Page 83 of Beautiful Ruins
I stoodoutside the cop station, leaning against my bike, a cigarette dangling between my fingers.
Sadie had always said these things would kill me one day, but that didn’t matter much, given the line of work I was in. Death was practically a job requirement, and the way I saw it, we all had to die of something, eventually. We took those chances every day.
I took a long drag and let the smoke curl lazily between my lips. The bitter taste was a familiar comfort, and I needed all the comfort I could get at that moment.
The early morning buzzed with crickets, the cracked pavement already heating as September wore on. John stepped out the front entrance, shoulders caved in and eyes hollowed like he’d walked through a week’s worth of hell in three days. The glass door clicked shut behind him, loud in the quiet.
His eyes flicked toward me, resigned. He’d been expecting this. Been expecting me.
With a quick glance along the deserted street, he strolled over, taking his time. Must have been all that guilt he carried around weighing him down.
“Rowan,” he said, dipping his chin in acknowledgement.
I narrowed my eyes behind my sunglasses. There was no time for pleasantries, so I was going to get straight to the damn point—he’d fucked up. This wasn’t just about justice anymore.He’d let the one threat to Sadie walk free, and that made it personal. Deadly personal.
“Snake turned up at the clubhouse last night,” I said, the words like swallowing poison. “Went straight for Sadie. Apparently, he knows what happened to your wife, Chief. Care to explain exactly what that means? And while you’re at it, you better have a good reason why the fuck that arsehole is walking freely.”
The strain on his face deepened. Hell, I’d rather have been back in the war zone of my last bar brawl with Snake, then there trading words with a spineless cop. Yet, there we were, dancing around the clusterfuck that had become Barrenridge.
He scratched at his cheek, barely able to look me in the eye. “I couldn’t hold him any longer. He was free to go.”
Jaw clenched, I flicked the cigarette butt to the ground, crushing it out with the tip of my boot. “What the fuck do you mean, ‘free to go,’ John? What universe are you living in? I asked you to do one thing for me—keep him behind bars.” Anger stained my voice, despite my efforts to stay calm. The whole thing reeked like bullshit and blood, and he knew it. “One fucking thing. That’s all you had to do, Chief. And you couldn’t even do that.” My hands itched to grab him by the throat, so I crossed my arms and clenched my fists instead.
John sniffed, an old habit of his when he was dodging the truth. “It’s been dealt with, Rowan. Just leave it at that.” He turned to step away, ready to wash his hands of the whole situation.
There was no way I wasn’t letting him off that easy.
I grabbed him by the collar, yanking him close enough I could practically taste the stale coffee on his sour breath. “What did you do? Or is Snake holding something over you? What happened to the fingerprint? Or the fact he tried to assassinateme?” My pulse pounded through my skull, an insistent reminder that Snake was out and Sadie wasn’t safe.
And I’d left her alone. Fucking idiot.
John shoved me off with more force than I’d expected, rage flickering behind his tired eyes. He stumbled, straightening his belt like the uniform still gave him control. “I couldn’t hold him when there is no print.” He dusted off his shirt and scrubbed a hand through his hair.
Did he think that badge bought him credibility? That the uniform made his lies harder to see?
I huffed out a humourless laugh, but it came out more like a bark. “Jesus, John. You’re a fucking disgrace.” My words hung in the air.
“Rich coming from the likes of you,” he muttered, the edge of fatigue creeping in. “You need to let me handle this. It’s more complicated now.” He didn’t flinch, didn’t hesitate, just turned his back on me and walked away, his boots crunching on the loose gravel peppering the bitumen.
Motherfucker thought this conversation was over. Did he think I’d just get on my bike and ride away?
“I know where I stand, Chief,” I called out as I followed, footsteps pounding in time with the rage thundering in my chest. “I don’t pretend to be anything I’m not.” I wasn’t looking for absolution. Just the truth. And maybe a little blood. “You, on the other hand, you stroll around this town pretending to give a shit, when in reality you’re just as dirty as the rest of us.”
That got him. He stopped mid-stride, hesitating for just a second.
Cult murders aside, Snake had tried to take me out. Now, I wanted him dead, and I was willing to sell my soul to make that happen. But I drew the line at Sadie’s soul. That was mine. The devil himself couldn’t pry it out of my cold, dead hands.
John finally turned, stepping closer, voice low. “You need to trust me on this, Rowan. This is for the best. You need to leave it alone.” He swallowed hard, glancing up and down the street.
But I didn’t miss the fear in his eyes. It crashed into me and begged me to reconsider. For half a second, I thought maybe I should trust him. Was it possible he wasn’t lying this time?
“Why should I trust you, John?” I clenched my jaw, staring down at him. “You’ve given me nothing but bullshit, vague responses.”
Doubt and questions rose from the pit of my stomach. This was supposed to be simple. Now it was coming apart faster than I could gather the pieces.
John stepped back. He looked away, jaw clenched. “I’m doing what I’ve always done—protecting my daughter.” With that, he turned his back to me once again and darted across the street to his patrol car.
This time, I didn’t follow. I stood there, hands clenched by my sides as though I could physically will the answers to materialise.
