Chapter 108

Selene

"We can't just walk into the police station and ask if they found someone dead in their home with their neck broken two years ago," I protest, sitting in the passenger seat of my Jeep beside Phoenix.

His jaw clenches, his hand tight around the wheel as we pull into the police station and park in the spot furthest from the door. "I know that, baby, but what are we supposed to do? That's all we have to go on."

Luke grumbles from the backseat. "I already tried to do my own research last night, and didn't find shit. We've run out of all other options."

I glance back at him, seeing the strain on his face. I think he's the most frustrated between him and Phoenix. It's understandable. Philip accused his sister of being a cheater, and he's not just going to accept it. Not without solid proof.

My mind races with ideas of how he can go about this without drawing unnecessary attention. If the wrong people see us or hear about us digging for information, it will put our lives in even more danger. If the Council is watching us, we need to be careful. One wrong move, and they'll have every reason to come after us.

Phoenix growls in frustration. "Okay, so maybe this isn't the best idea. Unc, maybe we should see who else can the information for us."

"Who? When I asked Jordan and Jamie if they knew anything about it, they looked at me like I had three goddamn heads," Luke snaps.

Fuck. If they've run out of contacts, we're in trouble.

Suddenly, a face pops up in my head: Derrick.

We'd gone out on a date my freshman year of college, but agreed that we weren't compatible and remained friends until we graduated and forgot each other existed. Now, Derrick works for the FBI. It's a stretch, but maybe he could look into it for us.

But do I still have his number?

I pull out my phone, searching through my contacts. Bingo. There it is.

I guess I never cared enough to delete his number, but I'm glad I didn't.

I dial, and he picks up on the second ring. "Selene?"

He sounds shocked that I'm contacting him, but there's no surprise there. We haven't spoken in years.

"Hey Derrick, I need a favor. Can you meet me in like 30 minutes? In the parking lot of that coffee shop we use to study at?"

"Oh...yeah, uh, sure," he stammers.

"Thanks," I say, hanging up before he can ask any other questions.

When I turn to Phoenix, he's staring right at me, his eyes a raging silver. "Who the fuck is Derrick?" he growls.

Oh shit.

I can hardly stop myself from laughing. "Relax, my possessive mate. I'm all yours," I remind him, kissing him on the cheek. Instantly, he calms down a little.

"Derrick is just a friend. I went out with him one time, but realized we didn't like each other like that," I explain.

His brows furrow. "I don't recall you mentioning a Derrick."

I shrug. "He wasn't worth mentioning at the time. It was when I was testing out the whole college dating thing."

"And Derrick was your only test subject?" Phoenix asks, his jealousy still coursing through our bond.

I nod. "Yeah. After that, I realized that I really wasn't interested in dating at all. I didn't even want to find my second-chance mate after what happened with...you know who." I refuse to say that evil's bastards name if I don't have to. "But then you just came into my life without permission."

A teasing grin spreads across his face. "Hey, I wasn't looking for a mate either. Blame my father for that."

He's right. This is all Philip's fault, but I really have to thank him. I don't know how else I would've met Phoenix without him. It had to be fate.

"So why are we meeting up with him?" Phoenix presses, his tone more curious than possessive now.

I chew on my lip, uncertain. "He might just be our way in."

"How?" Luke asks, leaning forward with interest.

"He works for the FBI."

Both men blink at me in surprise.

"And you never thought to mention this before?" Luke asks, his eyes narrowing.

I grin. "I honestly didn't think I would ever see a day where you didn't have a reliable source. You seem to have somebody for everything."

Luke hums, rubbing the back of his neck. "You've got a point there."

"Let's just hope he's as helpful as you remember," Phoenix mutters, pulling the Jeep out of the parking lot and heading towards the coffee shop.

"He should be. He was very interested in criminal justice in college. Always talked about making better changes. And if we tell him about all this fucking corruption, he might actually want to help. If not, we're not asking for much. Just about a man who decided to have an affair with the worst possible choice he could've made."

"Allegedly," Luke grumbles.

I nod. "Allegedly."

"I'm still not accepting that asshole's word until I see for myself," Luke adds, his voice tight with anger. "And even then, I'll question my own damn eyes."

Philip's hands are tight on the wheel as he weaves through traffic. I can feel the storm brewing inside him, his emotions turbulent through our bond. I know he's still having a hard time process everything that's going on. The truth, the lies...it's all tangled up in his head, and he's struggling to make sense of it.

"I don't think anyone wants to believe what Philip said," I say quietly. "But if we could prove him wrong, wouldn't that be a relief?"

Phoenix grunts. "Yeah, but if he's right..."

I place a hand over his, hoping to calm him. "We'll figure this out, baby. Together. We're so close to the answers, I can feel it."

His eyes flicker to mine for a second, a hint of gratitude in them, before he refocuses on the road. "I just don't want to confirm that my whole life has been a fucking lie. First my father abusing me throughout my childhood, now I find out I didn't know either of my parents at all. It feels like my world is crumbling around me."

I sigh, my heart panging. I don't like my mate hurting like this, but hopefully knowing the truth will set him free once and for all.