opened up their arms to her, giving her the sense of belonging. She may be the only woman on the team, but it didn’t matter. She’d ensured they understood she could handle whatever they dished to her. She was officially one of them and had gained seven brothers who would always cover her six.

The moment she’d earned her badge, she’d had to fight to gain respect. From dealing with gender biases her male counterparts never had to experience, to confronting openly racist community members she was sworn to serve. It was even sad to think that racism didn’t stop at civilians but extended into the so-called family of men and women who wore the same badge as she did. Jordan was strong-willed and a fighter. One would have to have thick skin when carrying a badge. Being a police officer wasn’t for the weak.

But here in Columbia, she didn’t have any of the issues she’d had at her previous place of employment that had caused her to leave. She missed the city of Atlanta and the communities she had served. She had been most comfortable with those she’d safeguarded who looked like her and felt she’d made a difference.

She’d come to Columbia to start over and help her sister who had been a single mother. Jordan was the eldest between the two and had always known it was her responsibility to protect Omara. From the time they were children she had felt the need to be a shield for Omara, and many times that had led her to using her fists.

Jordan blinked and came back to the present. She had turned herself around and made something of herself. Her family was proud of her and what she had accomplished.

“Thank you, sir,” Jordan said. She allowed herself a small smile. On the inside she was grinning like a fool. A while ago, Mac had asked for a volunteer to sit in on a new task force the mayor was coordinating. Of course, none of her teammates had volunteered, leaving Jordan to represent SWAT.

The Special Units Task Force was the official title. It included members from Organized Crime, Gang, Fugitives, CSI, Bomb, School Resources, and K9.

Her breath caught in her throat at the thought of a certain K9 officer. Just thinking of him had her heart racing and a genuine smile forming on her lips. The man did something to her. She’d never felt cherished, or wanted, or even needed before him. He made her feel things she couldn’t even put into words.

Rhys.

Get your shit together, Knight , she snapped to herself. It had taken everything she’d had to leave his bed two nights ago. She’d had to pull a shift and attend her big task force meeting. She was scheduled to meet with the captain this morning and didn’t want to risk being unprepared, or worse, late. As much as she would have loved to stay at his house, she had to ensure she was prepared for this week.

Worse yet, she couldn’t be looking like a lovesick girl with a crush in front of the captain.

“I appreciate your volunteering. We normally wouldn’t need a task force like this since our different units already work together when needed, but the mayor wants to make sure everything is seamless when they do. Apparently, he feels this will help with community engagement,” Spook mumbled.

Jordan held back a chuckle at the sight of the accomplished man rolling his eyes.

“Be that as it may, we actually thought it was good to sit down and talk about how we can better work together,” Jordan replied. “Yes, we work together, but to have time to discuss how we can be more efficient was welcomed by all.”

“If that is the case, then so be it. I want you to update your team on your report.” He stood from his desk and walked around it. He perched himself on the corner of it before leveling her with his gaze. He stared at her for a moment. “Does your team know?”

Jordan stiffened. She glanced away from her boss and scanned the room. Her gaze landed on the shelving that displayed his awards and accolades. Captain Spook was the only one in the entire precinct to know the real reason why she had transferred to Columbia. He had to know, and the man was actually understanding. He’d let her work ethic speak for itself when he’d approved her hiring.

The captain was a man who believed in giving someone the benefit of the doubt and second chances.

“No, sir. I haven’t told them.”

Jordan wasn’t a woman to back down from the enemy. She usually ran headfirst into danger, but to share what he was asking about with her team left her afraid.

She didn’t want to lose what she had with the guys. They all trusted her and treated her like one of them. Hell, she’d been to their weddings, parties, met their wives and families. What happened to her back in Atlanta could jeopardize all of that.

“You need to tell them. It’s better they hear it from you than some other source,” Spook said softly.

She whipped her gaze back to him. Her heart pounded.

“Someone else knows?” she asked. Fear crept up in her chest like nothing she’d ever known. She’d tried to keep everything under wraps when she’d left Atlanta. The reason she was here was to put that in the past and move on with her life. It appeared she was going to have to deal with it one last time so she could go forward.

“Not that I’m aware of. But you just wouldn’t want them to catch wind of it from a different source.”

Jordan nodded. Her mind raced with how she could do it. She knew the men like the back of her hand, and the captain was right. They would believe her if she told them. They had to. She’d never given them a reason not to trust her.

She thought about her new brothers she’d gained. Mac, the strong, gruff sergeant. Dec, the sergeant, stern but fair. Ash, Myles, and Brodie, badasses in their own rights. Then Iker and Zain, the two goofballs who’d immediately taken her under their wing. She was closest to Iker and Zain. She guessed that’s why she had been hurt and livid to find that Zain had been seeing her sister behind her back.

But it had all worked out.

She loved her team as if they were blood and now she was going to have to tell them she had a history with the Demon Lords.

One that she wasn’t proud of.

How would she look her team in the face and tell them she had been in a relationship with Bravon Huff, the nephew of Victor Huff?

Jordan strolled down the hall toward the briefing room. Her team would be meeting to discuss business with Mac and Declan leading. She paused outside, a few chuckles filtering out. These men treated her as an equal. They never gave her any shit for being a woman. She was expected to pull her weight just like any of them.

Jordan glanced down at her starched uniform and eyed the badge on her chest. It meant something to her. She had been nineteen years old when she’d come to the decision to pursue police work. This was her career, her life. If she didn’t have this, she didn’t know who she would truly be. She was just thankful Captain Spook saw something in her.

She was sure the guys would, too.

But when would she tell them?

That was the million dollar question.

Jordan stood to her full height and mentally had to get herself together. Her teammates would immediately know something was wrong. Feeling like herself again, she put her hand on the knob and turned it. The door opened, and she stood there for a dramatic affect.

All eyes swiveled to her. The guys were spread around at the short tables that were lined up. They all had unspoken assigned seats. They each sat in the same spot for each meeting. She strolled in with her head held high.

“Well, Her Majesty has arrived,” Iker muttered.

Snickers filled the room. She politely raised her hand and flipped them all off while strolling to her table.

“Don’t even take a seat yet, Knight,” Mac announced.

She paused and spun around to face the front.

Mac motioned for her to come forward. “I’m sure you have updates about the task force.”

“I do.” She made her way to the podium.

Mac went and took a seat in the front row. His hard gaze landed on her. She had never stood here before. The guys were in different stages of dress. Some in uniforms, while others were in their workout gear.

She ran a hand along the wood podium and chuckled. “I feel all powerful up here. No wonder Mac uses the podium.”

“Oh, please,” Brodie groaned.

“Here she goes.” Myles laughed, leaning his chair on the back two legs.

She dodged a balled-up piece of paper chucked her way.

“Give the woman an inch and she’ll take a whole damn mile.” Zain laughed. He rested his forearms on his table and tossed her a wink.

Her soon-to-be brother-in-law always had jokes. After their reconciliation, they had grown closer as friends. He was the perfect man for Omara. His bond with her nephew was unbreakable. He’d stepped in to his father role better than Jason’s own deadbeat father.

This was what she loved about this group. They could be downright vicious and dangerous one moment, then relaxed and humorous the next.

“All right, men.” Mac paused and glanced at her. “I mean, team. Let the woman have the floor, please. After her updates, it’s workouts.”

Collective groans went around. Mac and Declan were drill sergeants when it came to workout day. They wanted to ensure the SWAT team was in top shape. Jordan didn’t mind it because it allowed her to blow off steam. She was probably one of the only ones who didn’t mind it.

“Take your time, Knight,” Ash encouraged.

“All right, all right.” Jordan waved them down. The room fell silent as she began talking about the Special Unit Task Force. It had been their first official meeting, and Jordan was optimistic about the outcomes. She shared some of the concerns the other groups had and the proposed solutions. “Any questions or suggestions?”

“It wouldn’t hurt to sit down with, say, Organized Crime once in a while. When those officers are undercover, it would be good to go over what would be expected when we arrive. I’d hate to accidentally shoot someone I shouldn’t,” Myles said.

“I agree. We did talk about how SWAT always comes in hot and how to ensure the scene remains safe,” Jordan replied.

Their discussion continued on with all of the guys offering ideas and talking about past experiences they’d had when joining another unit.

“I’d say Knight did well representing SWAT as an ambassador,” Declan said.

He turned his chair around to face the room. Applause went around. Jordan grinned and bowed slightly before going over and taking her seat. She had been nervous taking on the task, but since no one else had wanted it, she’d taken it. She had felt it was time she took more responsibility in the group. “I’d advise we work with the K9 officers a little more. Lately, we’ve had to call them in to help, and it would be nice to run drills with them where we all can be in sync with each other.”

Jordan’s heart skipped a beat at the thought of working with her K9 officer. Little did her team know, she’d become very in sync with Officer Rhys Newman. Rhys was much older than her, but she didn’t care. It was only thirteen years, and him being older gave him experience. There were no games when it came to him. She didn’t have to second-guess his intentions, and there was a certain air of maturity that came with being involved with an older man that she appreciated.

Jordan had to admit she’d sucked at choosing men in the past. They’d either cheated on her, didn’t want to commit, or just happened to do it all, or be the nephew of one of the most infamous crime lords. She had begun to think maybe something was broken inside her, but then she’d met Rhys.

She loved running her fingers through his dark hair streaked with a few gray strands. It gave him the silver fox look that had her core clenching. His icy-blue eyes always made her heart race. His touch made her body sing. Rhys was in his mid-forties with a body built like a Greek god. He lived on a small farm that kept him active. The divorced father of one always kept Jordan on her toes.

Her phone vibrated. She pulled it out of her pocket and smiled. Of course, it was Rhys.

Thinking of you. Hope your day is going well.

Jordan glanced around the room before sending a reply.

I miss you. I’m off tonight…

She grinned. Her spend-the-night bag was packed again and waiting in the trunk of her car. The hairs on the back of her neck lifted. She looked up at the silence that engulfed the room. All eyes were on her.

Busted.

Jordan slowly slid her phone in her pocket and shrugged.

“What?” She hoped she appeared nonchalant, but any time she thought of Rhys her body went haywire and had a mind of its own.

“Fess up. Who’s the dude you’re texting?” Brodie broke the silence and asked.

“Yeah, who is it?” Myles chuckled.

“Who said it was a guy?” she asked. She rolled her eyes at her teammates. She thought working with a group of men would mean no gossiping, them not being nosy and giving her space. In reality, working with them was quite the opposite. They needed to know everything and were horrible with secrets unless it was work related.

“Okay, who’s the woman you’re texting. Didn’t know you swung that way, but hell, we wouldn’t care. We just want to know whose putting all these smiles on your face?” Iker ran a hand along his beard. He arched an eyebrow, waiting for her to answer.

“None. Of. Your. Business,” she said. Jordan spun in her chair to make sure she could stare them all in the eyes. When she was ready to share with them, she would. Hell, she hadn’t even told her sister yet. She’d chickened out. She’d only shared with Omara that he was a cop.

Never would she have thought she would ever be involved with fellow officer. There weren’t any rules against it that she was aware of. It was just her personal preference, but seeing how her choice in men was not always solid, she just went with the flow.

“You know we can find out.” Ash chuckled. He pointed at Brodie who was a whiz when it came to technology.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Jordan bit out. She narrowed her gaze on Brodie and waved a fist at him.

He laughed and held up his hands with his palms facing her.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said.

“All right. Enough. When Jordan trusts us enough with her personal life, she will share, I’m sure,” Mac said. He pushed up from where he had sat and walked over to the door. “We’ll meet in twenty minutes for workouts.”

A pang of pain ripped through her chest. Why did he have to put it like that? She trusted these men with her life. Little did Mac know how his words struck a bad chord. If only they knew of her past, they may not be as playful. Fear kept her lips closed. She wanted to let them in on everything.

Even Rhys.

Maybe she was just being selfish wanting to keep Rhys all to herself. Fear crept into her heart. What if they went public with their relationship and everything changed? Reality still hadn’t set in that someone like Rhys would be into her. Jordan was trying as best as she could to protect her heart.

She was waiting for the moment where everything fell apart in their relationship like all of her other ones. Everything with Rhys appeared to be too good to be true. If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up from it.

“Knight, you good?”

Jordan blinked and found the room to be cleared out. Zain stood in the doorway waiting for her.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” She stood and walked over to the door. She smiled and brushed past him. She strode down the hall toward the stairwell and tossed over her shoulder, “I hope you brought your A game today, Roman. I feel like kicking ass.”

His audible groan made her laugh.

Right now she needed to expel some energy, and kicking the guys’ asses would do.