by Lynn Hagen
When he spilled onto the street, Justin looked left then right. He spotted the guy rounding the corner, the woman holding his arm.
With a snarl, Justin flat-out ran, determined to arrest the guy. Arrest, not kill. That was what he had to keep telling himself. That was what he had to keep telling his beast because already his claws were threatening to elongate.
He didn’t like leaving Noah in the restaurant alone, but Justin needed to give his mate closure on at least one of the cases. He also wanted the scum off the street so he didn’t hurt anyone else.
Justin rounded the corner and spotted the guy about to get into a car. He hadn’t even tucked the lady in first. What a piece of shit. Justin kept running until he was close enough, and then he pulled his weapon from its holster.
“Detective Grace,” he said loud enough to be heard. “Stop right there.”
The guy eyed Justin, his brows hiked to his hairline. “What’s this about?”
Justin knew in his gut that he was saving this woman from a nightmarish attack. Guys like this never quit. They kept attacking until they were stopped.
And Justin planned on stopping him.
Justin pulled his cell phone free, his gun still in his other hand and called the station, asking for backup. He would need a car to transport this guy.
“Show me your ID,” Justin said. “Pull your wallet out slowly and set it on the trunk of your car then back away.”
When the guy did as he was told, Justin grabbed the wallet and pulled out the driver’s license, which had expired two months ago. Daniel Spade.
“This is your unlucky night, Daniel,” Justin said. “Turn around and put your hands on your head.”
“What did he do?” the female asked from the other side of the car. The door was open, and her hand rested on the frame. She had no idea just how lucky she was that she hadn’t gotten inside and sealed her fate.
“For now, the charges are assault with the intent to rape.” Justin moved closer, watching Daniel for any sudden movements.
“Rape?” The woman squeaked the word.
“Do you know him?” Justin asked.
She shook her head. “We just met.”
“And you’re getting into his car?” Maybe Justin was jaded from his line of work, from seeing too much, for knowing that evil like Daniel Spade existed, but it still amazed him at how foolish some people were, how trusting they seemed to be with perfect strangers.
What ever happened to meeting at a coffee shop and getting to know someone, of waiting for the third or fourth date before letting their guard completely down?
But most people were trusting, and wouldn’t the world be a perfect place if no one had ulterior motives, if that trust could be nurtured instead of ripping away someone’s innocence?
Justin was just about to put his weapon away and cuff the guy when Daniel took off, racing away from Justin.
With a curse, Justin looked at the woman. “When the cops show up, tell them what direction we went.”
He took off, chasing after Daniel. Now he knew he had the right guy, though Justin hadn’t doubted Noah for a second. He’d nearly caught Daniel when they cut down an alley, but fuck, the human was fast. He was over the fence, on the top of a dumpster, and on the next street before Justin could catch him.
But that didn’t stop Justin. He jumped the fence, bounced off the dumpster, and was after Daniel again, this time gaining ground.
It happened before Justin could even shout. Daniel ran out into the street and was nailed by a box truck. It flung the human a good twenty feet before he came to a stop.
“He ran right out in front of me!” the driver shouted when he got out. “He just ran in front of me!”
Justin called for an ambulance and let the cops know where he was. “Just stay right there,” Justin said to the driver. He needed the guy’s statement and that of anyone else who saw what had happened.
Benton knew how close Justin was to this case, and he didn’t want any doubt shed on him. As he waited for the paramedics, Justin called Noah.
“Where are you?” Noah asked in a high, tight voice.
“On Brisker Avenue.” He told Noah what had happened. “I have to wait at the scene.”
“I’m coming to you,” Noah said.
“I want you to stay put,” Justin said. If Daniel hadn’t been the one to break into Noah’s apartment, that meant someone was still out there, someone who was taunting Noah, and Justin would feel a hell of a lot better if Noah stayed inside.
He texted Fang while he talked to Noah, asking the guy to go to the restaurant and keep an eye on Noah. He also sent Fang a picture of Noah since the guy had never seen his face.
It was the picture Justin had taken when Noah was at the stove cooking. He’d looked over his shoulder and given Justin a shy smile. It was the sexiest picture Justin had ever seen.
Fang texted him back and said he was on his way. Justin was thankful John had taken over the pack. Before John, Justin wouldn’t have even thought to ask any of his pack members for help.
Now he was depending on them to keep Noah safe.
* * * *
Screw this. Noah wasn’t going to sit around on his ass. Not when he had a chance to make the sick fuck pay. Justin hadn’t said how badly… Daniel. Noah’s attacker’s name was Daniel, but he still didn’t know the guy. Justin hadn’t said how badly Daniel had been hurt, but Noah wanted to confront the guy, and possibly kick him in the nuts.
He also didn’t like being in the restaurant alone. Noah felt exposed and vulnerable, so he paid the bill and hurried to the door, spilling out onto the street. He knew where Brisker Avenue was. The street wasn’t that far away.
Noah hurried down the block, keeping his eyes peeled. It had gotten dark out while they’d been eating, and Noah normally didn’t come outside at night by himself.
Like you did the night of the party. Noah moved faster, determined to get to Justin. His nerves were a fluttering mess inside him the closer he got to Brisker. The end of the street was blocked off, but Noah moved around the crowd and hurried toward the scene. The traffic was backed up, and people were honking their horns.
Noah squinted at the array of flashing lights as he drew closer. There were three cop cars and an ambulance plus a buttload of onlookers.
Noah didn’t want to see the actual accident. He wasn’t sure he could stomach it, but his morbid curiosity drew him closer. He wanted to see the guy’s face, to make sure, beyond a doubt, that this was the guy who had attacked him.
“Sorry.” A uniformed cop held up his hand. “You have to stay behind the tape.”
It was dark out, but with the streetlights, various headlights, and the swirling lights, the area was well lit. Noah saw the paramedics working on someone who was lying on the ground. The guy wasn’t moving, and there was a pool of blood under his head.
He felt detached as he watched the EMTs load the guy on a board, collar his neck, and carry him to the back of the ambulance.
“What do you mean why did I chase him?”
Noah snapped his head around at the sound of Justin’s voice. He spotted his mate not too far away, talking with some guy.
“You had his ID,” the guy said. “We could have tracked him down that way. Now the suspect might have brain damage or die.”
“You wanted me to let him go so he could do this to someone else?” Justin looked ready to explode. “He had his next victim with him, Benton.”
“Alleged,” Benton argued. “Alleged victim and alleged perpetrator. Just because Noah said it was the guy, what if he was wrong? What if it was the wrong guy and you just turned his brain to jelly?”
Noah shrank back, horrified at the thought of pointing out the wrong guy. But he was almost certain it had been the man who’d attacked him.
“We can take Daniel’s photo to the guy who threw the party and ask if he knows Daniel,” Justin said. “My gut tells me we have the right guy.”
“But we may never know since he mig
ht not ever regain consciousness.” Benton put his hands on his hips and looked toward the sky while Justin worked his jaw from side to side.
Maybe Noah should have stayed at the restaurant. He wished to god he hadn’t heard this conversation, because now he was doubting himself, and if he’d gotten the wrong guy killed or brain dead…
Would that get Justin fired?
Noah spun, ready to get out of there, when a hand landed on his upper arm. Noah shouted and jerked around, only to find Justin behind him.
“What are you doing here?” Justin’s features were dark. “I thought I told you to stay at the restaurant.”
Noah cringed at Justin’s harsh tone. “I wanted to see for myself,” he said, wishing he hadn’t opened his mouth. That had sounded bad. “I mean to make sure I identified the right person.”
Noah watched as the ambulance pulled away, its sirens blaring as it rocketed down the street and around the corner.
“You have doubts?” Justin let Noah’s arm go.
“Everything happened so fast,” Noah argued. “If you would have arrested him, I could’ve picked him out of a lineup.”
“Instead of chasing him into traffic.” Justin looked over his shoulder before turning back to Noah. He pulled something out of his pocket. “Here’s his driver’s license. Tell me if this is the guy. Take your time because I need a positive ID.”
Or he was in a world of shit. Justin didn’t say that, but Noah read between the lines.
He took the piece of plastic and stared at Daniel’s picture. Noah had been tipsy that night, but he knew he hadn’t imagined the attack. Even so, the face from that night, in his mind, was a bit blurred.
He wanted to say yes, that Daniel was the guy, but now, Noah wasn’t so sure. His nerves were getting the better of him, making his memory play tricks on him.
“Damn it, Noah.” Justin rubbed his hands over his hair.
“I’m sorry,” Noah said with a lump in his throat. “I don’t want to accuse the wrong person.”
“But you might have,” Justin argued. “This is my fault.” He took the ID and stuffed it into his pocket. “I shouldn’t have chased him. I had his ID and could have tracked him down that way.”
He repeated exactly what Benton had said to him, and Noah wished to god he could be one hundred percent sure. He’d had one too many drinks, the room had been dark, and all Noah had thought about was getting away, not taking a good look at the guy for future identification.
Noah squeezed his eyes shut when a news vans started to pull up. This was a nightmare if Noah was wrong, and he wasn’t sure how to fix this.
This was why he never left his damn house.
“A friend of mine is going to give you a ride home,” Justin said to him. “I can’t leave right now and will have a long night ahead of me, but Fang will stay with you until I can get away.”
A nice-looking stranger approached and nodded at them.
“Noah, this is Fang.”
Noah gave a weak smile, his heart in his gut. Not only had he gotten someone hit by a truck but now Justin was delegating Noah to a babysitter.
His mate wouldn’t even look at him.
“Hey.” Justin slid his hand down Noah’s arm. “Get some rest, love. I’ll handle this. All I care about is keeping you safe.”
Which made Noah feel ten times worse as he walked away with Fang.
Chapter Nine
Noah woke to an empty bed. That shouldn’t have been a surprise since he’d gone to bed alone. But it did bother him. Noah and Justin were still getting to know each other, still struggling with everything, and now he’d pissed Justin off and had possibly cost the man his job.
Too bad Noah couldn’t have said he was one hundred percent sure it was Daniel. In the restaurant, something had clicked in Noah’s mind, and he knew Daniel had been the one to attack him. He knew it in his gut.
Unfortunately, when confronting that horrific scene, Noah had felt paralyzed, unable to give Justin what the man had wanted to hear.
Tossing back the covers, Noah got up and padded to the kitchen. He’d thought about calling Mikko, but things were already disastrous enough. His best friend would’ve come to him, but this was something Noah wanted to work out on his own.
If his relationship was even salvageable.
If not, Noah would return to his life, without Justin and with a dismal future. After spending time with Justin, getting to know him better, Noah couldn’t imagine his life without his mate in it.
He stopped midstride when he entered the living room on his way to the kitchen. He gasped when he saw the shadow by the window.
“It’s just me,” Justin said in a low tone.
Noah’s heart was beating like crazy now. Justin was there, but he hadn’t come to bed. What was he supposed to say? Noah was at a loss for words as he stood there with nothing but the streetlights to light up the room with a soft glow.
He wanted to go to Justin, to be held in his arms, to be told that everything was going to be okay, even if it wasn’t. Noah just needed reassurance right now, but he doubted he would get it.
“Daniel died.” Justin crossed his arms as he slowly turned. “The trauma to his head was too extensive.”
Noah’s stomach shrank. What if he had made a mistake? Had an innocent man paid the price?
“I’m pretty sure he was our guy.” Justin crossed the room and stood next to the couch. Noah longed to be held by him but stayed put. “He had a few outstanding warrants and a record that included sexual assault, criminal stalking, and breaking and entering.”
That still didn’t make Noah feel any better. Daniel might have been scum who needed to be taken off the streets, but he’d deserved his day in court.
Though Noah doubted he would have been able to say for certain that Daniel was the guy who’d attacked him.
Honestly, Noah wasn’t sure he wanted Justin to continue speaking. What if his mate started yelling? Noah’s stomach was tied in knots as he stood there, unable to move, his breath coming out in short pants while he stared at Justin, watching for any indication the guy was pissed.
If Noah was being truthful with himself, he’d already accepted Justin in his life. He’d started adjusting to having Justin around, had had fun with the triplets, and Trish and John had made Noah feel like a part of their family.
It had warmed Noah to be included in their lives, to feel a part of something he’d been missing for a very long time.
Family.
He had Mikko, and his best friend was great, always there for him, a companion that Noah needed. But the family dynamics had hit home when Noah left Trish and John’s house. He’d felt a part of that nuclear family that Noah hadn’t… Shit, he’d never been a part of that.
Noah had been raised by a single mother who worked herself to the bone to make ends meet. They hadn’t had a nice house with a backyard. He hadn’t had someone who waited up for him until he got home or people who would have his back, go to bat for him.
Justin was quiet, his handsome head tilted as he studied him. There was an intense look in his eyes, as if he were trying to see right through Noah.
“This wasn’t your fault, Noah. The guy ran because he had warrants. I gave chase because I wanted scum like that off the streets. My job is intact. Daniel won’t be hurting anyone else.”
Noah lifted his chin and squared his shoulders. “Then why are you treating me this way?”
Justin’s dark brows furrowed.
“Pissy with me at the accident, sending me home with a friend to babysit me, coming in late, and being all quiet.”
Justin’s smile wrecked Noah’s heart. “You sound like my wife.”
“I didn’t… I wasn’t…” Noah curled his lips in, unsure if he should be insulted or simply laugh. “Was that how Trish was with you?”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.” Justin pulled Noah into his arms.
Noah hadn’t realized how badly he’d ached for his mate to hold him until he f
elt Justin’s strong arms keeping him pressed against his broad chest.
“Then what’re you talking about?” Justin’s lips were so close that Noah could practically taste them. He felt the scrape of Justin’s beard, the warmth of his breath and how the man’s muscles tightened as he held him.
“I’m talking about how good it feels to have someone bitch at me, someone who was disappointed because I didn’t come to bed and who cares about my moods enough to call me on them.”
“Well.” Noah pursed his lips. “You did act like a jerk.”
One of Justin’s brows arched. “And might I remind you that I’d just gotten a guy killed?”
“Did you push him into traffic?” This wasn’t what Noah wanted to talk about, but if it was bugging Justin, then they would deal with the subject. “You said yourself that he had a record, that he was a bad guy who preyed on people and—”
“We don’t have to go over his crimes again.” Justin kissed the tip of Noah’s nose. “It’s late, I’m tired, and you look fucking delicious in your underwear and T-shirt.”
Noah had been called many things over the years, but delicious had never been one of them.
“Come on.” Justin pulled away but took Noah’s hand. “Let’s go to bed.”
When they entered the bedroom, Justin hooked an arm around Noah’s waist and hauled him to his hard body, staring down at Noah with a wild, hungry look in his eyes.
Noah’s lungs stalled and his lips parted as Justin rested his hand on Noah’s waist. The touch felt branding, hot, and Noah knew Justin had other things in mind besides sleeping.
* * * *
Easing his hand around, Justin ran the backs of his knuckles over his mate’s erection, the swell thick and promising. He hated that Noah had seen him earlier, had caught him at the wrong time, when Justin was still shaken, when Benton was bitching him out. But it was more than that. He had lost his cool when he’d spotted Noah at the crime scene, and all Justin thought about was that it could have been Noah lying dead on the ground, could’ve been his mate who had been killed by the criminal Justin had chased.