Prologue
I’m not sure where you learned to whisper, but my guess is in a helicopter surrounded by chainsaws.
-Logan’s secret thoughts
Logan
“This is a new venture for us,” the captain said. “It’s never been done before, and if I was being honest, I’m not sure it’s going to last. But there you go. Starting Monday, each of you will be on a motorcycle provided by the Kilgore Police Department while on patrol.”
My brows, along with those of the four other men surrounding me, went up.
“You won’t all be on shift at the same time, and this won’t be a nighttime thing. You will only be on duty during the daylight hours due to the high motorcycle fatality rate after six in the evening.”
My jaw clenched.
That was truer than true.
“Pace, Justice, Lock.” The captain held out my paper. “Logan.”
“Did you happen to notice how all of our names are right there in the same part of the alphabet?” I asked. “No, just me?”
Every set of eyes belonging to the people that were sitting in the stupid little desks at my sides and behind me looked at me with various stages of annoyance.
“What?” I asked, genuinely curious. “I really feel left out of the cool club sometimes. Y’all always share these looks…”
Captain stood and walked to a box. “We got y’all’s sizes from the uniform shop.” He grunted as he opened it with a pocket knife that he’d produced out of thin air. “If they don’t fit, take it back and they’ll have to order you a new pair. But get it done by Monday so they will arrive in time.”
And that’s when he started passing out little slips of fabric that didn’t look fit to be put on my ten-year-old niece.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I said as I held up the uniform. “This isn’t fuckin’ Chips, Captain,” I growled. “This is real life!”
Captain Morgan (yes, that really was his name) gave me a droll look.
“This is the exact uniform that LAPD uses, as well as the California Highway Patrol. They’re proven safer when they’re tight. Nothing to get caught up on while you’re on the motorcycle. Tougher fabric to protect you in case of an accident.”
“Yeah, and you’ll see every single goddamn cock hair that I have,” I grumbled.
The men at my back chuckled, but the captain wasn’t amused.
“Gibbs,” Captain said. Uh-oh, he’d pulled out my last name. Shit was getting real. “You can take it or leave it. Just know that leaving it means that you’ll be leaving the job as well.”
I sighed. “I’ll take it.”
If I got to get paid to ride motorcycles all day, then I’d take it all day, every day. Even if I did look like an extra straight out of Chips.
“What’s with the bright black stripper boots?” Justice asked. “Seriously?”
Captain Morgan growled.
“Listen, ladies,” he snapped. “I’m not answering any more questions about the uniform. Wear it. Fucking like it. And stop fucking bitching.”
“It’s not too bad.”
The door pounded open again, and a large man by the name of Jonah Crew, aka Tickey, lumbered in.
He didn’t talk. He didn’t make pleasantries. In fact, he was the biggest dick on the entire force.
He’d joined the department a few months ago at his brother’s urging, and had quickly taken to the job.
I didn’t see anything similar when you compared my friend, Lachlan Downy, to Jonah. Both men were large, sure, but they didn’t even act the same. Whereas Downy was a big ball of fun and an expert negotiator, Jonah was the complete opposite.
He was brash, rude, and I fucking loved him.
But I also hated him.
The man had a shit life when he was younger. Sure, I got that. But it didn’t mean that he could make everyone’s life a living hell.
He actually reminded me of Martin Riggs off of the old movie Lethal Weapon. Full of piss and vinegar, and he pretty much got off on pissing people off just because he could.
He was a loaded time bomb, just waiting to detonate, and nobody knew when and where he was going to go off.
Now, Downy’s son, Lock, who was also a member of our new band of merry men, was a lot like his father. Downy Sr. and Downy Jr. were definitely cut from the same cloth. I liked and respected both men equally the same.
“Nice of you to join us, Crew,” Captain said. “Have a seat. Would you like to comment about the uniform as well?”
Jonah shook his head once and then stared blankly ahead.
The captain sighed and continued explaining our duties, finally ending a half an hour later when our shifts would end.
“You’ll work a rotating shift. Any given shift you’ll be working with three other motorcycle cops, and they’ll be different each shift, so don’t bother making plans from one week to the next. We’ll put you where we need you, but mostly you’ll be cruising through our busiest roads to help enforce traffic laws, and also give the other boys more time to respond to other calls.” He paused. “Any questions?”