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When I turned to catch Zahria’s expression, I was surprised to see her less than put together. The woman who had taken our ranger class by storm with that snarky smile and bouncy curls pulled back in a tight ponytail to show off her sharp features wasn’t in this room. Even the hazel color of her eyes had dimmed, the golden aura that usually accompanied her dark skin muted.
Dark circles sat beneath her eyes, her expression tight from working too much, and her body sagging in her chair. Her scent had gone stale and she was no longer the vibrant, feisty woman I met in ranger school. “Because this couldn’t be said on the phone, Isaias. I don’t know who Michael has in his pocket but it’s someone with power. Those charges should have been enough to lock him away for good but the Omega’s death was ruled an accident and the assault charge is on the other Alpha, not Michael. The other ones? Minor disturbances.”
Minor…disturbances? I was terrified to think that the only reason Michael served any time in jail was because I showed up. Had I been a little later—Kieran wouldn’t be with us. No doubt,whoever was backing Michael would lock Kieran up and throw away the key. “How is that even possible?”
“If I knew, I’d tell you. All I know is that Kieran can’t be the first Omega that he went after and definitely isn’t the last.” Zahria sat up and twisted around to meet my gaze. “If I had any other options, I wouldn’t… but I need you to talk to Kieran.”
My resulting growl was answer enough, my lip curling up in a snarl. “I will not ask my mate to relive these nightmares so that you can find your answers.” We had tried multiple times to get Kieran to talk about it. There were very few times he even acknowledged the incident and soon after, I’d find our babies wrapped up so tightly against his chest, I thought the three would melt together.
“Isaias,please.This is bigger than just you and him. Hell, it’s a lot bigger than any one of us thought.”
“Explain.” I didn’t have time for this but the need to ensure my pack’s safety with all of the information kept me firmly seated. The moment I left Grimsby, I wasn’t leaving my pack’s side until Michael was permanently dealt with.
She stood, starting to pace before walking over to the door and peeking out the small window. Satisfied that no one was there, she returned to my side. “You shouldn’t know any of this. They just wanted to question you and-”
“And that’s what I don’t understand, Zahria. No one bothered me for over a year. No one demanded my presence. No one showed up at my house. No one required me to fulfill whatever bogus job that you kept talking about. What’sreallygoing on? I showed up because we were friends. I’m beginning to believe that you’ve abused that connection.”
“I’ve been working to close the case and I needed you down here just to smooth over the record. Just showing up would have been fine but…”
“Butwhat? Stop beating around the bush. Should I be watching out for Michael slinking around again? Because I will tell you that the next time if there is one, I will not be calling the authorities.” Justice would be served and it would not involve throwing that bastard into a jail cell. He would endure the same pain he gave to my Omega and then he would die, knowing that he hadn’t succeeded in whatever he was trying to accomplish.
She could see it in my eyes. “Fuck, calm down, Isaias.”
I reached for her and grabbed her by the collar, every painful memory from last year rushing back in. Anyone else and I might have been slapped with a warning but Zahria knew my anger stemmed from fear. She also knew I wouldn’t hurt her. “I will not calm the fuck down, Zahria. Now, tell me what’s going on or I’m going to pack myself up and head the fuck home.”
Zahria squeezed my hand from her collar, narrowing her gaze at me. She might have been a head or two shorter than me, but her snark made up for her size. “Isaias, I know you’re pissed but don’t take that shit out on me. I told you that you showing up could wait because it was an open-and-shut case. Until…” She dug into the briefcase and pulled out a second file. Unlike the first one which was a bland yellow, the general color for all police files, this one was jet black as if hiding a secret.
She opened it and slid the file across the table and I stared at it, the temperature in the room dropping several degrees. “He stole him?” I could barely wrap my head around the fact that Michael stole an Omega. Not just abused. Not just tried to kill one. Hestoleone. Flipping through a few more pages, it was clear to see that the case hadn’t been closed yet.
“Caught it on CCTV, no idea where he is or where the Omega is. We don’t think the Omega is dead but… it fits all the other accounts. The Omegas said he was trying to lure them. At first, Michael just seemed like an Alpha needing a fuck but…”
“Do you even know who the Omega is?” Zahria’s silence was answer enough and it pained me that Michael had been working under the radar for so long. Had Kieran been anyone else, he would have succumbed to whatever Michael was planning years earlier. “What do you need me for?”
Another glance in her direction had me curbing my anger. “Unofficially, I’m asking you for your help. For you to look into them. Officially, this is where we part and I close the investigation.” The tortured look on her face as her shoulders fell and she stood back hurt. Zahria thrust her hand out and I moved to give it a firm shake. “It was nice seeing you again, Isaias.” Her defeated expression made sense now. The way she had been trying to get everyone to see that there was more for so long had taken a toll on her.
Everyone knew that Michael was on the loose, probably with another Omega. Which didn’t make sense because he nearly took Kieran.
“You have no idea what he’s doing with them?” I picked up the folders and fanned through the pages again, trying to see if I could pick up any similarities but there wasn’t anything to go off of. Random Omegas, approached in less than savory conditions and offered a night with Michael.
“Just that he’s desperate. I want to say that you taking Kieran from him broke him but… there’s something else. I can’t officially investigate anymore, Isaias. I’ll lose more than my job but you always had a good eye.” Zahria sported a tight smile, hoping to lighten the mood. I was still reeling in the fact that there was areasonfor Michael’s actions. That he wasn’tjusta bastard. That he was also evil from the inside out.
“I’ll see what I can find,” I offered as I headed for the door. Making it back to our home was the only thing on my mind and I silently cursed myself for driving rather than flying. Unfortunately, a rather traumatic experience on a plane longbefore I found my mates had me rooted to the ground. A haunted memory squeezed its way into my head but I quickly shoved it back, focusing on reuniting with my family. Warmth settled in my chest at the fact that at this time tomorrow, our Omega would be bonded.
It would also be Valentine’s Day and if I returned home without a bouquet, Terrence would never let me hear the end of it.
Unearthing my phone, I dialed Joel, not surprised when he didn’t answer. Most of our communication had been at odd hours, around Kieran’s strange sleep schedule and the interrogations I had been forced to endure. The dial tone morphed into his mailbox and I blew out a deep sigh after climbing into my car and hanging up. A short burst of love mixed with anxiety hit me through the bond and while I knew my mates were okay, I had to know for sure.
Hey babe, I’m on my way home. I should be there sometime early in the morning around breakfast. Discussions went okay but seems there’s more to the incident. Hope you are all doing alright. I love you.
I sent similar messages to Terrence–Ren–and Kieran without mentioning what I had gone through. I would rather have that conversation in person. Then I dialed one of my ranger buddies turned detective, just like Zahria. Xylo was a wild Beta that couldn’t be tamed, fierce in everything he tackled. The fact that his lean stature didn’t stop him from topping some of the better Alphas in our year just made him all the more attractive to companies clamoring to hire him.
It rang twice before I heard a deep, raspy, ‘Whaddup buddy’. Ignoring formalities, I dove right in. “Anything weird?” Asking him to watch my house after I was called to Grimsby was just one of many things we had asked of each other over the years.
“Nothing at all. No one’s gone in or out all day. You know something?”
I hadn’t told Xylo much about what was going on but he connected the dots when I asked for help finding a house. And then when I had to leave this weekend, it only made sense that Xylo would question what was going on. “It’s not good, Xy but I don’t want to talk about it on the phone.” I turned the car on, letting it heat as I leaned back in my chair, running a hand down my face. “Just…”
Xylo chuckled when I didn’t finish my sentence. “Yeah, no problem. I’ll check in with… Joel, yeah? Not Ren.”
