“No, leave it for them. Will you and your team be okay with the police coming in?” I ask, knowing Ronnie has a record a mile long.
“Yeah. Heidi was insistent on me setting everything up properly with the parole board, so when she employed me and my guys, she sponsored us. Covering our asses. I’d never do anything to risk her, Heidi’s a good sort. She made sure all of us got a fucking future to look forward to. It’s pretty rare in our world.”
I already knew what Heidi had done protecting them because their loyalty means the world to her. “If the authorities give you any shit, I still want to know. Make sure your ID badge is on full display, same with the rest of the team.”
Ronnie flicks his chin up, agreeing before he steers our conversation on to other updates. “Kai’s with Darius. Allan’s fine, he’s keen to see Heidi, but he’s not hurt. He kept asking for access to his office, but I told him to wait for me to speak with you first,” he says, keeping his eyes averted knowing I’m still on edge but also watching in case shit turns south once again.
“How far off is the ambulance?” I ask, tightening my arms around Heidi. My thoughts are currently locked on her and my brothers.
“Pulling up now,” he replies after checking his phone.
I nod in relief, my thoughts starting to drift further outside of my immediate focus. “I don’t want anyone coming in here. We’ll come out if they want to see Heidi, but I want her to have some space away from Alphas we don’t know.”
Ronnie nods and moves out the way, but Heidi’s hand shoots out and stops him. “Thank you.”
“You do not need to thank me,” he insists, as he ducks low so he can look at her.
Her voice is quiet but her tone is crystal clear and so strong, “I do. You put your life on the line.”
“So did you,” he chuffs like a cat back at her. And my Alpha does not take offence in the least that another Alpha is almost purring for my mate. Ronnie screams the same sort of devotion that Douglas had.
“You better come and have dinner with us as soon as Dare’s better, Ronnie,” she says quietly, her apple scent starting to get lost under the scent of her storming emotions again.
And as soon as he agrees, she shifts over to business mode. “Check the tapes of the room. Gracey will have access or I can log on to my computer. He must have been in here after the room was set up because the entrances to the auditorium are fitted with weapons detectors. But they’re not turned on during setup. It’s a big problem.”
“It was a Ghost Gun, Heidi,” Ronnie says, realising she missed that from before. He explains to her without being condescending. “They’re undetectable which is how he got it through. I found some wrapping under his seat too. I’d put money on it being made from carbon or a plastic polymer. He knew what he was doing.”
“You sound like you know a lot too. Will you work with the Security Department to make sure we’re looking at everything properly? We’re probably only focussing on part of what we should, since everyone in the security department has a college degree and a clean criminal record.”
Ronnie chuckles, knowing she’s not being disrespectful at all.
“I’ll talk with them, but you’re stuck with me as your security.” He grins at her. “We will sort everything out later. First let’s get the police in here, hopefully get some answers and get you home.”
Heidi agrees. “That will be why Allan’s asking to go to his office. He’ll get the HR records ready for the police.”
“I figured as much, but I was waiting for your or Ramses’ approval.”
“Okay,” she agrees.
And then Ronnie solidifies himself as a person in her life when he turns to go get Allan without checking in with me or waiting for my approval. Because the fact is, he only needs hers. And as long as he knows that, which he does, and treats her like the queen she is, I’ve got no beef at all with him.
The three of us follow him inside, and while Heidi walks on her own, I barely let any space separate us, and my hand stays on her back as she clings to Allan. My Alpha needs physical contact with her.
Allan is uncomfortable as hell in his stress. He pushes away from Heidi after a quick hug, but she doesn’t take offence at all, no doubt used to his ways.
He barely looks at any of us when he speaks. “Do you realise who that was?”
Allan’s voice is hollow, his teeth clenched. Despite the huffing and puffing, there’s no mistaking the rage he’s feeling. He doesn’t wait for a response. “Nigel Lancaster, worked in Research and reported to John and Leigh. I was told his employment was terminated.”
“Why?” Heidi adjusts her mannerisms to Allan, becoming standoffish in a sense.
“He joined when we were in the testing phase of the spray, Duratious. He was a junior laboratory assistant, and a poor one at that. I spoke at length with John and Leigh on several occasions about his role. He sees himself as more than an assistant, but I assure you he barely has the necessary aptitude to list the differences between a mouse and a rat.”
Douglas offers to help Allan, but he waves him off. And then he leaves without another word. And as I spin Heidi to look at her, it’s easy to see she’s equally confused after finding out who the shooter was.
“Talk to us,” I say, tipping her face up, her eyes full of grief but in them there’s a growing fire of determination.
She grits her teeth, similar to how her father did, as a wave of anger makes her quake in my arms.
