“You did! All of you did.” Randall sighed.
“We were all close growing up.”
“You and Harrywere thick as thieves. Fitz and Lucas were, too. I was the odd man out. The little pain in the ass following around my big alpha brothers—who never wanted me around.” Randall shook his head. “And now you’re using this excuse for why you couldn’t bother to be around more?Fuckthat.”
“I’m sorry,” Emerson said, confused. He didn’t remember things from their childhood that way.
“You can shove your sorries up your ass,” Randall said. “I’m tired of hearing them.”
“Should I go wait outside and let you finish your argument first—or what?” Dash asked.
Emerson’s head whipped towards the door where Dash stood, peeking in.
“No, I think I’ve said all I want to say to him right now,” Randall said, avoiding Emerson’s gaze. He turned to eye Dash. “Glad you finally made it.”
“I apologize.” Dash’s gaze whipped to Emerson’s before he walked into the salon and closed the door behind him. “An unexpected visitor showed up on my doorstep as I was trying to leave.”
A breeze wafted over from the closing of the door, and Emerson scented vanilla and bourbon. Not Dash’s scent. Not Randall’s. Not his own.
Another alpha?
Curious, Emerson walked closer to Dash, pinning the man with his hard gaze. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Water?”
Emerson nodded. Before he walked away, he scented the air again. Whoever’s scent it was, it was definitely coming from Dash. Emerson’s hands curled into fists at his side.
Who the fuck had Dash been with and why was he wearing the alpha’s scent?
22
Dash eyed Emerson, glaring a warning after being scented. He knew the man probably smelled Jackson on him, but now wasn’t the time for explanations. Hopefully the hint of possessiveness he’d already seen in Emerson wouldn’t come out while Randall was there. Emerson eyed Dash, an odd mix of emotions in his eyes, but he thankfully bit his tongue.
Emerson walked to the fridge and returned with a bottle of water from it, clearly not pleased. Dash took the bottle and turned towards Randall, who watched them both very closely.
Ignoring Randall’s too keen gaze, he walked to the booth table and slipped in opposite from the guy. “Thanks for agreeing to talk with me.”
“I’m still not sure I should,” Randall muttered.
“Do you mind telling me why you didn’t feel safe talking at the precinct?”
Randall drew in a deep breath. “There’s been a lot of pressure lately.” He turned to Emerson. “Any way possible we could take this thing out of the marina? As far from the land as you can get—but not too close to the seaside wall?”
Emerson’s gaze flew to Dash’s before returning to Randall’s. “Is this that serious?”
Randall cut his eyes at Emerson. “I just… want to ensure we’re not listened in on.”
Dash tensed. When Emerson focused on him, a question in his eyes, Dash nodded.
“I’ll go fire up the engine. It might take a minute. I haven’t taken the boat out in a bit,” Emerson said, concern in his eyes.
Emerson walked out, and Dash soon heard the engine crank on. The entire boat began to slowly vibrate.
“That engine needs some work,” Randall said, chuckling. “As noisy as it is, it might be all the cover we need.”
“Do we really need cover?”
“Maybe. I don’t know,” Randall said. “It’s already come across my captain’s desk that you’d pulled arrest reports from the night of the last raid. He’d seen you approach me and asked what I knew.”
