He must’ve known that was a possible outcome when he chose to do what Tombs asked. I guess he’d thought it was worth it.
I sat, hands resting on the table. “I don’t know what to say to you, Zane.” Gesturing at the cuffs on his wrists, I shook my head. “It’s all so fucked up.”
He shot me a sad smile, his expression a mix of anguish and acceptance. “It’s what I deserve, Nick. I might have been protecting my family, but you’re right. I did fucking awful things to people who trusted me. There has to be consequences.”
I stared at him, feeling so many emotions at once that my head ached with it.
The door snicked open, and I knew my time alone with Zane was up.
DATHAL
As lovely asNick Parker was to look at, watching him talk to Zane Collins had felt like a breach of their privacy. Both Max and Gabriel had assured me that police protocol required their meeting to be monitored, and that both parties knew that they were being observed.
But even knowing all that I felt uncomfortable watching them go through something so obviously painful on both sides. They were good friends. I recognised that without knowing either of them, and the hurt on Nick’s part, regret on Zane’s, tugged at my fae heartstrings more than I cared to let on.
Family was everything.
Everything.
I’d read Zane’s file, knew the reasons he’d given for the crimes he’d committed. But hearing him say it, watching the torment on his face as he spoke to Nick, I honestly believed he thought it had been his only option. He’d chosen to use his magic in a way he knew was fundamentally wrong to protect his family.
I understood that in a way maybe Max and Gabriel didn’t. Max had his pack, but I didn’t know what lengths he’d be willing to go to in order to protect them. Gabriel was only half fae and he’d never lived in our world.
I understood Zane because I was almost certain I would’ve done exactly the same thing.
Did that make me biased?
No.
While I might secretly agree that he had no choice, sympathised with him, even, it wasn’t my place to pass judgement on how the paranormal police handled his case. I was here to look at the facts and find out who was behind the smuggling of Blue Alhuirn out of our realm.
Nothing more.
With that in mind, I followed Gabriel and Max into the interrogation room and took my seat next to Nick. Turning to him, I offered him my most charming smile, hoping to set him at ease because I needed his observational skills to be sharp while we questioned Zane. “Thank you for agreeing to come today. It’s good to see you again.”
He stared at me for a moment, and I wondered what he was thinking. I knew from our initial meeting that he found me attractive, but that seemed the furthest thing from his mind as his eyes narrowed.
Good.
I didn’t want him distracted by anything.
Even me.
“You too,” he said, not looking away from me. “Although I’m curious to know why you’re here and, more to the point, why you asked for me to be present?”
Far from finding his wary tone annoying, I had to suppress a smile. He was right to be on his guard. I might be here with Max and Gabriel, but Nick didn’t know me. I half expected to feel the tickle of his magic testing my own, feeling me out, maybe, but there was oddly nothing coming from him.
I sensed it in him, strong and vibrant.
But dormant.
Like the way Zane’s magic felt when I focused on him. But Zane’s was bound by the dampening cuffs around his wrists. My gaze slid down to the black leather cuff circling Nick’s right wrist.
I wonder…
“Sorry, that’s my fault,” Gabriel cut in. “I should’ve explained before bringing you in to see Zane.” He gestured to me. “Dathal requested a witch be present when we questioned Zane.”
Nick turned to me, eyebrows raised. “And you asked for me. Why?”
