Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Beau Elliott stood outside the acting chief’s office, his jaw clenched so tightly, it felt like his teeth might crack. The hallway outside the station buzzed with activity—phones ringing, officers exchanging banter, a pair of rookies nervously flipping through a training manual—but it all blurred into static in Beau’s mind.

His gaze lingered on the brass nameplate on the door: Acting Chief Janet Redmond. He’d worked with her before, back when she was just a detective like him. She’d always been a stickler for rules, the kind who could recite department policy word for word.

Now, she was in charge while Chief Buckingham recovered and rehabbed from his unexpected heart attack. If Bucky was still in charge, Beau wouldn’t be here, but because this was Rigid Redmond, he had a bad feeling about this meeting.

He drew in a breath, pushed the door open, and strode inside like he owned the place. Confidence—or maybe arrogance—was his armor, and he wasn’t about to let Redmond see a crack in it.

“You wanted to see me?” Beau said, his voice steady, though irritation simmered just beneath the surface.

Acting Chief Redmond didn’t look up immediately. She sat behind the massive oak desk, flipping through a manila folder so thick it looked like it contained a decade’s worth of paperwork. Beau knew without asking that the file was his. The longer she took to acknowledge him, the more his irritation grew.

Finally, she leaned back in her chair and fixed him with a cool stare. “I did. Please, Detective Elliott, take a seat.”

Beau hesitated for half a second, weighing whether it was worth resisting. He decided against it. Antagonizing her right out of the gate wouldn’t do him any favors. He sank into the chair opposite her, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Do you know why you’re here, Detective?” she asked, her voice as icy as her expression.

Beau shrugged. “I’m guessing it has something to do with my latest arrest.”

“Let’s just say that was the cherry on top of a very long list of transgressions.”

Beau resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Look, Janet?—”

“Chief Redmond,” she corrected sharply. “Or ma’am. We are not on a first-name basis.”

He ground his teeth but nodded. “Fine. Chief Redmond. If this is about bending a few rules to get the bad guys off the street, then yeah, guilty as charged. But last I checked this badge”—he gestured to his chest— “was about serving and protecting. You think traffickers and drug dealers are following the rule book? Someone’s gotta level the playing field.”

“Leveling the playing field?” she repeated, her voice tight. “That’s an interesting way of saying ‘blatantly disregarding protocol.’”

“Protocol doesn’t save lives,” Beau shot back. “Action does.”

“And that mindset is exactly why you’re here,” Redmond said, slamming the folder shut. “Detective Elliott, your ‘maverick’ behavior has cost this department twelve lawsuits in the past year alone. Twelve. You’re a liability.”

Beau leaned forward, his jaw tightening. “So, what are you saying? You’d rather I sit on my hands while criminals walk free?”

“I’m saying,” she replied, her tone like steel, “that you are no longer judge, jury, and executioner. There are laws in place for a reason, and you’re going to learn to follow them.”

Beau snorted, shaking his head. “This is bullshit.”

Redmond leaned forward, her forearms resting on the desk. “No, Detective, what’s bullshit is your blatant disregard for the oath you swore to uphold. You don’t get to pick and choose which rules apply to you. That ends now.”

Beau felt the heat rise in his chest, but he forced himself to keep his tone even. “So, what’s the plan? You gonna slap me with a suspension? Write me up? Put me on desk duty?”

A faint smile tugged on the corners of her mouth, but there was no humor in it. “Not quite. After careful consideration—and consultation with Captain Jensen—I’ve decided a change of scenery might do you some good.”

“Change of scenery?” Beau repeated, suspicion lacing his voice. “What the hell does that mean?”

“It means,” she said, her voice crisp, “that you’re being reassigned. Effective immediately.”

Beau blinked. Of all the outcomes he’d expected, this wasn’t one of them. “Reassigned? To where?”

“To a town that could use your... enthusiasm,” she replied, the faintest hint of sarcasm in her tone. “You’re going to Jessup Peak.”

Beau’s head snapped back, and he barked a humorless laugh. “Jessup Peak? That’s not a town—it’s a speed bump.”

Redmond didn’t flinch. “It’s exactly where you need to be. Smaller community, fewer distractions. You’ll have time to reevaluate your approach to law enforcement.”

“This is a joke,” Beau said, his voice low and dangerous. “You’re exiling me to Nowheresville because I’m too good at my job?”

“I’m sending you there,” Redmond said evenly, “because you need a reminder of what this job is really about. Protecting and serving. Not bending the law to suit your personal agenda.”

“And if I refuse?” Beau asked, his voice sharp.

“Then you can hand me your badge right now,” she replied without hesitation. “But if you do, you’ll be walking away from any chance of a recommendation from this department—or any other.”

Beau stared at her, his mind racing. She’d backed him into a corner, and she knew it. The military had taught him to fight, to never back down, but it had also taught him to pick his battles. And this one wasn’t worth losing his career over. Not yet anyway.

He leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. “Don’t think for a second that I’m in agreement with this decision.”

Redmond’s expression didn’t waver. “I wouldn’t expect you to be.”

Beau stood, his fists clenched at his sides. “Anything else, Chief .” He wasn’t really asking.

“Just one thing,” she said, her tone softer now. “This isn’t a punishment, Beau. It’s an opportunity. Try to see it that way.”

He didn’t reply. Instead, he turned on his heel, knowing she was expecting a slamming exit, he walked out and closed the door with a slow, quiet click. Let her wonder exactly what that meant.

The ride home was a blur. Beau’s mind churned as he replayed the conversation over and over. Jessup Peak. A tiny blip on the map, miles away from the action. He couldn’t imagine a worse assignment. But as much as he hated it, he couldn’t ignore the nagging voice in the back of his mind—the one that whispered maybe this was a chance to prove something. Not to Redmond, or even the department, but to himself.

By the time he reached his apartment, he’d already started mentally packing. He didn’t know what awaited him down south, but one thing was certain: he wasn’t going to let it change who he was.