Page 56 of Rescue Me

“Zana,” Rourke says, something urgent in his tone. “You need to get down to the station. Now.”

“What’s going on?” I ask, my voice sharper than I mean it to be.

“It’s Hailey,” he growls and my blood turns cold. “She’s accusing Reid of assault.”

“What?” The word comes out as a hiss. “That’s bullshit, Rourke, and you know it.”

“Of course I know it,” he snaps. “But her Alphas are here, demanding an audience. If you don’t get here soon, it’s going to escalate. I’m doing what I can but I’m not a lawyer and Reid needs to make a statement—for the investigation and now this.”

I close my eyes, gripping the phone so tightly my knuckles ache. “Fuck yeah. I’ll be there,” I grumble. “This isn’t how I wanted to start things, Rourke.

“Believe me. I know,” he says and then the line goes dead.

I drop the phone onto the counter, my heart pounding as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. Anger coils hot and deep in my chest, but beneath it is a twinge of fear—a fear I can’t afford to give into. They’re playing their games, trying to overshadow the real story but I’m not letting them get away with the torture they caused my Beta.

I step back into the bedroom, quickly finding a suit that is both clean and ironed. In all of the chaos, I’ve enjoyed walking around in a shirt most days. Reid looks up from the nest, his brows furrowing at the look on my face. “We have to go in now, don’t we?”

Reid doesn’t wait for me to say anything as he places a soft kiss to Ethan’s forehead and then slips from the nest. There’s no resignation in his expression, just a bit of determination and defiance. He won’t be happy when he finds out why we have to go now but it’ll all work out. I’ve been preparing for the Wilhelms for days. I have the evidence. I just need the opportunity to present it.

Because a family like that just wants things to go away.

The precinct is cold and unforgiving, Reid glued to my side, his steps steady but his posture tense. I glance at him as we approach the entrance, his jaw pulled tight and eyes focused forward. He’s holding it together for now, but I can feel the weight of this moment pressing down on him. It makes my blood boil.

As soon as we step inside, I see him—Jackson Wilhelm, leaning against the far wall like he owns the place. Lyle hovers nearby, his expression unreadable but his presence no less infuriating. Jackson spots us, his smug grin spreading as he straightens and crosses his arms. It’s enough to send me over the edge.

Before I realize what I’m doing, my fist connects with his face. The crack of impact is satisfying, the pain in my knuckles a welcome distraction from the rage simmering just beneath my skin. Jackson stumbles back, clutching his jaw, and for a moment, there’s a stunned silence.

“What the fuck?” Jackson growls.

“Zana!” Rourke’s voice cuts through the haze of my anger as he grabs my arm, pulling me back before I can land another hit. “You can’t do this here.”

“Let me go, Rourke,” I snap, my voice sharp. “I’m not done with him.”

“You’re done,” Detective Grayson says firmly as he steps between us, his gaze locking on mine. His calm demeanor doesn’t soften the steel in his voice. “If you can’t keep it together, you’re not going to be allowed in this precinct, let alone in that room to advocate for your mate. Understand?”

I grit my teeth, my hands curling into fists at my sides as I force myself to nod. “Fine,” I bite out, my voice taut with barely contained fury.

Jackson smirks and it takes every ounce of self-control I have not to lunge at him again. Lyle places a hand on his shoulder, muttering something under his breath, but I’m too focused on the prick standing in front of me to care what’s being said.

“Let’s move,” Grayson says, his tone leaving no room for argument.

They escort us into an interrogation room, the air thick with tension. Reid and I take seats on one side of the table while Jackson and Lyle settle across from us. Two detectives I don’t recognize step into the room. Grayson and Rourke aren’t here, likely because of their connection to me, which only makes me more uneasy. These are new faces and while that means they’re not in the Wilhelm Alphas’ pocket, it also means I don’t know where they stand.

The silence stretches as one of the detectives—a woman with short, dark hair and sharp features—opens a folder and scans its contents. Her partner, a wiry man with a thin mustache, leans back in his chair, his gaze darting between the four of us.

“Let’s get one thing straight,” the woman says, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade. “This is highly unorthodox. None of this is officially on the books, per the Wilhelms’ request, which means this situation is already teetering on the edge of propriety. If any of you step out of line, we’re shutting this down.”

Her eyes flick to me and I give her a curt nod. I don’t trust her, but I don’t have a choice. Not right now.

“We’re here to address the accusation brought forward by Hailey Wilhelm,” the man says, his voice smoother but no less authoritative. “She claims that Reid assaulted her during his time in the Wilhelm household.”

“That’s bullshit,” I snap before I can stop myself.

“Ms. Miller,” the woman warns, her gaze sharp. “Let us handle this.”

I bite my tongue, forcing myself to lean back in my chair. Beside me, Reid is stiff, his hands folded tightly in his lap. I reach under the table, resting my hand on his knee and he relaxes ever so slightly.

Jackson leans forward, his expression feigning concern. “We never wanted it to come to this,” he says, his voice oozing with insincerity. “Reid was part of our pack and we trusted him. But Hailey’s been through so much—her emotional state has been fragile since this all started.”

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