Page 39 of The Sole Suspect
Blake didn’t need to voice it for the meaning to be crystal clear. They were signaling to Dominic that they were aware of his omega. That I was on their radar, accessible whenever they decided to make a move.
Dominic’s arm circled my waist, pulling me against him. His scent wrapped around me, protective and fierce, even as the tempest escalated outside. Heavy raindrops pounded mercilessly against my newly replaced shop window.
“Leo,” he murmured, pressing his forehead to mine. Our bond pulsed between us, newly formed and already tested. “I need you to trust me.”
“I do,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “We’ll figure this out.”
The shop door burst open, rainwater spattering across the threshold as three uniformed officers entered, hands on their weapons.
“Dominic Steele?” The lead officer stepped forward, expression grim. “You’re under arrest for corporate espionage, theft of confidential materials, and conspiracy.”
Penny stepped forward, indignation overriding fear. “This is ridiculous! You can’t just?—“
Blake caught his arm, pulling him back with a warning look.
Dominic’s fingers stroked my cheek once, a promise in his touch. “I’ll be fine,” he whispered, before stepping away from me to face the officers.
“Keep him safe,” he said to Blake, who nodded solemnly.
I watched in numbed silence as they read him his rights, the cold metal of handcuffs flashing in the shop’s warm light as they secured his wrists behind his back. Our bond stretched between us, a tangible connection that even steel couldn’t sever.
As they led him toward the door, he looked back once, his steel-gray eyes meeting mine. The mating mark on my neck throbbed in perfect rhythm with my racing heart as the officers guided him out into the rain.
The shop door closed behind them with a final, hollow jingle of the brass bell, leaving me standing amid scattered evidence and concerned faces, the ghost of Dominic’s scent still wrapped around me.
Penny’s arm slipped around my shoulders, his scent mingling with mine in omega solidarity. “Well,” he said, his voice steady despite the tears glistening in his eyes, “I guess we need a plan.”
Blake nodded grimly, already pulling out his phone. “I’ll contact my lawyers. And we need to warn Jake—the Antonellis found him once. If he runs now, they’ll just find him again.”
I touched the mark on my neck, feeling Dominic’s presence through our bond despite the growing distance between us. “And I need to find out as much as possible about Brian and the Antonellis,” I said, determination replacing shock. “No one threatens my alpha and gets away with it.”