Page 65 of Assisting the Alpha
“If Xana is innocent, we need to get her out as soon as possible,” I conclude. Not that we weren’t planning to do that anyway, but it does add some urgency to the situation, over and above still potentially having the real murderer out and free to kill again.
Ayo rushes back into the room, and I resist the temptation to snag him and sit him in my lap, instead letting him retake his chair beside me.
“What did you find out, sweet thing?”
“Kit, can you please pull up my email? My password is?—”
“I already know it. Hang on.”
Ayo frowns at Kit before shaking it off. “So I should be getting an email any minute that contains the evidence the task force submitted to the mayor’s office along with their stated reason for moving Xana to Wargate immediately.”
“How did you swing that?” Raj asks, sounding vaguely impressed. “Wren wouldn’t give me that information.”
Ayo gulps down some probably lukewarm tea before answering. “Coven admins do all the paperwork for the task force, including submitting this kind of stuff for BSG processing. I called my friend Sally, who I used to work with.”
“And she just handed it over?” Raj asks, a hint of surprise in his tone.
Even as a friend, handing over this kind of thing to a rival company would surely have given the person pause.
Ayo shakes his head. “Not even close. She point-blank refused, under any circumstances. She wants the murderer hung, drawn, and quartered, never mind locked up. But then I pointed out that what if it were her girlfriend who’d been arrested? Her girlfriend is also part of Teo’s prowl. After that, it didn’t take much convincing. I told her we were just double checking for thoroughness and staff training, that we’d only challenge the evidence if we were convinced Xana is innocent and have another viable suspect.”
“Brilliant.” I lean over and give him a quick kiss. His scent fills with pleasure and satisfaction, and I can’t resist pecking another kiss to his full lips.
Someone clears their throat just as Ayo’s phone rings.
He pulls it out and shows me the screen. Teo.
“Put it on speaker, please.”
Ayo does. “Teo, I’m with Ethan and the team. You’re on speaker.”
There’s a brief pause, then Teo’s angry voice comes over the line. “Tell me you people can do something to get Xana out. She didn’t do this.”
“While we can’t make any promises—” I ignore Teo’s snarl. “—we’re about to review the evidence the task force submitted and we have a plan for tonight to pursue the viability of another potential suspect.”
“What the fuck does that mean? Do you know who actually did this?”
Ayo puts a hand on my arm, a questioning look in his eyes.
Ordinarily I wouldn’t share a potential suspect pool outside of the team, but in this case I’m tempted. Teo sounds angry enough that he could take action if we don’t reassure him we’re looking into it and give him a viable alternative suspect.
Unfortunately, the legal position is clear. I shake my head at Ayo.
Ayo returns his attention to his phone. “We have a lead we’re following. That’s all we can say right now.”
Teo snarls again. “Understood, li’l bro, even if I don’t fucking like it.”
I glance around at the determined faces in the room. My team, who have stuck with me through hell and back. Maybe my pack? In Teo’s position I’d be just as frustrated.
It’s that which prompts me to offer some kind of reassurance to the jaguar. “I promise you we will do everything to ensure the real murderer is caught and convicted, no matter who that is.”
Teo exhales. “That’s the best I can ask for, I suppose. But promise me one more thing. If you need additional numbers to go after whoever this is, call me. I’ll lend you a few people who are handy in a fight.”
There’s very little the six, now seven, of us can’t handle, so I doubt it’ll be necessary, but that’s not what Teo wants to hear right now. While I have my doubts about this man, I do respect his loyalty to his prowl member and his determination to seek the best outcome for her.
“Thanks, Teo. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Hey, Teo?” Ayo says. “Do you have a photo of Xana in her shifted form?”
