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"With respect, Captain, we can't force her to come in without legal grounds."

"Then find some!”

Silence fills the car.

"Sir?" I question.

"You heard me. I want that woman in an interrogation room. Today. No exceptions."

"We'll continue working the case," I say carefully.

"You'd better."

The call ends.

For a long moment, neither of us speaks.

Then Forge turns toward me.

"What the fuck was that?" he asks.

Thank God. Even he’s starting to notice something is off about this.

We’ve worked cases for years. This isn’t the first time we’ve worked with our Captain directly, but it is new to us. Only since our LT took his leave. He hasn’t acted this way on any other case though. Just this one. Why?

"That's what I'd like to know,” I answer.

"He's pissed because we ignored a direct order,” Forge says as an explanation. It doesn’t feel like the full truth though. It’s not enough. Because why was the order given that way in the first place?

"Obviously he’s mad about that,” I say.

"Then we should leave it as that.”

"He told us to find grounds to arrest her, Forge.” My annoyance isn’t hidden this time. Why does he not understand? And why is he going back on his word? Two seconds ago, he was questioning why Mendes was acting like that. He took a second to think about it, and now he’s on his side again? Agreeing with him?

"He wants her questioned,” he adds simply.

"We questioned her. He wants her in custody. There's a difference,” I snap. “And sometimes, I wish you’d pull your head out of your ass and see what’s in front of your eyes.”

He frowns, but doesn’t say anything. He knows not to when I snap at him like that. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, he knows to back off or this fight will escalate.

Forge is quiet beside me, which tells me he's thinking just as hard as I am. I’m not sure if it’s how to apologize to me, or if he’s considering the situation.

We've got a witness who's hiding something, a captain who's acting strangely, and an omega who somehow belongs with both of us and knows something about a murder investigation that she’s not telling us.

And I have a feeling those things are about to make our lives a whole lot more complicated.

Chapter Eleven

Raewyn

“They’re my scent-match,” I blurt out the moment I see them get into their car from the window.

Trina’s eyes widen. “Both of them?”

I nod.

“Did they recognize it too? I didn’t even notice anything…”