Chapter 15
15
R hys guided his patrol SUV into the parking lot of the station. His gaze landed on a particular figure he needed to have a conversation with. Honor poked her head through the opening from her compartment in the back. She gave yip at the sight of the building.
“We won’t be long, girl,” he murmured.
He gave her a pat on the head while looking for a place to park. It was a beautiful day in Columbia, but it had been a long one. He and Honor had been on the road all day. He quickly found a spot not too far from the door to the station.
“I’ll be right back, girl.”
Rhys left the SUV running and hopped out of the vehicle. He wanted to keep the air on for Honor so the truck didn’t overheat for her. Even though the temperature wasn’t scorching, the truck could still get too hot for the dog. The vehicle came equipped with a heating sensor. If the temperatures rose to a dangerous temperature for Honor, Rhys would be alerted by an alarm on a device he kept strapped to his waist.
“Hey, Cameron!” Rhys called out.
The officer had arrived to his civilian vehicle. Cameron gave a wave while Rhys jogged over to him.
“What’s up, Rhys?” Cameron hefted a small duffle bag onto the hood of his pickup truck.
“Oh, nothing much.” Rhys came to a halt near Cameron. He took the offered hand Cameron held out and gave it a firm shake. What he needed to know, he was sure Cameron would have the answer to, and if he didn’t, he damn sure knew where to get the information from. “Living this thing we called life.”
“I know that’s right.” Cameron chuckled. “How’s that kid of yours? She graduated from high school, right?”
“Yeah, in college now,” Rhys said with pride.
Nova had been his shining light, and he had no problem bragging about his daughter’s accomplishments around the precinct or to anyone willing to listen.
“These kids are growing up.” Cameron laughed. “My niece graduates this year. I remember when that girl would follow me around with pigtails in her hair and that damn binkie of hers. Now she’s asking to drive my car and for me to buy her booze!”
They shared a short laugh. Life would never be dull when it came it came to their families.
“I’m assuming you’re not coming over here to offer me a cold beer, so what can I do for you?”
Sergeant Cameron Kaur was never a man to beat around the bush. He was forward and direct, which was one reason why Rhys had always liked him.
“Bravon Huff,” Rhys replied matter-of-factly. All joking and polite conversation was pushed to the wayside. He adjusted his CPD ball cap on his head. He glanced over at the station before returning his attention to Cameron. “He’s recently out of prison. Know of his whereabouts and what’s he’s been up to?”
“Why are you looking into him?” Cameron folded his arms. He leaned back against his vehicle while he studied Rhys.
It had been two days since Jordan had moved to the farm with him. Something was going on in that woman’s head that she wasn’t sharing with him. She may think she could hide things from him, but she’d forgotten he could read her easily.
She was up to something, and if he didn’t know any better, she was going to try to stop Bravon on her own. Well, his little warrior was going to have help, whether she wanted it or not.
But first, he had to track the son of a bitch down. If anyone knew the latest information on Bravon Huff, it would be this man standing before Rhys.
Cameron had been a member of the force for almost as long as Rhys, and he was in charge of the Gang Unit. There wasn’t much about the workings of the Demon Lords that got past Cameron.
“Let’s just say it’s a personal interest. Off the record,” Rhys said.
Cameron reached up and stroked his chin and eyed Rhys as if he was contemplating the information Rhys was sure he had.
“Personal, huh?” Cameron raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, I’m asking for a friend,” Rhys said.
Cameron nodded.
“Last I heard he was in Atlanta since being released from prison. I don’t foresee him making his way here. Atlanta was his stomping grounds. His uncle gave him the run of that city. He’s going to be Atlanta PD’s problem,” Cameron said.
“He’s here in Columbia,” Rhys stated.
Cameron stood straighter, a scowl gracing his face. Rhys knew the Gang Unit sergeant would be interested in this news.
“And you’ve put eyes on him?” Cameron asked.
“Not me, but a very reliable source has.” Rhys crossed his arms. He wasn’t going to tell Cameron who his source was. He didn’t want to have to share the details of why Bravon would be going to Jordan. That, for right now, was none of Cameron’s business.
“How reliable?”
“I’d trust this person with my life,” Rhys replied automatically. There was no question that he’d trust Jordan.
Cameron nodded, glancing away and staring off at the light traffic passing by before he continued.
“Between me and you, we’ve kept our eye on him. I figured it would only be a matter of time before he’d make his way here. Viktor Huff is scheduled to be moved to Coleman down in Florida. Apparently, he’s not been a good boy while locked up.”
Rhys wasn’t surprised by that news. Viktor Huff was one of the most dangerous gangsters around. He had served under the former Demon Lords’ leader, Silas Tyree, who had been shot and killed. Once Silas was taken out, it allowed Viktor to move up to head the organization. The man was a tyrant. He had garnered a lot of respect and power in the underworld. Had the police not taken Silas out, Rhys was sure it wouldn’t have been much longer before Viktor would have done it himself.
“Do we know when?” Rhys asked.
Cameron shook his head. “The feds are remaining tight-lipped regarding the transfer. They are not going to want it publicized.”
“So what you are saying is with an upcoming transfer and Bravon being seen here in Columbia it is not good news,” Rhys murmured.
“Fuck no. I’ll need to notify my federal contacts to let them know. With Viktor’s nephew in Columbia now, there is no telling what that means.” Cameron sighed. The Gang Unit officer appeared tired and weathered. The war on crime was never-ending, and every dedicated cop had been putting in long hours to help keep the streets of Columbia safe. “There has been a power struggle in the Demon Lords. Too many people have been trying to go for that number one spot. Lately it’s been hard to find good informants. All of my regulars have either disappeared or are sitting in jail right now. We are scrambling to get information. Everyone is too scared to talk. With Bravon here, there’s no telling what this would mean.”
Rhys bit back a curse. Had the gang leader’s nephew come here with the intent of taking over the throne his uncle had held? Well, whatever reason he had for coming to Columbia, Rhys just knew the gangster wasn’t going to lay his hands on Jordan.
“You think he had something to do with that murder-suicide?” Rhys didn’t have to clarify which case he was talking about. The mansion crime scene had been the subject of many water cooler chats in the precinct.
“I wouldn’t be surprised. Martin was gaining power in their good ol’ organization. It would make sense to take out someone who may be considered a threat.”
Rhys’s belt vibrated. He glanced down and found his device to the truck alarming. He glanced over at his patrol SUV and watched the back windows roll down. Honor peeked her head through the opening. Her gaze landed on him, and she gave a few short barks as if to demand he let her out of the vehicle. If the alarm was going off, then it meant the car was getting too hot for her.
“Thanks for the chat, but it looks like my partner is summoning me,” Rhys said. He stepped forward and held his hand out.
Cameron took it in a firm grip. “Whoever put eyes on Bravon Huff needs to stay far away from him. They are not going to want to tussle with the likes of him. They will likely get themselves killed.”
“We won’t be here long, girl. I promise,” Rhys said. He tightened his grip on Honor’s leash as they walked through the precinct. After letting her out of the vehicle, he’d taken her for a quick walk around the block to allow her to stretch her legs and empty her bladder. He had gotten a text from Zayden to stop by before heading home.
“There’s my favorite police officer,” a happy voice called out.
Honor’s tail wagged so hard, her hips shook from side to side. Rhys grinned at Polly calling out. Rhys knew this time he would be unable to avoid the woman. She was always determined to give the K9 officers treats.
“Hey, Polly.” Rhys chuckled.
Honor pulled against her leash, leading them over to Polly who immediately bent down and rubbed Honor’s head between her ears.
“Bring this woman over here so she can get her chicken treats,” Polly gushed. She stood and waved them on after her.
“Of course. I won’t deny my partner her chicken.”
Honor gave a yip as if to agree with Rhys. They followed behind Polly, walking the short distance over to her chair. A small gathering by the vending machines in the corner of the bullpen captured Rhys’ attention. Jordan stood speaking with Amber and Dana. She had yet to notice him, or if she had, she was properly ignoring him. They had agreed to keep up the charade, and it was killing him.
“Let me just grab Honor’s treat,” Polly murmured. She walked around her desk and plopped down in the seat.
Honor dragged Rhys around to the side of the desk where she impatiently waited. Her tail was wagging as she watched Polly intently. Polly pulled a bag from her bottom drawer, and Honor went ballistic. Polly laughed at Honor’s excitement.
“Calm down, girl,” Rhys said, but it was to no avail.
Polly placed the treat in her hand and held it out for Honor who practically gulped it down in one bite. Rhys patted Honor on her side and chuckled. How could he be mad at her? She was a hardworking pup and deserved all the treats—okay, maybe not all the treats—but something to reward her.
“Can she have one more?” Polly raised her eyebrows. Her smile widened at Honor’s bark to answer her.
“Go ahead. One more and that’s it, Honor.” He gave the dog another firm pat while shooting Polly a grin. “She needs to stay in shape.”
“Oh, there is nothing wrong with this woman’s figure. A few treats here and there won’t hurt her.” Polly barked a laugh. She reached into the bag and handed Honor another treat which she snatched up, and it appeared as if she’d decided to chew this one. Polly rubbed Honor’s head again.
“Honor appreciates all of the treats you give her,” Rhys said.
The sound of a familiar laugh floated through the air. Rhys couldn’t help but glance over at Jordan. She was smiling at something Dana had said. The corner of his lips tilted up in a smile, but he had to erase it. He didn’t want to give anything away, and with Polly sitting in front of him, he didn’t want to give her any reason to gossip more than she already did.
“Oh, I don’t mind. Someone has to make sure these pups are spoiled,” Polly replied.
Rhys couldn’t take his eyes off Jordan. She was dressed in her daily patrol uniform. Her dark hair was left down to hang over her shoulders. Her sunglasses were perched on top of her head. She must have felt his attention because she turned and their eyes met briefly. In that moment, Rhys was taken back to last night where he had held her most of the night. Her warm body had been pressed against his.
He had been in heaven. To have her with him every night was something he could get used to. There was no going back. She would not be moving back into her home. He didn’t care how stubborn she was. She was going to move in with him.
Forever.
“Did you hear me, Rhys?” Polly’s voice broke through his thoughts.
Rhys blinked and turned back to the woman. She had a small smile on her lips as she glanced over her shoulder at Jordan and the other officers.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?” he asked. He cleared his throat and tightened his grip on Honor’s leash. The pup had sat next to him and was staring up at him as well.
“I said are you here for the meeting Zayden was calling for the K9 officers?” she repeated herself.
“Yeah. Have you seen him yet?” Rhys asked. He gave a tug on Honor’s leash to signal for her to stand.
“Oh, yeah. I’ve been handing out treats for the last twenty minutes or so as you all have arrived.” Polly gave a nod.
“Well, I don’t want to be last.” Rhys gave her a salute and began heading back toward the conference room at the rear of the precinct. The only problem was that he had to walk past Jordan and her friends. They hadn’t even made it over to Jordan yet, and Honor was already pulling to go in her direction. “Not now, girl.”
Honor gave a bark and snagged Jordan’s attention. Jordan’s gaze landed on Honor. Her lips spread up into a wide grin.
“Officer Honor. How are you?” Jordan said.
They arrived to Jordan, Dana, and Amber. Honor beelined it for Jordan who glanced at him.
“May I?”
Rhys bit back a snort but played his role as he was instructed to.
“Of course. Looks like my partner would prefer your company to mine right now,” he joked. He had to remain calm and keep his face devoid of any emotions. What he wanted to do at the moment was drag Jordan to him and cover her mouth in a kiss that would take both of their breaths away.
“Aww, she just wants to come hang out with her fellow female officers,” Amber said.
All of them took their turns rubbing Honor on the head who was loving all of the attention she was receiving.
“I know that’s right,” Dana murmured. “Is Officer Newman not as much fun? You can tell us, girl. Us girls have got to stick together.”
The women giggled. Rhys shook his head and sighed. Dana was a good police officer, and she always teased him about having a female K9 as a partner. Honor’s tail wagged furiously.
“She’s quite happy with her partner,” Rhys replied dryly.
“So, Jordan, you know Craig is still pining after you. When are you going to put that man out of his misery?” Amber asked as they stood.
Rhys stiffened. He had heard of rumors of Craig, another patrolman, having a crush on Jordan. But he had thought that was long in the past. The guy was still trying his hand for her? Rhys had half a mind to ditch the meeting Zayden had called and go look for the officer in question.
“I am not thinking about him.” Jordan sighed.
She gave a dramatic roll of her eyes when she stood taller. She glanced at him for a moment, and in that instant, he saw a twinkle in her eyes. Rhys wasn’t worried about their relationship, but maybe he still needed to have a conversation with Craig.
“Is he bothering you?” Rhys found himself blurting out. He regretted it immediately.
“Craig? He’s harmless.” Jordan gave a wave of her hand.
“I mean, if he’s made you uncomfortable, you could just report him,” Rhys said. He wasn’t talking about Jordan going to the captain. If Craig had been laying it on thick, why hadn’t she said anything to him about the situation?
“He’s asked me out once, I said no, and that’s it. I can’t help if he’s admiring from afar.” She chuckled.
If she said everything was fine, then he’d have to believe her.
Rhys didn’t like the fact another man was eyeing Jordan. He could have a quick conversation with the other officer to let him know that she was off-limits. Jordan caught his eyes, and he knew she already knew what he was thinking. She gave a short shake of her head.
“Girl, you are a mess.” Amber gave her a little shove.
“Well, you ladies have a nice day. Me and Honor have a meeting to go to.” Rhys tugged Honor’s leash. She tried to resist him and looked longingly at Jordan. She wasn’t understanding why she couldn’t stay with her. “Honor, come.”
He had to put more authority in his voice in order for her to obey. The dog’s shoulders slumped slightly as she began to walk along with him.
“Bye, Honor!” the girls called out behind them.
Honor glanced over her shoulder one last time before continuing on. Rhys could feel the heat of Jordan’s stare between his shoulder blades. It took everything he had to not be like his partner and look back at her. They cut through the building and entered the small room where he found the other K9 officers waiting. There was an oval table in the middle with a television at the end of the table.
“Look what the wind blew in,” Daxton announced.
His partner, Hawk, sat on the floor at his feet. Arlo and Kimbo were present, as well as the other K9 duo, Lane Brewer with his partner, Colt.
“I’m not late,” Rhys noted. He walked around the table and took an empty chair. He sat and motioned for Honor to sit at his feet as well. It wasn’t that often that the K9 officers had to meet. “Where’s Zayden?”
It wasn’t like him to be late for a meeting.
“He had a last-minute meeting with the captain,” Arlo said.
Rhys’s eyebrows shot up high. That didn’t sound good if it was a last-minute meeting.
“What the hell did we do?” Rhys asked.
“No clue, and did Zayden mention to anyone what this meeting was about?” Lane sat back, tilting his chair on the two rear legs. “We just came on, and I am not looking forward to the next eight hours. They are already asking me to stay over.”
Grunts went around the room. Mandatory overtime was increasing as of late. Rhys was thankful they weren’t making him stay over today. His last two shifts had been brutal and long. He couldn’t wait to get home, shower, and toss back a cold beer.
“I hope those groans aren’t because I’m running a little behind.” Zayden stalked into the room. His partner, Duchess, trailed behind him.
“I’m wondering how you could keep an old man like me here any longer than necessary,” Rhys said. He grinned at the sergeant and his longtime friend.
“Old, my ass.” Zayden snorted. He pushed the door closed and stood at the end of the table where his vacant seat was. “I’m not going to keep you here long. Thank you for coming in.”
Rhys always appreciated that Zayden was a man to get straight to the point. Meetings didn’t have to be long and drawn-out for no reason, and most of the ones he had to attend that were mandatory could have been an email.
“What’s going on?” Daxton asked.
“Yeah, you meeting with the captain. What did we do?” Arlo asked.
Zayden barked a laugh. He took his ball cap off and tossed it on the table. He combed his fingers through his hair.
“We haven’t done a damn thing. I just met with Spook, and he had nothing but high remarks to say about us,” Zayden began. “He and the mayor were pleased by the response of our spotlight on the news.”
Rhys eyed his friend and could see the stress in his eyes and the way he stood. Zayden tried to appear casual by resting his hands on the back of the chair in front of him, but Rhys knew him well. Something was bothering him.
“Well, don’t leave us all in suspense,” Rhys said. He folded his arms. If it was going to be bad news then Zayden might as well come straight out and tell them right away. No use in sugar-coating shit.
“Spooks wants us to start sending a dog out with SWAT on calls,” Zayden announced.
The room was as quiet as a morgue for a moment before it exploded.
“We don’t have the manpower for this.”
“Where are we supposed to get more dogs and officers from?”
“We are already pulling a crazy amounts of hours.”
Zayden held his hand up as he was bombarded with complaints and questions. Rhys scowled. How could the captain come up with shit like this? They were already stretched thin as it was with a small K9 unit.
“According to the captain, he said this was a direct order from the mayor,” Zayden said.
Rhys rolled his eyes. Of course this would come from the mayor. He didn’t know what it entailed for a K9 unit to be out and about. Having a dog out on jobs like that increased the liability for everyone. It was one thing to bring in the dogs for specific needs, but to just have a dog out on a call? For what purpose?
“And how would we be able to go out on every call that SWAT has to do?” Rhys asked.
“It’s not going to happen. I know that you know that and even the captain knows it. This won’t last long. Spook said for us to play along and pretty soon the mayor will see how much this will cost the city and soon the mayor will forget about it.”
“But seriously, how are we to do this? There are only five of us, and SWAT goes out at all times of night and we are stretched all across the city,” Arlo questioned.
“Well, we will have to just be strategic with how we dispatch a K9 unit out with SWAT,” Zayden replied.
He continued answering all of their questions to the best of his ability, but they all knew this idea was a failure waiting to happen. Unless the mayor was willing to open up his purse strings to hire and train additional K9 cops.
Which they knew, this wouldn’t happen.
So it looked as if they were all going to be working even more.