Jak's fever broke sometime the next day. It was a good thing too because the date of his presentation had been moved up. He'd slept most of the day to give his body and mind time to recuperate from everything that had happened. Reaux hadn't bothered him except to eat supper when he'd gotten home from work. Then Jak went back to sleep and slept until the next day.
He'd walked gingerly for several days, but that hadn't stopped him from practicing his presentation. Because he and Karl couldn't work together, Tiffany had stood in as defense. She'd been the perfect candidate since she'd helped Reaux investigate and knew the evidence in and out. It wasn't something one simply forgot.
Damian had asked Reaux how things were going. He'd honestly answered slowly. He had started asking Jak for permission before touching him sexually to rebuild the trust he'd tarnished. They hadn't had fullblown sex since that night, but Jak enjoyed the intimacy more. Watching a movie in bed, showering together, laying in bed doing nothing but cuddling; he liked those more, and Reaux was willing to oblige.
The day of Jak's presentation rolled around. He'd been a ball of nerves and hadn't eaten breakfast. Reaux had driven him for fear of him wrecking. He would get him before lunch and take him home if nothing came up. Then he'd go back to work. But that could change because Damian would want to hear how the presentation went.
Reaux stared at his phone, wondering if Jak was in his final or not. He wanted him to do well because he'd worked so hard on it. He wanted him to graduate with good grades. But more importantly he wanted him happy.
Since all of this had happened, it had given him time to really look at their relationship. He loved Jak and had since the second they'd slept together. There was something about the little shit that made him stop and look at him. And it wasn't just a passing fancy. He really looked at Jak. His personality was shitty and he had a nasy temper, but all of that covered what Reaux really saw.
He saw Jak's sincerity. After he'd woken up from their drunken night, he'd been concerned. It was only natural because no Alpha they knew had ever claimed another Alpha before. They hadn't been sure it was even possible. Jak hadn't turned him down outright which meant he either needed to come to terms with it or he was just shaken up and didn't want to react like an ass. Reaux had given him time, almost a year's worth. He'd never been so grateful to see that confused face walk back through the door.
He knew his true feelings when Damian was attacked. They'd only been bonded for a few days when it had happened. Jak had called Reaux immediately after he and Tay had found their friend. Reaux had seen how desperate he was to make sure his friend was okay, and that desperation had shown him that Jak loved his friends and family. If he could extend that love to Reaux, the older Alpha would wrap him up in his own.
Jak had finally come to him after Damian's second accident. He hadn't asked any questions and it had taken several weeks for the young man to say why he had come voluntarily. Jak had felt the pull, but he hadn't wanted to miss out on something that could be just as good as Tay and Damian's relationship. He knew it would be different, but he wanted someone to love him as much as Tay loved Damian.
Reaux thought he was doing a good job. He hadn't caused any issues until recently. They hadn't said the three words to each other, but Reaux truly loved Jak with every ounce of his being. He hoped the young man knew that. Despite making a mistake that could ruin their relationship, he hoped Jak had truly forgiven him and saw how much he cared for him.
"If you keep looking at your phone like that, it will explode." Tiffany sat down beside him and looked at his phone. She smiled at his background. "He doesn't know you took a picture of him sleeping, does he?"
"No. He woke up right after. Since we have each other's passwords, there's no point in hiding it. He only checks my phone if I ask or it's important," he answered.
"What time did he go in for his final?"
"I dropped him off around seven forty-five. If they kept to the time, they should be presenting now."
Tiffany sat back and looked at Reaux closely. He was fidgety and nervous with a fine sheen to his skin. If she paid close enough attention, she could sense his pheromones held tightly to him. He was anxious, and if he let them go, he would subdue everyone in their department. He was rife with power and he didn't even know he was doing it.
She leaned in closer to him and inhaled the right side of his neck just under his ear. Even though Beta's couldn't always smell pheromones, they could if someone was bursting at the seams. Reaux was overflowing due to his anxiety and curiosity, but he had such tight control over them he was trembling.
"Hey," she muttered. His face nearly collided with hers as he turned to her. It was well enough because she didn't want to say it so everyone could hear. "When was your last rut?"
Normal people would have been indignant about the question, but Reaux knew Tiffany didn't mean too much by it. If she was asking, she was either curious or concerned. She liked picking on him because of his sex life, but if it was a matter of consequence, she would rather know than be blindsided by sudden rage.
"Almost two months ago. Why?" he asked. She could barely hear his voice, but there was a tone to it. "I'm projecting?"
"No, not quite. But they're strong enough that I can smell them. If they're let loose, you'll have an issue that Captain won't like." She watched him take several deep breaths. "Did you make up with Jak before his final?"
"A few days ago I did. He was in rut. That's what you probably smell."
She stuck her nose in his neck and inhaled deeply. Her eyes drooped a bit. "No, I'm pretty sure this is all you."
Reaux pinched her nose then pushed her away gently. She shocked her head as her chair rolled away. "Is it his final?" she asked.
"He's been so nervous all week. Even after he's practiced with you or Tay, he still reads over all twenty pages. It's almost like he's second guessing himself. No matter what I said or did to relieve him, he's been so tense." The Alpha looked at her. "I was never this nervous, not even when I graduated from the academy."
Tiffany sighed. "This is Jak we're talking about. If he can put up with you for two years, he can do anything."
Her partner laughed, the tension in his shoulders relaxing. "He does have some spunk to go along with that smart mouth."
His face sobered. "We haven't had sex since the night we made up. I understand why so I've allowed him to do what he wants."
"Allowed?" He looked at Tiffany's drawn face. Her brows were pulled together as she frowned at him. "I know you like things rough and raunchy, but using the word 'allowed' with Jak is like saying you think pizza is gross. It's just wrong, and I know you're lying. You cater to Jak. You give him whatever he wants, so 'allowed' is not a word I'd associate with him."
Reaux knew what she meant. Jak was his life. He'd do anything for him. It had been hard with him back in school, but they'd somehow made time for each other. He wasn't satisfied with their sex life, but he could go awhile without it. He didn't like to do so when they were together he savored it.
But Dante worried him. He'd somehow weaseled his way between them. Jak hadn't liked him from the beginning. Reaux should have listened to his instincts. Jak could read people fairly well, and he didn't like Dante. But Reaux had insisted on it. Now they were here. He had made several mistakes because of it, and he was paying for it.
Tiffany turned to her computer and started working. It gave Reaux plenty of time to think. He probably shouldn't but he couldn't stop it. All they were doing was paperwork. Luckily special victims unit was pretty quiet for the time being.
Tiffany's phone rang, but Reaux paid her no mind. It was her personal phone anyway so it could be her mom or younger brother. They liked to make lunch plans. Tiff said it was to break up the hurtful things she saw on a regular basis.
If he'd had paid attention, he would have heard the change in her voice. He saw some flurry in her movements as she typed furiously on her keyboard. The more she talked, the harder her voice became. When he finally looked at her and actually paid attention, she was on her feet striding towards the captain's office.
Reaux thought to follow her, but his phone went off. It rang twice before he grabbed it. The name emblazoned on it made him soft and gooey on the inside.
"Hey, baby," he muttered. He felt eyes on him when he said it, but they didn't bother him. "How'd your final go?"
"It went. One team did the report on R. Kelly and another was on a high profile murder case. It was interesting to hear young people's take on everything." Jak's voice echoed so he must have been in the stairwell. "Karl went hard. He mentioned things never brought up in court, things only certain people knew. If I hadn't been on the prosecution, I'd have cussed him."
"Were the things they knew about when the trial happened?" He clicked on his keyboard as he went back to his paperwork. He was now at ease just by hearing Jak's voice.
"He tried to say Damian enticed Evers into the bathroom with the intention of getting a confession. I called bull because it clearly stated in the report the recording continued until the hospital."
Jak continued talking, and Reaux could hear the relief in his voice as he chattered. The biggest part of his year was done. He sounded like he did well, but they wouldn't know until the following week right before graduation. They would work through that anxiety later.
Tiffany came back with a whole file. She sat down heavily in her seat and got back on the phone. Reaux missed a few words Jak said so he focused back on the other man.
"Damian asked me for lunch. What are you going to do?" Jak asked.
"We'll probably order in if that's the case. We don't have any new cases so we're trying to wrap up some old ones since things are quiet for the time being," Reaux replied. He was bummed about not going to lunch, but he knew there was a possibility Damian would ask.
His lover hummed. "Why don't we do dinner?"
A smile blossomed over Reaux's already softened features. "What'd you have in mind?"
"I don't know yet. We'll figure it out. I guess I'll go find something to eat."
"Alright. Text me when you get home."
"Reaux?"
"Hmm?" There was an edge to Jak's voice that made the hair on the back of Reaux's neck stand up. There was a slight pause so he waited.
"I love you."
Reaux's hands hovered over the keyboard as the words raced from his chest then to his groin. He hadn't expected that phrase to roll out of his mouth. He figured he'd hear it after a wild night. Here Jak was surprising the hell out of him and making him feel twenty-two instead of thirty-six.
"Jak?" His voice was hoarse with need and flat out desire.
"Yeah?" He heard the trepidation in his partner's voice.
"I love you, Jak."
Jak barked out a relieved laugh. "Okay. Okay! I got to go. Bye!"
"Bye." Reaux stared at his phone as his coworkers began to friendly taunt him. "You all say it to your lovers so shut up!"
He laughed happily, basking in his good news. All of his tension melted away, and he could feel the looseness in his back. He felt good, and three little words had changed all of that. He was in a good mood.
Until he turned to Tiffany. She had her head in her hands as she stared at the papers before her. He rolled over to her and looked down. His throat dried out and his good mood vanished.
He snatched the file from underneath her elbow and read through it. Pictures, names, addresses, and a slew of charges lay before him. What made it all worse was the name that was on the top of the list. He knew exactly who it was, but the question was why was he in a severely thick police file? He shouldn't be. He should only have a report from the college, not the city police.
"What is this?" he whispered. His eyes darted over the next several pages quickly. He looked at his work partner. "Tiffany, what's going on?"
She cleared her throat. "That was Lt. Napier who called me just now. He overheard my conversation with Cooper the other day on Dante Rodriguez. He did some research and this is what came up."
"This can't be true?" He continued reading the entire file, memorizing as much as he could with his brain running ninety miles an hour. "Tiffany, please say this is a big joke." He looked at her, pleading with her both with words and his eyes to deny it.
"Unfortuately, it is. Dante Rodriguez is the son of Dominic Rodriguez who in turn is a member of the Domingo Cartel. He pushes coke, weed, and meth on campus. No one has ever had definitive proof, but the cartel's logo is everywhere. Many of the kids we bust have it in their hands when we pick them up."
"What does he want with Jak?"
She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know."
"That's not good enough. We let him into the station. He's been in my home!"
Reaux fumbled for his phone. His blood thundered in his ears as he pushed Jak's number. He listened to it ring over and over until it went to voicemail. He hung up and dialed again with the same result, and again. And again. Jak never picked up.
He heard Tiffany on the phone with someone and vaguely heard the name Tay. She was calling Jak's friends to see if he had made it to their lunch date. She was trying to help. Despite it all, Reaux was still uneasy. Unless he was in class, Jak never ignored his calls.
Twenty minutes of trying to find Jak had the entire floor uncomfortable. Reaux's pheromones were leaking profusely as his anxiety and fear peaked, and his coworkers were having a hard time concentrating. Some had started helping in the search, calling people they knew on campus to see if they had seen the master's student. The more feelers out and about meant they could find Jak. Reaux had to find him because if he didn't this uneasy feeling would never disappear.
Captain Cooper emerged from his office. He used his pheromones to ease some of the other detectives as he passed by. He was only able to do so because Reaux wasn't suppressing them. He motioned for Tiffany to come over to him. Keeping their heads turned away, he spoke to her quickly.
She went back to their desks and put a hand to Reaux's. He looked up at her with wide eyes. She smiled grimly at him.
"You need to listen to the captain," she said.
His gaze went to his boss. He licked his lips, uneasiness picking up more because of the captain's somber look.
"Reaux," Cooper said. His eyes widened dangerously at the tone of his voice. "I just got a call from campus patrol. There was a car accident in a campus crosswalk."
The color drained from Reaux's face. He looked to Tiffany who mirrored his expressions even though she already knew. She had been told to help ease the information given to him. They both looked at the captain. His face was very grim and sad as he stared at Reaux.
"It was Jak."