Page 21
21
Luca
The interrogation room is freezing, the metal chair stiff against my back. The table is scratched and scuffed, showing the history of the people who sat here before me, people who were probably just as trapped as I feel right now. They let me rest at the hospital longer than I expected, but it wasn’t enough. I’m still exhausted, still aching, still trying to catch up with my own decisions.
The station was nearly empty when they brought me in as I was walked past desks, escorted down the long hallways leading to the back rooms. And now, I’m sitting here, watching Peyton pace in front of me. He keeps throwing around words I don’t fully understand, legal jargon and threats laced with frustration, snapping them at me like I’m supposed to just fold under the weight of it. Every few minutes, his voice spikes, breaking through the stagnant air, making my body lock up like I’m already bracing for something worse.
Ward is quieter, standing by the wall, arms crossed over his chest, eyes steady as he watches the exchange. He hasn’t said much, hasn’t moved much, but his presence lingers, a silent contrast to the way Peyton is bearing down on me, waiting for me to break. He doesn’t interrupt when Peyton slams his hands down on the table, doesn’t flinch when the sound cracks through the room.
“You think this is a joke?” Peyton snaps, leaning forward. His breath is too close, his voice sharp and biting. “A bite removal without permission? Illegal drugs in your system? You think this shit is just gonna go away?”
I press my hands into my lap, trying to keep them from shaking. I focus on my breathing, on the warmth flickering through the bond, the feeling of my mates reaching for me. I can’t hear their words, but I can feel the emotions bleeding through. Grayson’s tension, Luther’s barely-contained fury, Maceo’s steady calm, and Blake’s unrelenting need for me to be home. It grounds me, keeps me from spiraling.
Peyton’s voice cuts through my thoughts again. “So, tell me, Luca. What the fuck happened? Who did it? Who helped you?”
I swallow hard, forcing myself to hold his gaze. “I already told you. No one helped me.”
He barks out a laugh, shaking his head. “Oh, that’s rich. You expect me to believe you just waltzed into a back-alley clinic, got your bite removed, and no one had a fucking say in it?”
I shake my head, refusing to put the blame on someone else. “It was me. No one else.”
Peyton narrows his eyes, studying me like he’s searching for a crack in my resolve. Ward finally steps forward, his voice calmer, but no less serious. “Luca, this is serious. You need to tell us what happened.” Ward takes a seat across from me, leaning forward to seem more personable. “Luca, I’m sure you thought you were doing the right thing. But what you’ll be charged with is so much worse than you realize. If you point out the doctor who carried out the operation, it’ll absolve you of most of them.”
I shake my head before he even finishes. “I didn’t see his face. He was wearing a mask.”
Ward nods like he expected that answer, tapping his fingers against the table. “Okay, then where was he located?”
“I don’t remember. Everything is all fuzzy.”
Ward’s face hardens for a split second, a flicker of irritation breaking through before he smooths it over, sighing as he runs a hand through his hair. He looks at me again, something close to pity in his expression. “Luca, I really don’t think you understand what’s going on.”
I open my mouth, ready to argue, to tell him I know exactly what’s going on, that I knew the second I walked into that clinic that my life was about to become hell, but then he pulls out his phone. The small smile he gives me makes my stomach twist. “Maybe your mates will help you remember.”
Peyton straightens from where he’s been leaning against the wall, scowling. “You called the Keller pack?”
Ward nods without looking at him. “They’re listed as Luca’s emergency contact.”
Peyton scoffs, shaking his head. “What about Hudson?”
“He will be contacted, yes. But at this moment, he has no physical claim to this Omega, which means he has no stake in what’s about to happen.”
I wrinkle my nose at the way Ward refers to me so impersonally, but I don’t argue. I know it’s just to keep Peyton from pushing back, to make it sound like this is all procedural. Peyton mutters something under his breath again before slamming his way out of the room. The door swings shut behind him with a sharp click, leaving just me and Ward.
The detective sighs, turning his attention back to me. “Luther and Grayson are just outside. Hopefully, they can talk some sense into you.”
Excitement runs through me as my gaze darts to the door, Ward realizing that he isn’t going to get anything else out of me now that I know my mates are just outside. The detective pats the table and stands, moving to let in my mates. There’s three seconds before I launch myself into their arms, the ache of the last two days forgotten the moment I see them.
Luther catches me like he expected it, his arms locking around me, holding me close, his warmth sinking into my bones. I press my face into his neck, inhaling deep, trying to drown myself in his musk scent. And then he’s cupping my cheek, drawing me into a desperate, messy kiss that has every one of my nerves on fire.
Then there’s another set of hands, another body pressing up behind me, and suddenly I can breathe again. Grayson is at my back, arms winding around my waist, pulling me between them. I can feel everything, even Grayson’s temporary bond filtering faded emotions through the connection.
“Fuck,” Luther exhales against my lips, his hands moving to cradle my ass. “We’ve got you, sweetheart. You’re home.”
Ward clears his throat and I barely manage to pull myself back into the present. “As much as I’m glad for this family reunion, we don’t have time for it.”
Luther doesn’t let go. He just adjusts his grip, keeping me tucked against him as he moves back toward the seats. My body melts into his, my fingers gripping at his shirt, unwilling to let go. When he sits down, I stay pressed against his chest, my legs on either side of his thighs.
Grayson moves to sit beside us, his palm warm when I reach out for him. Ward watches the exchange, almost annoyed before slipping into a seat across from us. “Two days ago, Luca disappeared from Hearthstone. This morning, the police were called because he had a sizeable wound on his neck—one that only happens after a bite removal.”
Luther tenses beneath me, his entire body going rigid, as his gaze drops to the bandage on my neck.
The detective continues. “The charges are serious for having a bite removal done without the court’s permission.”
Luther finally speaks, his voice a thick, rumbling sound that reverberates through the room. “How do you even know this was Luca’s choice?”
Ward doesn’t hesitate. “Because only one bite was removed, Luther.” His eyes flick between us, sharp and knowing. “Just Hudson’s. This is as messy as it gets. I would have found a way to get the investigation against you dismissed and made sure that Luca ended up back home but now? Luca is going to be charged with Omega endangerment, possession of Schedule I drugs, and willing participation in an illegal medical procedure.”
The law is bullshit because I am the Omega that was endangered and the drugs were inside of me, not in my pocket. Not that that would help anything.
I keep my face tucked into Luther’s shirt, not wanting to address anything else at the moment. Ward continues, each revealing statement worse than the previous one. “If Luca is officially charged, he’ll never be able to hold a job again, never be able to do anything in public on his own. He’ll carry around a special license. He’ll have absolutely no freedom without at least one of his Alphas around. Not even Maceo will be able to vouch for him as a Beta.”
Luther’s hold on me tightens instantly, the bond humming with anger, frustration, and protectiveness so thick it makes my head spin. I sob into his chest, the reality of what I’ve done settling in like a stone in my stomach. “I had to,” I choke out. “Hudson was going to come get me.”
Luther shushes me, pressing his lips to my temple. “It’ll be okay. I’m not angry with you, just at the situation.”
Grayson sits forward, his elbows braced against his knees, voice clipped. “What happens next?”
Ward exhales as I twist around to meet his gaze. “The pending charges won’t be filed until at least a few days from now while we do more research. We’re not so evil that we’d keep an Omega locked in here indefinitely. Physically, he’s fine. We’ll be contacting Hudson as well to inform him of the situation, but for now, I think it’s best we return him to—”
Luther’s growl cuts him off. “We’re going to take Luca home. He’s not going back to Hearthstone because, for whatever reason, they didn’t think it was pertinent to tell anyone that he wasn’t still there. And I can also tell by my Omega’s reaction to that goddamn word that something happened there that shouldn’t be happening.”
I flinch at the name, the mere mention of Hearthstone enough to make my body lock up. Grayson notices, my Alpha placing a soft hand on my back. “If you have a problem with that, you can arrest me, but we don’t trust anyone else with Luca right now.”
Peyton is waiting just outside as Luther heads for the door with me still wrapped around him, arms crossed, face twisted with irritation. “Hey, you can’t just do that—”
Luther doesn’t slow down. “Then officially charge him or let us go home. We both know who you answer to, but fuck, let it go. Where is the chief?”
I bury my face in his chest, seeking comfort, his scent the only thing keeping me from completely unraveling. Ward steps out behind us, rubbing a hand over his face like he’s already exhausted by this conversation. “The chief is on vacation.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think that one or both of you called to have everyone clear out so it would be your word against ours.” Luther tilts his head, smirking at Ward. “But that would be crazy. And I know you’re not that underhanded.” His eyes flick to Peyton. “You, though? You might be an idiot, but you’re not that stupid. Knowing that Hudson has no idea where Luca currently is tells me you’re most likely acting on your own accord to impress him. But here’s what I do know—Hudson is one of Hearthstone’s sponsors. So, unless you can tell me that he won’t have access to my Omega, nothing is going to change.”
Peyton’s mouth opens, but Luther cuts him off before he can even start.
“Don’t answer that,” he says. “I already know Hudson walked into that goddamn building. It’s why he knew Luca wasn’t there.” Then my Alpha just turns and heads out of the building, like he didn’t just put two detectives in their place.