Page 38 of Give Me You
Akira grunts, a sound that's half aroused and half tortured. He has to reach down to adjust himself, his cock clearly reacting to the mental image. Then he laughs, shaking his head. "You're going to kill me before the night's over."
"That's the plan," I say sweetly.
Before we can continue the banter, Otto appears. His expression is serious, professional, the one he wears when he's delivering news I won't like. "A police officer is here to speak with you, Emilio."
The good mood evaporates instantly. Sighing, I nod. "Yeah, okay."
Liam frowns, his hand finding mine. "What's going on?"
"They didn't believe my alibi then, why would they believe it now?" I say, resigned. "I knew something was going to go wrong."
The anxiety that's been lurking in the background surges forward, making my chest tight. This is it. The other shoe dropping. Of course something had to ruin the good week we've been having. Of course I can't just have peace.
Otto leads us to a small conference room on the main floor. Not the usual one where I meet with investors, but a smaller, more private space. The police officer is already waiting inside, a woman I don't recognize. She stands when we enter, her eyes immediately going to my belly. The look on her face is unreadable, somewhere between sympathy and skepticism.
Taking a seat across from her, I try to project confidence I don't feel. Liam and Akira flank me on either side, their presence grounding. Otto stands by the door, ready to intervene if necessary.
"Mr. Ardyn," the officer says, pulling out a notebook. "I'm Detective Smisson. I have some questions about the night you were allegedly drugged."
Allegedly. The word makes my jaw clench. "It's not alleged. I was drugged. River Harrison sold the drugs to Charles, one of my investors, who then used them on me."
Detective Smisson nods, writing something down. "Can you walk me through what happened that night? From the beginning?"
Taking a deep breath, I explain everything. How I went to the club for the Neon Dreams launch, how I started feeling strange after drinking some water, how I went into heat even though I'm pregnant and that shouldn't be possible. How Akira found me and took me to their house to help me through it. How we later discovered River sold a modified version of the drug to Charles specifically to use on me.
"And you believe your brother Zaden was involved in orchestrating this?" Detective Smisson asks.
"I know he was," I say firmly. "He admitted it to me. Said he didn't see the harm, that he just wanted to run the club at any cost. I don't think he's trying to get me killed, but he doesn't care what happens to me as long as he gets what he wants."
Detective Smisson studies me for a long moment. "This is a wild story, Mr. Ardyn. But I'm inclined to believe it because some of the tips Zaden has been bringing in seem manufactured. We're looking into them, but it seems like your brother is creating chaos to look like the hero."
The validation should make me feel better, but it doesn't. Knowing that Zaden has been manipulating the police, feeding them false information to make himself look good while making me look unstable, just makes the betrayal cut deeper.
"However, what you've explained is a serious charge," Detective Smisson continues. "Drugging someone without their consent, especially a pregnant Omega, could result in significant jail time for Charles. And if Zaden was involved in planning it, he could be charged as an accessory."
"Good," I say flatly. "They should be charged. What they did could have killed me and my baby."
"Do you know where your brother is currently?" Detective Smisson asks, flipping to a new page in her notebook.
"I am not my brother's keeper," I say, probably more sharply than necessary. "However, I know that my Alphas did not kill River. Someone else did, and I bet you might get more answers if you asked Zaden."
Detective Smisson’s eyebrows rise slightly, but she doesn't dismiss the suggestion. She makes a note, then closes her notebook. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Ardyn. We'll be in touch if we have more questions."
After she leaves, the three of us sit in silence for a moment. My hands are shaking slightly, adrenaline making my heart race. The confrontation was relatively mild, but the implications are huge. If the police actually investigate Zaden properly, if they find evidence connecting him to Charles and River, this could all be over soon.
"I just said it, but you don't think my brother would have had River killed, do you?" The question comes out uncertain. Because as much as I hate Zaden, as much as he's hurt me, I don't want to believe he's capable of murder.
Akira leans back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. "Your brother is a bastard, but he's not a killer. I think that might be more up Charles' alley, though. He's got the connections, the money, the motive. If River was becoming a liability, if he threatened to talk, Charles would have every reason to silence him permanently."
The logic makes sense, but it doesn't make me feel any better. "I just want all this to go away."
"You and me both, Mili," Liam says softly, his hand finding mine under the table.
My nose scrunches up automatically at the nickname. "Yeah, still don't call me that."
Liam grins, squeezing my hand. "And I know you still like it."
The teasing helps ease some of the tension, getting us back to the comfortable dynamic we've developed over the last week. But underneath, the worry remains. Because even if the police are starting to believe me, even if they're looking into Zaden, we’re still in danger. Charles is still out there. Zaden is still plotting. And someone murdered River, which means they're willing to kill to protect their secrets.
