chapter 4

A string of choice words slipped from Logan’s lips as he darted around the station, Terra nowhere in sight. He ran his hands frustratingly through his hair, once again cursing at himself.

What had he been thinking?

Of course she was going to run!

Logan rushed to his desk, quickly fumbling around for his phone. He knew Buddy was still with her, he wasn’t released yet and he would follow her until he told him otherwise.

He smirked when his fingers grasped his cell phone. He instantly pulled up the app that tracked where Buddy was at all times.

He was instantly grateful the department made him get the device, though he knew Buddy would never run away.

A small, red dot immediately lit up on the small screen. Logan quickly grabbed the keys to his unit and darted for the front door. He quickly reported his mission on his radio, just in case someone wanted to know where he ran off to. Not that they would notice with the recent events.

Logan kept his lights and sirens off but sped through the streets.

The town he lived in was small, but the station was about 40 minutes away in a larger city nearby.

It was a little tougher to navigate a city than a small town, but eventually, Office Patton parked his car, satisfied with the short distance between him and the red dot on his cell phone screen.

It was still dark, now starting to creep into the early hours of the morning. The street lamps offered light in the nightfall but provided little help in the suffocating darkness. The stench of trash burned his nose as he shuffled down the alley. Terra did know how to find the sketchiest places.

Logan’s hand flicked onto his gun on his hip when he heard a grunt. He instantly recognized it as Terra and flicked the snap holding his gun into place.

He failed to refill it after shooting at those men at the station earlier, but he was pretty sure it still had a bullet if he needed to use it.

“Ugh, stop licking me, you beast! Now beat it!”

Logan smiled at himself at the frustration in her voice.

Buddy was good at what he did.

His hand fell off his gun and he ran down the alley towards Terra’s voice. He stilled as he saw his dog back up from a hidden shadow of a dumpster.

“Good boy, Buddy,” he applauded as he reached closer and rubbed the black fur of his loyal dog.

Buddy looked satisfied as he leaned into Logan’s touch and he heard Terra huff from in front of him.

Her hood was covering her face in a shadow and she looked even dirtier than at the office.

She folded her arms over her chest and stared at him daringly. “Have your stupid dog back. He wouldn’t leave me alone.”

Logan laughed, seeing that it annoyed her. He wished he could see her eyes, but her hood kept them hidden.

“He’s a good dog,” he returned. “Why did you—”

Logan couldn’t even get the words out before Terra bolted from her place by the dumpster. She jumped over some empty boxes while throwing some more in her path.

Logan’s reflexes were quick, but Buddy’s were quicker.

He jumped up and followed her, swiftly running in line with her. She swatted her hands at him, which Buddy thought was a playful gesture and instead launched himself in front of her in a playful bow. He swiveled his body around and lowered his front haunches, another open smile displaying his teeth.

He heard Terra curse as she slowed for a second, looking to dart around her sudden obstacle. Logan took that short moment to gain ground, only a leap behind her now.

Logan launched his body forward, colliding with Terra’s. He purposely rotated them so he landed on the ground, holding her tight against them as they rolled.

He heard Terra hiss as they slowed, Logan’s body now on top.

Her hood had fallen in their chase and Terra’s hair now fell in the puddle they just missed with their bodies. Her eyes were wild as they stared at him, her chest heaving. He couldn’t deny her beauty, especially from this view.

Even in her dirtied mess, Logan could admire her high cheekbones and sharp features. He studied the bruise on her chin and right eye, once again wanting to unravel the secrets hidden behind her tough surface.

Their breaths mingled as Logan stayed on top of Terra, unmoving as she stilled beneath him.

He felt her hand between them on her right ribs and he remembered her guarding of them earlier.

They were probably broken or cracked.

Logan was surprised she wasn’t wincing or asking him to move.

He shifted his weight slightly so he relieved pressure from her ribs and moved his hand from her waist on that side, now resting it by her head on the ground.

“Will you stop running?”

Terra remained motionless, still carefully studying him. Her eyebrows pulled together in confusion as she continued her stoic look at the hand now resting by her head.

“Terra, I just want to talk. I want to help. But I can’t do that if you run.”

Terra remained silent as Logan continued to stare at her like he was memorizing every feature on her face.

Terra tucked her face as Buddy’s wet tongue licked her face.

She tried to swat at him, but her hands were trapped with Logan’s body pressed firmly against her so she just squirmed under his hold instead.

Logan didn’t even hear his dog approach him. Buddy moved onto him, now licking Logan’s face repeatedly, no doubt thinking they were playing.

Logan couldn’t help the smile that reached his lips, despite the situation he was in.

“Alight Buddy, that’s enough,” he commanded and watched Buddy sit on his haunches, actively watching them.

Logan turned his attention back to Terra.

“We need to talk,” he stated, careful not to put pressure on her as he stood and unwound his arms and legs from hers.

Terra slowly lifted herself from the ground, careful to still guard her chest. He had no doubts they were injured. Now he just needed to know how.

Logan stepped forward and gripped her wrist. She instantly stepped back, yanking her hand from his grasp. “Don’t freaking touch me!” She shouted in his face.

Logan’s frown returned. He could always cuff her, but he didn’t want to confine her again. He only needed to hold on temporarily.

“If you were better at listening, I could respect that request.”

He once again stepped forward intending to make his grip firmer. He was still gentle on her but pressed the ends of his fingers together tightly so she couldn’t pull out.

He started pulling before she could protest again. He rounded out of the alley and back into the busy street. He quickly jumped across the street, towing Terra while Buddy followed briskly behind.

He quickly pulled out the keys from his pocket, grateful they were for more than cars. He approached the building with “for lease” hanging above it and shoved the key in, instantly pulling Terra in as he opened the door.

They had recently used this building for a stakeout, per favor of the owner. He was grateful now that he has not yet returned the key. He was sure the owner would not mind.

The second they passed the threshold, Terra yanked hard against his hand, breaking the light grip he had on her.

“This is kidnapping. I could charge you.”

Logan found the light switch of the small office space, which instantly flicked on and illuminated the small space in a low glow.

“Okay, and as you do so, you will be arrested for your charges of car theft, disturbing the peace, kidnapping, and attempted murder.”

Terra huffed in frustration, running her hand through her dirty hair. “You just need to leave me alone. I’m going to bring nothing but trouble.”

“Look, I understand what you're going through right now, but if you don't let anyone help you, you're just going to end up behind bars for the rest of your life.”

“No, you don't! You have no clue what it is like. Now stop looking at me like that!” Terra hollered, her voice not sounding like her own when it reached hysterics.

Logan nodded, once again holding up his hands like he was ready to catch her if she tried to scratch his eyes out.

He was glad he had placed himself between her and the door. By the look on her face, she just wanted to bolt.

He could see the water lining the bottom of her eyes and wanted to take away whatever hurt there was, but froze before he could scare her off again.

“You're right,” he yelled, his frustration working its way up. But he was getting somewhere. He saw her close to her breaking point. “I don't. And I will continue to not understand anything if you don't tell me what on earth is going on!”

Logan stepped forward and fear consumed her eyes, causing her to step back from him and she matched his stride in two steps, then some. “You're all the same.”

“What does that even mean? Why do you say that?”

“All you... men. Cops. All the same. You just take whatever you want and don't give a crap to what it does to those around you. Bend the law so you see it fit for you.”

Terra's tears spilled over her eyes and she clutched her stomach, bending over at the hip as if she was in agony.

He stepped forward to comfort her before catching himself and reminding himself she had to do this on her own. If she wanted him, she would tell him. He felt helpless as he saw a sob wrack her chest and she fell to her knees, hand covering her mouth.

Buddy's tail was still as he slowly sulked over to her and sat patiently in front of her. Much to Logan’s surprise, she accepted the company and pulled him into her body, wrapping her long, thin arms around his thick neck.

She was silent as she sobbed again and Buddy’s thick fur caught her crocodile tears as she hid her face from Logan.

He lowered his body to the ground, resting his back against the wall as he waited for her. He closed his eyes, listening to only her as his heart went out to her.

Whatever she had been through, it broke her. It broke her and she couldn't deal with it until now.

Terra sat up from Buddy's fur, wiping at her eyes.

Logan stayed utterly quiet, not looking at her. He could see her in his peripheral and didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

She still clung to Buddy, keeping him from moving anywhere, and he seemed content to keep his position.

Logan silently applauded his dog, knowing he was doing more for her than he could do at the moment.

Logan remembered when he saw her information earlier.

She used to work at the DA’s office and her father was an officer. He remembered the fear that flew across her face when he brought up home in New York.

The bruises, the physical pain she was in. He considered her distaste in men and cops. And lastly, he figured that is what caused her to lash out at Rich.

The familiar episode with his sister tugged at his heart, reminding him what Rich had done.

“It was your father, wasn't it?”

He saw her give a small nod, her hand coming up to wipe her nose as she sniffled, but stayed behind Buddy.

Logan couldn't believe it took him this long to figure it out. He saw what his sister had to go through and he should have seen it sooner.

Jade was the reason he moved out here.

Right out of high school, his sister married her sweetheart, but then they moved and he never heard from her. Being the curious brother he was, he followed her and, after much searching, he found her six months pregnant.

Dark bruises covered her arms, which she tried to cover with jackets and long sleeves, and she had multiple scratches on her neck. Rich was careful not to get her face, for that would draw way too much attention.

After many tears and nights of consoling, Logan was able to get his sister to confess her husband’s abuse.

He immediately pressed charges, but frustratingly was short on evidence. They settled for a divorce and restraining order for the time being, but there was only so much the law could do.

Now that they moved to Pennsylvania, he had to do all he could to keep her protected and hidden.

“I'm sorry I yelled at you,” Logan whispered, still too afraid to say anything too loud. “I should have known better.”

Terra shook her head. “How did you know?” She questioned, studying him behind her hooded eyes.

“There was no way to know. For anyone. I always hid it and did my best to live with it for Noah. He already lost his mother, he didn't need to lose his father as well. And as long as Noah was in bed in time, their father would only punish me.”

Logan felt sick. No parent should abuse their power over their poor, innocent children in this way.

Parents were there to guide, to protect. Not to torture and terrify.

“I don't get it. Why did you stay?”

Terra shook her head. “You wouldn't understand.”

Logan stayed quiet for a while, trying to figure out how he could explain to her that he would probably understand better than most.

“We had a restraining order placed on Rich. He abused my sister. She got married to him right out of High School and used her as his personal punching bag.” Logan's fists clenched and he had to remind himself to take deep breaths.

Terra did not need someone with a temper right now.

Logan could see Terra’s full attention on him, probably trying to detect all the sincerity she could to find out if he was lying to make her feel better.

“She had to run because he wouldn’t leave her and their baby girl alone. That moved us from New York to Pennsylvania. So yeah, I don’t understand—I never will. But I do understand the pain it can cause you. I do understand the desperate feeling you have to protect those around you. And do understand that you can’t go back.”

Terra’s brown eyes were wide as Logan maintained eye contact, his eyes not moving from her face. He studied her reaction, not knowing if there was anything else he can offer to help her feel comfortable enough with him to tell him what is happening.

Terra studied him, her eyes rimmed with red from her tears. Logan got the feeling this was the first time she let reality settle around her.

“I love him. I would do anything to keep that animal away from Noah.”

Logan recognized the name. Noah was her brother. He instantly understood the kidnapping charge—she was finally able to run away with her brother. But he didn’t understand what happened to also involve attempted murder.

“Why are they saying you tried to kill your father?”