by T. Cobbin
“So, would you like to go over your statement again, Mr. Burr? Maybe rectify a few things?”
Shawn glanced at Harris.
“Just answer truthfully, mate. Everything will work out in the end.”
“I hope so.” Shawn hoped with all his heart that he could believe Harris and things would work out for the better. For shifters it was easy to know if someone was lying or not by their scent, which came in handy, but for non-shifters, like these officers, they had to work with what they had.
“Shawn?” The sweet voice of his mate filled his mind.
Just the simple sound of her voice helped the bubbling anger inside of him seep away. But then sadness crept in, knowing it wasn’t the time to become distracted and talk to her.
“Shawn?” she asked again, her voice carrying more worry in it.
“I’m with Harris and three policemen. I’ll talk to you in a bit.” He inwardly winced. Even in his own head, his voice had sounded entirely too harsh. He’d apologize later.
Bringing his attention back to the room, he had to think who had spoken and what they’d said. Johnathon… Statement…
“Everything I said in my statement is true. I came home late from work. When I pulled up and parked Rosie was already at the front door, waiting for me. She was in a dark mood and started at me before I even entered the house—”
“What do you mean started at you?” Johnathon interrupted Shawn.
“She started going on about how I was just a receptionist and only had a nine-to-five job, and there was no reason for me to be late. The night before she was upset about something else, only that ended in me needing stitches.”
“Stitches?” Johnathon asked.
“Yes, she threw a Buddha statue at me.”
“Karma?” Johnathon chuckled evilly.
Bastard, Shawn’s tiger grumbled.
“What about slipping on the wet floor that she’d just mopped?” the copper asked.
Shawn frowned, wondering what the man was talking about. The thought of Rosie washing anything, let alone mopping the floor, nearly made him laugh out loud. During all the time he’d lived with Rosie, she hadn’t once cleaned any floor. Was that what Rosie had told them about how he’d sliced open his head?
“Rosie didn’t mop a floor in the entire time we were together, so I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he answered truthfully.
“Were you having an affair, Mr. Burr?” Johnathon asked, changing the subject of the questioning.
Shawn frowned again, wondering where that question had come from. Was he pulling this stuff out of mid-air?
“I… That’s not something I would do. The answer to your question is no, never!”
“So why were you late then? If you are only a receptionist…” The detective let his question trail off.
Shawn felt his cheeks heat. “I was working late. Paul had a big meeting the following day and needed some paperwork finished. I wasn’t just the average receptionist, I covered as a PA too.”
“Okay, so you arrived home late…”
“I made dinner while Rosie went off and did her stuff, and just as I was about to dish it up she came back into the kitchen. She was annoyed, ranting about some male that had pissed her off at work, and she threw a glass across the room. When she got like that I knew it was time to keep quiet, put my head down, and not move or utter a word. I placed the tongs I had in my hand on the counter and prayed they didn’t move or make a sound.”
“Miss O’Hare said you threw the glass at her when she came in and interrupted you.”
“Me? Throw a glass at Rosie?” A snort escaped before Shawn could stop it. “If you knew Rosie… There was no way in hell that I would do anything like that. Not to just Rosie, but to any woman. My life would be a living hell if I even raised my voice at Rosie…” Taking a deep breath, Shawn shook his head. “My life was a living hell anyway.”
Looking up, Shawn met the copper’s gaze. He couldn’t help the tears that burned behind his eyes. They spilled over and began falling down his cheeks.
“I wouldn’t touch her,” Shawn said. “I couldn’t raise a hand to her. My mother brought me up well. The thought of a man harming a woman makes me sick to my stomach.”
He knew he was babbling. Embarrassment heated his cheeks as a few more tears fell down his face. He was supposed to be the man, the strong one. But there he was babbling in a room with five other men. As the tears continued to fall so did any sort of affection he might have still had for Rosie, as well as any kind of confidence and self-respect for himself. He bent his head and covered his face with his hands, ashamed he’d broken down. Everything seemed to weigh heavily on top of him. The air even seemed thinner.
“I think we need five minutes.” Harris’s gruff voice broke through the room’s sudden silence.
“No shit!” one of the coppers cursed, his voice full of disdain.
All three policemen rose and walked from the room as Garrett followed closely behind them. Even with the door closed Shawn could hear the mutterings between them all.
“It’s all an act, right?” one of the detectives said.
“I’m not so sure. We’ll have to wait to see what he says when we go back in.”
“Oh, fuck off. You cannot be serious. There is no way that young woman we saw with all those bruises and shit could have handed down all the abuse that he says she did.” It was Johnathon who virtually screamed that across the room.
“There are such things as female abusers. The percentage is actually pretty high.”
“No. No fucking way.”
“Excuse me, gentlemen, but I actually think the young man is telling the truth.” Garrett’s voice broke through the officers’ conversation.
“Yeah, and what makes you think that?”
“Well, besides believing the man, I also read through your file and saw the medical files as well as the…”
Shawn let his head drop and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to hear any more. There was no way on earth he would raise a hand to Rosie, but if she was now in a hospital beaten to a pulp, who would believe him? Well, he knew the shifters would, because they had the ability to scent a lie. That wouldn’t hold up in court though. Which made him wonder about something else.
“Why three detectives?”
“They said they came to take another statement from you, but it’s more likely that they came to arrest you no matter what was said.”
Shawn looked up, startled. He’d forgotten Harris was still in the room, and he hadn’t even realized that he’d asked the question aloud.
“From what I’ve heard, the reason there are three of them is because of the injuries your fiancée received. They were told you were a big man and would probably resist. To be honest, looking at Mr. Canker, I think he was hoping you would.”
“They really do believe it was me who hurt Rosie?” he asked in a quiet voice, almost to himself rather than to Harris. The more he thought it, the more he believed it.
A firm hand pressed down on Shawn’s shoulder. “We will sort this out, mate.”
Chapter 9
A few hours later Belle was going out of her mind. She had paced around the Alpha’s house continuously. Eventually, not being able to take it anymore, she called one of the other enforcers to take her place. Screw it. If Harris wanted to demote her or punish her, she would take it.
Making sure Larry was in place and happy, she marched toward the village police station. Felix was lounging outside, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He saw her coming and moved to stand in front of the door.
She held up her hand toward him when he opened his mouth “Don’t even fucking start.”
“He isn’t going to be happy, Belle.” She knew he meant Harris.
“What does he expect? That’s my mate in there.” She pointed behind him. “If that was your mate in there, would you stay away? Would you let her be questioned for hours for something she didn’t do?”
&n
bsp; Felix’s stance relaxed a little as the question began to penetrate his brain. A few seconds later he moved aside, but placed a hand on her shoulder before she fully passed him. “Go careful, okay?”
With a nod, she pushed the door open and walked into the building. She heard the voices coming from Garrett’s office.
“I didn’t hit her. No matter how many times you ask the answer won’t change.” Shawn’s desperate voice, which was tinged with anger, hit her first.
How far had he been pushed in those few hours in that small room? She stormed toward the room, but before she reached the door it flew open and Harris was standing there. She stopped when he stepped forward and closed it behind him.
“Belle,” he growled.
“Alpha.” She lowered her head a notch. “He’s my mate. Please.”
“There’s nothing you can do right now.”
“I can be here as some kind of support. How long are you going to let them question him for something he hasn’t done?”
Harris stepped toward Belle and placed a hand on each of her shoulders. “It’s nearly over. Shawn has actually done well, although he grew upset. I can honestly say he has a couple of champions in that room. Out of the three that came, only one is stubborn enough to not yet accept that he’s innocent. But the other two are growing tired with the lead detective.”
“Harris, please let me in there.” Belle knew the answer was going to be no, but she had to try.
Her Alpha sighed deeply and shook his head. “Sit there.” He pointed to a chair just outside the room. “And don’t move ’til it’s over.”
His voice left no room for argument, his face stern, but still she offered a little resistance. She just couldn’t help herself.
“I’m not a child.” She really wanted to stomp her foot like the petulant child she felt like, but his response was a low, deep growl that lifted the tiny hairs on her arms and the back of her neck. She sat in the chair without another peep.
Harris turned his huge body and walked back into the room. The voices inside went quiet for a few minutes before starting up again.
“Mr. Burr, I’m going to ask for the last time—do you still deny causing the injuries to your fiancée?”
“Yes. I did not lay a finger on Rosie. When Rosie left the house that night I was lying on the floor bleeding, unable to do anything. And no, I didn’t beat her up before she stabbed me in defense. She stabbed me in anger because someone at her work pissed her off,” Shawn’s tired voice replied.
“I think we should end this today, gentlemen.” Harris spoke up. “Mr. Burr has answered all of your questions…repeatedly.”
“You have no jurisdiction here, Mr. Rockwell. The only reason you are here is because I allowed it.”
Belle inwardly snorted. Harris was not going to like that. This was his village, and these were his people.
“Mr. Canker.” Harris’s voice was soft but deadly, even Belle would have cowered if she’d been in the room. At that particular moment she wished she was a fly on the wall to see what Mr. Canker’s face looked like. “I will say this again—this is my village. If you wish to question Mr. Burr any more, not only will we do this officially, a lawyer will be called to his side. You have had him in here for hours without arresting him, which means he is able to walk out of this room. You have also asked the same questions over and over and received the same answers. Even before reading any witness statements and medical info you have in your files, I can tell you he is innocent.”
“It doesn’t matter what you think, Mr. Rockwell. We need to get to the bottom of what happened to both parties.”
“Detective Canker, are you going to be arresting Mr. Burr today?” Garrett asked formally.
After a moment’s silence the voice that Belle assumed to be this Canker person spoke up again. “Can we have a few minutes together, please?” he asked.
Belle heard the shuffling of feet and movement of chairs before Garrett’s office door opened and three suited men left the room. Belle stood and immediately sought out her mate. She rushed into the room, past both her Alpha and Garrett, and threw herself into Shawn’s arms, wrapping around him in a tight hug.
“Belle?” he said, his voice sliding over her like a silk glove. “You shouldn’t be here.”
A grumbled agreement came from Harris as he and Garrett left the room and walked down the hallway. Belle shrugged her shoulders. Nothing was keeping her from her male at this precise moment. She shut the door, leaving her and her mate inside the office alone.
“I needed to be close to you. It’s been hours. I hate the fact that they have treated you like a criminal.”
“They have to get the facts straight. Rosie walked into an accident-and-emergency with broken bones and bruises and told them I had done it.”
A low growl started in her throat and slipped from between her lips. Anger boiled deep in her veins.
“Hey.” Shawn pulled her back from his chest and looked down at her, his hands still resting on her hips. “I’m still here. Although at first the world dropped from under my feet, I did nothing but tell the truth.” He lowered his voice so only she could hear. “As shifters we live by fate—our mates, our lives, it’s all planned out before us and we live it. If this was meant to be… I met you, didn’t I?”
The smile that lifted his lips lifted his eyes too. Her heart danced. Was he finally accepting her?
“I’m still alive and here with you now.” He whispered the words and lowered his head to plant a kiss on her lips. She licked them afterward, hoping to taste his flavor.
“But what if they take you away?” she asked, fear lacing her voice.
“Then I’m sure you won’t be far behind.” He lowered his head and his lips touched hers briefly. When he pulled back, she could see the sincerity of his words.
That brief, touching moment was broken when the office door swung open. One of the men who’d left earlier stood looking at them with a frown.
“Something going on between you two?” he asked.
“She’s here supporting me as a friend,” Shawn said, leaping to their defense.
He wasn’t lying as such, just leaving the mate details out. The copper wouldn’t understand anyway. Belle was glad the man hadn’t seen the sweet kiss Shawn had given her. That could have created another whole load of problems for her mate.
“Grown close, have we, Mr. Burr?” he asked, looking down at the hand Shawn still had on one of her hips. Shawn’s hand dropped from her body to his side.
“Does asking snide questions come with the job?” Belle asked, turning and standing in front of Shawn protectively.
“Back down, Belle. Don’t go screwing things up.” Her Alpha’s voice slid into her mind.
Looking over the detective’s shoulder, Belle saw Harris step into view, his gaze firmly fixed on her. She wanted to hiss and growl at the offensive copper, but chose to honor her Alpha.
“Can he leave?” she asked, trying hard to keep the displeasure out of her voice.
Looking at Shawn, the man said, “We have decided to suspend the questioning for now. However, I’m sure we’ll be back at some point. Don’t leave the village, and make sure you’re available for more questioning.” With that the man turned on his heel and joined the other men in the reception area, then they left the building together.
Shawn’s hand touched her shoulder, gripping it lightly. It was then Belle realized she’d taken a step after the detective, wanting to knock his block off.
“Belle…”
She swiveled around at the sound of her mate’s voice. Before she managed to open her mouth to ask what he wanted his lips covered hers.
Chapter 10
Shawn watched the obnoxious copper walk out of the building. When Johnathon had come back into the room and Belle had stood in front of Shawn, a whole array of thoughts and feelings had gone through his mind. At first he’d questioned if she’d done it because of her job or because she was his mate. Annoyance took over for a few
seconds; shouldn’t he be the one protecting her? Then worry had crossed his mind when Belle had taken a step to go after the detective. He’d quickly, but lightly, touched her shoulder and curled his fingers softly around it, stopping her from going after the man. All at once he accepted fate and his mate, where he was and the position he was in.
“Belle…” He left the rest of his sentence unsaid, because when she turned he did what he wanted to do; fuck whatever came after. Seeing her rosy lips, he lowered his head and kissed her.
Her flavor fueled his fever for her. Tongues explored, tastes swapped, and Shawn’s cock enlarged to a painful point. He wanted inside of his mate, he wanted to stroke his fingers along her skin, to suck her pert breasts into his mouth. His hands reached behind Belle’s head, pulling her closer as their lust drove higher. Pheromones filled the small room, pushing their passion.
His hands lowered down her body until they were just underneath her butt. He lifted her, and she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist. The world ebbed away until it was just the two of them. Her sounds, her scent, filled him.
She began grinding her pussy against his stiff shaft, sending small shocks down his dick and to his balls. He needed to get inside of his mate. His tiger roared in agreement. He needed some kind of surface to lean against. He had to remember the layout of the room they were in, but her hands began roaming underneath his shirt. Soft, silky hands combined with long, raking nails. Could he get any harder?
Belle pulled away, leaving them both breathless. “Are you going to fuck me or just stand there?” she asked with a gleaming twinkle in her eyes.
“I’m going to be so far inside you—”
“Not in my bloody office you aren’t!” Garrett stood red-faced in the open doorway.
Shock rippled through Shawn as everything came back to him. For a few precious seconds while he’d had his hands on Belle he’d forgotten where they were and why. He lowered Belle to the floor, depression hitting him like a ton of bricks, and he wished that he could get that peaceful existence back. He’d never lost control with Rosie like he had done just now. He would have fucked Belle against the wall and not given a shit if Garrett had walked in on them or not.