by Paige Tyler
Brooks said the words without hesitation, for the first time putting what he felt for Selena into words. He’d known there was a connection with her from the moment he’d seen her, and he’d been more than ready to accept she was The One for him. But this was the first time he’d allowed himself to truly consider what all that meant. He only wished he’d told Selena how he felt before this morning. Considering they’d only been on two dates, it probably would have been way too fast, but maybe it would have kept everything from going so bad.
“I’m not talking about her being The One for you,” Carter said. “That’s obvious. What I want to know is whether you’re ready to do anything necessary to help Selena, even if that means watching her walk away.”
The question caught him off guard. “Walk away? What the hell are you talking about?” The words came out sharper than he intended, his fangs extending slightly. “I’m not letting her walk anywhere without me. I want to help her control this thing.”
“I know that.” Carter’s mouth curved up in a small, mirthless smile. “Look, learning how to stay calm enough to control their claws and fangs is a long-term project for an omega. I worked on it by myself for almost two years before Gage found me. It’s still hit and miss, even after all this time. The best thing you can do for Selena is be there for her when she needs you. Introducing her to the Pack might help, too.”
Brooks scowled. “Might help?”
“You’re going to have to take this at her pace,” Carter said. “Some omegas, like me—and the ones that have moved into the area since the hunters showed up—can live in a pack environment. But others never get to that point. As a rule, omegas are loners. If you try to put a wall up around Selena for her own protection, you might chase her off.”
Brooks opened his mouth to say he wouldn’t let that happen to the woman he loved, but Carter interrupted him. “Ray’s coming. I’ll let you two talk.”
Carter was out the door before Brooks could stop him. Ray stepped in a moment later. He grinned when he caught sight of Brooks.
“You know you didn’t have to hang around, right?” Ray grabbed the chair Carter had vacated. “It’s not like we’re going to need any doors kicked in at this point.”
Brooks couldn’t help but smile at the little groan of pleasure Ray let out now that he was off his feet. The guy acted like he was eighty even though he was the fittest cop in his midfifties in the department. “I know. But I wanted to be here in case you found something worthwhile.”
Ray snorted. “Hope you haven’t been holding your breath then, because we haven’t found much of anything.”
“Nothing?”
“Nothing of substance. We confirmed the other two victims were members of the Hillside Riders. Put that together with the fact that Aaron is a member of the Locos, and it confirms the new gang boss was behind this. It’s the only thing that explains members from different gangs being in one place.”
“You think this new boss is still clearing out gang members who refuse to follow him?” Brooks asked.
Ray crossed his arms over his chest with a shrug. “Maybe. José and the others from narcotics are leaning that way. Most of my people think the boss caught Aaron and those other two skimming some of the spiked energy drinks for themselves, either to drink or sell to make some money on the side, and made an example of them.”
“But you don’t buy either of those explanations?” Brooks prodded, knowing his old friend well. “You think there’s another reason for the murders?”
Ray nodded. “That beating put on Aaron and the other guys wasn’t someone sending a message. That was personal. Those men did something to piss off the boss, and he came after them himself. I don’t think it was something as minor as swiping a box of drugged-up energy drink.”
“Like what?”
“No clue,” Ray admitted. “But if we figure out what the reason was, it will point us straight at the man we’re after.”
“Any chance the techs can get prints off the tools the killers used to beat those men to death?” Brooks asked.
“They’re trying. But it could be weeks, even months, before we find a match. If they find any prints at all.”
Ray was right. Even though Dallas had their own lab, matching fingerprints was a painful process. Not necessarily because it was technically difficult but simply because there was such a backlog of cases for the lab to work on, not just for this county, but also for the surrounding counties that used the local institute to process their evidence. The truth of the matter was that three dead gangbangers likely killed by other gangbangers didn’t rate very high on the department’s priority list.
“How’d you guys swing getting a TV signal routed to your ops truck?” Ray asked suddenly, drawing Brooks’s attention back to Curtis’s press conference. “I’d have thought the budget cuts would keep you from doing something like that.”
Brooks chuckled. “Becker did it. Which means it’s extremely techie, probably shady, and possibly illegal. We’ve learned not to ask too many questions.”
Ray nodded, apparently understanding. “Have you been listening to what our esteemed chief of police has been saying this time?”
Brooks shook his head. “I avoid listening to Curtis whenever I can.”
“That’s generally a wise outlook, but in this case, I thought you might have heard him announce who the next sergeant for the gang unit might be. I’m hoping it’s one of my people, but with the way he likes to play politics, there’s no telling who it will be.”
Brooks did a double take. “You’re out already?”
Ray’s smile was sad. “I told you it would happen. Curtis made it official this morning. He’s replacing me. He told me I could either retire or move to a desk job in range services or the evidence property warehouse.”
Talk about being put out to pasture. Ray was a good cop. He didn’t belong in the evidence room. “What are you going to do?”
“Put in my retirement packet. I’ll be out in a few weeks. I’m hoping I can close this case first, but that might be tough. Whoever this new gang boss is, he’s smart. If I don’t get him, it will be up to whoever takes my place.”
“Damn,” Brooks muttered. “I’m sorry about this.”
Ray shook his head. “Don’t be. It’s time. But enough about me. Tell me about that girl I saw you with last night. Selena, right? I didn’t have a chance to talk to you much, but I got the feeling she’s someone very special. Any chance I’m going to see some little baby SWAT cops running around anytime soon?”
The idea of having children with Selena made him smile. “I don’t know. I’d like that, but it’s complicated.”
Ray laughed. “I have no idea what’s going on between you two, but I doubt it’s as complicated as you’re making it out to be. It never is. Like Curtis replacing me. There are a hundred different ways I could react to the situation, but there’s only one way that’ll get me what I want, so that’s what I have to do. Same for you. All you have to do is figure out what’s important to you and what you really want, then do what you have to do to get it.”
Brooks didn’t say anything. Ray could always make the most complex problem simple. Even when it involved love and out-of-control werewolves.
Chapter 16
“I know I don’t have any right to ask you for a favor, Jayden,” Selena whispered into her phone, pushing herself deeper into the shadows of the alley, hoping nobody across the street could hear her. “But I really need your help. You’re the only person I can turn to.”
“I’ll be there in five minutes,” he said.
No argument. No complaint about the fact that she hadn’t responded to any of his earlier texts or phone messages. Instead, he’d said the exact words she needed to hear. The gentle, confident tone was almost enough to calm her racing heart all on its own. Thank God, she’d had the courage to call him.
“I’ll always be there for you,” he added. “Just keep out of sight until I get there, okay?”
“I will,” she said.
“But please hurry. Marguerite just sent me another text. She thinks Ruben might have taken some kind of drug in addition to all the alcohol he’s been drinking. She said he’s not acting like himself.”
“I’m already out the door,” Jayden said. “Just…promise you’ll wait for me…okay?”
Selena looked across the darkened parking lot at the raucous crowd of partygoers moving in and out of the three-floor apartment building, knowing there was no way in hell she was going in there by herself…not in her current condition.
“I’ll wait. I promise.”
She heard the sound of a truck door slam closed over the phone as Jayden hung up. She leaned against the brick wall of her hiding place, fighting for control as her body continued to react to the wild energy pouring out of the building on the other side of the street. Merely being here had her claws and fangs extending and retracting in uncontrollable spasms. That should have been enough to make her turn around and go back to Becca’s apartment. But the idea of abandoning Ruben to whatever kind of trouble he was in was more than Selena was willing to live with. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was going into that apartment building to rescue her student—as soon as Jayden arrived to make sure she didn’t go nuts and tear someone apart.
Selena’s claws and fangs hadn’t slipped out on their own since yesterday, and she’d almost begun to think maybe she might have this thing under control. It had been enough to convince Becca it was okay for her to head out for the evening to spend some time with Scott.
“Don’t worry about me,” Selena had insisted. “I’ll just hang out here and watch Netflix.”
That truly had been her intention. Then Marguerite had sent a text, saying Ruben was in trouble. It had been tricky getting all the details through texts, but somehow, the girl had found him at a Locos party, getting drunker by the minute. Selena had panicked, not sure what she should do. Putting herself in a situation like the one Marguerite described was asking for trouble, but in the end, she didn’t have a choice. She thought she’d be okay, that she’d be able to handle it.
She’d been wrong. Within seconds of reaching the apartment complex Marguerite had given her the address for, Selena’s claws and fangs had slipped out. Even worse, she’d found herself already heading for the entrance of the building before she’d consciously decided going in was the plan. It was like she had no control over her own body anymore. That was when she’d accepted she couldn’t do this on her own and had called Jayden.
Calling him had been one of the toughest things she’d ever done, but now that she had, it was like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She was still terrified she’d hurt him again, but knowing he was on the way was enough to help her calm down. Still holding onto her phone, she slid down the wall of the building and sat there waiting for him.
Selena heard Jayden approaching from farther down the alley long before she smelled him. Not surprising, since she’d already accepted that her werewolf ears were better than her werewolf nose. Crazy what you come to accept when you don’t really have a say in the matter. Still, his scent was both mouthwatering and comforting as he dropped to a knee a few feet away from her. Staying out of her reach until he knew what kind of shape she was in was smart, she supposed.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m good,” she said, surprised at how calm her voice sounded. Ignoring the urge to throw herself into his arms, she got to her feet. “I haven’t heard anything from Marguerite in nearly ten minutes, so we need to get in there.”
She started for the entrance of the alley, only to find Jayden blocking her path. She pushed down the growl that immediately rumbled up in her throat, forcing herself to calm down. He wasn’t trying to stop her from going. He simply wanted to talk to her first.
She eyed him up and down, noticing he hadn’t worn his uniform. That was good, since a cop’s uniform wouldn’t go over well in a gang hangout. But Jayden didn’t need a uniform and police gear to look the part for what they were about to do. With all those muscles bulging and flexing under that T-shirt, he looked intimidating enough to convince most people to stay out of his way.
Selena suddenly realized she probably shouldn’t have been able to see him so clearly in the darkness, but she was grateful she could. His ruggedly handsome face, so full of concern, was enough to almost make her cry. It was exactly the same way he’d looked right before she’d shoved him across his apartment and stolen his truck.
“I know you’re worried about Ruben,” he said softly, stepping close enough to touch her but refraining. His gaze traveling over her body was almost like being grazed by his touch, and she found herself leaning forward, his presence and scent calming her as much as his touch would have. “But are you sure you’re okay to go in there? Say the word, and I’ll do it myself.”
She swallowed hard. “This time last week, I wouldn’t think twice about charging in there and dragging Ruben out.” She wanted like crazy to reach out and hold Jayden. But she’d lost that privilege when she’d attacked him. “After what happened yesterday, I’ll admit I’m scared. I want Ruben out of there, but I don’t want to hurt anyone. Ruben doesn’t know you, though. If you try to bring him out, it’ll probably get physical. In that kind of place, that could be really bad.”
She expected an argument, but Jayden merely nodded. “I understand. But if you start feeling like you’re about to lose it, you have to tell me. I’ll get you out of there before you hurt anyone, then we’ll figure out another way to get Ruben out. Okay?”
“Okay,” she agreed. “But I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that.”
As she followed Jayden across the street, she shot off a quick text to Marguerite, asking the girl where she and Ruben were.
Second floor. End of the main hallway. Haven’t seen Ruben in a while. Worried.
“Marguerite’s waiting for us at the end of the hall on the second floor,” Selena told Jayden as they began skirting through the cars in the parking lot, heading for the crowd of people hanging around the stairs leading up to the front door of the building. “She can’t find Ruben.”
“Can you track him by his scent?” Jayden asked.
Selena wasn’t sure why the question was so jarring. Considering how good her sense of smell was now, it only made sense she’d be able to pick up on a particular person’s scent. But the idea that she could track any scent through a crowd like this still seemed crazy.
“I don’t think so,” she admitted. “I don’t know what he smells like.”
Jayden looked like he would have answered, but they had already reached the crowd of people standing on the stairs. Instead, he took her hand and started up the steps. Some people complained, but the moment they caught a glimpse of his size, most backed off.
As they neared the landing, two large guys stepped out and put their hands on Jayden’s chest. Both men had a hand behind their backs, and Selena had no doubt they were carrying some kind of weapons. “Private party, and you’re not invited.”
Selena tensed, wondering what Jayden would say to that. But instead of trying to talk his way in, Jayden grabbed the guy on the right by his throat, picking him up and walking up the last few steps, then slamming the man’s body into the double doors. Some people screamed, but most just scattered as the glass in the doors broke and fell out of the frames. The second bouncer seemed stunned, but he recovered quickly. Yanking a gun out from behind his back, he headed after Jayden.
Selena froze at the sight of the pistol. But when she saw the man aim it at Jayden, a snarl ripped from her throat.
One moment, she was on the fifth step from the top, and the next, she was in the entryway, one hand wrapped around the gunman’s throat while the other crushed the fingers holding the gun. She heard a shout followed by small cracking sounds, only vaguely realizing it was the man in her grasp screaming in pain as she broke the bones in his hand.
She panicked as her fangs came out. Crap. She was going to lose it right in the main entryway of the
building with people all around. But then Jayden was by her side, his hand on her shoulder, his scent filling her nose.
“Selena,” Jayden said softly. “He dropped the gun. You can let go now.”
A part of her wanted to growl at Jayden for getting in her way, but then she felt one big hand massaging her shoulder, the other pressing gently against her lower back. It was the distraction she needed to regain control, and she released her grip on the second bouncer. The guy dropped to his knees, cradling his broken hand for a moment before scrambling to his feet and running out the door and down the stairs. She noticed he’d left the handgun where it had fallen.
“Breathe, Selena,” Jayden entreated, his voice still low and calm. “Just breathe.”
She did just that for a few seconds, letting her heart rate slow.
“You okay?” Jayden murmured, his mouth close to her ear, his warm breath stirring her hair.
She nodded, surreptitiously sliding her tongue across her teeth, checking for fangs. They were there, but just barely. Maybe she hadn’t lost it enough for anyone to see anything. She glanced down at her fingertips, relieved to see that her claws hadn’t come out.
“Yeah,” she said. “Sorry. I thought that guy was going to shoot you.”
Jayden nodded, then led her toward the middle of the loud, music-filled building and the stairwell they found there. On the way up, they passed by dozens of people, an alarming number of them carrying those familiar colorful energy drink cans, glazed looks in their eyes.
“I’m the one who should apologize. Not you,” Jayden said, glancing at her over his shoulder. “I thought I’d be able to finish off the first guy, then get to the other one before he could get his weapon pointed in my direction.”
“I almost killed him,” Selena said when they reached the top of the first set of stairs and headed down the long hallway in the direction she hoped they’d find Marguerite. She’d been worried about hurting someone, and she’d almost done worse than that.
“No, you didn’t,” Jayden said, stopping to look at her. “You broke his hand and kept him from shooting me. Those bullets wouldn’t have hurt me much, unless he got a lucky shot off to my head or heart, but you didn’t know that. You could have ripped out his throat easily, but you never even squeezed. You only hurt him as much as you had to, and you kept yourself in control. The wolf inside you can make you violent, but it can’t change who you are. You shouldn’t be upset at yourself. You should be proud.”
