Page 82 of Into the Fire: After
“God, I’m just—I didn’tthink—I was just so mad and it was bubbling out of me like poison and I thought that was how I’dget it all out. Lin, please, I am so sorry, and of course I care that you’re hurting, I never wanted to hurt you or put you in danger, any of you, and I’m—”
“Breathe, Omega,” I said from behind.
"I'm sorry too, Taryn," he whispered against her dark hair. "I've done a piss-poor job handling my emotions lately, and that's not your fault.Neveryour fault." One hand gripped the back of her head as he pressed a kiss to her crown. "I won't promise I'll never be mad at you again. But I will never lash out at you like that again. I swear it."
She took a deep breath in, and the morning air grew quiet once more. “I don’t know how to do this,” she finally whispered. “I don’t know how to protect myself and you and the other omegas.”
Lin brushed his fingers across her cheek. “I don’t either,” he admitted, eyes shining. “But we’re going to keep hunting for the answers. And we’ll do it together, okay?” Taryn nodded before throwing herself back to him, and his arms wrapped back around her, and they clung to each other as all the angry words and bad feelings dissipated like dew from grass.
An hour later, four of us sat around the island. Lin and Brooks finished up the last batch of waffles. Brea was in the shower, and I watched Taryn tease Brooks with the last cup of coffee as I finished my third waffle.
A knock at the door interrupted us. Lin wiped his hands on a towel, kissed Brooks on the cheek, then went to answer it. A jolt of surprise surged through the bond just before Lin said, “Good morning, officers.”
I turned in my seat, as did Taryn, to look toward the front doorway.
“Mr. Arceneaux,” a familiar voice said. “We’re here with a warrant to arrest Taryn Maddox.”
Thirty-four
Lin
Well.Theyworkfast.
The moment I saw Taryn’s video, I knew something like this would come down the pipeline eventually. She’d namedropped Wainwright twice, stopping short only of calling out Corinth by name. As of the last time I checked last night before Taryn got home and the evening went to shit, it’d already amassed close to a million views.
They weren’t likely to let that slide.
Vikki stood before me, alongside another officer I didn’t recognize. Her face showed her regret, yet here she still stood, handcuffs in her hand, ready to arrest my omega.
Behind me, the homey smell of a warm breakfast gave way to the stink of terror. Brooks and Caine stood between the door and Taryn, her hands on Brooks’ arms.
I stood square in the entryway, one hand on the door. “On what charges?”
Vikki held up the folded paper warrant. “Healthcare fraud, prescription fraud, aiding and abetting unregistered omegas.”
The fuck?I narrowed my eyes, trying to think of a response to the ridiculous—frankly, off-the-wall—allegations.
Except that Brooks’ stomach dropped so hard I felt the floor shake. And Taryn’s fear took on the sour tinge of shame.
What have you two been up to?
The splintering of my alpha trying to tear through my barriers began.
I tightened my grip on the doorframe. “That’s absurd,” I said.
Vikki swallowed, and her partner shifted where he stood, leaning over to try to see behind me into the apartment. “Please step aside, Mr. Arceneaux.”
Taryn gave a distressed whine, and my alpha clawed to get through my defenses. Gray cropped in at the edges of my vision.
No no no don’t lose it right now stay in control calm d—
“Taryn didn’t do it,” came a voice from behind me. “I did.”
We all turned to stare at Caine, open-mouthed as he stepped forward.
“Wait!” Taryn cried from behind me. Brooks held her back, but she fought to get to Caine, who was passing through the doorway toward the officers in the hall. “No, no, no—he didn’t—”
“Get her out of here,” I told Brooks, never taking my eyes off the cops before me.
