Chapter 16
The sun was coming close to setting when Dash finished up at the Hall of Records.
He’d spent hours searching the arrest reports from the previous raid on the Dragon but found little.
Not only was there no mention of any man named Jaye, but the reports on the alphas they’d arrested had been light on information.
Most of them had been missing their booking photos, as well, so he had no idea if one of them might’ve been an alias Jaye might’ve potentially used.
Could the guy be sitting and rotting in jail right now?
None of his contacts at the Guard were answering his calls to help him find out—so he was awaiting calls back. The hurry up and wait bullshit was for the birds. He wanted answers. Not later, but now.
One good piece of information fell into his hands. He’d managed to find three different harassment claims against a particular attorney. Most had been closed—likely paid off—but that gave him names to reach out to in his search for dirt. Knowing Crenshaw, they’d all signed NDAs, though.
NDAs could be broken though, under the right circumstances. It was a reach with a lot of ifs, but it was a pathway opened and that was better than nothing.
He marched through the massive, arched foyer heading towards Central Precinct on his way out when his younger brother walked in.
“Well, well, well… how are you, stranger?” Oakley asked, grinning.
“I’m good and you?”
Oakley shoved his glasses up his nose. “Doing good. Did you just come from seeing Dad?”
Dash lifted a brow, ashamed he’d not gone to the Crime Lab to say hello.
Oakley eyed the file in Dash’s hand and sighed. “You came into the building and hadn’t planned to come to see us?”
“I’m on a case,” Dash said. “Trying to track someone down. I was going to swing by before I left.”
One of Oakley’s brows rose. “Sure.”
“Promise,” Dash said.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Randall Walker walk in, looking fresh and ready for a new shift.
“Speaking of my case, my contact just walked in. I’ll come see you and Dad in a few.”
“Holding you to that!” Oakley said as Dash made a beeline toward Randall.
As soon as Randall saw Dash, his pace quickened and he headed for the precinct doors.
“Randall?”
Randall kept walking.
“Please, Randall,” Dash pleaded.
The alpha stopped in his tracks and spun to face Dash, his face a mask of displeasure. “Can I help you?”
“I’m still working that case I mentioned last night.”
Randall gave him a sarcastic glare, clearly not believing him.
Lowering his voice, Dash pushed on. “I pulled arrest reports for another raid at the Dragon that happened a few weeks ago, but there seems to be a lot of missing data. A lot of them don’t even have booking photos.”
Randall nodded. “I wasn’t working that night so I can’t really help you.”
“Have you worked the nights of any of the other raids there?”
Randall sighed. “Last night was my first.”
“I overheard a claim that there are several missing alphas—all of them corresponding with one of the many raids there. Know anything about that?”
Randall walked closer, snatched his arm, and dragged him across the grand lobby.
Dash tried to pull his arm away, but Walker men clearly had too much strength for their own damned good.
They ended up behind the second-floor stairs, tucked behind a vending machine and hidden from view.
“Be careful asking the questions you’re asking. ”
“Why?”
Randall glanced towards the narrow space leading to their hiding spot and then back to him. “It’s complicated.”
“I’ve been employed by a powerful, wealthy client to find his missing alpha son. What do you think happens if I tell him the Guard is stonewalling me?”
“His son was at the Dragon, so your client won’t want to make a big stink and risk anyone learning that,” Randall said. “Which is why he’s using you and not going through us.”
“How do you know he hasn’t already tried to go through you?” Dash knew they hadn’t, but Randall’s comment hinted he might know who the client was.
“If a powerful, wealthy family hadn’t gotten the answers they’d been looking for in terms of their missing son, they’d have gotten loud about it.
They’d be shouting it from the steps outside with reporters hungry to tell their story.
I haven’t heard shit. I’d bet they never reported him missing to the Guard.
If they didn’t come to us, they likely suspect he was up to no good, maybe even knew he’s… ”
“Alpha-attracted?” Dash offered when Randall didn’t finish.
Randall quickly looked over his shoulder. When he turned back to Dash, he glared. “Be… careful.”
Dash narrowed his eyes. They couldn’t even say the words? Dash sensed Emerson might’ve given his younger brother too much benefit of the doubt.
Randall had a point, though. If the Lachlins suspected Jaye was involved in something illegal, they wouldn’t have gone to the Guard.
There was the potential drugs at the parties, but he didn’t think that was enough to keep the story quiet, so they must’ve known something bigger. What hadn’t Crenshaw told him?
“What else am I supposed to do? I found a cocktail napkin from the Dragon hidden in his house. It’s my only clue. I was there last night, looking for anyone who might’ve seen him.”
“Did you find anyone?”
“I won’t share information that could be used against my client’s son.”
“Is that what you were doing with Emerson last night? Digging for information?” Randall searched Dash’s face. “What did you get out of him?”
Dash froze. “Ask him yourself. I won’t speak for your brother.”
Randall stared. Dash stared back, unapologetic.
“Not saying he was, but if your brother was a patron there, what would you do to him?”
Randall’s brows furrowed, and he looked so much like Emerson it was ridiculous. “Do to him? What do you think I’d do?”
“You seemed disgusted when you saw us in that alley and assumed we were together.”
“I wasn’t disgusted,” Randall whispered hotly. “I wouldn’t do anything to Emerson. I think I proved that last night.”
Dash relaxed a bit. It wasn’t proof he’d protect them both, but it was a hopeful sign.
“It’s just dangerous to be… like that.” Randall glanced around them. “If my brother is one of them… I don’t want to see him end up behind bars.” He sighed. “Or worse.”
Was that all it was for Randall? A sense of fear for his brother’s safety? The use of terms like that left Dash feeling unsure, but they weren’t in a safe space to speak, either. Maybe he was simply being overly cautious.
What had made him overly cautious though? Why did he seem so afraid to talk about the raids?
He thought back to the press conference outside when he’d arrived and the commissioner’s refusal to acknowledge the raids. Was the entire local Guard working to cover something up?
“He seemed really protective of you,” Randall said, eyeing him. “And intent on getting you out of there.”
Dash tried to hide a reaction but sensed his cheeks warm. “He was helping make sure I didn’t get caught. I’d never been there before.”
“And my brother has?”
Fuck! Dash wasn’t outing Emerson, no matter how much Randall had seen the night before. “Ask him. I don’t know.”
Randall glowered, clearly coming up with his own assumptions.
“We’ve met before—your brother and I. Quinn McCreary hired my firm to protect Harrison, Cassidy, and Raimy prior to Charles Macklin’s arrest,” Dash said. “Emerson was there when I first met Harrison. He saw me last night and helped me get out, I guess.”
“I forgot you’d met before,” Randall said, frowning. It looked like a hint of doubt entered his mind, and that was good. Doubt got them out of hot water but maybe not off the hook completely.
“And you ran a background check on me for Emerson around the same time,” Dash added, lifting a brow.
It was Randall’s turn for his cheeks to grow red.
“Emerson said he wanted assurances you were legit since you were guarding Harry and his mates. I tried to tell him you were, but he was insistent that he see for himself.” Randall’s eyes widened before he whispered, “That asshole. He wanted a way to find you, didn’t he? ”
“No idea,” Dash murmured, biting the inside of his cheek to prevent a smile.
“Has this been going on since then?”
“No,” Dash snapped, finally able to be fully honest. Maybe that would get them off the hook. “And honestly, even if it was, you have no right to ask these questions.”
Randall searched his face, quiet a few seconds. “I meant no disrespect. About the background check, either.”
“You were doing your due diligence to ensure your family was protected. I wasn’t offended.” Dash took a step closer. “But I will be offended if you treat me like I’m any less of a good P.I. because of what you think you saw last night.”
“I’m not,” Randall said. “I’m just…” He sighed. “It’s dangerous right now. You don’t know what you’re getting into.”
“I’m sensing it’s more than what I’m seeing on the surface, but I can’t walk away, Randall. An alpha is dead, and there might be countless missing that are tied to these raids—and one of them might be my client’s son.”
Randall didn’t respond. He stared at the floor, shaking his head.
“The Guard was formed to protect citizens. If they’re doing the opposite, someone needs to stop them.”
Randall met his stare, frowning. “You’re right. Someone does need to stop whoever’s doing this. Before someone else ends up dead.”
Dash took a step closer and lowered his voice. “What do you know?”
Randall shook his head. “Not here.”
A cold chill raced down Dash’s spine. Randall knew more than just something. He’d bet his life on it.
But was he in on it, too? His gut wasn’t telling him one way or another.
“We need to meet. Somewhere private without prying eyes. Not your office or your home. Not my place, either.”
Another cold chill gripped Dash. Was Randall trying to get him alone—to add him to the list of those missing?
“Where?”
“I hoped you’d have an idea, Mr. P.I.”
Dash considered a location, one where he’d have some kind of protection if Randall was considering something devious—and the perfect spot came to mind.
Emerson’s boat.
It was private, out of sight, and if Randall was planning something, Emerson would be there to ensure nothing happened to Dash. Wouldn’t he?
There was a problem, though. Emerson had mentioned one of his brothers had learned about the secret boat—he couldn’t remember which one.
He thought it was Harrison but wasn’t positive.
His mind was usually a steel trap but between the chaotic shock of what they’d done and the aftereffects of pleasure at Emerson’s hands, a few things were a bit hazy.
His body tightened at the memory of that pleasure.
Of Emerson’s hands on him.
Lips. Tongue.
Cock.
A shiver went down his spine. “I have a place in mind, but I have to check to see if I can use it.”
Randall pulled a business card from his wallet and handed it over. “I’m off tomorrow night and just had my plans fall through. Can you square it by then?”
“I think I can,” Dash said, taking the card.
“Call me once you know for sure.”
Dash nodded. “Will do.”
He watched as Randall walked off and waited a full minute before coming out from behind the stairs to cover that they’d been back there alone. As he walked out, he considered how in the world he’d sweet talk Emerson into letting Randall come to the boat.
There was one obvious way, of course. One he’d said they couldn’t do anymore.
Had his mind landed on the boat just to give him an excuse to lay under Emerson one more time?