Page 15 of Slow Ride

8

A few days later

“Agent Mikalski, get the hell out of here already.Don’t you know you’re on vacation?”The director propped his hands on his hips.

Both of them knew thatvacationwas a fancy word for mandated leave.The higher ups hadn’t been pleased with Jordan lately, especially given the outcome of Devra Russell’s case, though they couldn’t prove it had been him who’d destroyed key evidence against her.He figured it didn’t really count as evidence when it had been maliciously trumped up by a bigoted asshole.Others clearly wouldn’t have seen it the same way.

At the end of the day, he’d done what was right even if it had meant breaking a few rules.Okay, a lot of them.If he wasn’t protecting innocent people, then what the fuck was he doing in this job?What had he risked his life and sacrificed so much for, if not that?

Things were getting muddy.He was confused.

The director was right; he needed time away.

Jordan saved the file he’d been working on, then shut his laptop.Spending several weeks out at the cabin on the lake, fishing and reflecting on his priorities, might be exactly what he needed.Maybe he’d return refreshed and reinvigorated.Or maybe he wouldn’t come back at all.He had some serious decisions to make about where his life was headed.

“I do, sir.”He shrugged into his jacket, then brushed past his supervisor and headed for the door.For light.For fresh air and freedom.“See you next month.”

Jordan wished he had a motorcycle like Quinn Daily and his husband, Trevon.Or Gavyn or Alanso from Hot Rods.Maybe he’d have to stop by Hot Rides and ask for some advice on finding a bike of his own.It would make the ride out to the lake even more enjoyable.

He wondered what Johnny would have thought of that, and chuckled.The guy wouldn’t have believed Jordan capable of doing something so reckless.But times were changing and Jordan needed to learn to live more like his friend had, loving every minute in case it was his last.

Thinking of Johnny, he stocked up on his best friend’s favorite beer.He piled it, along with the rest of the supplies he needed for one last visit to the cabin before it got too cold to stay there this year, into his car.Out of habit, he stopped at the cemetery on his way out of town, snagging a can out of the plastic six-pack holder before he climbed out of the driver’s seat.

He popped the top and crouched down, tipping his hand to pour the beer into the dirt when something caught his eye.A black rectangle embossed with silver was wedged under a stone right on the spot he’d been about to douse in shitty beer.

“Shit!”He sloshed a few drops over his knuckles before he could stop the stream.After licking his hand, he shook it off, set the beer on the flat top of the marble marker, then nudged the rock aside.

The paper beneath blew away.

“Shit!Shit!”Jordan lunged for it, crumpling it in his fist as he caught the damn thing before it could escape for good.When he took a closer look, it seemed like a phantom fist punched him right in the gut.

It was a ticket.No, better than that.It was a backstage pass.

How the hell had it gotten there?And why?

Silver marker pen scribbled on top of the black rectangle was messy enough to be an actual signature but not so convoluted that he couldn’t clearly read it.Kason Cox.

“Son of a bitch!”He brushed his finger over the script.Johnny would have absolutely lost his shit over the memorabilia, never mind an opportunity to see Kason Cox perform live.If he’d met him backstage, he probably would have crapped his pants.He’d adored that guy’s music and…more.The sentiment behind his emotional songs had resonated with Johnny.

Jordan blinked a few times as he thought of Johnny riding down back roads in the truck they’d shared, shout-singing every word of Kason’s first album into the wind whipping through the open windows.It was only when the memory faded and Jordan scrutinized the ticket some more that he realized the concert was that night.Right there in Middletown.

In fact, it started in less than an hour.Barely enough time for him to make it given rush-hour traffic and the horde of people that would no doubt be swarming the local college football stadium.If that wasn’t some kind of sign from Johnny that he needed to get out more, he didn’t know what was.

Jordan decided to start his vacation off right before heading out to the lake.

“I’ll bring this back, I swear.Maybe I’ll even get him to personalize it to you.”Jordan smiled and shook his head at the weird way the universe worked sometimes.He’d learned not to question it and to be more like Johnny had been, to go with the flow every once in a while.

His gut was telling him this was one of those times.

So he turned his car around and headed back to Middletown.

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