The cigar boxes were full of illicit drugs and paraphernalia—a little weed, some speed, and some cocaine. No surprise there. The magazines were a little more illuminating. He’d expected the usual omega smut but opened the first one to find two alphas sucking one another down to the knot.
Dash closed the magazine, but the damage had already been done. His cock came to life, thickening painfully against hiszipper. He sorted through the covers and saw much the same. Was Jaye Lachlin alpha-attracted?
Considering his grandpapa had been a Lachlin, maybe it was something wrong with their DNA andthat’swhere he’d gotten his proclivities from. Might as well blamesomeone.He’d blamed himself enough over the years.
Dash tucked everything back inside the hiding spot, frustrated he’d found nothing.
Until he lifted the board to replace it, that was.
Underneath, there was a white cocktail napkin with a telephone number scribbled across it. It was stuck to the underside of the board, and the corner was likely the small, white triangle he’d noticed. He peeled it off the wood and slid it into a plastic storage bag he also had in his pocket. After he replaced the floorboard, disposed of the gloves, and washed his hands twice for added measure, he headed for his car.
He pulled a burner from his glove box and dialed the number on the napkin.
We’re sorry—but the number you have dialed is no longer in service… Please check the number and dial again…
Dash eyed the screen and confirmed he’d dialed the correct number. He might be able to do some digging at the office, but if it was also a burner, it could be a dead-end. Glancing on the other side of the napkin, he noticed an ornate, golden dragon printed on the opposite side. Not just gold, but bright jewel tones in jade, red, and blue shone along with black. It was high-end printing, something he could possibly find the source of. He’d never seen the symbol before but got the feeling it belonged to a nightclub, restaurant, or bar—it had the remnant of a round wet ring from a drink resting on it. If there was a place it belonged to, Jaye Lachlin might’ve been there on his way to wherever.
When Dash returned to the office, Davis and their newest hire, Gordon Parks, sat waiting in his office. Davis had takenGordon under his wing, training him in the field, which he had with quite a few of their newer investigators of late. Dash refused to say a word and potentially put an end to the assistance. It was past time the guy stepped up.
“Hey, Boss,” Davis murmured as Dash walked to his desk.
Gordon parroted the response.
Dash lifted a brow, glaring at Davis.
Mason Daviswasn’this employee. He was an equal partner—one who preferred to remain fully behind the scenes and pretend he wasn’t in charge of anything. He made up for his refusal with his skills as an investigator and tireless, brute strength when it was required. The man was a dog with a bone and had ten times the bite strength, and solved every case handed his way, for better or worse. Not only was he daunting in his work, but he also stood just over seven feet and his shoulders could block out the sun. The man was a giant, especially considering hewasn’tan alpha.
Dash tossed the plastic baggy with the napkin and Jaye’s keys onto his desk before sitting down. “Hey, Gordon. How’s everything going?”
“Pretty straightforward. The process is pretty much the way we did things with the Guard,” Gordon replied.
“I told you it would be. The system works, so why change it.Much,”Dash replied with a grin. “Until you learn how much wiggle room we have, just ask.”
“I’d say a few more days, and we can give him a smaller case to work and see how he does,” Mason said.“Lightsupervision.”
“You’ll have to handle that,” Dash said, lifting the baggy with the napkin. “We’ve acquired a new client as of this morning who demands my full attention.”
“Oh, shit,” Gordon said, narrowing his eyes on the napkin. “Something to do with the Dragon?”
Dash’s gaze whipped to Gordon’s.“The dragon?You’re familiar with this symbol?”
“My old boss has a hard-on for that place. He used to send us on raids there every few months. We’d end up arresting at least a dozen men, if not more.” Gordon scoffed.“Ifyou can call the guys inside there men.”
Dash narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“It’s one of those sex dens. Alpha fuckers,” Gordon said, scrunching his nose like he smelled something terrible. “Not any place a respectable alpha wants to find himself, that’s for sure.”
“Alphafuckers?”Mason asked, a hint of danger in his tone.
“Alphas who’re intoother alphas,”Gordon said. “Fucking deviants.”
Dash’s gaze whipped to Mason’s and back to Gordon.
“I’ve got a missing alpha, and I need to find him,” Dash said. “Someone there might know something. Where’s this place?”
“You really want to avoid that place,” Gordon said. “You don’t want to accidentally get arrested during a raid.”
“You could call in a favor with your ex-co-workers, maybe?” Mason asked. “See if there’s a raid coming up soon or not?”
