Page 6 of Booking Burke
Even though Elias had let him go, there was no guarantee he wasn’t going to pay for this down the road. All Burke could do now was obey the officer’s orders. Get some sleep and show up tomorrow night to do this ride along.
If he were being honest with himself, it wasn’t even that much of a hardship. Burke wanted to be a cop, so he would be paying close attention to everything the veteran officer told him. Riding along with a real cop was kind of a dream come true. Add in the fact that Elias was hotter than the surface of the sun and there was no downside to this deal.
Unless therewasn’ta repeat of what happened tonight. Burke would cross thatbridge when he came to it.
3
Elias
It was 9:27 p.m. and there was still no sign of Burke Sampson. Elias was starting to think the kid was going to be a no show. His phone was in his hand and he was about to text the spoiled millennial brat when he thought better of it. Burke was going to have to learn responsibility sometime. If he couldn’t bother to show up, Eli sure as shit wasn’t going to chase him.
He was about to head back to the briefing room where the rest of Charlie shift was waiting for their assignments, when the sound of tennis shoes squeaking on the tile floor caught his attention. It was Burke. Out of breath and panting. Eli couldn’t help thinking this was exactly how the kid looked last night after he’d come his brains out.
“Officer Dixon. I’m here. Ran into someone I knew in the parking lot and…” Burke trailed off. “No excuses. I’m late. It’s my fault.” He straightened his posture, but was still gasping for air.
Technically, it was 9:29 p.m. Burke wasn’t late. He’d give the kid credit for stopping his excuse in its tracks. “Come with me.” He buzzed Burke into the office and led him down the corridor to the briefing room. The other members of Charlie shift were already gathered.
“Nice of you to join us, Dixon.” Salem Police Chief Cisco Jackson was shooting him the hairy eyeball. “This must be your ride-along partner. Sampson, is it?”
Elias motioned Burke into an empty seat in the front row. Everyone knew the front row was reserved for the fuck ups and late arrivals.Motherfucker…“Yes, sir. I’m sorry we’re late. Won’t happen again.”
“Since the two of you couldn’t bother to be here on time, holding up your fellow officers and keeping me from getting home to my fiancé, you’re on campus patrol.” Cisco wore a triumphant grin.
Elias groaned. The other officers in the room started jeering and clapping their hands, obviously relieved that they wouldn’t be stuck babysitting college kids who were too stupid to play their music at a normal volume and not get into drunken brawls.
Burke shot Elias a questioning look. He didn’t say a word. They were in enough trouble as it was. Stopping to explain what they’d be doing tonight would only make Cisco angrier. The last thing he needed was to be assigned something worse that what they’d gotten.
“Be safe out there tonight,” Cisco cautioned. “Dismissed. Dixon? A minute, please.”
Fucking great! Now what? Did Cisco want Eli to clean the fucking bathrooms with a toothbrush? He approached the podium, leaving Burke in his seat. “Yes, chief?”
“Don’t ‘yes, chief’ me, Eli.” Cisco grinned. “We know each other better than that.”
“Just trying to be professional in front of the kid, Cisco.” The chief was the first friend Eli had made when he moved to Salem. That bond had only gotten stronger as the years passed.
“All I was going to say was that he looked young.” One of Cisco’s dark eyebrows rose high up his forehead.
“He’s a senior at Salem State. Criminal Justice program. He’ll be starting the academy in a few weeks.” Christ, Eli could feel himself starting to sweat. He knew what point Cisco was driving toward.
“He also happens to be the young man you pulled over early this morning under the suspicion of DUI.” Cisco’s voice was soft.
Shit, nothing ever got past eagle-eyed Cisco. “Let’s just called this an exercise in being scared straight.”
Cisco looked past my shoulder to where Burke was sitting quietly. “Bullshit. You’re looking at someone who is engaged to a man nearly half his age. I know what’s going on here.”
“It’s not what you think, Cisco. I’m just trying to help this kid out. He’d been drinking last night. I didn’t want a DUI arrest to ruin his future.” That was absolutely the truth. The part about Cisco’s fiancé still rocked him a bit. Cisco had met Luca during a reported break-in at the Salem State science building. Eli could see the comparison he was obviously trying to draw.
There was no way lighting could strike twice, could it?
“So, you’re making him pay his debt to society by spending time riding along with you?” Cisco snorted. “I guess that would be enough to scareanyonestraight.”
“I’m notthatbad.” Elias had about enough shit from Cisco. They’d forged a good friendship over the last two and a half years he’d been with the Salem Police Department. It had been Cisco who’d let him know how gay-friendly Salem was, during the interview process. Cisco’s welcome had been the reason he’d taken the job. He’d never regretted it. Until now. As much as he tried to sidestep, Cisco knew exactly why Burke was riding along with him instead of being stuck in a jail cell.
“Be professional out there tonight. I don’t give a fuck what the two of you get up to when your shift ends. Hear me?” Cisco bit his lower lip in an obvious attempt not to laugh.
Eli nodded. “Loud and clear.” Turning from him, Eli’s eyes landed on Burke. “Let’s roll, kid.”
Burke opened his mouth looking like he had something to say. After getting a look at Eli, his mouth snapped shut. This could be promising after all.
