Choosing Rena Read Online Free PDF

to his ID he’s only
seventeen.”
    He dropped his arm from Hank’s
shoulder and his voice went cold. “If he’s old enough to steal,
flee from security and strike a child, then he’s man enough to
accept the consequences.”
    Hank held up his hands. “I agree
whole-heartedly but somehow I don’t think the Chicago P.D. is going
to agree with you, nor do the members of his gang.” Running a hand
through his salt-n-peppered hair, he nodded to the group of black
gang-bangers watching the proceedings from across the food court.
“I’ll bet anything this stunt was some kinda of initiation, and
those guys don’t look none too happy about your
interference.”
    He shrugged. It mattered not to him.
If they thought they could take on a former Ranger and win – all
the more power to them. He’d be prepared. “Better they be pissed at
me than set their sights on Rena.” For that he’d kill them – no
questions asked. She was his – even if she didn’t realize it
yet.
    Hank sighed. “You have a death wish,
Levough?”
    Jackson chuckled. “No, why do you
ask?”
    Hank shook his head. “First you piss
off a damn fine woman until she’s ready to murder you in your
sleep, and then you stalk her at work. Now to top it all off,
during said stalking, you interfere with her job by beating the
piss out of a possible gang member.”
    Before he could answer, a young
uniformed cop with a massive chip on his shoulder joined them.
Jackson could tell by the way the cop’s hand rested on the butt of
his gun as he gave him the once over before deciding he wasn’t a
threat then addressing Hank. “I’ll take the witness off your hands,
now, so you can get back to your rounds.”
    When Hank opened his mouth to protest,
the guy glared at him. “After all, I’m a trained police officer and
I’m sure you have other things to do – like catch shoplifters.” He
reached out to grab Jackson’s arm. “Sir, I’m going to have to ask
you to come with me.”
    With a smooth move he evaded the man’s
grasp and gave Hank a rueful smile, totally ignoring the cop simply
because he knew it would piss the guy off. If there was anything he
hated more than bullies, it was bullies with a badge. “Do you
reckon they’ll let me go with a warning? After all, I didn’t hurt
him too much.” Walking a few feet over to the nearest trash
receptacle, he tossed the bloodied napkin into it.
    The cop followed him, this time
lunging at Jackson then managing to snag his arm. “I don’t find
this the least bit funny, Sir. Now unless you want me to take you
down right here, you need to come with me.” The forceful tone did
little to impress Jackson. He’d heard sharper barks from his daddy
than this young punk.
    He glanced down at his arm, donning
his Ranger persona to stare down the other man. “You have less than
three seconds to release me, Son, before I show you how bad you
actually aren’t.”
    “Are you threatening an
officer?”
    Keeping his tone even, he shook his
head. “No. Just making a statement of fact.”
    “Kalinski, what the hell are you
doing?” Another cop, this one wearing a suit and a crew cut joined
him.
    This cop Jackson recognized and
respected, unlike junior here. He’d worked with Sean Anderson
several times over the past two years in the training courses for
urban war tactics which he and Jude had provided for the city. He
was a good man and a more than competent cop without being
overbearing.
    Kalinski looked over his shoulder.
“The witness is being difficult, Detective Anderson. I was just
giving him a helping hand…”
    “Boy, you’re lucky he isn’t giving you
a broken one. Jackson Levough is one of the guys who wrote our
urban tactics course material. Now do yourself a favor and release
him before you end up with fewer working fingers than you started
out with.”
    The kid dropped Jackson’s arm, but
glared at him as he stormed off.
    “Sorry about that, Jackson. Fresh from
the academy and he’s already