Zane

Z ane couldn’t put his finger on it, but something was up with Crew. He had been acting strangely for weeks now, and he had a sick feeling that Crew was looking into his entire family behind his back. It was just a hunch and proving it was the problem, he planned to look under every rock until he could call Crew out. His guy had been so distant lately—even Dakota had noticed it. Crew hadn’t been home for almost two weeks, always coming up with an excuse about working late on some case, leaving and Dakota to fend for themselves. Every night, would hold her while she cried herself to sleep and he worried that if Crew didn’t come back home soon, he and Dakota wouldn’t make it.

When she signed up to be their middle, they both promised her that they would stick by her no matter what, and now, Crew had basically left them. worried about Dakota. This kind of relationship was all so new to her. He didn’t want to push her for more than she was willing to give, but if Crew didn’t show up, he still wanted Dakota. He had for a long time now but was always too chicken to tell Ross that he wanted his little sister. He broke the best friend code and having Ross forgive him was everything. There would be no way that he’d let Crew or anyone else mess up his relationship with Dakota—if she still even wanted one with him once this whole mess was over.

had gotten home from the club late again, and finding Dakota’s car in the garage always made his heart race. Most nights, he sat out front of the garage too afraid to open the door because not finding her car in there would have gutted him. He always breathed a little sigh of relief that Dakota was still sticking around even with Crew’s absence.

He walked into the kitchen and found Dakota sitting at the table, her head in her hands, and from the way that her body was shaking, he was sure that she was crying. “What’s wrong, baby?” he asked. She looked up at him with her teary, red eyes and handed him a piece of paper. “What’s this?” he asked.

“Read it,” she insisted. “He’s not coming back.”

His hands trembled as he took the paper from her, and he knew that the worst was actually happening as he looked over Crew’s short but to the point note. All he wrote was, I can’t be with you both right now, I’m sorry. I hope that someday, you both can forgive me. I have to arrest your dad for murder, . I have evidence to prove that he murdered Susan. I’m so sorry.

“What the fuck?” shouted, causing Dakota to jump. “I’m sorry, baby,” he said. “I just can’t believe he’s doing this.”

“All of his stuff is gone from upstairs too,” she breathed. “Do you have any idea why he’s doing this?” Dakota asked.

“I do,” admitted. “I think that he’s investigating the possibility of me being involved in Susan O’Hare’s murder. He even said in his note that he’s going to arrest my father. Maybe he thinks that I helped him or something.”

“No,” Dakota insisted, standing from the chair and rounding the table to stand in front of him. “Why would Crew think that about you? I thought that he loved you. I thought he loved both of us,” she said.

“I thought so too, but if my hunch is right, we’re a conflict of interest for him and you know how Crew loves his job.” was foolish enough to believe that Crew just loved him and Dakota more than being a police detective though.

“But you didn’t do it,” Dakota insisted. He pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head.

“No, I didn’t do it,” he admitted. “I had never even stepped foot in The Kink Club before your father died. I knew about this place, but I never came here to check it out. Hell, my father wasn’t even a partner in the club. Your dad and Leo’s father went in on the place together. I mean, sure my father frequented the place, but that doesn’t make either of us guilty of murder, right?” he asked.

“Crew insists that he has enough evidence to arrest your father for Susan’s murder,” she reminded.

“Then, why hasn’t he done it yet?” asked.

“I don’t know, but I think we should track him down and ask him,” she said. “I have a few contacts at work that can help me find him—it’s what they do. I say that we have a face-to-face meeting with our guy and find out exactly what he knows,” Dakota said. God, he loved it when Dakota went into full-on police mode. It was sexy as fuck.

He pulled her down for a kiss and when he let her up for air again, she was smiling at him. “What was that for?” she asked.

“For being you,” he breathed. “I love you, Dakota.”

She giggled, “Well, I love you too, . Now, let me get to work finding Crew and we’ll confront him together. Deal?” she asked.

“Deal,” he agreed, giving her one more quick kiss. He swatted her ass, making Dakota yelp as she walked past him to go up to their bedroom. He just hoped that she’d be able to find Crew because he was ready to set the record straight. Maybe his father was a murderer—who knew, but was positive that he personally wasn’t. He just needed to get Crew to listen to reason, or he and Dakota might lose him for good—and that couldn’t happen.

felt as though it had been days and not mere hours since Dakota had disappeared into their bedroom to track down Crew. He wanted to burst in there and ask her how much longer it was going to be, but he also knew that his girl wouldn’t take his interruption well. When Dakota was in cop mode, she liked to be left completely alone.

It was almost midnight when she finally came running downstairs and found him lying on the sofa in the family room. “You look comfy,” she taunted, looking him over. He had finally given up pacing the floors about an hour ago and decided to lay on the sofa to try to get some shut-eye, but was having no luck.

“You took forever,” he complained.

Dakota put her hands on her hips and stared him down—a sure sign that she was going to call him on his bullshit. “I was only up there for three hours, ,” she chided. “Tracking someone down takes time. And Crew has special skills as a detective that would have him going underground, making him very hard to find. But my guys at the precinct are good too, and they found him. I have the address where he’s staying right here,” she said, holding up a slip of paper and waving it in the air as though she was showing him a winning lottery ticket.

“Well, aren’t you clever?” he asked.

“I am,” she quickly agreed, “but I only knew the right clever people to call for the job.”

He stood and crossed the room, taking the paper from her hand, and looking it over. “This place is only a few blocks from here,” he said.

“I know,” Dakota breathed. “I think that he might be watching us and that’s why he’s stuck so close by.”

“Shit, he’s had our house under surveillance for weeks now and hasn’t had the balls to come here and talk to either of us directly?” asked.

“I have no idea, but I think we should go find out,” she said, “grab your truck keys and let’s head over there.”

“Bossy,” he teased. He was finally hopeful that the three of them would be able to sit down and figure this mess out because he was sick of missing their guy. Crew belonged with them, and the sooner he figured that out for himself, the sooner they could make it happen. They just needed to give him a little push.

He grabbed his truck keys and wallet from the kitchen counter and took Dakota’s hand into his own. “Ready?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said. “I just hope he doesn’t give us too much of a fight. What if he won’t let us in?” she asked.

“You have a gun and a badge, baby,” he reminded. “I’m betting that you could get us into anywhere if you really wanted to.”

“I know,” she said, “I just hope that Crew is willing to hear us out without too much of a fight, . I miss him and want him back home here, where he belongs.” He opened the passenger door for her, and she slid into his truck.

“We’ll find him and convince him to listen to reason,” he insisted.

She shot him a look as though he had lost his mind. “Have you ever known Crew to listen to reason? He’s a great detective because he doesn’t mind going down the rabbit holes. If that’s what he’s doing now, there might be no dragging him back out. The only way he’ll listen to us is if we prove that you weren’t involved in Susan’s murder. That will convince him that your innocent and maybe he’ll come home with us then.” Dakota was right. She knew Crew as well as he did and there was no way that Crew would believe he was innocent without proof.

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” insisted. “We’ll prove to him that I’m innocent and then, we’ll get our guy back.”

“You’re good with taking him back?” she asked. “I mean, he is looking into the possibility of you being a murderer if we’re correct about all of this, . Do you still want him back in your life?”

He didn’t even have to think about her question. “Yes,” he breathed, “I love Crew, Dakota, and nothing will change that. Hell, if the shoe were on the other foot, I might be investigating him. He’s doing his job, and for that, I can’t fault him.” She nodded, seeming to accept his answer, and he shut her door. rounded his truck and got into the driver’s seat. If he was going to prove he was innocent, they were going to have to make a pit stop at his family’s office.

“We’re going to stop at my office,” he said.

“Why?” she asked.

“If we want to prove to Crew that I’m innocent, I need to break into my father’s safe, and this would be the time to do that. He’s most likely at home asleep with one of his many sluts. He keeps everything in his safe and I’m betting that he’d keep some kind of trophy from Susan’s murder if he’s guilty. My father liked to keep trophies from people that he hurt. It gives him some sick satisfaction and if he killed Susan, her trophy would be in his safe.”

“Makes sense,” she agreed. “How will we get into his office to break into his safe, though?” she asked.

He held up his badge and smiled over at her. “My magic pass,” he said. “I’ll tell security that I’m working late, and you’re here to keep me company.”

“Oh God, ,” she grumbled. “They are going to think that you’re taking me up to your office to have sex, aren’t they?” she asked.

“Yeah, but our security team knows how to be discreet,” he insisted.

Dakota groaned, “Well, that doesn’t make me feel any better,” she said.

He chuckled and pulled her hand up to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. “Don’t worry, honey,” he said, “I’m a two-person kind of guy. You and Crew are it for me. I won’t be bringing anyone else up to my office,” he assured.

“You better not,” she insisted. “Just keep in mind that Crew and I carry guns and badges and won’t hesitate to use them if we catch anyone else in your office with you.”

“So protective,” he said.

“I think that the word that you’re looking for is jealous, and I’m not ashamed to admit that. I get very jealous, ,” she said.

“I’ll never give you a reason to be jealous, baby,” he promised.

“Good,” she breathed. They pulled up to his office and he cut the engine to his truck and took a deep breath. “Nervous?” she asked.

“A little bit,” he admitted. “The men in there are all loyal to my father. They won’t hesitate to call him if they think that I’m up to no good.”

“But if we can find what we’re looking for, it won’t matter. Your father will be behind bars, and you’ll take over the family business, just like Ross and Leo.” He wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. He never really wanted to take his father’s place in the company. He knew that he’d have to do some questionable things that might have him on the other side of the law and that might compromise both Crew and Dakota’s jobs.

“What if I don’t want my father’s company?” he asked. “You know that our families have to do some questionable things when it comes to the law and right or wrong. I don’t want to do anything that might hurt you or Crew’s careers.”

“You know, Ross and Leo took over the family’s business and they both have changed a lot of things,” Dakota said. knew that the guys weren’t really running their family’s businesses like their fathers had. They were on the straight and narrow, and wondered if he could run his family’s business the same way, but he wasn’t sure if that was even possible.

“Before you make up your mind, how about you talk to both of them and find out how they’re running things? They might change your mind,” she insisted.

“I will,” he promised. “Ready to break and enter, officer?” he asked. She smiled over at him and nodded. He wasn’t sure how he’d get through any of this without Dakota, but he was glad that he didn’t have to.