Chapter Three

 

Gabe

 

“Mind pulling me off the hood of your car yet? Your motor’s hot as hell, and I don’t want to scar my beautiful face.” If I had a free hand, I’d pinch my own chin and make it impressive enough for his skin to crawl over itself. “Might break hearts all over the world, and it’d be a shame to pin that on you, wouldn’t it, Oss-A-fer Harrison, badge #122752?” I never look at his badge while I recite it; I memorized it the first time I saw it. Sometimes my mouth doesn’t know how to shut up, but, in my defense…it only goes in this mode when I know I’m in the right.

And I am.

He flips me around and jerks me up to whisper in my ear, “We’re far from done here, son. I’ll handle you in a few.”

“HA!” I laugh straight in his face. “Never gonna be your son, bubba. I have two dads and one is GOD and he’ll eat your fuckin’ lunch. Plus, if my real dad was still alive and here, you would never have had a chance to spit out the word son at me, believe that. Or call me Gabriel either.”

He glances around from side to side to see who’s watching, then decides not to jump up in my shit. He’s sure foaming at the mouth though, like a rabid dog, gnarling teeth and all, just chomping at the bit to make me his example. I’ve done nothing to justify it and it’s ripping him in two not having a clear and direct route to hang me by my toenails. I give him a smirk and it pisses him off that I already know what’s running through that pea brain inside of his head. I’ve always been able to do that, but no clue why.

And with that, he starts his car, pushing the fob, then unlocks the back door.

“I have a question, sir. Can you give me a reason why I’m being thrown into the back seat of your car?” I arch a brow at him, knowing I still have that shit eating grin cracking at the crease of my lips, but I also have the right to know.

“Get in the fucking car.” Newbie, Harrison, has me in a foothold, his black steel toed boot kicks the back out from behind my right knee, and I buckle, as he shoves me face down on the black leather seat.

I have to give him this, he’s got me where I can’t move, because if I could, I’d duce up or run, but for whatever reason, he’s not giving me the chance, so the only thing I have to work with is my tongue. Slice and dice baby!

Officer Harrison circles around the front of the car, yells something out to the other cops raiding the house, then opens his door. As they chit-chat, I listen carefully. I recognize that other voice.

“Got it?” Newbie yells to one of the others.

“Follow the plan and for fucks sake learn to shut the hell up. Just go with the original plan already.”

“Meet you at the precinct in a few. I need to make a pit stop first though.” Officer Harrison’s trying to sound tough, I guess that’s what new guys do. It’s not impressive.

I wedge my way up in the seat and see who he is talking too, Pecker Squad’s leader, their very own Officer Ramsey. Figures. He’s been a nutcase as long as I can remember, and doesn’t make much of an effort to hide that. I shake my head and wipe the drool from the side of my face on the shoulder of my jacket.

See my disappointment in the system is this… I’m a kid, but they seem to need a tag man, an easy blame. Guess it’s my time. I know for a fact they have nothing on me, not one thing. I don’t do drugs, I don’t sell them and have never been illegal a day in my life. But, I’ve watched them do this to so many people and it’s just not right.

Everyone has a method to their madness, but this one never made much sense. Suppose that’s why it’s called madness.

Officer Harrison finally climbs in the driver’s seat and off we go, lights flashing and sirens blaring to make it known he’s got a criminal in the car. Except I’m not.

As we round the block the overhead lights shut off and he kills his headlights just as we hit a turn for a side street. The place is like a deserted alleyway. He slams the breaks, just before he damn near plows a dumpster sitting there. My forehead slams against the back of the seat.

I’m not sure what’s going on here.

He gets out of the car and opens the back door.

“Out on your feet, punk,” he demands and grabs me from behind where the cuffs meet in the middle and tosses me to the ground.

“How am I supposed to get on my feet when you just tossed me to the blacktop?” God shut up, Gabe, bite your tongue already, but I can’t help it. This is the only thing I have to fight with…words.

That same steel toed boot that kicked me behind the knee to get in the car, now lands me straight in the face. I hear bones crack in my eardrums and warmness covers the side of my face, trickling to the ground. It must be blood.

“That ought to shut you up, Gabriel.” He leans over me, grinning from the fact I can’t even moan loud.

“Asswipe. Wifey comment must have hit home deep with you, huh?” I mumble, spitting blood on his nice, new, high gloss black shoes.

I think my jaw is broken, and I can’t speak anymore.

Another boot catches me in the side and now I gasp for air too yet try not to choke on blood at the same time. I can’t yell for help, just take it is all. I’d cry, but that shows weakness, which he’ll never have the satisfaction of seeing from me.

I don’t understand why this is happening. I should’ve hauled ass and ran when I had the chance.

Harrison yanks me back up to my feet bending me over the trunk of the car this time. “Don’t move a muscle.” He walks to the front of his car and grabs his radio. “This is Officer Harrison, badge number 122752, and I’m transporting a Gabriel Rowe. Charges are evading arrest and assault on an officer.” He puts it back down, grabs a paper towel and wipes my face free from blood. “There you go, now you’re charged and know what for.” He tosses me back in the car, without reading me my Miranda rights. Fucking prick! “Oh, and if you don’t mind, stop bleeding all over my car by the time we get there, Gabriel.”

This night will never make sense to me.

As soon as we arrive at booking, I lawyer up.