Chapter 12
Akira
I walk through the warehouse, make my way down the aisles of prepped boxes stacked high on metal shelves.
The space smells like cardboard and concrete, the overhead lights casting harsh shadows across everything.
Each box is labeled with codes only my crew understands, ready for distribution to the clubs and private clients who keep our operation running smoothly.
I run my hand along one of the boxes, checking the seal, making sure everything is secure.
Quality control is everything in this business.
One mistake, one contaminated batch, and people die. Or worse, they talk.
Which is why it pisses me off even more that Emilio found himself drugged on my stock.
I move through the rows until I reach the open area at the back of the warehouse where a few of my guys are gathered.
Liam is leaning against the far wall by the entrance, that hooded, dark look on his face that he usually carries.
Except when Emilio is around. I never really noticed it before, never paid attention to the way my brother's entire demeanor shifts when that Omega walks into a room.
But after last night, after watching the way Liam looked at Emilio while he was on his knot, after seeing the softness in my brother's eyes that I've never seen directed at anyone else, I can't stop noticing it.
Jealousy flares up in my chest that I've never had something like that.
I've had plenty of hookups, plenty of people willing to warm my bed for a night or two.
But nothing that makes me look the way Liam looked at Emilio.
Nothing that makes me soft. And now, twelve hours later, I still can't get that Omega out of my head.
The way he tasted, the way he sounded, the way he looked at me with those desperate eyes.
It's fucking with me in ways I don't know how to handle.
I grumble about it under my breath, shoving the thoughts away as I approach the group.
A few of my guys are standing in a loose circle, discussing something I can't quite hear.
I recognize Dante and Ronan, both Alphas who've been with me for years.
Reliable, steady, the kind of men you want at your back when shit goes sideways.
Felix and Ash are there too, both Betas.
Felix is older, experienced, always calm under pressure.
Ash is newer, still learning the ropes, but he's shown promise. Despite how skittish the Beta is.
As I draw closer, I overhear that the discussion veer toward the profit from last night at Aurum Pulse and a neighboring club. The night was good for business, despite everything that went down. Or maybe because of it. People love a little chaos with their party drugs.
I clear my throat, and they all freeze, the conversation dying immediately, every head turning toward me. The tension in the air shifts, their casual demeanor replaced by wariness.
"As happy as I am that everyone else is delighted in our business," I say, my voice carrying across the open space, "I called you here specifically this morning for information on why the owner of the club was drugged with one of my products when I didn't explicitly give it to him and he didn't explicitly accept it. "
Dante and Ronan exchange glances, their expressions carefully neutral. Dante speaks first, the Alpha giving me nothing new. "We didn’t see anything specifically out of the ordinary. The night ran smoothly from our end. Sales were up, no issues with security, no complaints from the VIP section."
Ronan nods in agreement. "Same from what I saw. Everything was by the book. The product went to the usual clients, all verified. No new faces in the VIP that I noticed."
I study them both, looking for any sign of deception. But they're telling the truth. I can see it in the way they meet my eyes without flinching. They didn't see anything because whoever did this was careful. Smart enough to avoid drawing attention from my most experienced guys.
My gaze shifts to Ash, who's standing slightly behind Felix. The Beta is jittery, his hands shoved in his pockets, his weight shifting from foot to foot. He won't meet my eyes, staring instead at a spot on the floor like it's the most interesting thing in the world.
"What did you see?" I ask, focusing all my attention on him.
Ash swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down a few times before he speaks. "My brother, Viktor, mentioned something. He said he had to go get it."
I frown at that statement wondering what in the world Viktor could bring to me for answers. He’s one of the few reliable Alphas who works with me aside from Dante and Ronan, the Alpha then bringing in his brother. Solid worker, keeps his head down, doesn't cause problems. Or so I thought.
Before I can press Ash for more details, the door to the warehouse bangs open, the sound echoing through the space. Viktor storms in, dragging someone behind him by the collar. It takes me a few seconds to recognize the second Alpha but when I do, I’m just confused.
Jax has been with us for the better part of three years, even longer than Viktor, but right now he looks like shit, his face bruised and his lip split.
Blood is dripping from his nose, staining the front of his shirt, though from the looks of it, Jax is probably even worse off than from what I can see.
Viktor's face is twisted with fury, his usual calm demeanor completely shattered. He drags Jax across the concrete floor, before dropping the Alpha to his knees in front of me.
"Go on," Viktor snarls, his voice shaking with rage. "Go on and tell Akira what the fuck you told me."
Amusement fills my expression despite the situation.
Viktor is usually annoyingly docile, the kind of guy who avoids conflict whenever possible.
Seeing him this worked up, this ready to tear someone apart, tells me whatever Jax did is serious.
I stare down at the guy, crossing my arms over my chest.
Jax’s heavy breathing has him bending over, his hands pressed to the floor to keep himself upright. "It's nothing, okay? A few extra people were looking to put in an order. I marked them down, and we made a bit of extra cash."
I look to Dante, raising an eyebrow. "Is that true?"
Dante pulls out his phone, scrolling through the records from last night. His frown deepens as he searches. "I have no record of Jax selling anything last night. We haven't gone through all of the inventory but…"
I hold up a hand and cut him off, my attention turning back to Jax. "You've got thirty seconds to explain why your best friend dragged you in here. I'm guessing the marks on your face were because of him, and Viktor tends to be annoyingly docile."
Jax's breathing gets faster, panic starting to set in.
He knows he's fucked. He knows there's no talking his way out of this.
But he tries anyway, the words tumbling out of his mouth in a rush.
"Someone asked me how to synthesize the heat drug and dissolve it in a liquid or a cream.
For a faster method of reaction. I thought it was just, you know, a special request. Someone who wanted something custom. I didn't think it was a big deal."
Rage floods through me. "Now, who the fuck would ask you that kind of bullshit? It works just fine as a pill." Almost too fine.
Jax starts to get up, probably thinking he can make a run for it. But Viktor slams him back down on the ground, his hand pressing hard on Jax's shoulder. The Alpha yelps, his body crumpling under the force.
"I'm all for a little violence," I say, my voice dangerously low. "But please, tell me what's your stake in it, Viktor."
Viktor's jaw clenches, his eyes burning with betrayal and anger as he meets my gaze.
"We've been friends for twelve years and I trust him with my life.
Well, trusted. He's the reason our client got drugged, and I can't…
" His voice breaks, the emotion too much for him to keep contained.
"I can't let that slide. We have rules for a reason. "
I let out a horrifying growl, the sound rumbling from deep in my chest. Everyone in the warehouse freezes, the atmosphere shifting from tense to downright dangerous. I take a step closer to Jax, looming over him. "What the fuck did you do?"
Jax scrambles back, trying to put distance between us. "I just played around with the formula a little so that it would work in a cream, you know, for people who can't take pills or whatever. I thought it would expand our market, give us more options."
The stupidity of it makes me want to snap his neck right here. "That heightens the potency of the fucking drug, you asshole. And who did you give it to?"
Jax's eyes go wide, realization dawning on him that he's in deeper shit than he thought. He scrambles back to his ass, putting his hands out like that's going to protect him. I kick him in the side, hard enough to hear ribs crack, the Alpha howling in pain as he curls into himself
"Answer the fucking question," I snarl.
"River!" Jax gasps out, clutching his side. "I gave it to River!"
Liam steps up from his position by the wall, his expression just as murderous as I currently feel.
That usually blank expression is replaced with a snarl, my brother showing off the true reason he became my enforcer rather than just someone behind the scenes.
"You mean you gave our drugs to River? The guy we banned from here because he wasn't trustworthy enough?
That's one of the only rules, you fucker.
Not to share them with members who have been kicked out. "
"It was just to make it a little more fun," Jax whimpers. "He said he had a special client, someone who needed something stronger. I thought I was helping."
"Yeah, and then it could be deadly," I say, my voice dropping a few octaves as I push every ounce of anger into my voice. "We haven't done any tests, haven't been able to put our name behind it. Nothing. And we have no idea who or what River will use that shit for."
I stomp on Jax's side, right where I kicked him before. He howls again, the sound echoing through the warehouse. "I get it," he gasps out between sobs. "I fucked up."
I crouch down, getting right in his face, letting out a low-bellied growl that reverberates through the warehouse.
"Fucked up doesn't begin to cover it. You got an Omega drugged against their will.
We have rules, Jax. Rules for a reason. And your greed or misplaced loyalty or whatever the fuck is going on led you to this point. "
I stand up and look over at Dante and Ronan. They're already moving, reading my intention before I voice it. "Take out the trash, please."
They each grab one of Jax's arms, hauling him to his feet.
The bastard of an Alpha is all tears and snot, begging for a second chance as he tries to explain his position.
Money breaks most men in this business. And I can usually forgive them, but Jax broke the most important rule we have, the one that keeps us from being monsters.
Consent. Everything we do is based on consent.
People know what they're taking and what they're getting into.
And Jax threw that out the window for a quick buck.
Viktor is about to say something, his mouth opening as he watches his former best friend get dragged away. I turn to look at him, my expression softening slightly. "I appreciate you bringing him in. Take a breather, alright?"
Viktor nods, his shoulders sagging. The fight has gone out of him, replaced by exhaustion and grief. Years of friendship, gone in an instant because Jax couldn't follow the fucking rules.
I gesture for Liam to follow me as I head toward the exit. The cool morning air hits us as we step outside, a stark contrast to the stuffy warehouse. I take a deep breath, trying to calm the rage still burning in my chest.
"I'm surprised you didn't stomp Jax out right there," Liam teases, his eyes searching my face for more than I’m obviously giving off.
"I would much rather tear River apart," I say, pulling out my phone. "And I need you to check on Emilio."
Liam raises a brow, his expression shifting to something between amusement and curiosity. "When did you start caring?"
"Don't start with me, please," I say, scrolling through my contacts. "Based on what Jax said, there’s another way to apply the heat drug, and until we get answers, I need to know that he's okay."
Liam is quiet for a moment before he drags a hand through his hair. "You think whoever did it might do it again?"
"I don't know what to think," I admit. "All I know is that whoever fucked with the drugs will have to answer to me."
Liam snorts, a grin tugging at his lips. "Have fun, then." He throws me a goofy smile before heading toward his car, a strained laugh coming from him at the bit of happiness in his step. He’s smitten with Emilio. It’s so fucking obvious I’m not sure how I didn’t catch it before.
Except, I know Liam is going to bring up Emilio’s child and I can’t see that going over well. Emilio has enough stubbornness for all three of us and once that Omega makes up his mind, very few people are able to change it.