Chapter 24
24
J ordan walked through the precinct with her papers that said she was allowed to return to full active duty. The doctor had given her a clean bill of health. She still felt a little stiff in certain muscles but figured that would all go away with some good stretches and working out. She was never one to sit home and do nothing. She would admit it had been nice to lounge at Rhys’s—their home.
It was still hard to believe she had moved in with him officially. They had plans to go to her house and start cleaning it out. She’d look for a realtor and put everything in motion. She would call Omara and find out who she had used to sell her house. When her sister had moved in with Zain, her place had sold almost immediately.
Jordan had left the doctor’s appointment and immediately driven to the precinct. She had on her street clothes with all of her gear in her duffle bag she carried.
“Knight!” a voice called out.
Jordan turned and took in Dana stalking toward her. Dana’s eyes held a look of worry in them. She came over and wrapped Jordan up in a hug. Jordan gave her a big squeeze before stepping back.
“How the hell are you?”
“I’m good. A bit stiff, but I’m okay. The doctor has released me to return to work,” Jordan said proudly. The papers were in her purse as proof. She would make copies and post the damn thing all around the building if she had to. No one was keeping her from working. The hairs on the back of her neck rose slightly. She inhaled sharply and glanced around the bullpen. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but for some reason, that uneasy sense of something to come settled in the pit of her stomach.
“Do we know why this even happened?” Dana asked.
“No. I guess I was just the unlucky cop that day,” Jordan lied. She hefted her duffle bag up on her shoulder and adjusted her purse on her other. Dana didn’t need to know all the gritty details about the attempt on her life. “Thugs probably wanting to boast about taking out a cop.”
“When they find them, send them my way. I’ll kick their ass for even thinking of messing with you.” Dana scowled. She gave Jordan another hug. “You be safe out there, and don’t hesitate to radio me if you need me.”
“I will,” Jordan said. She meant that at least. It was nice to have a fellow woman cop she could turn to if she needed help. Dana had been a big help with Jordan transitioning to the Columbia force. She backed away from Dana. “I have to go give my papers to Spook!”
Jordan gave a wave and spun on her heels.
“I mean it. Call me if you need me,” Dana said once again.
“I will,” Jordan called out over her shoulder.
She headed toward the administration part of the building where Captain Spook’s office was located. It was around the corner from the bullpen. She turned the corner and stopped at his secretary’s desk.
“Hey, Officer Knight. He was just talking about you.” The older woman smiled at Jordan. She lifted her telephone and hit a few numbers. “Captain Spook, Officer Knight is here to see you.”
Jordan reached into her purse and took out the papers she’d received at her appointment. She opened the folded papers and scanned the letter that would give her permission to return to work with no limitations.
“You can go in now, Officer Knight.”
Jordan gave her a nod and walked past her desk and took in the large wooden door. The office had a frosted window that didn’t allow anything but light to pass through it. She stopped at the door and rapped on it.
“Come in, Knight,” a gruff voice answered.
Jordan pushed open the door and entered. She gently shut it behind her. She walked with her head held high to his desk. Captain Spook pulled his thin wire-framed reading glasses from his face and set them beside his keyboard.
“I’m taking it that you are cleared to return to work,” Spook began.
“Yes, sir,” Jordan replied, setting the paper down on his desk and sliding it toward him. She dropped her duffle bag on the floor next to her. She brought the strap of her purse across her then folded her hands together behind her. Jordan stood to her full height, wanting to prove she was fine.
“How are you feeling?” he asked. He glanced down at the paper before focusing on her.
Jordan exhaled and shrugged.
“I’m good, sir,” she replied.
“But are you?” he questioned.
Spook never missed anything. He was one hard-ass captain, and she respected this man before her. He really did care about the officers who worked for him. His dark-brown eyes zeroed in on her, and she would have sworn that the man could see straight through her. She tightened the grip on her hands and stood firm.
“Yes, sir.” Jordan sent up a prayer that he didn’t try to put her on light duty or some bullshit. The doctor had given her a full clearance.
“Mac updated me on the situation and that they have been fully briefed on what had happened at your prior precinct. That takes guts, Knight.” He gave a nod.
In his eyes, she saw the respect he had for her shine through. Hers grew scratchy for a moment.
What the hell?
Why was she getting so emotional?
“Yes, sir. We had the talk, and my team is behind me one hundred percent.”
“And this accident is related to Bravon Huff?”
Damn. He truly didn’t miss anything. The way the man had ears to the ground was mind-blowing. Jordan wasn’t going to lie to her superior. He probably already knew the answers before she had the chance to respond.
“I believe so, sir, but don’t worry. We are going to find him and make him pay,” she growled. This was a promise she would make. Bravon didn’t deserve to be walking around free. He and the rest of his goons would be arrested and sent away to prison where they belonged.
“This is a dangerous game you and the SWAT team have entered. Hell, I’ve told Mac this over the years. We need this gang taken care of. They are like roaches, they scatter when the lights come on and then come back once darkness returns. I want them gone for good. The mayor has been riding my ass something fierce.” Spook leaned forward and narrowed his gaze on her. He raised a hand and pointed a finger at her. “You’d better be at one hundred percent, Knight. Your team needs you. If I find out otherwise, I will personally escort you home myself.”
Jordan swallowed hard and nodded. “I’m feeling good, sir.”
Spook’s sharp eyes hadn’t left her yet. Jordan held her head high, not wanting to give him any reason to doubt what she’d said. After a brief moment, he gave a satisfied nod. He sat back and steepled his fingers. The move was meant to be a more relaxed Spook, but all it did was drive up Jordan’s anxiety. What the hell was the older man thinking? She hated that she couldn’t read his eyes.
“I have half a mind to put a protection detail on you, but we don’t have the manpower, and I know you would refuse it as well,” he muttered.
Jordan smirked. The captain knew her too well. She didn’t need a babysitter. Hell, she already had seven SWAT members breathing down her neck, her man, and his damn dog. She didn’t need anyone else joining the ‘babysit Jordan’ party.
“The community needs every officer on the streets, sir,” she said smoothly.
“Ain’t that the damn truth. We just don’t have enough officers to completely wipe the scum from our town,” he said.
Jordan agreed with him. If they had a few hundred more cops, they could completely get rid of crime and keep it away from the citizens of Columbia.
“Since your patrol car was totaled, we will be obtaining a new one for you. With budget cuts, it might be a while before you get a new one. In the meanwhile, you will be partnering up with another officer,” Spook announced.
Jordan had to fight to keep her shoulders from drooping. This certainly wasn’t news she wanted to hear. She didn’t want to be stuck with someone. She racked her brain with who she would be paired up with. She just prayed it wasn’t one of those rookies.
There were horror stories going around about some of the mistakes these new cops were making. These cops were coming out of the academy as know-it-alls. It would appear this new wave of them didn’t like to hear advice. If Jordan was assigned to a rookie, they would learn real fast who they need to listen to. She was never one to bite her tongue.
“Yes, sir,” she said.
Spook wasn’t one she was going to argue with about this assignment. She’d wait until she was in the locker room to voice her displeasure. She didn’t want to risk any chance he’d put her on desk duty. At least she was allowed back out on the streets.
She bent down and snagged her bag and tossed the strap over her shoulder, ready to make a fast escape before he changed his mind.
“Thank you, sir.” She spun on her heel and headed toward the door.
“The officer will find you, Knight,” Spook said.
Jordan froze at the door, resting her hand on the knob. She glanced at her boss over her shoulder and nodded. Whoever it was had better know their place. She didn’t have time for games.
Jordan exited the office and headed toward the locker rooms. It was time for her to put on her uniform.
“You good, Knight?” Micah asked.
Jordan slammed her locker shut and eyed the young cop. Micah had been on the force for about a year. She had ridden with Jordan a few times when she’d first joined the precinct until they were able to give her a longtime preceptor who thankfully wasn’t Jordan.
“Never better,” Jordan said stiffly.
Micah was a nice and all, but Jordan just didn’t want to be paired with her. She prayed this wasn’t who the captain had assigned her to. The girl would need to toughen up a bit in order to continue to be a successful policewoman. She was sweet enough to probably try to offer life advice to punks who she’d arrest or help them understand where they’d gone wrong in life.
“Everyone was talking about the accident,” Micah continued.
Jordan grunted and picked up her small duffle bag she took with her on patrol. She gripped the handle and turned on her heel and headed toward the door. Hopefully, the young cop got the message she didn’t want to be bothered.
“Do you think they were targeting you because you are a woman?” Micah asked as she walked alongside Jordan.
Apparently, Micah had missed the message. Jordan sighed and didn’t want to be downright rude, but she wasn’t feeling personable at the moment. She was only slightly nervous to be back in a patrol car, and her gut was screaming that Bravon was going to try something again. He was just toying with her. It was always a game of chess for him. He was going to observe her from afar and attempt to determine what her next move would be.
“Or because you are Black?”
Jordan swung around and stared at Micah. The policewoman stumbled slightly, clearly taken aback by Jordan’s sudden move. Jordan eyed her. Micah was light-skinned, of mixed heritage, what Jordan wasn’t sure of and had never asked. It wasn’t any of her business, but she assumed one of Micah’s parents had to be Black since she’d brought up the question.
“We will always be a target, Micah. For being a woman in a career deemed to be for men, or for being a member of a race that is always assumed to be a menace to society.” Jordan tightened her hand on her duffle bag. This was always a sore subject. A Black cop had to fight to gain respect but a Black female cop had to fight three times harder.
She glanced at the door of the locker room. She had almost made it out. Five more feet and she could escape.
“Was I target? Probably, but they are going to learn they picked the wrong bitch,” she growled. She brushed past Micah and left the locker room.
“It’s about time. I’ve been waiting on you.”
Jordan froze at the person in front of her posted up along the wall in front of the women’s locker room. Steel-gray eyes focused on her. Jordan swallowed hard and felt relief that it was him and not some runny-nosed rookie who thought they knew everything.
Mac.
The hardened sergeant was dressed in his uniform with CPD splashed across his ballistics vest.
“Well, sir. Had I known it was you I would be riding along with, I would have skipped my meeting with the captain and got dressed immediately.” A crooked grin spread across her face. She had to fight dancing in place.
A special glint appeared in his eyes that softened slightly in the corners.
“Call me sir again, and I’ll recommend to the captain that you are downgraded to meter maid for a month,” he muttered.
Jordan knocked her feet together and gave him her best salute.
“Yes, sir.” She couldn’t help but be an ass.
Mac’s lips curled up in his infamous grin. He pushed off the wall and came to her with one arm open. He wrapped it around her in a half hug. Jordan returned it and was floored.
“It’s good to see you back in uniform, Knight,” he said gruffly.
Had she died and gone to Heaven? Maybe she hadn’t survived the car accident and this was an alternate universe.
Mac showing emotions? He pulled back and stalked down the hallway with Jordan staring after him in shock.
“What are you waiting for, Knight? Let’s roll,” he called out over his shoulder.
She jerked into motion and took off after the sergeant. His long strides ate up the floor. She came alongside Mac and kept up with his pace. They remained silent as they made their way through the precinct. Multiple officers called out greetings to them. Most offering a ‘welcome back’ to Jordan. She nodded and smiled at all of them, but her thoughts were on the man leading her through the building. She never would have guessed the captain would have assigned her to Mac. Now she felt as if she were the rookie.
Mac was a seasoned vet, and even though she’d had years in as a cop, she was sure there was still plenty she could learn from him.
Play it cool, Knight. Don’t talk the man’s head off.
Mac was a man of few words, and when he did speak, everyone listened.
They headed out the back door where the patrol cars were parked. It was a beautiful day, and the sun was already rising high in the clear-blue sky. Jordan loved when she got the opportunity to work day shift. Not that she minded nights, but there was nothing like getting off work at a decent time during the day. Sleeping in her bed at night was a treat.
“Want me to drive?” she asked.
They arrived at Mac’s patrol SUV. His gaze jerked to her as she walked to the passenger side. She bit back a smirk, knowing she already knew what the answer was going to be. The lock to the passenger door flicked open.
“Get in,” Mac ordered. He opened his door and slid into the vehicle.
She followed suit and hopped into the passenger seat. She sat her small duffle bag down on the floor and shut the door. This was going to be an interesting day. It took them a few minutes to log in to the systems. Mac typed out commands on the laptop while Jordan threw her seat belt on.
“Thanks for letting me ride with you,” she said. She settled back in her seat. She was thankful she had remembered to pop her new sunglasses in her bag. The South Carolina sun was burning bright. She pushed them back along the bridge of her nose and turned to look at Mac.
“You’re lucky.” Mac grunted. He put the truck in drive and guided them through the parking lot. Soon they were merging into the traffic on the road that was positioned behind the precinct. Surprisingly, there was a good amount of cars out at this time of morning.
“Do I even want to know?” Jordan grimaced. So Mac wasn’t the original officer she had been assigned to ride with? She wasn’t shocked. Who could it have been?
Oh God. Hopefully it hadn’t been Craig. She would have just gone back out on medical leave if it had been him. He’d been not-so-secretly pining after her for a while.
“I’m not going to tell you. Let’s just say you were saved.” Mac smirked.
It had to have been Craig. Jordan would have to buy Mac his favorite bottle of tequila. She owed him big time.
“How’s Sarena and Nia?” she asked.
It had been a minute since she’d seen Mac’s wife and daughter. Mac’s little girl was a beautiful miniature replica of his wife, but there were some features of Mac that were blatantly evident that it was his child. She had inherited his eye color. She was going to be a heartbreaker when she got older, and Jordan was sure Mac was going to be breaking some knees of whatever future boyfriends hurt her.
More than likely, each SWAT member would be right there. Nia had gained six uncles and an aunt. Jordan pitied Nia’s future suitors.
“Sarena is doing good, and Nia is growing like a weed,” Mac said.
Jordan couldn’t help but catch the slight smile when he spoke of his wife and child. There was even pride in his voice.
“How old is Nia now?” Jordan asked.
“Two, going on twenty-two,” Mac replied.
Jordan chuckled. Oh, yeah. That girl had her father wrapped right around her little finger. It was amazing to think that a tough former Navy SEAL turned SWAT officer was brought to his knees when it came to his child. Jordan wondered if he participated in tea parties with Nia.
Knowing Mac, those parties were probably more secure than high tea in England with the King.
“How did you figure out about Rhys?” Jordan blurted out. She grimaced and looked away. She took in the scenery that flew past. Mac was taking them to the northern part of town where they were assigned to patrol. She didn’t mind this area. Hard-working middle-class families lived here.
“I didn’t until he showed up at the hospital. I recognized the look in his eyes,” Mac said.
Jordan’s head snapped back to him. He glanced over at her for a brief moment before returning his attention to the road.
“What look was that?” She cleared her throat. Jordan thought back to that day, and she remembered how defiant Rhys had been. He’d been willing to take on her seven SWAT brothers without batting an eye. Myles could be an intimidating son of a bitch, and Rhys had tilted his head back and met the former Army Ranger’s glare with one of his own.
“Fear.”