“No,” I whisper, tears instantly streaming down my face. “Alec, he’s wrong. He has to be wrong.” I sob into his chest, gripping his shirt tight, and his arms constrict around me, his own breathing growing choppy as it blows across my hair. “Tell me this isn’t real …”
“I’m so sorry, baby,” he whispers into my skin, and I cling to him.
No one says a word for a few moments, but then the officer clears his throat.
“I hate to do this after delivering the news,” the officer begins cautiously, and we both shift to look at him. “But Detective Murphy needs to take Mr. Daniels back to the station. He’s wanted for questioning.”
I stand straight, shaking my head. “Questioning for what?”
The man looks from me to Alec, his features tight. “We need to speak with him in regard to his relation to the suspect.”
“I … I don’t understand.” I look between the men, who both cut their gazes from mine. “The person in custody?” I whisper, swallowing past the pain in my throat. “Who is it?”
“We’ve arrested Marissa Daniels.”
Marissa.
That’s the name of the woman who has been repetitively calling Alec over the last few weeks.
But wait …
My hands fly to my stomach as it begins to ache, and I pull myself from Alec’s hold, tears blurring my vision. “Daniels?”
He glances to the men and back, the skin around his eyes pinching. His pained expression begs for me to wait, to hear him out, and my heartbeat grows heavy.
His body sags as he looks at me. “My wife.”
I stare at the man in front of me. The one I thought I was coming to know, starting to love, wishing to keep. The man who belongs to another.
I trip over my own feet, dizziness taking over, and I fall against the wall.
“Baby, please …” Alec reaches for me, but I deny him.
My hands fly to my temples, applying pressure in an attempt to stop the pounding that’s begun.
I can’t lose them both in the same day.
“We need to go,” the officer tells him right as Rowan pounds up the walk.
“Oakley!” he screams, and I cry harder.
His frantic eyes scan the area until they land on me, and he quickly grabs hold of me, hugging me tight. “What happened? What’s going on?” he asks all of us.
“My dad, Row. He’s … he’s gone.”
Rowan’s face falls, and he starts to speak, “Wha—”
“He was murdered,” I cry, my lifeless stare landing on Alec.
Rowan swings his gaze to him. He quickly sets me back against the wall and rushes Alec, who allows him to shove him against the wall, but the officers pull him back.
“What the fuck did you do? Shit always goes wrong when you’re here!”
“It was his wife,” I mutter numbly, staring into Alec’s eyes.
“Wife?” Rowan growls. “Wife? You pushed for her, asked me to step back, and you’re fucking married? I knew you were into shady shit, Alec, but this?”
Alec doesn’t say a word; he doesn’t pull his stare from mine. The detective motions for him to follow him outside, but he doesn’t budge from his place against the wall; he doesn’t look away from me.
“I’m very sorry, Ms. Rivera,” the officer speaks quietly. “But you’ll need to come down as well.”
When my tear-filled eyes land on his, he gives me a forced half-smile.
“It’s customary. Just a few questions.”
Sniffing, I look away, nodding. “Yeah, okay.”
“Would you like to drive with us?” he asks hesitantly. “Just so you know, Mr. Daniels will also be in the vehicle.”
I don’t look up, the weight of Alec’s stare crushing me from the inside.
“I’ll take her,” Rowan tells him, saving me from the pain that ride was sure to cause.
Alec doesn’t fight it; he doesn’t say a word as the detective tells him to head for the car.
Rowan turns to me, his breath choppy. “It’ll be okay.”
I give a sad smile, reaching up to run my hand down his cheek, and his eyes tighten.
“Come on, Oaks. Let’s get this over with.”
We lock up and make our way to Rowan’s truck, waiting for the officer to pull away before Rowan shifts into gear.
With a deep breath, I pull my phone from my purse.
“Who are you gonna call, Oaks?” Rowan asks quietly as he pulls from the curb, knowing I have no one left.
I sniff. “I have to call Hillock. Tomorrow’s Monday. Someone has to run the academy since … since Alec and I won’t be there.” I cut my eyes out the window, fighting for a deep breath against the pressure in my chest.
“I’m sure that can wait a little while,” Rowan offers, trying to help, but he’s wrong. “Maybe after we have more information?”
“No. Better to handle it now in case it takes him a while to get here, he’s still supposed to be on vacation.” I squeeze my eyes shut, dreading making the call to Dad’s best friend—his partner—to tell him he was killed. Murdered by the wife of one of their very own Blazes.