Throbbing pain tugs at my awareness. I don’t move a muscle or change my breathing, exactly like I was taught at the Police Academy. Just because you’re shown how to do something doesn’t mean it’s easy. I squeeze my eyes shut and let all the thrumming fear go as high as it needs. Fighting against the feeling will only continue to feed the terror. This way, letting it all out, should burn out the emotion.
Except, because of my fucking heat coming up, or simply because I’m admitting what they mean to me, the physical pain shifts to a different type. One I definitely can’t afford and one that shreds my carefully constructed self-control. Pretty much like they’ve always managed.
Ronin’s smile, right after he laughs, flashes in my mind, then it’s a constant slideshow of my best moments with each of them. Keegan’s scowl is a punch to my chest. Rafferty’s eyes full of sensuous passion and sin, feel like a vise tightening around my already tender heart. Tynan’s gentle, tentative touch is the final straw, and I can’t stop the whimper from escaping.
Chapter Forty-Eight
KEEGAN
The ferocious sky-high flames should bring some level of comfort. The only thing keeping back the wall of rage simmering from erupting is the small tracker in my hand.
I don’t believe for a second Tally cut it out herself. She never knew it was in her, for starters. Our Omega would have sassed the absolute fuck out of us if she did.
On top of that is the very reason we had this type of tracker installed—it’s almost undetectable. “Almost” because if it was totally undetectable, I wouldn’t have Tally’s tracker in my possession.
The device itself is top of the line and expensive as hell. There’s no limit to what we’ll spend when it comes to Tally, though. The flip side is, who the fuck carries around a portable scanner? The worrying answer is, not very many people.
A car pulls up behind us, and even without the sirens or turning around, I know it’s one of a few people. Since Black isn’tanswering my calls at the moment it narrows it down further. Only Detective Patrick Doyle is brave enough to stand behind me.
“You’ll need to come down to the station for questioning.” There’s a touch of victory on his breath.
I put my wife’s tracker in a pocket hidden inside my tactical jacket, and as soon as I clip it away safely, the tension coiling in every fucking bone in my body increases tenfold.
Cracking my neck, as opposed to ripping his throat out, I turn to face him.
He takes a step back, so I take one closer. I’m done pretending Doyle is nothing but a dog for us to bark at. And he’s about to get a reminder of who his master is.
“Now why wouldIbe answering any of your questions, when Black’s not taking my calls?” I ask slowly, not bothering to shield how close to being feral I am.
The false bravado I’ve always seen in his eyes flares bright like a neon sign, telling the world what a fucking sap he is.
“You can’t go around setting fire to houses in plain fucking sight.” His eyes jump over my shoulder as he grunts back at me.
I throw my hands up, laughing. “I fucking can, you dippy cunt. You can see I can, too, with your own fucking eyeballs.”
And what’s more concerning in his line of questioning is, it’s clear more than ever this pissant is part of the problem and not part of the solution. He’s purposely not mentioning someone was killed inside, like me burning the house down is more of an injustice. Besides, Ronin burned the house down on principal of our wife being hurt here, and because he’s fucking irate.
I know in my heart the pool of blood under one of the kitchen chairs didn’t come from my Omega. I’d feel her death like a physical blow. I swear I can also scent her peachy perfume on the tracker. The blood that was spilled in that kitchen had myheart stilling at first, but when I realized it didn’t carry her scent, I got another sign she’s still alive.
“Keegan,” Rafferty hisses from my side.
My Omega’s warning isn’t done for Doyle’s sake. It’s a sign Rafferty’s had enough of playing games too. I lock my knees, because an unhinged Rafferty, smelling still of heat and sex, is as dangerous for me as he is for everyone. Different reasons, but…
He moves like silk, effortlessly gliding closer. And because everyone always underestimates Omegas, Rafferty manages to deliver a brutal reminder to Doyle he’s nothing but a dog we control. Rafferty shakes his fist out as we watch Doyle struggling to his feet with a broken, bloody nose that’s gushing like a fountain.
Unsurprisingly, Patrick can’t manage dealing with too many things at once. Which speaks volumes for how undisciplined and weak a man he is. He has no choice but to park his arse on the road, at our fucking feet, until his eyes stop cartwheeling in his fat fucking head.
Striding close enough that Doyle has no choice but to cower or be bowled over, I stop in front of Raff to check his knuckles. The skin’s not broken, but he’ll have a bruise soon enough.
“Ty’s not going to be happy with your form, but I’ll let him know how good your power was,” I offer quietly, brushing his hair out of his face.
He relaxes under my touch, just enough for me to get one of his smiles before he speaks. “Let’s go, Alpha.”
Keeping his hand in mine, I ensure he’s safely on the other side, further away from Doyle as we head back to the car where Ronin and Ty are waiting.
I look down at Doyle and make sure he can’t miss my threat. “If Black doesn’t answer my next call, I’ll burn your house down next. Hopefully while you’re inside.”
All the other emergency responders don’t acknowledge us in the least. But I’d seen Ty shaking hands and laughing with the fire chief earlier.
