That stopped Wright right in his tracks. His momentary calm? Gone.
“How do I know that you don’t have her chained to a bed somewhere?” sneered Wright. “Anything to keep her from trying to escape. That’s how you animals operate, right? With your precious ‘mates’.”
Okay. At the beginning of this confrontation, there was an invisible line drawn in the sand. Ever since the cruiser pulled up to his house, they had all been dancing around it, even tiptoeing up to it, but no one had dared cross it.
Until then. Every one of them knew at that moment that Adam Wright hadn’t just stepped over it. He had fucking flown right past that line.
Maddox’s eyes flashed, burning brightly like liquid gold. That… that was a challenge.
“Do you think I would do that?” he snarled. His fangs started to lengthen, his face turning sharp as his features began to shift. “Do you really think I would chain up my mate? I love her!”
In one fluid motion, Diaz yanked his gun from his holster. “Stand down, sir. Show me your hands. Now.”
Maddox held up his hands. Thank fucking Alpha they were human hands. As angry as he was, shifting more than he already had would have been a very big mistake. Even his wolf knew that.
Didn’t stop him from having the last word. “I would never hurt her. If I knew where she was.”
If she was still where he left her.
The closed door mocked Maddox, Wright’s taunts about Evangeline ringing in his ears. While it kept her from showing herself—or letting that bastard Wright peek inside of the house—it also cut him off from his mate. He couldn’t sense her as easily through the wood, not when he was so preoccupied with keeping his cool in front of these cops. Had she run again? He needed to know.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?” he asked, trying to hurry them along.
“Yeah, you can let us in so I can check your place out for myself.”
There was no way in hell he was going to let that happen. This cop wanted to pretend he was playing by the rules?
Well, fine. Maddox could do that, too.
“You got a warrant, Wright?”
“I told you, it’s Officer Wright. And if you were innocent, you’d let me in without a warrant.”
“No. If I were stupid, I’d let you in without a warrant.”
“Wright—?
?
Wright ignored Diaz’s warning. He poked Maddox right in the chest and was fucking lucky he didn’t lose that finger. “You want a warrant? I’ll get a warrant. But you better be here when I get back, Wolfe.”
“I’ve nothing to hide, Officer. I’m not going anywhere.” At least, he thought to himself, he wasn’t going anywhere until he was sure being home again wouldn’t be enough to help jog Evangeline’s memories.
“If she’s in there, I’ll bring you up on kidnapping charges so fast, your head’ll spin. And if she’s not…” Wright might not be a shifter, but his sudden grin was so shark-like, Maddox almost started second-guessing him. “If she’s not, then I’ll put you back in the Cage.”
“You can’t—”
“I can. And I will. Ordinance 7304, asshole. You’re still nothing but a shifter without his mate. Maybe this time I’ll suggest putting you down.” He sniffed angrily. “They never should’ve let you out again. Your kind should all be locked up.”
“Okay, that’s enough. Wright, get back in the cruiser before I tell Bennett what you’ve been up to.”
When Wright made like he was about to argue, Diaz reached for the walkie clipped to his belt.
That shut the other cop up. With one last hate-filled glare thrown at Maddox, Wright turned on his heel and marched back over to the cop car. Climbing into the front seat, he slammed the door behind him.
Diaz waited until the echo from the slam died down before he nodded over at Maddox. He looked embarrassed. “He’ll be trying every judge he can within the hour. I don’t blame him, either. He’s going to do everything he can to get his girl back—just like I would expect you to do the same. I know I would for my Connie.”
Then the dark-haired officer leaned closer and did the last thing Maddox ever expected. With a secretive little smile, Diaz dropped his glamour long enough to let the inky blackness of his gaze fall away until Maddox was looking into a pair of strikingly violet eyes.