CAGED (Mackenzie Grey #2)

by Karina Espinosa

  “I don’t understand people’s fascinations with those little computers,” Jonah waved a finger at my device. “It seems complicated.”

  “You haven’t lived, my friend,” I sighed as I hugged my phone. “Now let’s go get some ice cream. I’m in a cake-batter-with-rainbow-sprinkles kind of mood.”

  Jonah laughed. “Kenzie, when are you not thinking about food?”

  I snorted. “The day I’m not, I’ve been abducted by aliens, FYI.”

  “Good to know,” he elbowed me. “And…I’m sorry, about my father.”

  I peered up at him, those sad eyes undid me. “You don’t have to apologize for him, and I know your intentions were meant well. Water under the bridge, Jonah,” I said trying to cheer him up.

  He nodded. “Do you remember our conversation before you left?”

  My heart skipped a beat. His declaration of love that I never responded to? Yes, of course I remembered.

  “What about it?”

  “It still stands, you know. No matter if it isn’t reciprocated, you and I—”

  An unmarked navy blue police car swerved across the street and jumped the side walk, stopping before us. Pedestrians ran out of its way to avoid getting hit. Another two cop cars pulled to the side and within seconds, the officers aimed their guns in our direction. Both Jonah and I looked around to see if we were in the way of the real perpetrator but then I heard my name.

  “Mackenzie Grey,” I heard through the blare horn. “Put your hands up where we can see them!”

  My pulse raced and I almost dropped my brand new cell phone. I attempted to hand over my phone to Jonah but flinched when they yelled, “Put your hands up!”

  “Okay, okay!” I screamed as I put my hands up in surrender and fell to my knees. I knew the drill.

  Armed officers ran up to us and escorted Jonah out of the way. He fought them, I could hear his growls as it took about five officers to tame him. He called out to me with so much pain, I felt it in my bones, down to the very core. I couldn’t look at him.

  Detective Garrett Michaels walked up, pulled my wrists behind me and clipped on a set of handcuffs as he read me my Miranda Rights.

  “Never thought I’d be seeing you again,” Michaels grumbled. “At least not in these circumstances,” he said as he hauled me to my feet and dragged me to his car.

  “What the hell is going on, Michaels? There has to be a mistake!”

  “No mistake, we have you on video,” he said as he ducked my head none too gently, into the backseat. “This is an open and shut case, Grey, and you just bought yourself a one way ticket to Rikers.”

  ***

  Everything happened in a blur. I was booked and processed—my fingerprints and mug shot taken and I barely noticed. After two hours, I sat in an interrogation room with detectives I didn’t recognize, playing good cop/bad cop. I was zoned out, I wasn’t even answering them. All I could think was, how much bad luck did I have? The minute I stepped back on the East Coast, everything went to shit. Not only was I being hunted by wolves, but now by humans too.

  A hand slammed on the table, a man in a cheap suit stood above me while his partner pretended to be the cool one and tell him to back off. I’d witnessed too many of these interrogations by Michaels to be rattled. And to be honest, anyone who’s seen any crime show can pick up this trick.

  “We have it all on camera, you can’t hide the truth. Just tell us what happened, you’ll feel better,” the Good Cop said.

  I peered up at him and raised an eyebrow. “I’d like to know what I did before I confess to anything.”

  “What do you think?” the Bad Cop barked.

  I shrugged. “I don’t know, did I leave the toilet seat up? Do I have an unpaid parking ticket from my imaginary car? Or did you catch me picking my nose on camera?”

  The Bad Cop fumed with anger. “You’re a real comedian.”

  “I can go on forever. So someone better tell me what I did, or I’ll say the magic words that will shut this whole conversation down,” I threatened. “I want a—”

  “Okay,” the Good Cop stopped me. “The Mejia’s bodega, the one by your apartment.”

  My heart skipped a beat and I had to school my expression so I didn’t seem suspicious. I hadn’t done anything wrong, if anything I was the victim. What video did they have?

  “Okay?” I said. “I don’t understand. I was attacked and I’m the one who gets arrested? Welcome to 2016,” I rolled my eyes.

  “You were attacked?” the Bad Cop snorted. “Yeah, so why didn’t you call the cops? You used to intern at 1PP, you had the connections, why not give your old supervisor a call?”

  Talking about my supervisor, why wasn’t Garrett the one interrogating me? We weren’t family, and I wouldn’t say we were friends. It wouldn’t have been a conflict of interest if he did.

  “It was no big deal. The guy tried to rob me but I fought back. I didn’t call Garrett because I know how this stuff works. The robber wouldn’t have been found and it would have all been pointless,” I said.

  The Good Cop sat in the chair across from me. “What about the body, Mackenzie?” he asked as if we were friends. “Where did you take the body?”

  “The body? What are you talking about?”

  “We caught you on film, dragging his body out of the bodega.”

  I couldn’t stop the laugh that broke out of me. “Now I know that’s not true because I hauled ass out of there the moment I got the chance.”

  Both detectives shook their heads. The Bad Cop was back. “We have you on video! You killed him and then you dragged him out to God knows where! So tell us, where is the body?” he screamed at the side of my face and I felt his spittle on my cheek.

  I didn’t flinch. I sat there staring at the detective in front of me and analyzed my current situation. Something wasn’t right. If they have undeniable evidence, why do they need a confession?

  “No,” I shook my head. “Nice try, but if you had any proof that I did anything, I would already be halfway to Rikers by now. Either something’s wrong with your video or you have no other suspects. In which case, I’m going to have to ask for a lawyer, please,” I grinned.

  The tension skyrocketed as both detectives left the interrogation room without a single shred of proof—and they weren’t going to get it.

  I was facing the one way mirror and I was pretty sure Detective Garrett Michaels was watching the whole exchange. I closed my eyes and channeled my wolf, letting my sensitive hearing stretch to the outside of the interrogation room.

  “She isn’t going to tell us anything. With just an internship under her belt, she already knows the tricks to the trade.”

  “Not just an internship, Davis, she’s been working with the LAPD for the past year as part of an undercover unit. She’s more skilled than we’re giving her credit for.”

  “Grey?” I recognized Michael’s voice. “Grey has been part of a top secret group? I don’t buy it. She was good but she wasn’t that good.”

  “Well she is and she just lawyered up. We’ve got nothing. Any rookie attorney can waltz in here and set her free with the piece of shit video we have.”

  “What if she’s telling the truth? We couldn’t see who dragged the body out, only a hand. She could be innocent.”

  “Then why didn’t she call me? She should have called me!”

  I tuned out my hearing and opened my eyes. The video was wonky, that’s why they need a confession. The real question was, who the hell came back for the wolf’s body? Was it Larry? It wasn’t anyone who was looking out for me. That video footage was tampered with if there are time lapses, or I’m just one unlucky girl.

  The interrogation room door blew open and Michael’s charged in. I could see the peppering of gray hair that hadn’t been there before. He was pudgier but same ol’ cranky Garrett. The sleeves of his buttoned up shirt were rolled up and his badge was clipped on his belt.

  “Stop bullshitting us, Grey,” he said as he dropped a manila folder on
the desk and spread pictures of the crime scene. “Do you see all that blood? Some of it’s yours, but not a lot. The rest belonged to a Joey DeLuca of Chicago, Illinois, who is currently missing!”

  Hm. The guy’s name was Joey, good to know.

  “Now I don’t know how you did it, but at this point I couldn’t give a rat’s ass. You’re a resourceful girl, it is completely possible in my mind that you are capable of this type of crime.”

  I leaned forward. “Do you believe that? Think Garrett, really think about what you’re saying.”

  His eyes hardened. “Fine. Why don’t you tell me what you did with the LAPD?”

  “You’ll have to speak with my Captain,” I said.

  “Bullshit!” he slammed his hands on the table. “The only person I’ve been able to speak with is a Lou Horowitz and all he tells me is that it’s classified. I’m asking you, Grey, what are you involved in?”

  “I don’t understand what that has to do with the incident at the bodega? Touch your nose, Michaels. I called for a lawyer, now give me my one phone call, please,” I said.

  He stormed out of the room and I exhaled the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. I always imagined myself in this position, and bragging about how I wouldn’t break, but sitting here was intimidating.

  I racked my brain for someone to call, but hello, it’s the twenty first century—no one memorizes phone numbers anymore. The only one I knew was my own and…Amy’s. When a uniformed officer escorted me to a phone desk, I plopped down and dialed the only number I knew.

  “Hello?” Amy’s normally cheery voice sounded anguished and I could imagine why. I swear, I was going to be paying for many years of therapy for my dear friend.

  “Amy?” I exhaled. “Oh thank God you answered. I thought you’d ignore it since you wouldn’t recognize—”

  “Of course I’m going to answer!” she cried out. “Hey! She’s on the phone!” she called out to someone. “Are you okay, Kenzie? What’s going on?”

  “I’m fine. It’s about the attack on the bodega, I’m being accused of murder.”

  “How?” she asked.

  I sighed. “They have a chopped up surveillance video with me in it. It’s all good though, it’s worthless. Can I speak with Bash?”

  “Sure. He’s hovering over me anyways, stay safe Kenz, love you,” she said before Sebastian’s gruff voice came on the line.

  “Mackenzie, what’s going on?”

  I glanced around the room and caught Garrett watching me, other than him, everyone else was minding their own business.

  “The bodega, someone is making it out to be as if I’m to blame. Let’s not worry about it, they have nothing, what I need is a lawyer to bail me out. I’m at 1PP, can you get someone for me?”

  “Of course, Mackenzie, but—”

  “They’re listening, Bash,” I whispered. I wasn’t stupid, I knew they were tapped in on my phone call. They needed probable cause to keep me here, other than that I was a free woman. It seems I can’t be free with the Pack or humans. What a conundrum.

  “Right,” he said. “I’ll contact our attorney and we’ll be on our way. Just…be careful. This could be a perfect time for them to get to you.”

  “I know. That’s why you need to hurry,” I said and hung up.

  I stared at the phone, my mind blanking on my current predicament. The last thing I wanted was to go back to the interrogation room—alone. I needed to be around people, it was safest.

  “On your feet, Grey,” Michaels lifted me off the chair and started to drag me back into the room.

  “Let’s play a guessing game, yeah?” I grinned. “You thought you were golden with that surveillance footage but the DA tossed it, am I right? It’s impossible for it to have shown me doing the deed so it’s not enough to convict. That’s why I’m in an interrogation room and not on a bus to Rikers Island. I mean did you guys think you had enough? You processed me and everything, how clueless could you be?”

  “Shut it, Grey,” he clipped out. “Keep playing games, I can play all day long,” he said as he dropped me back in the chair.

  “Well…not all day. My lawyer’s on the way so you have until then, but nice try, Partner,” I smiled.

  “We are not Partners!”

  “We were,” I corrected, “and if you remembered, you wouldn’t believe in a million years that I would be capable of committing cold blooded murder.”

  He winced.

  I didn’t have enough time to process what happened at the bodega, but now that I knew his name, Joey DeLuca would haunt me like the rest on my kill list. It didn’t matter that the blood on my hands were justified—it didn’t make me God—and the empty feeling inside of me never went away. It just sat there, taunting me like a constant reminder of the monster I could become.

  “Don’t go!” I called out to Garrett as he was leaving the room. “Just stay here, with me.”

  “Why?”

  “Please stay,” I said.

  His glare bore into me as he huffed and took a seat across the table.

  “Say for arguments sake that you didn’t do it, are you in some kind of trouble?”

  I shook my head but didn’t dare speak.

  We sat in silence before the door opened and a man in a tailored suit walked in, his greasy brown hair slicked back. A gold ring with a squared black stone the size of a small Lego glinted off his right ring finger. Alligator shoes shuffled toward us and he smiled—a gold tooth shone between his lips.

  I growled.

  “And you are?” Michaels questioned. He stood up and hid me from the stranger’s view.

  “Detective Garrett Michaels I presume?” he said as he extended a hand to shake. “My name is Tom Martin and I am representing Miss. Grey.”

  “You are?” both Michaels and I said at the same time. This was the Pack’s attorney?

  “Yes and I think you’re done here Detective. My client is ready to go,” Tom said and waved for me to follow him.

  I stood, hesitant. My metal chair screeched against the tile floor. I wasn’t sure if I should go or not; Tom looked more like a loan shark than a lawyer.

  “Sebastian sent you?” I questioned.

  “Yes,” Tom nodded. “Mr. Steel wanted to come but was held up. He sends his regards.”

  “Yeah, okay,” I said sounding more confused than ever. I grabbed my coat and followed my attorney out of the room.

  Before I left, Garrett latched onto my arm. “I don’t know what kind of shit you’re into, but if you need help, you know where to find me,” he muttered and let me go.

  “Thank you,” I said and left the squad room.

  ***

  Tom and I went out through the back exit of 1PP. He was speed walking and I was having a hard time keeping up.

  “Hey thanks for the bail, but if you’re in a rush I can just take the bus,” I said as I stopped to head back to the front of the building.

  He gripped the sleeve of my jacket. “No, our ride is waiting out back.”

  “Dude, get off, I left my cell phone,” I pulled my arm back but his hold on me didn’t loosen. My stomach fell and my face turned up a few degrees. Something was off.

  “I said,” he gritted, “we’re going through the back,” he released my arm and grabbed a chunk of my hair. “Now let’s go, Bitch.”

  Someone pulled the fire alarm in the building, as sirens blared around us. Tom dragged me harder down the back street toward a van. The sliding door of a vehicle opened and before I could see inside, someone tossed a hood over my head and knocked me out.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Lucian

  Everything was falling apart.

  Mackenzie Grey was never supposed to have been found—much less be a wolf. She was meant to live a normal human life. Where had it gone wrong?

  The blasted witch gave me the formula, it should have worked. Why didn’t it bloody work? I’d been burying myself in the past, retracing all of our steps to figure out what was missed.

>   “Lucian!” Roman yelled as he snapped his fingers in front of my face.

  “What, boy? Can’t you see I’m busy?”

  He snorted. “Yeah, busy staring into space.”

  “Fine,” I waved him off. “What do you want?”

  “The human friend and wolf are here. They say it is urgent they speak with you,” he said. I remember when I first found him a few centuries ago. A savage feeding off the deaths of many on the battlefield. He’d come a long way since then.

  “If they must,” I sighed. “Bring them in.”

  Roman escorted the human girl and Jackson Cadwell into the library and I plastered on a smile. They were the last people I wanted to see. I had better things to do.

  “Amelia, Jackson, what a lovely—not so much—surprise,” I smiled.

  “Trust me, the feeling is mutual,” Jackson grumbled, “but she made me bring her,” he jabbed his thumb to the little human girl. She was a spunky one—it intrigued me how much loyalty she had for her friend. Her bright red hair hung loose in beautiful curls and all her body art was covered up by winter clothing. The weather in March was harsh, I could only imagine how cold she must be. I hadn’t felt it in so long, I think I’ve forgotten. When you’re no longer human, it’s hard to remember, much less maintain your humanity.

  “Lucian, its Mackenzie, she’s been taken,” she cried out and that’s when I noticed. Those enchanting green eyes were blotched red and her lips trembled at the brink of further tears.

  I stood unmoving. “Excuse me?” my gaze flickered over to the wolf. “Explain.”

  “The Chicago Pack has taken her and we have no clue where she is,” he said, not too fond of having to tell me.

  “How in the bloody hell is that possible?” I yelled. “Didn’t she leave the warehouse with the other Cadwell?”

  “The humans arrested her while she was with Jonah. They were pinning the incident at the bodega on her,” Jackson said. “Someone pretended to be her lawyer and grabbed her from the precinct.”