Moon Sworn (Riley Jenson Guardian #9)(45)

I waved a hand. “Fine.”
“There is one problem,” Evin said. “Like me, West probably has to report in every night. Once you talk to him, then he’s going to jump straight on the phone and tell them what is going on.”“Only if he remembers it,” Quinn said, amusement in his gaze as he glanced at me. “And considering the memory issues you’ve been having, maybe I should be the one who tackles his memory adjustment.”
“It’s not that I can’t do it,” I said mildly. “It’s just that I couldn’t remember that I could do it.”
“But that still doesn’t solve the overall problem,” Evin said. “When you disappear, he’s going to report it.”
“That, too, can be fixed.”
“West is a good cop,” Harris said adamantly. “I can’t—won’t—believe he’s aware of the true gravity of the situation. At least give him a chance to make amends before you start messing with his mind.”
“That we can do,” I said, and returned my gaze to Jack.
“Okay,” he said heavily. “Do it. Rhoan, you can stay with me. We’ll interview the vamp.”
Rhoan didn’t look happy, but he didn’t argue, either. As the two men disappeared into the cell area, I said to Harris, “It’s probably best if we confront West here. Are you able to call him in?”
“That very much depends on whether he’s decided to answer his cell phone or not.”
But he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, holding it away from his ear slightly so we could all hear it. After several rings, West answered. His gruff tones were clear over the speakers.
“Where the fuck have you been, Mike? There’s been a second murder and all hell has broken loose. I want you back at headquarters ASAP.”
“I’m on my way.”
“From where?”
“Just passed the Old Well Road.”
Harris grunted. “Floor it.” He disconnected then glanced at us. “He’ll be here within half an hour. I would suggest you two move away from the doorway so as not to spook him.”
We did. I walked across to sit on the desk beside Evin, but Quinn merely stepped to one side of the doorway. Ready to block off any immediate escape once West saw who, exactly, was waiting for him.
We waited patiently—although in my case, that wasn’t exactly easy. I mean, after all the confusion of the last few days, I just wanted to hunt down all the clues and catch the bastards behind both crimes.
Lights eventually swept across the front windows as a truck rumbled into the driveway and stopped. A car door slammed, then footsteps approached.
A second later, the front door opened and West stepped in. His gaze swept the room and came to rest on me. There was a brief flash of surprise, but nothing else. He obviously had no real clue as to why we were all here.
“Denny and his friends have lodged a complaint about you,” he said, walking across to the coffee machine and helping himself to a drink. “I told them they were damn fools and that if they didn’t get charged with kidnap and blackmail, they’d be damn lucky.” 
“I’m not here to lay charges against Denny and his friends,” I said calmly.
“Then you’re a damn fool, too.”
“She didn’t say I wouldn’t,” Evin snapped. “And trust me, those bastards will pay.”
“Good. They need to be taught a lesson.” West took a sip, then turned around to face Harris. “Where do you want me to start?”
“I think a good place,” Harris said, voice flat, “would be by telling us exactly what you know about the kidnapping of Riley Jenson—whom we happen to know as Hanna London.”
He didn’t even look at me. Just raised an eyebrow, his expression even and unfazed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Lie,” Quinn said impassively.
West glanced at him. “Who the hell are you?”
“Riley’s lover, and a consultant to both the vampire council and the Melbourne Directorate.” His sudden smile was neither warm nor friendly. In fact, it reminded me of a predator about to consume its prey. Quinn’s anger and need for revenge might be less visible than my brother’s, but that didn’t mean it was absent. Far from it. “It is the first of those you should be worried about, because trust me, I ache for the chance to see justice done.”
“That,” West said, “sounded very much like a threat.”
“Mike,” Harris said heavily. “Hanna—Riley—is a guardian. Being involved with kidnapping a guardian puts you beyond our laws. I’d seriously advise you to stop the pretense and start cooperating, or they will make you.”
“I’m an officer of the law. That gives me rights against this sort of—”
“No, it doesn’t,” I cut in, my voice edged with the anger roiling through me. He had no choice and nowhere to run—surely he could see that? “Whoever is behind this has not only kidnapped me and messed with my mind, but they’re holding Evin’s pregnant mate hostage and they attempted to kill Quinn. That means we can legally question, torture, or even kill any nonhumans involved in this case, and there’s not one damn thing Harris or anyone else can do to stop us. So quit messing with us, West, or we really are going to start messing with you.”
The threat tasted bitter on my tongue and I had to resist the urge to rub my arms. With a lot of my memories back in place, the ache not to do this job was coming to the fore again.
I didn’t want to be a guardian. Didn’t want to threaten people—and worse—for a living.
I had to get out. I really did.
Then you need to let me help you. Quinn’s thoughts ran lightly through mine, gentle and yet filled with a strength that made me just want to step back and let him sort out the mess that my life had become.
But I’d been standing on my own two feet for too long now and, as stupid as it sounded, part of me was afraid to start leaning on someone else. At least when it came to something like this—something that was going to affect the direction of the rest of my life.
Which wasn’t saying that I wouldn’t let him help, either. That I didn’t need his help.
Jack won’t let me quit.
He doesn’t want you dead, either. There are always options, Riley. Trust me.
I do. With my heart and my life. But I need to sort out one mess at a time.
Then we’ll sort out your kidnapping first, followed by the Directorate. And we’ll do it together.
I hesitated, then said, a touch reluctantly, Okay.But with that brief, one word of acceptance, I suddenly felt a whole lot better. I wasn’t alone. I hadn’t been alone for a long, long time. And it was about time I accepted that—and let the man that I loved in.
West shrugged. “It’s not like I know a whole lot.”
“Another lie,” Quinn said.
West swung around. “Damn it, keep out of my thoughts.”
“No.” Quinn crossed his arms. “Although I merely read your surface thoughts, not deeper layers. Be thankful for that.”
Confusion crossed West’s face, and I can’t say I entirely blamed him. Even I wasn’t sure what Quinn meant—I mean, reading deeper thoughts wasn’t painful for either the reader or the readee. Though maybe it could be, if the reader wanted revenge rather than mere information.
“Harris,” West said, “surely you can—”
Harris was shaking his head. “You’ve basically just confirmed what everyone in this room already knew, Mike. I’d given you the benefit of the doubt, but that belief was obviously misplaced. I will try to ensure fair treatment, but you had better start answering their questions. As they said, they can legally do what they want with you.”
West slumped back onto the nearest chair. He took a sip of coffee, then said heavily, “I was only doing a favor for a friend.”
“A friend who was going to return the favor by getting you transferred to a city location.” It was a statement, not a question. West had told me as much earlier. “In many respects, that could be considered accepting a bribe.”
“He was just going to recommend me for positions,” West retorted. “I wasn’t being given anything.”
“A technicality in this day and age,” Harris said heavily. “Especially given the many corruption inquiries over recent years. Surely you understood the risk?”
“But I needed the help, damn it!” West exploded. “Being stuck in this goddamn piece of nowhere is killing me. No department wants a cop whose only experience is in a backward country town where nothing happens.”
Two murders in twenty-four hours isn’t what I’d call nothing. But then, maybe that was simply because I was here, and I tended to attract trouble.
“So what is the name of this friend you did the favor for?”
West wiped a hand across his face. “His name is Tyson Jenson. He’s the pack leader from the Cona Creek—which is in Queensland—London pack.”
I frowned. “How can Tyson be the leader of the London pack? He’s a Jenson.”
Even as I said the words, something inside me twisted angrily. Tyson Jenson might not be from my Jenson pack, but he was related. He was Blake’s brother. 
Evin’s hand touched mine, squeezing gently. He might not be able to read thoughts, but he could smell anger, and right now, his senses were probably swamped with it.