Michael looked up at him, breaking eye contact with Aaron. “Thank you.”
An uncomfortable silence followed. Aaron avoided looking anyone in the eye until Isaac returned with a bag of ice for Michael.
After he’d settled the ice against his knuckles, Michael turned to Aaron. “You met with Smith afterwards, right?”
“Yeah, he was waiting in his car out the back, with Blake.”
“What did he have to say, anything useful?”
Aaron quickly told them what he’d overheard when Smith and Blake were in the car and what Smith had said to him after that.
“Is that everything?” Frank asked.
“Yeah.” Aaron sighed. “I wish I had something more to give you, but that’s all they said.”
“Assuming they didn’t know you could hear, it still doesn’t give us much to go on. They could just be worried about the police finding out about his illegal fight nights.”
“Sorry.” Aaron felt like he’d let them down, which was ridiculous. He’d done his part. He couldn’tmakeSmith tell them what they wanted to hear. Not without getting arrested anyway.
Frank eyed him, eyes narrowed. “Maybe youshouldfight next Friday. He might be a little more loose-lipped if you win again.”
“I don’t think—” Aaron began, but Sam cut him off.
“With all due respect, Detective.” The hint of alpha power in his voice made the hairs on the back of Aaron’s neck rise. “There’s no way his injuries would have healed by then if he were human, so that means either trying to re-create them or faking them. I don’t want to risk Aaron being hurt, either because he’s fighting injured, or revealed to be a shifter mid-fight surrounded by a crowd of drunk and angry humans. Some of whom will be armed. Do you?”
Frank looked suitably chastised. “No, Alpha Thomas. I don’t.”
“It’s late and we’re all tired,” Michael said, attempting to smooth things over. “Let’s take a break and revisit this maybe Sunday or Monday.”
Sam nodded, speaking for the rest of his pack. “I think that’s a good idea. Goodnight, Detectives.”
Summarily dismissed, Michael and Frank stood. Aaron tried to catch his eye but failed, so he stood up too, along with Harry, preparing to leave as well.
“Aaron,” Sam said, in that same tone. “I’d like a quick word if you don’t mind.”
Arse.
So close to freedom. He should have known this was coming.
Harry clapped him on the shoulder as he shuffled past and whispered, “Good luck.” Aaron would have appreciated the gesture if Harry hadn’t been smiling while he said it.
The door closed, shutting them off from whatever was now said in Sam’s flat.
“Sit down, Aaron.”
Aaron sat.
“Now, tell me the parts in that story that you missed out.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Michael gingerly flexed the fingers on his right hand as he and Frank walked towards Frank’s car. Nothing was broken and the ice had helped, but it ached.
Coming to a stop at the driver’s door, Frank turned to him. He looked from Michael’s face, to his hand, and then back again. “I texted Stewart and Bridgford to come and pick me up.”
Michael frowned. “What for?”
“Because.” Frank gave him a pointed look that made him feel about fifteen years old. “I think you need to talk to Harper.” He raised his hands, palms out. “I don’t need to know details, nor do I want them but we could be working with him and his pack for the next few weeks, maybe more. Sort it out, Arch.” He sighed. “I get it. I do. But you’ll be putting Arlington in a shitty position if you get involved with Harper now.”
