Page 26 of Give Me You
Martinez tries again to reach for Emilio, probably to guide him out of the room. But Emilio shakes the hand off his arm and just glares at the officer with such intensity that the man actually takes a step back. Otto slowly pulls Emilio behind him, positioning himself as a buffer between his charge and the police.
"Are you formally charging them?" Otto asks, his voice much calmer than everyone else in this room. "You didn't even read them their rights, and while I know this is highly unorthodox to be in here, having Zaden in here is both a conflict of interest and illegal. So the least you can give me is an answer."
Martinez and Lania exchange glances. They know Otto is right. They got overzealous, brought us in on flimsy evidence, and a tip from someone with obvious bias. The whole thing is falling apart, and they know it.
"We had a few witness reports," Martinez admits, his tone defensive. "And we were hoping that something would pop up after questioning them."
Otto nods, his expression unchanging. "Wonderful. Then you'll have no problem letting them go since they aren't actually under arrest?"
Lania grimaces, and Martinez sighs. The defeat is clear on both their faces. "No, they're free to go."
Akira leans back in his chair, a smirk spreading across his face. The satisfaction radiating off him is palpable. "Careful, you don't get sued for damaging our image, Mr. Officer." He pauses, letting the threat hang in the air. "And for the record, I was sitting at my favorite booth at Aurum Pulse. Not that any of you can check because the cameras have been a bit fucky. Zaden, you wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
Zaden's frown deepens, his smugness evaporating. Akira just connected the dots publicly, made it clear that Zaden had motive and opportunity to tamper with the security footage.
Otto steps forward, his voice cutting through the tension. "Let's end this here. Mr. and Mr. Stark, if you would please follow me. I have a car for you two, and Emilio would like to speak with you."
Looking over at Emilio, I see him vibrating with a mixture of emotions. Anger, fear, relief, frustration, all swirling together in a chaotic mess. And then I realize something that makes my breath catch. The pain and confusion swirling around in my chest aren't just mine. They're Emilio's emotions. I can feel them as clearly as if they were my own, the bond between us strong enough to transmit what he's feeling even when he's trying to hide it.
Akira and I stand, and I make sure to keep my voice level when I address the officers. "We'll be available for questioning if you have any actual evidence. Not just tips from people with obvious conflicts of interest."
Martinez nods, but Lania speaks up before we can leave. "Emilio, you mentioned they were with you. Correct?"
"Correct," Emilio says firmly, not elaborating.
"That's bullshit!" Zaden shouts, his composure finally cracking completely. "He's lying to protect them!"
Otto waves toward the door, his patience clearly wearing thin. "Gentlemen, after you."
Akira and I walk out of the interrogation room, and Emilio quickly falls in step behind us. Otto says something to Akira that I don't quite catch, something about lawyers and next steps. A sleek black car waits outside the station, and I slip into the back seat. Emilio gets in next, sliding across the seat until he's in the middle. He doesn't settle though, his body still tense and coiled like a spring.
Then Akira climbs in, closing the door behind him. The moment he's seated, Emilio's body relaxes. His shoulders drop, his breathing evens out, and he sinks back against the seat between us.
The ride is quiet at first. Nobody speaks, the silence heavy but not uncomfortable. Emilio slowly relaxes further between us, his body unwinding bit by bit. The warmth of him pressed against my side is reassuring. He's safe. We're safe. For now, at least.
Back at the house, though, the tension rises again, Emilio standing in the middle of the open layout, his hands fisted at his sides. "What the fuck happened since this morning?" he asks, his voice strained.
Akira heads to the kitchen and then returns with two glasses of whiskey, handing one to me before he launches into the explanation, telling Emilio everything we found out. About Jax synthesizing the drug into a different form, about selling it to River, about River admitting he gave it to someone named Chad.
"So you killed him?" Emilio asks when Akira finishes, his eyes wide.
"He was breathing," Akira says flatly, taking a sip of his whiskey. "When I left, he was alive. Beat up, sure. But alive. We don’t kill people, Emilio."
Emilio groans, running his hands through his hair. "The cameras at work were busted just before the supposed drop off of drugs in my name. Either way, you mentioned a Chad. We don't work with a Chad."
"Walk me through everything," I say, taking a seat on the edge of the couch, and leaning forward. "Who can vouch for you, Akira?"
Akira's expression darkens. "No one other than our guys, and that won't help. Police aren't going to take the word of people on our payroll."
Emilio frowns, and I can feel the frustration building in him again through our connection. "I don't even know why I came here. This is your problem, but I have to fix it."
"What are you talking about?" Akira asks, setting down his glass.
The words tumble out of Emilio before he can stop them. "I didn't even think about it. I just got in your car, knowing I had to fix it. Not like because I own the club where this happened, but because you're my Alphas."
The room goes silent. The weight of what he just said hangs in the air, impossible to take back. Emilio's eyes go wide, realization dawning on his face. "I have to go. Fuck," Emilio says, already moving toward the door.
Walking after him, I reach out for him but don't touch. "Emilio, wait."
