Page 30 of Tainted Truth

ZANE

Rubbing my eyes, I give myself a small reprieve from staring at this damn case file. Liam and I have interviewed everyone possible, and there’s still no sign of Ava Thomas.

Hank hasn’t even heard anything. I’m close to resorting to searching every damn warehouse, abandoned building, and crack house in New York. Cain has to be using one of them as his new prep house after Asher, Rio, and I raided the last one. We found it after we busted the so-called “party” Cain had put on.

“Is there another informant? Someone besides Hank?”

I sigh. “Not unless you’ve turned anyone recently.”

Liam looks just as ragged as I do. His baby is having a hard time sleeping at night, and it’s showing in his appearance today. Poor guy is on his fourth cup of coffee, and it’s not even lunchtime yet.

I’m not much better off. I stopped counting how many cups I’ve had after I got to three. One would think that finally sleeping with the woman of my dreams would settle me. But I feel like I’m losing my goddamn mind. This morning I couldn’t find my badge—I practically tore Rio’s room apart, searching for it. I even tiptoed into my bedroom while Spencer slept and dugaround in there. After giving up on the search, I got to work, opened the top drawer of my desk, and found it sitting there, right on top.

“Let’s start at the beginning and go back over everything, start to finish. That’s what you always say to do when we’re stuck, right?”

Rubbing my eyes, I answer, “Right.”

Liam stands and begins to pace. “Ava was kidnapped outside Sunny’s Market. Her sister, Ella, saw Ava get taken by two men who drove off in a white van. From Ella’s description, we assume that Ava was subdued with chloroform. Then we have five other missing persons reports of women from ages twelve to twenty-five, and that’s just the ones on our case load.” He pauses in his path and rubs the back of his neck, staring at the floor. “What if they’re all connected? Am I crazy for thinking that?”

Smart man.

“Do you have any evidence suggesting they’re connected?”

Liam’s hands rest on his hips and heaves a sigh. “Just my gut.”

My head nods. “Then keep digging.”

“What?” Liam’s head snaps up.

“Trust your gut, but you need evidence to back it up.”

Scratching his head, Liam paces again. The guy is going to wear a hole into the weathered tile if he does this much longer. “Okay, okay. Evidence. Right.” He plops down in his chair and types away on his keyboard.

When Liam starts making calls, my phone vibrates on my desk. Picking it up, I check the GPS notification.

Goddammit, Dustin.

“I have to leave early today,” I comment as I rise from my chair, gathering my things. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Let me know if you come up with anything.”

Liam nods with his phone to his ear as I pass his desk.

Traffic is awful, but it feels like it takes longer than normal. When I’m at a dead-stop, waiting for traffic to move, I shoot off a message to Asher, asking him to meet us at home.

Keeping my composure is difficult when I know I have two perfect people waiting at home for me, and my agitation grows as I realize I won’t be able to spend time with Spencer and her luscious body.

Fucking Dustin. Again.

When I pull up to the brownstone, I jump out of my car and bound up the steps, taking them two at a time. Entering through the front door, I’m hit with the smell of sex.

The scent of Rio and Spencer’s love-making makes my dick harden.

Why did I go to work again today?

My focus snaps to Rio, who is digging through the fridge. Shutting the door quietly, I sneak up on him from behind.

He’s bent down, riffling through the produce, completely oblivious to my presence, when I wrap my arm around his neck and haul him into my chest. I secure my hold by grasping my wrist with my opposite hand. Rio struggles, accidentally kicking the refrigerator door closed, until he hears my voice.

With my lips right next to his ear, I whisper, “What have you been up to today?” Then I take his ear in my mouth and scrape my teeth over it.

---