Chapter 19
19
“ D o you know who my father is?” the young punk in handcuffs grumbled.
Rhys had been at a gas station filling up his truck. He had decided last minute to run back in to purchase an energy drink. He was on day shift and had been working nights. His body was still having difficulty switching over. He was too old to be working the swing shift. He’d ambled back into the gas station and saw this young punk attempting to rob the store at gunpoint.
Hence where they were now.
“I don’t give a damn who your father is,” Rhys said.
If his father was truly someone, then why the hell was the kid robbing a gas station? Due to Rhys having the K9 SUV, he’d called in backup, and Henry, a recent addition to the precinct, answered and arrived with a regular patrol car. They had arrested the kid and thrown him in the back of Henry’s vehicle.
Rhys turned to Henry and nodded. “Thanks for the transport.”
“Glad I was in the area to help.” Henry gave him a salute and slid back into his car.
Rhys guided the kid toward the precinct to process him.
“My father will have all of your badges,” the kid said, whose driver’s license revealed his name to be Brock Hines.
The last name didn’t ring any bells for Rhys, but it didn’t matter. The kid was actively robbing a gas station and breaking the law.
“Shut up,” Rhys growled.
Honor gave a bark from her position in the SUV that was parked next to Henry’s vehicle. Rhys was going to run in, drop this punk off to processing, then finish off his shift. He didn’t have much time left. He was already looking forward to getting off work. For once he and Jordan were on the same schedule. He planned to light up the grill and toss a few steaks out there for them. Nova had texted him that she had planned to stay home tonight with them. It would be good to spend the evening with his favorite girls.
“I have rights, you know. Don’t I get a phone call or some shit like that? I watch television, I know what the protocols are supposed to be,” Brock shouted.
He gave a little fight, but Rhys tightened his hold on Brock’s arm as they walked through the back where they were to bring offenders. A few cops sitting at their desks all joined Rhys in rolling their eyes.
Everyone who watched any television cop shows always claimed to be experts when it came to police work. Rhys ignored the kid’s rants and shouts and guided him to the holding cells.
“I have to go in there?” Brock whined. He dug in his heels and tried to keep Rhys from guiding him toward the cell.
There were a few men in there who didn’t look to be good. They were much bigger than Brock’s five feet seven height. Rhys smirked and nodded to the officer sitting at the intake desk.
“Hey, Rhys. How’s it going?” Jim snorted, eyeing Brock.
It was obvious the kid didn’t belong in the holding cells. There was no telling what those men were in for. There was a good chance they had done worse things than highjack a gas station while a cop was getting gas.
“It will be just fine as soon as I can get him processed,” Rhys remarked.
Jim stood from his desk and reached for his keys. He ambled over to the cell bars and inserted the keys into the lock.
“What is he in for?” Jim nodded toward Brock.
“Armed robbery,” Rhys replied.
He gave a push for Brock to enter via the cell door that Jim had open and waiting for him. The kid could fight all he wanted, he was going into the cell. If he hadn’t chosen the life of robbery, he wouldn’t be facing this now.
Rhys held on to Brock and guided him to the door. “Don’t tell me you’re scared of jail?”
Jim reached out and helped pull Brock over. They were able to get the handcuffs off him and secured him inside with the other criminals. Brock immediately came to the bars, pressing his face against them.
“You can’t leave me here. I don’t belong here!” he shouted. The kid was practically in tears. A few escaped and slid down his face.
Rhys almost felt sorry for him, but then he remembered how Brock had waved his gun in front of the poor gas station attendant. The woman had been scared for her life.
“I can and I am leaving you. Maybe your daddy will come bail you out.” Rhys snorted.
“Why don’t I get him processed for you?” Jim said, walking over back to his desk. He was a much older gentleman, bald with a great big stomach pudge. He was a good man and had been one hell of an officer until he had got injured on duty. He’d taken a desk job just to be able to still put on his uniform and come in to work every day.
“You sure you want to do that?” Rhys scratched the top of his head. That would allow him to get off earlier. Processing this kid would have him staying for a bit.
“Yeah, I just clocked in. I’m here till tonight. Might even stay and get some OT.” Jim sighed. He leaned back in his chair and grinned.
“Then I’ll owe you one.” Rhys laughed.
“That’s what I’m counting on.” Jim chuckled.
Rhys gave him a salute and turned on his heels. He already knew how he could repay the old guy for handling this. Jim liked his coffee and baked goods. Maybe he’d get him some donuts or muffins the next time he worked. Jim would love that.
Rhys put a little pep in his step. He would go ahead and clock out. He could log in to work later and submit his report. The precinct had recently upgraded to remote access. It hadn’t rolled out to all officers, but Rhys had been one of the lucky ones who got to try out the system first. This would give him a chance to do just that.
He headed through the building and made it to the bullpen. He wanted to see if he could ‘run into’ Jordan before they got off work. Too bad she hadn’t allowed them to ride together into work. They could stop for a drink at a bar or something before heading home.
The hairs on the back of his neck rose as he saw a few of the cops surrounding Captain Spook.
Something was wrong.
Amber and Dana stood before him along with other females who worked at the precinct.
“The hospital is keeping me up to date on her, and from what I hear, she is doing well,” Spook said.
“Is she conscious?” Dana asked.
“Can we go see her?” Amber asked.
These must be the same questions that all the cops standing around had because some nods went around.
What the hell had happened?
With all the commotion at the gas station, Rhys had muted his radio while making the arrest. He must have missed an announcement of an officer getting injured on the job. Rhys’s gut gave him that low warning that he didn’t like.
“As soon as I know more, I will share what I can. I will speak with her family, and there are already other officers there. Hold off going up there. We don’t want the entire precinct flooding the hospital. We want to make sure they are able to take care of not only the officer, but other patients who are going in to be served,” Spook said.
That seemed to satisfy the small group before they began to disperse. Rhys made his way over to Dana. The nausea in his stomach grew. He pushed it down. There were plenty of female cops on the force that Spook could be speaking about.
“Dana,” he called out to get her attention. He didn’t give a damn what he looked like at the moment. He had to know who they were talking about.
Dana and Amber were speaking quietly amongst each other. She turned to him as he stopped by them. He jerked his thumb to Spook who was stalking back toward his office with his secretary in tow.
“What the hell did I miss?” Rhys asked. He swallowed hard and wasn’t sure he wanted to truly hear the answer but he had to know.
Was it Jordan? If she was injured, she would have called him.
Wouldn’t she?
He didn’t want to believe it was her who was hurt. It was a horrible to wish it was someone else who was in the hospital, but he prayed it wasn’t her.
Anyone but her.
“Hey, Rhys. You haven’t heard? It’s been all over the radios,” Dana said. She sniffed and wiped away a lone tear from her face.
A chill zipped through him. Dana was a tough cop, and seeing her like this had the pit of his stomach giving way.
“I got busy with a situation and muted it.” He hated to admit it. He ran a hand along his face. He pulled it away and noticed how it trembled.
“It’s Jordan. She was in a bad MVA. We don’t know the entire story?—”
Rhys spun on his heels and turned, not hearing the rest of what Amber had to say. He didn’t give a shit what he looked like tearing though the building. Fear consumed Rhys as he burst through the door that led to the parking lot. He jogged over to his SUV. Honor barked frantically, having sensed something was wrong with him.
He slid into the truck and was greeted with Honor poking her head through the opening from her containment. She yipped and made attempts at licking his face. He pushed her head away.
“Not now, girl. We have to go to Jordan.” Rhys already knew what hospital officers were taken to when they needed medical attention. He threw his truck into drive and stepped on the gas.
“Stay calm,” Rhys murmured. He wasn’t sure who he was talking to, himself or Honor. He held her leash. It was a warm day, and he didn’t want to leave her in the truck. There was no telling how much time he would spend inside. The ride to General Hospital was the longest fifteen minutes of his life. All kinds of thoughts flew around in his head. Maybe the reason Jordan hadn’t had him called was that she had been unconscious.
That had to be the only reason she hadn’t had the hospital notify him.
But then again, maybe her emergency contact listed with the force was her sister. That would make sense since they had only recently moved in with each other.
You are not family, a voice whispered in the back of his head.
“Well, we are going to fix that,” Rhys growled. He had thought to wait a little while before popping the big question to his woman. He’d had the ring for months but just hadn’t had the nerve. He wanted to make sure it was a perfect time for them.
They entered through the ambulance bay, not wanting to go through the front. He had parked his SUV where police and emergency vehicles were allowed. The emergency room was in true chaos. He now saw why Spook advised officers not to bombard the ED. There were so many patients scattered around the department. Some patients were on gurneys in hallways with letters taped to the wall above them.
“Fuck,” Rhys muttered.
He gripped Honor’s leash tight. She was being a good girl and walking alongside him with out saying a word. She must have sensed this was important. He went over to the nurses’ station. The staff looked haggard while working diligently. A young woman in white scrubs, who was typing at the computer, looked up when he arrived at the desk. Rhys was dressed in his standard police uniform, vest and all. There was no time to stop and change clothes.
Jordan was all that filled his mind.
Was she okay?
“Can I help you?” The nurse had a deep Southern accent. Her badge displayed her name to be Molly. She smiled at him, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She stood with a stretch, and it was then she saw that Honor was sitting at his feet. “Aww, a K9 officer!”
Her eyes brightened then. Any other time, Rhys would engage and allow the nursing staff to meet Honor. She loved the attention, and it seemed to help break up the stress that hospital staff was experiencing. But this time, he was here for someone he loved. Not a perp who he had to escort into the hospital who’d maybe received an injury or escorting a fellow cop to be checked out for minor ones.
No, his woman was a patient here.
“I need to know if Jordan Knight is admitted here,” he said without batting an eye.
Molly’s smile faded. She must have seen something on his face. She didn’t even question why he was asking. She leaned back down to her computer and typed in a few commands. She nodded and pointed to a hallway on the other side of the desk.
“She’s here. Go down that hallway, and she’s in one of the private bay areas, but I do have to warn you,” she said.
Rhys has already begun to move around the nursing station. He paused and feared the worst. Had Jordan passed? His heart was practically pounding its way out of his chest.
“What?” Rhys snapped.
“I was just going to say that there are already a ton of cops in the room. We usually only allow two visitors, but since it’s the police we tend to be a little lenient,” she replied softly.
Rhys cursed, hating how he had just yelled at her. She was only doing her damn job. He bobbed his head in a nod and headed in the direction she had pointed to.
Of course her SWAT brothers would be there.
But before him?
Anger mounted in him. He didn’t want to believe that she hadn’t called him, but her SWAT team. His free hand clenched into a fist. Why the fuck hadn’t she called him? They had made so many strides in their relationship. This keeping it a secret was fucking over. He didn’t give a shit about her wanting to be discreet. He was in love with her and he didn’t give a damn who knew it.
When he turned the corner, he could tell which room was hers. The door was slightly ajar, and he could partially see inside. The curtain that blocked the glass wall and door was open, and an officer leaned against the frame. A low murmur filtered out. He couldn’t tell who was speaking, and frankly, he didn’t care.
Rhys arrived at the room. The figure in the frame glanced over his shoulder. It was Brodie. His eyebrows rose high while Rhys stepped forward into the room. The conversation ceased as he took Brodie’s place.
Her entire SWAT team was present.
Rhys glanced around and slowly made eye contact with all of the men. His gaze finally landed on Jordan who sat in the bed dressed in a hospital gown. She looked so small and innocent, but he knew that was just a farce.
They didn’t say a word.
“No one from the precinct was to come up here,” Myles announced.
He came to stand in front of Rhys. He had a few inches on Rhys, causing him to tilt his head back slightly. Rhys didn’t bat an eye at the big man. Honor, who must have sensed the tension in the air, gave a low warning growl.
“Is that so?” Rhys didn’t miss how the other team members positioned themselves in front of Jordan. They were protecting her. Little did they know he was the last person she needed protection from. Maybe from the sound spanking he wanted to give her for not having him called when she’d arrived at the hospital, but that would be a conversation for another day.
“Yeah, you may want to go home, Rhys. We’re updating the captain,” Declan said from his corner.
He folded his arms. The sergeant’s sharp eyes didn’t waver as he tried to dismiss Rhys. Each of the men were still and standing at attention like wolves ready to attack a large prey.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Rhys drawled.
Honor’s muscles were taut as she swayed slightly where she stood.
“Is that so?” Myles growled. His eyes narrowed on Rhys.
Ash and Brodie moved to his side, but Rhys didn’t shift his eyes from Myles.
“Maybe we’ll have to remove you.”
Rhys smirked and brought Honor’s leash closer to his side to keep her near him. He would love to see Myles fucking try. The way he was feeling at the moment, he didn’t care about it being seven of them against him—and Honor. His girl wouldn’t let him enter a fight without being right by his side.
“It’s him,” Mac’s voice cut through the air.
The men near him stiffened and jerked their heads toward Mac. The leader of the team had yet to budge from where he stood nearest Jordan. His hard glare met Rhys.
“Him who?” Iker asked.
“Jordan’s man. The one she’s been keeping from us,” Mac replied.
Each of the SWAT members turned slowly to look to Jordan for confirmation. She sat on the bed with wide eyes. There was a sadness to them that Rhys hated seeing. What had put it there? He would find out and he would fix whatever it was.
“Am I wrong, Knight?”
Jordan shook her head.
“Move, Myles.” Jordan cleared her throat. She reached up and tucked her dark hair behind her ear. She glanced down at the bed first before her gaze connected with his. “Mac is right. I’m with Rhys. Let him by.”
Myles had yet to take his eyes off Rhys. He turned back and met Myles’s deadly glare. Honor growled again, her body poised and ready to attack. Her sharp canines were on display. The dog’s loyalty knew no boundary. She was waiting for him to give the order.
“Honor, come.” Jordan patted the bed next to her.
The dog’s ears dropped back, and she whined as if not sure what to do. Rhys released her leash and signaled for her to go to Jordan. Honor raced across the small room without a second thought and launched herself on to the bed. She immediately turned into the lapdog she always thought she was. Jordan’s soft chuckle floated through the air as Honor rained doggy kisses all over her face.
Myles gave Rhys a nod then stepped aside.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” someone muttered.
The men created a lane to allow Rhys to reach Jordan’s side. Rhys gave a nod to Mac who waved for him to be closest to Jordan. Honor must have decided that she had given Jordan the appropriate amount of kisses. She was positioned practically on top of her.
Rhys didn’t see any visible injuries to Jordan aside from a small bandage on her temple and a little cut above her lip. He ignored the looks he was sure he was getting from the SWAT team. The cat was out of the bag now, and he couldn’t care less.
“Let’s give them the room,” Mac announced. He ushered the team out. He turned and threw a look to Jordan. “We won’t be far. Holler if you need anything.”
Mac’s cold gaze landed on Rhys before he shut the door and walked away.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Rhys scowled. Why would she need to holler for them when he was standing right there?
“It’s nothing. You know they are protective of me,” Jordan said. She motioned to the lone chair. It was over in the corner.
Rhys walked over and dragged it to beside the bed. With Honor in it with her, it left no room for him. He sat on the edge with his elbows resting on his knees and stared at her. Jordan’s hand slowly caressed the top of Honor’s head.
Neither of them spoke for a few moments. The tension in the air could have been sliced with a knife. She knew what he wanted from her.
The answer to the burning question in his chest.
Why hadn’t he got called?
“Why?” he finally asked. The stubborn woman was not going to just volunteer information. He was going to have to pull it out of her.
“I need to protect you,” she whispered. Jordan glanced up at him, the pain in her eyes again. Tears teetered on her lids before spilling over. Her fingers dug into Honor’s thick fur. “I need to protect all of you.”
“We don’t need your protection, Jordan.” Rhys whipped off his CPD baseball cap and ran trembling fingers through his hair. Why did this woman think she had to be superwoman? She didn’t have to do everything herself. “Those men are able to take?—”
“I’m not talking about them,” she interjected. Jordan sniffed and leaned back against the pillows. She focused on the ceiling.
Rhys frowned, unsure of who she was trying to protect. He and Honor would be fine.
“Bravon made threats to you, Honor, and Nova. He said that if I didn’t come to him, he’d kill y’all. I can’t have anything happen to your family, Rhys. I would rather give in to what he wants than to have your family harmed in any way.”
“My family is your family, Jordan.”
Rhys reached out and took her hand in his. He entwined their fingers together and gripped her tight. More tears slid out of the corners of her eyes as she continued to stare at the ceiling.
“Look at me, baby.”
She sniffed again and pulled her hospital gown up and wiped her face with it before connecting with him. She seemed so vulnerable at the moment, but yet she had never appeared more beautiful in his eyes. The weight of the world was currently resting on her shoulders, and it didn’t have to be.
“Nova loves you, Honor does, and you know what you mean to me. Why didn’t you tell me?” Rhys had to push down the amount of rage surging inside him. He was usually a laid-back guy, but now that he knew the gangster had not only made threats against his dog, his woman, but now his child, there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to keep them all safe.
“Because I was going to handle it,” she replied.
Of course she had planned to. What else would he expect of Jordan. Had this been any other situation, he would have smiled and joked with her, but considering how serious it was, it was not the time.
“We will handle it together,” he stated.
He gave her hand a squeeze and waited for her to return the motion. She nodded and increased the grip on his hand.
“We are a team, baby. Nothing will come between us.” Rhys stood from his position and pushed Honor out of the way.
The dog whined as if he had just taken her favorite toy. She hopped down onto the floor on the other side of the bed. She rested her head on the mattress. He sat on the edge of the bed near Jordan and took her into his arms. He wrapped her up in a strong hug. She returned it and released a shaky breath.
“I don’t want to lose you, Rhys,” she whispered.
Her arms tightened around him. She needed him at the moment, and he would be there for her. Wild horses wouldn’t be able to pull him from her.
“I just don’t want to see you hurt, and it would certainly kill me if something happened to Nova.”
He held on to her for a while longer before she drew away from him. She reached up and wiped her face with the back of her hand. Rhys cupped her face with his hand. She leaned into it, her large brown eyes watching him. This woman obviously didn’t understand how much he loved her. He was going to have to work on that. He would blame himself for her not understanding the true nature of what loving her meant to him.
“You are never going to lose me, and Bravon will not lay a hand on Nova. I promise you this.” He swooped down and took her lips in a gentle kiss. Rhys was a man of his word, and he meant this. No one would harm his family.