Page 58 of Rescue Me

“Don’t you dare blame this on Hailey,” Jackson snaps, his voice rising. “This is on you. You and your goddamn shortcuts.”

“And you,” Reid says, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Don’t pretend you didn’t benefit from it. You knew something was off. You just didn’t care enough to ask questions.”

The room erupts into a cacophony of voices—Jackson yelling at Lyle, the detectives trying to regain control, Reid’s sharp laughter cutting through it all. And me? I sit back, my gaze locked on Jackson and Lyle, a cold smile curling at the edges of my lips.

They’ve already lost. They just don’t know it yet.

Chapter thirty-four

REID

The detectives quiet us all down, forcing us to stay calm before directing a question to Lyle. “The contract will be nullified if this is the case, Mr. Wilhelm.

He flinches but quickly recovers, rolling his shoulders like he has the audacity to feel inconvenienced by this whole thing. “It’s not that simple,” he says, his voice measured now, like he’s trying to placate me. “We’ve paid a lot of money for this contract—”

“Oh, fuck right off!” I spit, slamming my hand on the table. The sound echoes in the sterile room and even Jackson startles. “You paid money? Great. You want a refund? Go to hell. That’s not how people work, Lyle. I’m not a piece of furniture you can send back because you didn’t like the way it fit in your house.”

The female detective clears her throat, her pen tapping against her notebook. “Mr. Wilhelm, I think you misunderstand the terms of your arrangement,” she says. “The payment you made was for a service—a service that Mr. Reid provided. You don’t get to demand your money back because you didn’t like the outcome. And unlike Reid, your signatureison that contract. That’s legally binding.”

Zana doesn’t miss a beat as she faces Jackson. “So nullify the contract. Immediately. Or we’ll move forward with a lawsuit detailing every single thing you subjected Reid to while he was under your ‘employment.’”

Jackson sits up straighter, his lips curling into something between a snarl and a smirk. “You’re bluffing.”

“Am I?” Zana leans back, crossing her arms over her chest. The confidence radiating off her is palpable, and it sends a ripple of something like hope through me. “You want to test that theory? Because I promise you, Jackson, whatever lawyer you think can clean up this mess is no match for me.”

I want to believe her. Goddess, Iwantto. But I know the truth—she’s bluffing, at least partly. I didn’t tell her everything, didn’t give her the details of what went on in that house. I didn’t want to relive it. Still don’t. I just want it over.

Zana doesn’t let up, her gaze boring into Jackson’s like she’s daring him to try her. “And another thing,” she says, her voice quieter now but no less lethal. “Using a forged contract? That’s a felony. Pair that with a false accusation of assault, and you’re looking at jail time. So here’s the deal—drop the accusation, nullify the contract, and I’ll back off. Simple as that.”

The silence stretches out between us. Jackson’s jaw ticks, his fingers drumming on the table as he glares at Zana. Lyle looks like he wants to crawl under the table, his shoulders hunched and his gaze darting between Jackson and the detectives like he’s hoping someone else will take the fall.

The detectives glance at each other, and one of them—a man with a sharp jawline and even sharper eyes—speaks up. “We can step out if you need a moment to discuss.”

Jackson waves them off, his teeth grinding audibly as the two officers leave the room. The door closes with a soft click, leaving just the four of us. For a moment, no one moves. The air feels like it’s been sucked out of the room, the weight of it pressing down on my chest.

Finally, Jackson speaks. “You think you’ve won, don’t you?”

“I don’t think anything,” Zana replies, her tone infuriatingly calm. “I know I’m right. The only question is how much damage you want to take before you admit it.”

Lyle shifts in his seat, his gaze fixed on the table. “We could just—”

“Shut up,” Jackson snaps, cutting him off. But his anger isn’t directed at Lyle—it’s aimed squarely at Zana. “You think you can come into my house and dictate terms?”

“You think this is still about your house?” Zana shoots back. “This is about accountability, Jackson. Something you clearly don’t understand. Now, are you going to do the smart thing and end this here, or do I need to start preparing for court?”

More silence. Then, Jackson exhales through his nose, his glare never wavering. “Fine,” he grits out. “We’ll nullify the contract.” Lyle’s head snaps up, surprise flickering across his face. “By the end of the day,” Jackson adds. “You’ll have your damn papers.”

“Good and withdraw the sexual harassment accusation,” Zana says, standing and smoothing her jacket like she hasn’t just declared war on one of the wealthiest packs in the state. “Because we know damn well that if Reid had actually assaulted your Omega, Reid would be dead. It’s what I would do for my Omega.”

Jackson lets out a resigned sigh. “Done.”

I don’t know why they ever thought that charge was going to stick or why they picked it in the first place. Hailey is too prickly of an Omega for anyone towantto be at her side that isn’t already a mate. I still don’t know how Jackson and Lyle do it.

The moment we step outside, the tension in my chest threatens to explode. I shove my hands into my jacket pockets, walking a few paces ahead of Zana as we head toward her car. The weight of the past hour hangs heavy and I can’t hold it in any longer.

“You’re just going to let them get away with it?” The words are out before I can stop them, my voice sharper than I intended. I glance over my shoulder at her, my heart pounding. “That’s it? They nullify the contract, drop the accusation, and we just walk away?”

Zana doesn’t answer right away. She strides forward, her coat flaring out behind her in the breeze. When she reaches me, she stops, tilting her head as a sly smile curls her lips. “You really think I’d let them walk away without consequences?”

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