Tay's hand burned, but he didn't care. He stared down at Dante as blue blossomed around his eye and cheekbone. His hand was large and thick from working out, but it was his rage that gave him the power behind that punch.
The nursing staff starte to gather, making a semicircle that blocked that end of the hall. Reaux held them back with a powerful wave of pheromones. His emotions had settled down as he watched Tay defend his friend and brother. The staff were ill at ease, but the men weren't fighting anymore so they didn't have to stop them. They could only watch helplessly.
Help came in small packages. Or in this case, one big one. The elevator door opened, and Damian stepped out. He took in the situation quickly and went straight to Tay. He pulled him back then looked at his hand. Tay never looked at his face because if he did all of his anger would dissipate instantly. He needed it right now to keep his composure.
Reaux pushed off the wall and strode forward. He squatted before Dante to stare at him. He didn't try to subdue him, but he did challenge him. He stared at him without blinking hoping he would understand what he meant. He wasn't going to argue with him.
"You're a real piece of work, detective," Dante said. He touched his face to see if he was bleeding. His mouth was split and his eye was steadily bruising, but he wasn't bleeding profusely. "You have balls to take what is mine."
Tay opened his mouth, but Reaux held up his hand to silence him. The younger Alpha obliged and let Damian fuss over his hand. His eyes never left Dante because he knew how tricky he could be.
"Do you know how I claimed him?" he asked. Dante swallowed hard, his lip splitting just a bit more. "Jak came to me first. Yes, he was drunk but he refused to leave. That was the end of it. I've introduced him to some fun things, and I've made some mistakes that I've paid dearly for. But I will be damned if I let you thrust that filthy dick inside him. If you try, you will regret it. Do not play with me."
Dante fought to keep his head up. As he had spoken, Reaux had targeted him with a heavy burst of dominant pheromones. He was daring the young man to try it, daring him to go up against someone way out of his league. He thought he was a big dog on campus, but he had never gone up against someone who could give him what he dished out four times what he could.
If he did, Reaux would completely destroy him. He didn't care if he brought the cartel down on his head. He would become an asshole Alpha to keep his mate safe. But Jak wasn't just his mate; he was the one person who had given Reaux a better life just by trying to be with him.
He stood at Tiffany's prompting and allowed the younger man to get up. Dante stared at all of them before disappearing into the elevator. His eyes said retribution. Reaux raised a hand and beckoned him with his worst as the door closed.
Alana huddled with Tay and Damian as they talked quietly. They were the safest place for her right now. Reaux's emotions were lethal and he didn't want to hurt her. Jak would kill him if Reaux was the reason something happened to his precious sister.
"Call Napier and tell him I want in on whatever sting he sets up," he said. He knew there was a possibility he wasn't going to get anywhere with that, but he had to try.
"Isn't that Dante Rodriguez, Dominic Rodriquez's son?" Damian asked.
"Do you know him?" Tiffany asked.
"They rent the bar over on Almeth. Dad has known Dominic for years." Damian's face contorted. "Why? What's going on?"
The detectives shared a look. Reaux inclined his head and Tiffany walked to Damian. "Let's go down to the cafe. I'll fill you in."
"Alana, stay with Reaux," Tay ordered. He didn't mean to say it with a bossy tone. It just came out that way. "I'll bring coffee up when we're done."
Luckily the girl didn't argue. She hugged Tay then followed Reaux into what would be Jak's room. She sat on the couch by the window and stared aimlessly out of it. Reaux could feel her pain from across the room. Like him, Jak was the only person she truly cared for. If his entire world fell apart, she would be the only person he would allow to pick him up. It could leave a bitter taste in anyone's mouth, but Reaux understood.
He sat down in his vacated seat and stared at a spot on the floor. His adrenaline was still pumping, and his body was jittery. He was frustrated and angry, sad and worried. He just wanted Jak to be okay, but some asshole had to interrupt that process. The same person who had allowed him to get hurt in the first place.
His mind started to race. How was Napier going to take down the Domingo Cartel? Was David Marquette going to get involved? Jak was like another son to him and he might do the same for Jak as he would Damian. If he got involved, no one would get away. David had hands in every cookie jar in the city.
He was so engrossed in his own thoughts he didn't hear Alana crying. Only when she doubled over did he understand how distraught she was. Her shoulders shook as she held her mouth to keep from sobbing out loud.
Reaux got up and walked over to her. He patted her head gently as she cried harder. He could understand every shudder and hiccup. He also wanted to cry but if he did, they'd get nowhere. Someone needed to make the hard decisions in case they arose. He hated to think about it, but it may happen.
There was a knock at the door. Another lady in scrubs came in and stood where the bed would be. She removed her mask and smiled.
"I'm Dr. Crenshaw's nurse Cady. Are you Jak Olson's family?" she asked.
Reaux nodded. "I'm his mate and this is his sister."
She nodded. "Dr. Green is finishing up. She relieved the pressure off his brain by inserting a shunt. He will be sedated for several days to make sure no further swelling arises. Dr. Crenshaw repaired his liver and the hepatic artery that delivers blood to the liver. There are several broken bones, but they were amazingly clean breaks so they've been set and were casted while he was under. He's had a blood transfusion as well, but he may need another. We have enough for one more, but we're low on AB blood."
"I'm type AB," Alana said. "But I'm an Omega. Will that be an issue?"
Cady shook her head. "Not unless it's RH negative. Type AB is rare enough, and we've given him all our O negative."
"I'm O negative," Reaux said. "We'll donate when he's back to his room."
"I'll bring the paperwork to you before so you don't have to wait too long. Jak will be out of recovery in an hour. He will be unconscious for a while so don't be afraid if he doesn't wake up immediately."
Reaux shook her hand, and Cady left to help finish post-op. The Alpha rubbed Alana's shoulders as she sighed rather shakily. Jak was alive, and hopefully he would make a full recovery. They just had to wait patiently for it. Patience wasn't Reaux's strongest suit, but he would try to bear it.
Tay and Damian returned with more coffee and donuts. Reaux stepped away to allow Damian to sit by Alana. She smiled at him as he wiped her tear streaked face. When he was done, she ate quietly and slowly. Damian rubbed her head gently as he sipped his coffee.
"Any word on Jak?" Tay asked.
"He's in recovery. The surgeries went well and they had to give him a blood transfusion. He may need another so we're going to donate shortly," Reaux replied. "Alana, what about your parents?"
"They should be in the air now," she said. She took a sip of coffee. "They were leaving as soon as I called them. Hopefully they'll be here in a couple of hours."
Tay clapped a hand to Reaux's shoulder. "If you want to go give blood now, we'll stay with Alana. It'll be a little bit before they bring Jak back in. We'll be here when he gets back."
Reaux looked at the two men. They were as tired as he was, but they had been through something similar two years ago. Being anxious wasn't going to get him anywhere so he should do something productive. Damian would take care of Alana and Tay would take notes from the doctor if something happened.
He found the nurse who had his paperwork. She gave him directions to the lab to donate blood afer he filled out everything. His heart was trembling after everything had gone on. The accident, the surgeries, Dante's outburst. All of it took its toll on his nerves. Luckily, Tay and Damian had arrived to help out. They were good friends to have especially in times of crisis.
He handed off his paperwork to the lab tech and went in. A few minutes later, he was being stabbed with a needle. He sat back and stared at the ceiling as the machine did its job. It was going to take a while.