Page 47 of Draven

“A few years? Sir, I hoped to take my sergeant exam next February.”

“Not gonna happen, Rhodes.”

Shaken to the core, I stare at the ground. I can’t believe it. I’ve lost Kiera, and now my career has been flushed down the toilet, too. This can’t be happening.

“I’ll expect to see you back in the office first thing Monday, where you will be confined to desk duties for the next three months. After that, we’ll see.”

He leaves me standing under that solitary oak tree, broken, alone, and with my career in tatters.

Chapter 17

Draven

My mood is in the shitter as I ride my bike over to Louise’s place later that same day. I’d hoped to talk to her after the funeral, but I’d turned away for only a second to talk to Rick, and she’d disappeared. Then whispers reached me, rumors of trouble, of a demotion.

Motherfuckers.

This is the exact reason I left the force. Okay, the reason I was encouraged to leave the force. Same difference. I’ve never cared much about the title of police officer. What drives me and has always driven me is taking scum off the streets, and I don’t care how that happens as long as it does.

Louise, though, has a very different view. She’s proud to wear the badge and represent her precinct. Rules are her guiding light, her affirmation that she’s treading the right path. Losing her rank must be killing her. And coming on top of losing her sister, too.

Just how much crap can one person take before it buries them?

After Kiera died, I gave her space. She was bound to lay blame at my door. After all, I was the one who’d gone in there and gotten her sister shot. As much as I’d wanted to be there for her at one of the worst times of her life, I’d talked it through with Ciaran, and he’d advised me to give her some space to come to terms with what happened. The end might not have been what I’d hoped for, but I stand by my decision. I’ve seen the feds in action many times. They go in hard, fast, and with only one outcome in mind: to take down the bad guys. Collateral damage is a side effect they’ll happily live with if push comes to shove.

That isn’t my bag.

I wanted to take down the bad guys and save the women.

I pull up outside Louise’s apartment block, cut the engine to the bike, and glance up to her window. There’s no sign of her, even though she’ll have heard the familiar rumbling of my Harley. Maybe she went back with her parents after the service. If I don’t get any luck here, I’ll find out where they live and drive over to their place.

After securing my helmet to the bike, I head into her building and rap on her door, only to be met with nothing but silence.

Knocking again, I call out, “Lola, it’s me. Open up...”

More silence.

I growl. “Either open the door or I’ll shoot the lock off. I’m not leaving until we’ve talked.”

My ears strain for any signs of movement. After a few seconds, I hear padding footsteps, then the lock grinds in its housing, and she draws back the door. Without making eye contact, she turns around and walks away to pick up a blanket before she wraps it around her shoulders, sits on the couch, and tucks her feet beneath her.

I close the door, waiting for her to speak or even look at me, but she does neither. Tear tracks stain her cheeks, her eyes puffy and red, and her shoulders have a defeatist curve I don’t like. Not one bit.

“How you doing?”

“You’re the one with all the answers, Draven. You tell me.”

She speaks so softly I barely catch the words. I catch the sentiment behind them, though, like a punch to the face.

I sit on the arm of the couch. “I know you blame me, but I wouldn’t change a thing about what went down.”

She shakes her head. “Don’t pretend to know what I’m thinking.” Finally, she looks at me. “Where were you? My sister just died, and you’re not man enough to stick around and manage the fallout. Too much emotion for you, Draven?”

I stiffen my spine. “You told me to go. I gave you space.”

“I didn’t ask for space.”

Give me strength. Pinching my nose between my thumb and forefinger, I expel a noisy breath. “Grow up, Lola.”

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