Page 133 of Retribution

Both detectives look sympathetic as Detective Biggerstaff goes through the items that he pulled out of the beta’s pockets.

“Burner phone, no numbers or texts saved,” he reports, glancing at his partner.

“Is that significant?” I ask, brow raised.

If they try to play things fast and loose with me, I will be pissed. I can hear sirens wailing through the city, and I wonder if they’re following the van. Part of me really thought that the cops would fumble this. I suppose they’re actually trying because they fucked up my own kidnapping so badly.

I still don’t believe they’ll be able to bring her back to me though.

“I could say that he’s just paranoid and deletes it all, but he doesn’t have any form of identification either. It’s as if he didn’t want to be tracked back to whoever hired him to do this,” the detective says. “It took a lot of effort for him to get up here. These people had to be looking for your omega.”

“My best guess from what I’m seeing is that they’re betas who work for a sex trafficker or auction,” Detective Lemper adds. “We’ve some activity from this type of trash in Indianapolis, but rarely in broad daylight. This entire operation was a risk.”

“The security in this building is supposed to be the best money can buy,” I say. “Something tells me someone let them in. Nothing else makes sense to me.”

“Lucas,” Grant calls out, keeping his body turned so that Leila can’t see anything. I don’t care how little she is, we’ll shield and protect her from the ugly parts of the world as long as we can.

“Excuse me, gentlemen,” I say, moving over to Grant.

“Someone did let them in,” he says softly. “I can’t see his face in the camera when I watched the feed recording since his face was turned away. However, I have Oliver working to see if he canpull anything else from another angle. One of our own did this, Lucas.”

Fuckers. That’ll likely be the last thing he ever does. I’ll handle this myself after we find Isolde. I won’t allow a snake to live in my space.

“Glad that theory has been confirmed,” I say instead of the other things running through my mind.

I screen my staff very carefully. Somehow a rotten egg made it through.

“Let me see if the detectives need any more from me and then we’ll head home. Can you see if Leila is hungry before we go?” I ask.

“Yes. She took a solid nap earlier, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s peckish,” Grant says easily.

He’s really good with her. I feel awful that my anxiety is so high that she can sense it.

Returning to the parapet, I see that they’re calling someone.

“We’re getting someone from the coroner’s office to come pick up the body,” Detective Lemper explains.

The other detective is pulling off his gloves as he speaks on the phone, his voice calm and slow as he explains the situation.

“Alright. I’m going to take my daughter home and continue to look for Isolde,” I reply.

“Do I need to remind you that this is a criminal investigation?” Detective Lemper asks.

“There’s a dead body and my omega has been kidnapped,” I remind him. “I called you to open your investigation and pick up the body. However, you haven’t done anything outside of confirming that she’s gone. Thank you for handling the body.”

“You’re very calm for everything happening,” he says, surprised.

“I am far from that,” I reassure him. “I’m keeping things locked down for my daughter, who needs her mother.”

“What do you think you can do that we can’t?” The man finally sighs.

“I plead the fifth,” I grunt. “Are we done here or do I need to call my many lawyers on retainer to tie you up in legal tape?”

“As kinky as that sounds, I’ll pass,” Detective Biggerstaff says, hanging up the phone. “You’re free to attend to your pack, sir. Our way is much slower than what your omega probably needs.”

“He’s right,” his partner sighs. “Protocol would say that you should stay but you’re not a person of interest. Keeping you here undoubtedly will do nothing but attract bad karma because it’ll piss off the baby. Go home.”

They didn’t say I needed to stay in the city, so I’ll take that as a win. I’ll alert my lawyers of what happened on my way home. Not because I think that the policemen in this city will attempt to pin this on me, I don’t want Isolde to have to worry about a murder charge when she’s back with us.