Page 195 of Beyond the Badge: Nox

“Diesel might not be Bella’s father, but he certainly made himself her protector. He, like Magnum, isn’t a fan of cops. Let’s just say he was not thrilled to catch me in Bella’s bedroom.”

“Damn, with your pants down?”

Jamison scratched his ear and shrugged. He then rapped his knuckles on the desk. “Okay, so what the hell’s going on? Why did you go over there? Why did Magnum introduce you to his fist? And why are you here on your day off? It can’t be anything to do with the task force.”

He wasn’t sure how much he should tell Jamison. Especially since Magnum and the Shadows were involved. Normally he wouldn’t care if any of them got popped for doing something illegal.

But this situation was different.

Nox didn’t give a shit what had to happen to find Liyah. He only wanted her found.

More importantly, he wanted her found safe.

Heneededher found safe.

Now that she was in his life, he couldn’t bear losing her.

His heart squeezed painfully.

“Yeah, it’s something for the task force and since the computers were removed, I had no way to look up the info.”

“What is it? And why would Magnum be involved?”

“Magnum has nothing to do with the Demons, I… I can’t talk about the investigation.” He hated lying to his brother, but it was in Jamison’s best interest.

“I thought the investigation was over. Especially after what the Russos pulled.”

“It is for the most part. There’s just a few loose ends that need to be dealt with for any remaining indictments and trials.”

Jamison’s steel blue eyes locked with his for a few seconds and Nox waited for his sergeant to call him out on his bullshit. Nox breathed easier when the BAMC president finally nodded, got to his feet and sighed. “All right. I’m headed home. Take care of that face. It’s not a good look while on patrol.”

ChapterForty-Four

When his phonerang while walking out of the station, he jerked it so quickly from his pocket, it almost tumbled to the ground. Once he had a better grip, he saw it was Aaliyah’s stepmother. With his heart pounding, he put it to his ear. “Yeah.”

“They tracked both her car and her cell phone.”

She had to be talking about the Shadows. They probably knew how to hack into any program. Even the government’s. A skill that Nox and his brothers did not have and one highly illegal. “And?”

“And the phone was dumped in Rockvale, but the car wasn’t. One positive is that they did take her car, Nox, because the guys can track it. Hopefully, those assholes don’t figure that out and abandon it somewhere along the way.”

The guys.Like they were part of some “boys next door” club and not ruthless mercenaries. “It’s still on the move?”

“Yes.”

“What direction are they headed?”

“South.”

Most likely to West Virginia. “But we don’t know if she’s in the car.” It wasn’t a question but a common sense assumption.

“No.”

“Do they have eyes on it?”

“Not yet,” she answered, “but they’re catching up.”

“Magnum told you all of this?”

---