Page 5 of I Ain't Lyin'
“Those two should help prove his innocence quickly and maybe even solve the whole case.” I could tell Darren understood why I was glad I got the partners I did for this case. “You should have your mate in your arms soon, Brother. Try to stay sane until then. No eating people.”
“I’ll try,” I joked. “I’m going to let you go and grab a mocha and chocolate croissant. Maybe that will keep the hangriness away.”
“Worth a try, Ash. Keep me updated.”
Disconnecting the call with my brother, I entered the café. Hopefully the treat would keep my beast appeased.
Ding.
Checking my text notification, my spirits brightened when I saw Willa’s message.
We just got into the city. Jet left earlier than planned, so we should see you in about forty minutes. How are the humans?
I shot off a quick reply.Eh. I need to see if it’s just me or if they treat all shifters like this. Just be ready to keep control around them.
Dean replied,I can help hide bodies.
I scoffed and sent off,Dude. Not over text.
I’ll keep Dean in line.
I’d love to see you try.
Knowing the two of them, I had to stop them before they got into it any further. Anyway, I’m at Pink Coffee Café. Do you want anything?
The usual would be great.
You know what I like.
Gotcha. See you soon.
Smiling to myself, I stuffed my phone back into my right pocket. Those two might joke when we are on downtime, but I knew that when they set foot in that police department, they would not rest until my omega was free and the real killer was locked away. Those officers better learn that shifters don’t play detective. They better start looking for the real killer or move the hell out of our way.
Chapter Five
Leo
“Oh goddess, I hate this.” Frustration clawed at me as I tried to remember even a little of last night’s details. “Why can I not remember what happened?”
“Stop trying for a minute and try to ground yourself once more.” Ashton rubbed my shoulder from his seat beside me at the table. My attorney sat across from us as we tried to piece together what I could about the events that led me here.
I listened to my mate and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and held it for ten beats before slowly exhaling. “Let’s try again.”
“Are you sure?” Lillianna held my gaze until she finally nodded and continued her questions. “What did you do yesterday morning?”
Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to go back through my mind and play out my day from the moment I woke up. “I woke up at six a.m. and took a shower. I had a strange feeling all morning that I was missing something. I reviewed everything in my bag twice but found nothing wrong. I headed out of my apartment and took the train downtown to a meeting I had with the owner of Vemex Corp. They needed someone to rebuild their social media accounts and website, and I was looking for another freelance position.”
“Did the meeting go well?” Lillianna asked as she took notes.
“It did, but I am not sure I will still have that job after this.” I opened my eyes and reached for the glass of water. After quenching my thirst, I told her about the rest of the afternoon. “Anyway, I stopped by the Second Chance Bakery down the block from the office building and ordered the daily special. But while eating it, I received a call from Harvey.”
“What did he say?” Ashton leaned closer but kept his hand on my shoulder.
“He wanted to know if I could meet him at our old apartment. I remember thinking there was a tone of desperation in his voice, and I thought he wanted to rekindle the relationship. I told him I was done this time, and we weren’t getting back together. He denied that he was trying to but said there were a few things he needed to give me and tell me before he went on a trip.”
“Did he say where he was going?” Lillianna prompted after I paused for a little too long.
“I can’t remember. It’s like everything after that call is gone. I can see my memories up until that point, and then it’s like a black slab falls over everything, and the next thing I can see is waking up this morning at the apartment and the police banging on the door.”