Page 10 of A Cobbled Conspiracy
“I didn’t want you to come here.” The muscles in his jaw tightened as he glanced down at his orange jumpsuit. “Hated the idea of you seeing me like this.”
Through the bond, I felt his controlled demurral, the way his alpha instincts were laser-focused on protecting me even from behind bars. But there was something else now—something barely restrained that caused my omega instincts to becomeinstantly alert and on edge. The connection between us was still so new, so overwhelming, that every emotion felt amplified. “And now? You are happy to see me, right?”
I reached across the table, my fingers barely grazing his knuckles. The brief contact sent electricity crackling down my spine.
Dominic’s fingers curled into a tight fist beneath my touch, a sharp intake of breath escaping through his clenched teeth as the connection between us pulsed.
“Of course.” He leaned forward as much as the bolted chair allowed. “I just want you safe, first and foremost.”
I noticed Blake had positioned himself near the guard, engaging in casual conversation about sports scores and weather. The guard’s attention was split between his duties and Blake’s surprisingly charming small talk.
“Blake’s doing a good job with that,” I said, trying to offer hope. “His investigator found Brian’s storage unit. We’re making progress. It’s just a matter of time before?—”
“Time.” The word carried weight I’d never heard in his voice before. “That’s what they’re counting on. That I’ll break down and take a plea rather than fight. Brian—that little fuck—he was planning this for a long time.”
The thought of Dominic pleading guilty to crimes he didn’t commit made my instincts flare with protective fury. My scent sharpened, chocolate-leather taking on an edge that made the guard glance our way.
“That’s not happening,” I said firmly. “No plea. We’re going to beat this.”
Through the new bond, I felt his surprise at my fierce reaction, followed by something that felt like pride mixed with affection and worry.
“We might have a lead too—with the break-in at the Historical Society,” I continued. “We’re heading there after this.”
“Leo,” he said, eyeing me sternly with those silver-gray eyes. “You need to stay out of this. Let Blake handle the investigation—he’s got connections for that sort of?—”
“I’m being careful,” I said, matching his intensity. “I’ve ran everything past Blake already and got his clearance.” I waved my hand dismissively. “Besides, it’s just sifting through old papers, really. Boring, not dangerous in the slightest…”
“Now you sound like your little pink-haired friend.” His expression suggested I didn’t have him convinced.
“No, no… paper-cut, at the worst,” I said. “Listen… everything stolen was from the early 1970s—right when the preservation guidelines were established. It’s just a hunch, but I think someone’s been covering up old corruption to enable new crimes.”
“Something happened to make the coverup suddenly important,” he said, immediately grasping the implications.
“I’m going to find out what,” I promised. “Vertex Acquisitions has been trying to develop the District’s properties for months. If someone needed to bury evidence of past development deals…”
I trailed off, my gaze going to where our fingers intertwined. The moment he'd stepped through that door and I’d taken in his pine and cinnamon scent, the churning in my stomach has begun to settle. The bond between us pulsed with shared understanding,minds connecting in a way that still felt miraculous and terrifying. We’d barely had time to explore what this connection meant before they’d ripped us apart.
Dominic’s eyes darted toward the corner of the room, then back to me. His alpha scent had been growing stronger throughout our conversation, and I could see the tension in every line of his body—coiled, barely restrained, like a predator holding back from pouncing. The separation was affecting him as badly as it was affecting me, and something hungry was lurking behind his controlled facade.
“Leo,” he said quietly, his voice rough and edged with something desperate. “I need—I can smell how much you’re hurting. Your scent is all wrong.”
He glanced toward Blake, who had somehow managed to draw the guard into an animated discussion about local sports teams. Blake caught Dominic’s eye and gave an almost imperceptible nod.
“Think the Millers have a chance this season?” I heard Blake say loudly to the guard at the same moment I realized that Dominic was out of his chair, and already moving toward me.
He reached me in two quick strides and his hand closed around my wrist—not gently.
“Corner. Now.” The command in his voice made my omega biology sing even as alarm bells went off in my rational mind.
He didn’t wait for me to comply. His grip tightened as he yanked me out of the chair, the momentum causing me to crash into his hard frame. I opened my mouth, but his hand muffled my indignant squeak. He released me just long enough to spin me toward the corner with barely leashed urgency, my shoessqueaking against the linoleum as I stumbled. His hand slid around me to press firmly over my belly, righting me as his other hand settled on my waist.
He crowded me against the wall, his broad shoulders blocking the view from the cameras. His breath was hot against my neck as he pressed close, his body a wall of heat behind mine.
I should have been concerned about the cameras, the guard, themanhandling, the impropriety of it all.
Instead, heat shot straight through me at his display of dominance.
“Dominic,” I whispered, my voice breathless. I pressed my palms against the cool concrete wall, my heart hammering as I felt the tension vibrating through him like a live wire about to snap.