Bab 0004

Logan watched Captain Henry Spole as he sat behind his large mahogany desk, his threaded fingers resting on his stomach and his back resting against the back of his chair.

The middle-aged man had drank a couple too many times, seeming to have permanent bags under his eyes and a protruding beer belly. His gray hair was starting to bald on the top, which gave him a halo look.

“Officer Patton, do you know what you are asking? You are asking me to put a criminal back on the streets.”

Logan wiped his sweaty palms on his pants.

He had been trying to convince the captain for the past thirty minutes why it was a good idea for him to conduct an investigation on Ms. Reyes before handing her in for her crimes.

And although he seemed to be making a little headway, there always seemed to be another excuse not to.

“Sir, if I’m right and she has been framed, this will hit the media harder than any other case this year.”

Logan was already perched on the edge of his seat, but he moved even closer to the edge, as if it would help the man to understand what he was trying to say.

“Once again, her father, who pressed the charges, is an officer. We can uncover all the dirty cops he is working with and not only expose the whole group, but also keep an innocent woman from going to jail.”

He saw the captain sigh and sit back up, resting his forearms on the desk.

“Officer Patton, if you are wrong, you and I can loose our jobs.”

“I’m not wrong,” the young officer promised, his eyes boring into his boss’s.

“I know I’m not.”

Logan almost held his breath as he saw the Captain’s wheels turning. He could feel the sweat beading on his forehead and rubbed his palms again against his dark blue pants.

The Captain broke eye contact again, now focusing hard on a specific spot on his desk. His eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated at his current dilemma.

Logan couldn't tell what it was, but he felt strongly that Terra was not to blame for her situation.

There was something about the way she looked, the way she cowered from everything and set out a strong persona to protect herself.

If he was being honest with himself, he also found her crazy attractive. Her Hazel eyes burned with a determined ferocity and he loved the way her stubborn jaw would set.

Her brown hair framed her face beautifully and the few times Logan had accidentally touched it seemed like it was soft as clouds. She was a little skinny to be considered healthy in his opinion, but he assumed that had to do with the abuse she was put through.

Just the thought of her father sent another round of rage through him. He made a silent commitment to himself again that he would find that man and make him pay, regardless of the outcome he had with Ms. Reyes.

Officer Patton nearly jumped out of his skin when his captain moved his hand to the mouse on his desk. The captain grunted a couple times and slammed his palm on the desk, raising a loud sound that sent Logan’s nerves even more on edge.

“Two days. Patton, you get two days and not a second more. You will take one of our cars with a tracker everywhere you go. Unfortunately right now I can’t spare anyone else, so you will call and give me reports at least five times a day. The man that attacked the station got moved to Pittsburgh for emergency surgery. You better start there.”

Logan sighed loudly and sprung up from his chair.

“You won’t regret this, sir,” he promised as he spun around and booked it to the door before the captain changed his mind.

“Officer Patton?” The captain called as he reached the door.

Logan turned slightly so he could see both the door and the captain.

“If you’re wrong, you will be terminated. So you better make sure you get this right.”

Logan froze for a second.

Being a cop was his dream. One day he wanted to work for the FBI like his father did.

The thought of loosing his job would be devastating and monumental for him.

Logan squared his shoulders to the captain and nodded, understanding the risk. He hoped with all his might Terra Reyes wasn’t lying to him.

Logan sprung open the door, closing it tightly behind him. His vision instantly bounced to the couch he left Terra on

His eyebrows jumped in shock when he saw Jade and Damian next to her, sitting on the same couch with Buddy resting by their feet.

Buddy’s tail started wagging and he sat up at the sight of his owner.

Jade’s attention snapped from Terra to her brother and she jumped out of her seat and flung herself into her brother’s arms. Her baby was squished between the two of them and Logan smiled as he hugged her back.

He may not be close with many people in his family, but when it came to his family, he loved them and would do anything for them.

“You scared me,” Jade whispered as she clung to her brother.

Logan let out a soft chuckle. “I was only talking to the captain. He’s not that scary.”

“I know about the station being shot up, you dipwad.” Jade retorted, stepping back and wiping one of her eyes with the back of her hand. “Why did I have to hear it from someone else?”

Logan let a small frown etch onto his face.

He hated making his sister worry. She already worried about so much.

Ever since Rich left, she has been strong enough to land a manager position at a hotel, but now she had the stresses of a baby, bills, and her job to worry about. He tried to help her best he could, but hated when he added to her stress.

“Jade, you know I’m careful.” Logan replied.

Jade snorted a laugh. “You know, you don’t always have enough control of the situation to call it ‘safe’.”

Logan smiled and looked past her to Terra. Terra was still resting on the bench, watching their interaction with solemn eyes.

He instantly remembered her brother and how much she had sacrificed for him, only to see him disappear. He could tell their separation was really taking a tole on her.

“Jade, could you go get Finn for me? I need to tell him something.”

Jade held out Damian and Logan gladly accepted.

He leaned his large frame over and Jade rested the small child in his large arms. Jade promised her quick return and turned around, leaving their small, secluded hallway.

Logan waited until his sister was gone before resting where she was previously. Logan could tell Terra had braided her hair. Small curly tendrils had escaped and were framing her face, but the braid pulled her hair away, showing her long, slender neck. “I leave you alone for thirty minutes and you’re already braiding hair with my sister?”

Terra gave him an incredulous look.

He was starting to realize he liked that look; he liked pushing her buttons a little bit.

When she didn’t respond, Logan cleared his throat and tried again. “Okay, we have a couple days to figure out why these people are after you and where your brother is.”

Terra looked hesitant at the detective, trying to hide her smile.

“Are you playing with me? Because if you are, that is cruel.”

Logan shook his head. “I’m not joking. We can leave tonight, we just need to grab a couple things at my place.”

Terra still looked hesitant, but a small smile was starting to play at the edges of her lips.

“Patton, if you are joking, I’m going to punch you, cuffed or not.”

Logan cracked a smile this time. “I didn’t get much time, but we have two days. We will need to—”

Logan wasn’t able to finish his sentence before Terra had launched herself across the bench, wrapping her one free arm around his neck.

She hiccuped like she was trying to choke back her emotions. Logan was stunned at first, having this closed-off and sharp-tongued woman hugging him.

After the initial shock wore off, he moved his one free arm to her back, completing their hug.

His motion seemed to trigger something in Terra as she flinched from his hand and pulled away quickly. She sat back on her far side of the couch and looked down at her lap, seemingly embarrassed.

Logan was disappointed her emotional reaction didn’t last long, but enjoyed the fact that she felt comfortable enough to touch him. Even if her emotions controlled her and it was only for a moment.

Jade came around the corner with Madden in tow. Madden seemed to look frantic and Logan knew he had pulled him away from something important.

“Madden, I’m going on a road trip.”

_-_

Terra clutched her head between her palms, trying to hold her spinning mind as she stared down at the man she called her father.

He hadn’t moved; his body lay motionless against the carpet of her floor. Blood continued to puddle and the shards of glass that surrounded him were now soaked in red.

Terra finally pulled her head out of panic with one thought: Get Noah out.

She quickly ran to her closet where she hid a shoebox with her emergency cash in it. She grabbed all the important documents for her and Noah and stuffed them in a bag.

She then ran over to her dresser, her eyes avoiding her now helpless father as she shoved clothes into the bag.

Her ribs were screaming and her arms were sore, but she pushed it all past her as adrenaline controlled her actions.

Terra was about to bolt from the room when she remembered the black book. She quickly turned to her dresser again and fished it from her bottom drawer.

Terra wiped the moisture left over from her eyes and shot out into the hallway. Her brother had a room in the back of the house—it kept her father from touching him for the most part.

Terra threw open the door and ran to his bed, where he was bundled tight.

Terra never let her father touch her brother. It was her who took his punishments and beatings. And with her father as drunk as he was, he didn’t care who it was that his fist collided with.

She shook her brother harshly, who was snug in his bed. “Noah, it’s me. We gotta go,” she grated as she continued to shake him.

Noah groaned and rolled over, trying to escape her shaking arms.

“Noah, get out of bed. We are going to leave. We need to catch the train.”

Noah finally started batting his eyes. Terra knew his weakness was anything with an engine.

“Wait, we are going on a train?” He groggily questioned.

Terra nodded frantically and pulled off his covers.

Noah went to retrieve the warm blankets, but Terra sat on them before he could pull them back up.

“Yes, we are going to ride a train. But we need to go now and you need to get up.”

Noah finally sat up, now starting to be more aware of what was happening.

Terra started listing items he needed to bring and his head cocked slightly to the side.

“Terra, why do I need to pack?”

Terra sat closer to the boy and rubbed his arms, which were covered in goosebumps from the sudden cold air he was exposed to.

“Do you remember when I told you that one day you and me are going to live without Daddy?” Terra waited for Noah’s nod before continuing. “Well, we are doing it today. I found a really cool place we can live that you will just love.”

Terra didn’t want to tell the boy she had no idea where that place was yet, but she knew she was going to head West.

Noah smiled. “Really? It will be like a field trip! Terra, did you know I have another field trip in March? We will need to come back for that one, we are going to look at airplanes!”

Terra smiled warmly and held a finger to her barely split lips, motioning for him to be quiet.

“I will show you some airplanes.” Terra promised, making a mental note to fulfill that promise. “But right now, we need to be quiet and pack what I told you to, okay? And use only one backpack.”

Noah beamed as he jumped from the bed and ran to his dresser. Most of his clothes were either too small or fit just right anyway, so she knew she would have to buy him a new closet anyway.

I will keep you safe, Noah, Terra thought to herself as she saw the young boy’s enthusiasm. I promise.