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“You were almost killed. I don’t want you anywhere near this anymore,” I say.

“I’m not some damsel in distress,” he argues. “I was constantly in danger working for the OCU. As sweet as that sentiment is, I can take care of myself.”

Of course I know this. Alex is from Canning, and he can handle himself without my help but images of Rachel Anders pointing a gun to his head still flash before my eyes and all the bruises and wounds that marred his skin for days.

Would I be considered a controlling boyfriend if I locked him in the townhouse?

“I still hate it,” I say.

He laughs, planting a quick kiss on my mouth. Begrudgingly, I have to admit he’s right. The meeting with The Keepers gave us nothing and at this point, it feels like we’re chasing our tails. If Key’s contact doesn’t move, we’re screwed.

“My mother called a meeting with The Keepers today. I was hoping one of them would give something away.”

“And?” Alex asks.

“Nothing. If the person behind this is among them, they did a pretty good job at looking innocent.”

“Shit,” he murmurs.

“Yeah.”

“And Key’s contact?” he asks.

“Nothing yet. He hasn’t met with anyone. Something feels weird about all of this.”

“Why don’t I pay him a visit?” Alex asks. “I can pretend I’m investigating a death or something and he won’t know who I am. It’s a million times better than you or anyone in The Snake doing it.”

I lift an eyebrow. “Are you going to back to the OCU?”

He bites his bottom lip. “Honestly, I don’t know. Right now, it just feels like I can’t trust anything.”

I can see the conflict in his eyes. Alex is good at his job, and I know that despite everything, a part of him does still care about the work the OCU does.

“I still need to figure all of this out, but maybe I can do this one last thing before I hand in my badge,” he continues.

“Okay,” I say, leaving the decision up to him. If I had it my way, he’d never have to work a day in his life again, but Alex doesn’t strike me as a stay-at-home kind of guy, and I know no part of him wants to work for The Snake. I’m just happy that whatever he chooses, I’ll be at his side.

“Have you spoken to Kane’s wife?” I ask, changing the subject.

His face falls slightly as he nods. “Not much. I checked in and she said she needed time. Kane told her everything, and she’s gone to her parents’ with the girls.”

Isaac Kane deserves so much worse, but Alex did the right thing. He’s a better than I am, that’s for sure. My hand finds his cheek, cradling it gently as I brush my thumb against his soft skin. “I’m proud of you, Alex.”

He beams. “You’re sweet when you’re in love.”

I lift an eyebrow. “I can fuck you again and show you just how sweet I am?”

He laughs, settling back in my arms. “I’m still going to help. Whether you like it or not. I can’t just sit back and let this descend into more chaos. The Judiciary, The Snake, The Scarlet Ravens, it could cause a war and that’s more innocent people dead.”

Keeping him away from this is a losing battle and his badge might scare whoever is behind this into action. Alex is right, and it’s a good plan, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

“Let the record show that I don’t like this,” I murmur.

He pats my bare chest placatingly. “Duly noted.”

Chapter Twenty-Five: Alex

Finding Daniel Tang in Senna Police Department’s database doesn’t take much effort. At only twenty-two, he’s been arrested multiple times for drug charges, including distribution to minors. I sit at my kitchen table, working through the files after Rowan leaves in the morning. I still can’t bring myself to step foot in the OCU. Kane’s probably there, pretending nothing is wrong, like he doesn’t know what happened to Anders.