"Reaux, I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to go on this bust."
The detective glared at the lieutenant before him. When he got to the station the next day, everyone had asked how Jak was. His vitals had been stable all throughout the night so Karen had urged Reaux to return to work. She would stay with Jak and would call if there were any changes.
There had been a rumor rolling around that narcotics was planning a bust on the Domingo Cartel and their known businesses. They had chosen the task force and had been preparing the operation. Reaux hadn't wasted any time and had gone to ask who was in charge. Everyone had given him the runaround, but he'd been persistent so he'd gone to Napier.
He had told him all the information but hadn't said yes or no immediately when he'd asked to join. For two days, Reaux had pestered him. For two days, Napier had ignored it. He had the patience of a saint because the detective did not back down.
Tiffany tried to get him to ease up on his persistence. She'd told him he was wound up because Jak hadn't woken up yet. More information had come out, and word on the street was Dante's drug ring had beaten a young man for missing his payment. He'd ended up at county with severe injuries that luckily were not life threatening.
With that tidbit, Reaux had demanded to go with Napier. But the lieutenant had simply walked away. Tiffany had to hold her partner back before he made a mistake and had gotten both of them in trouble. She knew his head wasn't in it, and if he went off half-cocked, he'd get hurt.
They'd had a new case come across the desks. Two college students - freshmen girls- had gone to a party and had woken up without their clothes and no recollection of how they'd lost them. They'd come to the police who'd immediately sent them to get rape kits done. Their rooms had been searched to see what they had been interested in and why they'd gone to the party.
Upon further investigation, they found the party had been thrown off campus in a hotel suite. It would be difficult to figure out who had been there. They had to find out who'd thrown it first. Hotel staff had given them access to security cameras on the floor. Guess who had thrown the party?
When Reaux had heard that, he'd doubled his efforts to get on the task force. Then the rape kits and toxicology reports came back. The girls hadn't been raped but they'd been drugged with ecstasy and GHB. They hadn't had the mentality to consent or not. They were smart to come to the police for help even if it meant they had to tell they had taken drugs or not.
"Napier, you have to let me go. This may be linked to a slew of other cases," Reaux said.
The lieutenant finally stopped and looked at him. "I know all about Jak's accident and who was involved. I've been keeping up with your most recent case. Because of all that, I cannot in good conscience let you go on this bust. You are too close to this, and if anything were to happen, I'd be reliable. And there's no way in hell I'm telling this to Jak when he wakes up. I'm sorry, but you're not going."
Cooper stood just inside his office door. "Grant, I'm sure Napier will let you question whomever they bring in."
Reaux looked between the two. One wasn't going to let him find his mate's attacker, and the other was trying to find middle ground for the both of them. Napier was right. He would do whatever he could to find Dante and the other dude. Cooper knew if he couldn't go, he would at least want to question them.
Napier finally nodded then left to finalize his team's plans. Cooper and Reaux shared a very long look. Reaux was grateful for that. Cooper didn't have to put his neck out on the line for him. Whatever persuaded the captain to do so didn't matter. He had given Reaux a chance most grieving lovers didn't get to have until trial.
Reaux went back to his desk and called Damian. He let him know the plans the police had. The Omega said he'd let his father know. If Reaux knew David Marquette, he knew the business man would do just about anything. He was nervous as to what he would do.
Tiffany had called in the two girls. Once Napier brought in whomever they caught, they hoped the girls would be able to point out who they saw before they were drugged. It was a long shot, but Reaux was certain all of this was connected. So much of it was starting to add up.
The operation was scheduled for midnight when the club was in full swing. Reaux had plenty of time to go back to the hospital but he opted to sleep in the on-call room. He'd be a jittery mess if he went to see Jak. Tay was currently there so Karen could get a shower and something to eat. He wasn't worried about anything happening to his mate.
He was staring at the ceiling when the door opened. He smelled coffee and immediately sat up. Instead of Tiffany as he thought it would be, it was Captain Cooper. He set a cup of coffee on the table as Reaux swung his legs over the side of the bed.
"They've breached the bar," he said.
Reaux nodded and picked up the cup. "Now we wait."
Cooper nodded and watched Reaux drink from his cup. "It was 2012. My daughter was hit by a drunk driver and was paralyzed from the waist down. I nearly ruined my career as I tried everything I could to nail the guy. Captain Ramirez had to physically hold me back from beating the shit out of him when he was brought in."
The detective wrapped both his hands around the cup to feel anything other than the cold coursing through his system. "What happened to him?"
"He got thirty years. He killed another girl three weeks prior and had been evading arrest when he hit my Monica. Then he broke his court ordered restrictions, got drunk, and hit another pedestrian. He still has brain damage."
"And your daughter?"
Cooper smiled. "She's a para-olympian." He met Reaux's gaze evenly. "Jak will be okay. He just needs to heal a bit. And you have a solid case. I didn't want it blown because you were angry."
Reaux nodded absently. "I was angry. No, I am angry, but not for the reasons you think. Jak didn't like Dante from the start. I asked him to give him a shot."
"From what Tiffany said, Dante was already interested in Jak. Nothing you did would change that. He was going to do what he wanted." He leaned back in his chair for a moment. "Your heart was in the right place, but Jak's intuition is usually spot on. It's how you solved the Marquette case. If it hadn't been for him, you wouldn't have had all that evidenced, and you wouldn't have gotten that promotion. Maybe you should trust your lover's instincts better."
Cooper patted his shoulder then stood. He left Reaux in the on-call room. The detective sat for a long time just soaking in what his captain had said. Jak had helped with the biggest case of his career. Even though they weren't together at the time and he hadn't wanted Jak to help, he had done so anyway. Reaux wasn't sure if that had been what had driven Jak to his side, but he was grateful if it did.
He drained the cup then threw it in the recycling. He went back to his desk and saw the thick files. Tiffany waggled her eyebrows at him. She'd been busy compiling everything she knew on Dante Rodriguez and Mateo whose last name still eluded them. He was grateful she was always on his side. He needed several allies.
There was a big commotion and seven young men were marched through their floor. Reaux made eye contact with Dante and fought the urge to punch him in the face. Seeing the remnants of Tay's sucker punch made him feel better.
Around him, his colleagues muttered and rumbled. They finally saw the face of the man who'd tried to come between Jak and Reaux. They were just as unhappy as he was, especially since the kid had shadowed many of them the week he came through.
"Call Damian," Reaux whispered. "Or text him. He'll know what you mean."
Tiffany nodded. "I'll get the girls here for the first round of identification. We'll have to question them separately to get anything."
"Why don't we help?" one of the others asked. Reaux looked at him. "We want to take them down as well."
Reaux nodded, and they all started divvying up the men and files. They were smart and left Dante to Tiffany and Reaux. Tiffany would take the lead and hope that Dante didn't encite her partner.
She looked at him as he stood outside the first interrogation room. She knew his reluctance, but she also knew she needed to give him the option. If he chose to back out, he would hate himself forever. But he had to come to the decision on his own.
She knew when he was ready. He took a deep breath, lifted his head and squared his shoulders. If she were on the other side of that table, she'd be petrified. This was not a grieving lover; this was a detective out for justice.
Reaux followed Tiffany into the room. He saw the exact moment Dante realized it was all over. His face fell and he started fidgeting. The handcuffs kept him in place, but whatever power he thought he was going to have disappeared in an instant. He knew he was in deep shit.
"Can I have someone else?" he asked.
"Unfortunately, everyone else is with your six friends," Tiffany said. She sat directly across from Dante, but his eyes were on the Alpha in the corner. "You better put your eyes here. He's not in charge of this. I am."
Reaux sank into the chair and leaned back as Tiffany started talking. He had to give it to the kid. For all his bluster, he was smart to be afraid of the older Alpha. If Reaux had it his way, he'd beat the truth out of him. He knew that would cause more trouble than good, so he sat quietly in the corner.
Tiffany didn't abc down. She threw everything at Dante. Drug charges, assault and battery, attempted murder for Mateo pushing Jak, and a whole slew of other charges. Not once did she mention sexual assualt since the DNA hadn't come back yet. Forensics was still held up with the fingerprints and clothing fibers. But Tiffany laid it all out for him.
Dante was in a gang so he knew what it meant to be a rat. Tiffany worded everything in such a way that she didn't ask for names or their pipeline of drugs. She just mainly stuck with Jak's story. But Dante was just as good. He told her how long he'd been watching Jak and what he'd hoped to do. Even finding out who he'd mated with wasn't off the table. He'd stared at Reaux the whole time while he'd talked about it.
"So what were your plans when you had him?" Tiffany asked. She was walking a slippery slope with Reaux in the room.
"I was going to break his bond." Dante's smile was lecherous as he spouted off at the mouth.
Reaux's smile was dangerous as he filled the room with oppressive pheromones. Dante's eyes widened as he realized a little too late who he was dealing with. He had grown up knowing he was a powerful Alpha. Most people listened to him because of who his father was, but he had the added aspect of being top of the food chain as well. But Reaux was on another level. Dante had felt Jak's pheromones that day on the sidewalk. He'd been driven to his knees then, but this was on a completely different level. Reaux was more dominant than even Jak.
Tiffany shot him a look as the young man slumped over in his chair. Only when he was satisfied did he stop releasing pheromones. But they were still very potent as they lingered in the air.
"You've messed with the wrong Alpha," Tiffany mused.
As she continued talking, Reaux's phone went off with two messages. One was from Napier. His men had one a sweep of the club and found a stash of drugs with the cartel symbol. And the other was from forensics.
While he was reading the second one, Dante's attorney burst through the door. Following him was another detective who whispered into Reaux's ear while the lawyer spoke to Dante.
"If all you have is circumstantial evidence, release my client," he said.
"Actually, Barry," Reaux said. He stood and showed the man his phone. "Your buddy Mateo was identified as the party host. Forensics found ecstasy and GHB in the small room where they found you. There was some in the girls' systems who came in earlier this evening. Spermicide was also found. Tiff, can you tell me where else this could have happened?"
"In hotel suite 415," she replied. Dante looked at her. "You drugged those girls so Mateo could sleep with them."
Dante leaned forward with a droopy smile. He was still under the effects of Reaux's pheormones. "Prove it."
"Fine," Reaux agreed. "When your hideout was raided, police found ecstasy, marijuana, GHB and LSD all with your family's symbol. But wait! There's more! We also scoured room 415 for prints and guess whose we found?" Dante swallowed hard. "If you've guessed yours and Mateo's, you are correct."
Tiffany clicked her pen several times. "Mateo is looking at several felony charges. Assault and battery for pushing somoene in the street to be hit by a car…"
"That was an accident! He didn't mean for Jak to get hit!" Dante interrupted.
The detective continued. "Possession of drugs, intent to sell, drugging and assualting two women, and prostitution. Is there anything else I should add?"
Barry sighed and placed a hand on Dante's shoulder. "What are his charges?"
"Possession, intent to sell, aiding in sexual assault, and prostitution. If you'd like to make a plea deal, feel free to meet ADA Sanders in the morning."
Reaux watched as Tiffany stood Dante up and read him his rights. A part of him felt bad for him. He believed he didn't intend for Jak to get hurt, but the other part knew he was dangerous and Jak wasn't safe around him.
Tiffany escorted Dante to booking as David and John came out of Captain Cooper's office. John stared at the boy as he paused in front of him. Reaux sould see the anger and concern written on his face. He couldn't believe this young man was the cause of all this heartache.
There was suddenly a lot of yelling. Several officers tried to hold a frazzled man back as he made a beeline for Dante. This had to be Dominic Rodriguez, Dante's father. He looked up into his face as Dante stared at the floor.
"I told you to leave that boy alone," he said. He looked at Tiffany. "If this is about that boy, we'll settle it with his parents."
"I'm sorry, sir, but there is way more to it than this," Tiffany said.
She told him all of the charges. Dominic's face turned red under his caramel skin, and he slapped his son as hard as he could. Dante nearly fell over from the force of it had it not been for Tiffany's firm grip on his elbow.
"We do not deal drugs!" he screeched. "Get him out of my sight!" He turned to John and David as his son was led away. "How can I make this up to you, John?"
"My boy is in a drug induced coma right now. He's fighting for his life because of something that could have been prevented." Dominic hung his head as John looked at him. "But I'm not the one you need to be speaking to though." He pointed to Reaux. "He is."
Dominic turned to the detective. "Are you the boy's…" Reaux nodded. "Well, I'm not sure how that's possible, but I apologize on my son's behalf. If there is anything I can do, please let me know."
Reaux looked at David and John. He was unsure what to do. It wasn't his call. It was Jak's, but he was still indisposed. Did he really have to do it?
"Dom, I'll have my secretary call yours and we'll set up a meeting," David said. That seemed to appease the other man, and he walked away cursing in Spanish. "I'll handle it. It's not easy dealing with these people."
"Thank you," Reaux said.
John clapped his shoulder. "Come on. I'll take you to my house so you can shower and get a hot meal."
Reaux talked with Tiffany as he walked out the door. She agreed to take care of the paperwork as long as he took care of himself. He would try, but it would be hard with Jak still unconscious.
He sagged in the seat when he got in David's car. Exhaustion overtook him. He wished he could sleep, but his mind was going haywire. His Alpha instincts were maxed out. If he wasn't careful, he'd go into rut like Jak did. He hoped the shower and food would ease him a bit.