Page 104 of Midnight of Ashes
Detective Alwyn’s eyes narrowed on me. “You have something to hide, Hayden?”
“No,” Cillian clipped. “But after your unprofessional display yesterday, it was clear we needed our lawyer on hand for all conversations. He is on his way, but Hayden won’t be speaking to you without him present.”
“You let them control you?” Alwyn challenged.
Cillian stiffened. “Keep talking and I’ll be lodging a formal complaint with the police department and the mayor. I have very deep ties to this town. Remember that.”
Alwyn’s face reddened, and he opened his mouth to say something, but Detective Brower held up her hand to stop him. “Enough.” She turned to Cillian. “My apologies. My partner is understandably upset. After an anonymous tip, we found Mr. Brent in pieces deep in National Forest territory. It was quite unsettling.”
My stomach pitched, and I turned into Knox. But I didn’t miss how Brower was watching us. All of us. She wanted to drop that bomb to see our reactions.
Cillian’s face remained a blank mask. “That would be quite upsetting.”
Brower nodded slowly. “So, you’ll understand why it’s important for us to find answers.”
“As long as that quest follows legal pathways, I support it wholeheartedly,” Cillian said coolly.
“Glad to hear it.” Brower turned to me. “Be at the precinct at nine tomorrow morning with your lawyer.” Her gaze flicked to Cáel. “You, too.”
I stiffened in Knox’s hold, but it was Maddox who spoke. “Why do you need to speak with Cáel?”
Brower smiled at him, but it wasn’t in any way warm. “We have an eyewitness who put him in the building at the time Brent was last seen. I’m assuming he’d like a lawyer present, as well, so we’ll get this all done at once. Unless you’d like to get it over with now, Mr. McKenna?”
“No, he wouldn’t,” Cillian growled.
The detective turned her smile on Cillian. “Then we’ll just keep going with our investigation until then. Remember, you’ll need to stay in town.”
Alwyn gave us one last glare, and then they both turned to walk away.
“This is bad,” Easton muttered.
A muscle in Cillian’s jaw fluttered. “I’ll deal with it.”
Knox glanced at him. “We’re sure there’s nothing on the body that would tie it to Cáel or to our property?”
Cillian shook his head. “You know we always take precautions.”
“Murder cases have been made on circumstantial evidence before,” Easton said quietly.
“Not with the legal team we have,” Maddox assured him.
I crossed to Cáel, wrapping my arms around his waist and holding on. I didn’t care who saw or what they thought. I needed to comfort him. To reassure myself that he was here and safe.
Cáel’s arms came around me. “I’ll be fine, Little One. Been in worse jams than this one before.”
I hated that with every fiber of my being.
Maddox cleared his throat. “We need to get to class or there will be more talk.”
I nodded against Cáel but didn’t let him go.
He dipped his head and brushed his lips over my hair. “Go to class. I’ll be waiting for you after.”
I forced myself to release my hold on him, stepping back.
Easton lifted my backpack, offering it to me.
I slid it over my shoulder and followed him and Maddox toward the science building, leaving the rest of the guys to problem solve.
