The cool night air crackled with a sudden, electric tension as they reached the car. Darian's fingers trembled as he reached out, hooking them into the corner of Aric's coat, a silent, desperate plea for attention.
Aric stopped dead. He turned, the word "Bunny?" dying on his lips in a concerned breath. But the moment his gaze locked onto Darian's, the world around them dissolved. For the first time, he saw Darian completely undone—his cheeks flushed a deep, feverish crimson, his eyes swimming with unshed tears and a raw, frantic excitement.
The sight hit Aric like a physical blow, igniting a primal hunger in his gut. I want to taste every inch of him, he thought, his blood turning to liquid fire. I want to break him down until he's mine and only mine. Lost to the sheer innocence and intoxicating reaction of the man before him, Aric lunged, snapping his arms around Darian and hauling him flush against his chest.
"Aric, what are you doing?" Darian gasped, his voice small and shattered. "We're... we're outside..."
"Who the fucking hell cares about that?" Aric growled, his voice a low, dangerous vibration. "I'm looking at the only thing I want right now."
"Have you lost your mind? What nonsense—" Darian started, but his words failed him. His body was traitorous, sparking with a sudden, agonizing lust that made his skin hum. He feebly tried to push away, but Aric's grip was iron and heat, pinning him effortlessly. "Aric, stop... please..."
Aric didn't listen. He caught Darian's jaw, his thumb pressing hard against his chin, and leaned down to whisper against the shell of his ear. "Baby... I want to taste your honey."
The words sent a violent shiver through Darian's spine. He felt like he was melting from the inside out. Before he could process the heat, Aric slammed him back against the car door, the metal groaning under the impact. Aric shoved his thigh upward, embedding it firmly between Darian's legs, creating a friction that made Darian's head roll back.
"Aric... wh... a... t..."
Aric didn't let him finish. He leaned in and bit Darian's lower lip—hard. A sharp sting, the metallic tang of blood, and Darian let out a soft "Ouch! What the hell, Aric!"
But Aric was relentless. His hand traveled to Darian's chest, fingers dragging down over his racing heart, over his stomach, until they hooked into the waistband of his pants.
"We're outside... mind your behavior, Chief, please," Darian sobbed, fresh tears spilling over.
The sight of those tears was the final tether snapping. Aric crushed his mouth against Darian's. It wasn't a gentle kiss; it was a conquest. He sucked at Darian's lips, his tongue forcing its way inside to tangle with Darian's in a slick, desperate dance of heat and saliva.
Darian fought it for a heartbeat, then he was gone. He melted into the rhythm, finding the kiss so damn hot, so utterly consuming, that he forgot where they were. He began to kiss back with equal fervor, their breaths hitching and mingling in the dark.
Aric groaned into the kiss, his hands moving to Darian's thighs. With a heave of pure strength, he hoisted Darian up, seating him roughly on the car's hood. He crowded between Darian's knees, his fingers clenching into Darian's waist so hard it left a dull ache, but the pain only fueled the fire.
Darian's hands found the hard planes of Aric's abs, his fingers trembling as they raked upward, feeling the corded muscle. He wrapped his arms around Aric's neck, pulling him closer, desperate to close every millimeter of space between them as love and lust overflowed.
The shrill, piercing ring of a phone shattered the silence.
Aric tried to ignore it, his mouth moving hungrily to Darian's jawline, but Darian found his strength. He pushed Aric back a few inches, his chest heaving, his lips swollen and bruised.
"Pick it up," Darian breathed, sliding off the hood.
Aric growled, pulling the phone out with a murderous glare. "Alex, this better be life-altering, or I'm breaking your leg when I get back."
"Chief, you need to return immediately," Alex's voice was frantic. "Something has happened."
Back at the Base
The atmosphere was heavy as they entered the room. Alex met them, brandishing a stack of documents.
"Chief, the DNA reports came back. Carrie and Valor are blood-related."
The room went silent.
"That means everything makes sense now," Darian murmured, his mind racing even as his body still hummed from the encounter at the car.
"What makes sense, Darian?" Lucien asked.
Darian sat down, the gravity of the realization settling in. "When she said her mom left her and her dad didn't care... our research was missing a piece. Williams killed the mother, Valor. Carrie witnessed it or found out. She didn't just hate him; she was seeking justice. If my guess is right, she murdered her own father."
The Interrogation
In the cold light of the interrogation cell, Aric tossed the reports onto the table. Carrie looked up, her face a mask of exhaustion. "When are you going to release me?"
Aric smirked, a cold, sharp expression. "Now the official interrogation starts. Darian?"
"Do you know someone named Valor, Carrie?" Darian asked softly.
Carrie froze. The name hit her like a physical blow. She began to stammer, beads of sweat breaking out on her forehead. "No... I don't know... whatever I knew, I told you. Leave me alone."
Aric leaned in, his shadow looming over her. "We know exactly what happened. You killed him. Spill the tea, Carrie. There's no way out now."
"Accept it," Darian added, "or face the maximum consequences from the court."
Carrie's resolve finally shattered. She burst into tears, her fists clenching so tight her knuckles turned white. "I did it," she whispered, the words trembling with years of buried pain.
The Flashback:
The room had smelled of old champagne and arrogance. Williams had stood there, cold and mocking.
"This is your child!" Valor had screamed, gesturing to the young girl. "I've never been with anyone else! Stop being ungrateful!" She had been bruised and battered, the victim of his endless assaults. "Take care of my child, or I go to the police with everything. I'll make sure you rot in jail for life!"
Williams didn't hesitate. He grabbed a golf club and swung. The crack of bone was sickening. Valor fell, her blood staining the floor like a river.
"Bitch," Williams had sneered, smiling at her dying form. "For that, you'd need to be alive." He turned to his men. "Bury her. Leave no evidence."
The Present:
"I visited him on my 18th birthday," Carrie sobbed. "I had luminol in my bag from science class. It spilled... and the floor lit up with blood. I took a sample, gave it to a friend at the hospital. It was my mom's. That fucking bastard killed her and told everyone she ran away with another man. I planned it carefully. I was going to kill him... but when I got to the house, his men were everywhere. I had to wait. But before I could get back to him, the news broke... someone else had already killed him."
Aric and Darian sat in stunned silence.
"So... you didn't kill him?" Aric asked.
"I tried," she choked out. "But I failed."
Aric's earpiece crackled. "Chief," Alex's voice came through. "The lie detector says she's telling the truth."
"Then who the hell killed Williams?" Darian asked, his mind spinning.
Suddenly, Chief Daves burst into the room. "Leave it. Both of you. Focus on the larger cases. Drop the Williams investigation."
"Chief, we are inches from the truth!" Darian argued.
"Drop it, Darian! And the rape cases too. Now!"
Aric's eyes flashed with a dangerous, dark fire. He glared at Chief Daves, his jaw tight, before spinning on his heel and storming out of the room.
.
.
.
.