As Ronin had anticipated, Awless also requested a continuance to review the discovered tapes, and Judge Mendes gave them three days—which was technically the weekend, plus the first work day of the new week. Considering there were three years worth of footage to slog through, Ronin reached out to a local law office friendly with his home office, and he got four paralegals to assist him.

Ronin also did not like the idea of Kell alone in the apartment right now, so he brought Kell to his office at the law building. A patrolman fetched them drinks and a book for Kell to read. He settled on the room’s small couch, with headphones on and white noise playing. Ronin angled his computer screen away, and then went to the office next door to speak to his paralegal team.

He warned them what was on the footage. He told them what he was looking for and showed them how to record the time stamps. Ronin wanted instances of not just sexual abuse, but also verbal/emotional abuse. The times Kell mentioned Krause made him sleep on the floor for no good reason. Cruel insults and belittling comments. And he wanted every instance of a man who wasn’t Krause abusing Kell recorded.

They looked a little green, but all four young men agreed to do the requested job.

Satisified, Ronin returned to his office. Kell offered him a wan smile, and then kept reading. Ronin settled at his desk. He’d asked for the last six months leading up to Krause’s death for himself. Those paralegals didn’t need to see the footage of Kell killing Krause.

In self-defense.

Ronin put on his own headphones, booted up his computer, and spent the rest of the morning in complete and utter hell.

Hell.

By noon, his stomach was a mess of acid and nerves, and he’d only gotten through three weeks. The consistent, escalating abuse showed signs of Krause’s declining mental state. He was obsessed with Kell’s pregnancy, insisting on home visits from a doctor every week that seemed a little gropey to Ronin. And wholly unnecessary, considering Kell had been moderately healthy.

When their lunch was delivered personally by Dex, Ronin gladly shut off the video for a few minutes. Dex had brought his own lunch, too, and he made friendly conversation with Kell while they ate. Ronin choked through half his sandwich in silence and really wanted a few shots of whiskey to wash it down.

After Dex left and the break was over, Ronin dared to ask, “I have a question for you.”

“Okay.” Kell put down the book he’d just picked up, a little too pale for Ronin’s liking. But, he supposed his own alpha pheromones were swarming the room, thanks to Ronin’s anger.

“During your pregnancy, were you in generally good health?”

“For the most part. Krause made sure I ate well, and he wouldn’t let any other man near me while I was pregnant, which was nice. He wasn’t as cruel during sex, because he didn’t want to hurt the baby.”

He didn’t want to hurt the baby he ended up giving away anyway. Bastard.

Krause truly had thought of Kell as nothing more than a vessel for his spawn.

“How frequently did you see a doctor?”

Kell flushed. “Almost every week, and they were almost always house calls, unless it was time for an ultrasound. I didn’t care for the doctor Krause chose.”

“Why is that?”

“During the house calls, he not only let Krause watch, which I’m pretty sure is illegal, but Dr. Fantine made me do the exam totally naked, no robe or gown. He’d touch my junk when I’m pretty sure he didn’t need to. And sometimes, when he left, I could tell he had an erection. It creeped me out, but I had no control over the appointments.”

Kell could have refused them, but Krause would have overruled him. Or caused him physical harm in retaliation. Kell had chosen self-preservation and given in. Fighting back could have hurt him or the baby.

“Why?” Kell asked. “Did you watch one?”

Ronin nodded. “This is something we can use, especially if I find a clip that shows Krause in the room during what should have been a confidential appointment. The camera angle shows parts of the floor on all three sides of the bed.”

Kell stiffened. “Do you think you’ll find an angle of the day Braun came to see me and Krause attacked him?”

“Maybe.” Ronin double-checked the date, and then found a different file. They’d been divided into single weeks, which made accessing specific dates easier.

Kell appeared next to him. “I want to see it.”

Ronin opened his mouth to argue, but didn’t. Kell could talk him through exactly what was happening, from both visual and recorded sound, so he unplugged his headphones and hit play.

He fast-forwarded it a little, getting closer to the time frame of the attack. The bed was empty for a while, and then Kell crawled into it and curled around a pillow.

“That’s after I put Branson down for a nap. The last time I ever held him.”

Ronin nudged the footage forward a few hours, to Kell waking up. Getting off the bed.

“I’m heading for the nursery to check on my baby.” Kell’s voice cracked. Ronin reached up to squeeze Kell’s hip.

He turned the volume up. It was distant, but Kell was screaming his son’s name. Krause told him to shut up or he’d regret it.

“It probably didn’t record, but this is Krause telling me he gave my son away.” Kell trembled, and Ronin didn’t think. He hauled his omega onto his lap and wrapped an arm around his waist. “Any minute now, he’ll shove me to the ground, and then I’ll—there.”

Kell appeared on the left-facing side of the bed and crumbled to the floor, sobbing into his hands. Ronin’s chest blazed with anger at his omega’s tears and anguish. The Kell in his arms shivered and started to cry. “I miss him so much,” Kell whispered.

“I know you do. I wish we were having better luck tracking him down.”

Ronin nudged the footage forward. Kell crawled out of view to make his phone call to Braun. He was back less than five minutes later, still weeping and shaking, clutching a small green blanket. Wracked with never-ending anguish over the loss of his child.

Kell released a small cry. “I don’t have Branson’s blanket. It’s at the house.”

If Ronin had to break into that house himself to retrieve the baby blanket, he’d do it. Kell would have that small reminder of his son back.

Less than an hour of footage passed before Braun dropped to his knees in front of his brother.

“My son. My boy is gone. He’s gone.”

The utter heartbreak in Video Kell’s voice sent Ronin’s inner alpha into a brand-new kind of rage. Rage born of needing his omega not to have ever hurt like that, and to punish the man who’d broken his heart so wide open.

“I’m so fucking sorry.” Video Braun reached out, but Kell scooted out of the shot. “Kell?”

“You shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t have called you. He’s so angry with me.”

“Angry about what? You had no fucking control over Branson being beta. None. And how dare he punish you for that by giving your son away!”

“This is all I have. All I have left of him. Of my son.”

The green blanket. Had to be.

“We’ll get him back,” Video Braun said. “We’ll find a way and we’ll get him back. Tarek will help, I know it.”

“Not even your constable will find that child.” Krause’s deep voice snarled across the recording.

“Krause is standing in the bedroom doorway,” Kell said.

Video Braun stood and turned toward the voice, only part of his body still visible. “How dare you?” Braun asked.

“Don’t forget your place, omega. My, my, an omega in heat has come to my doorstep.”

Ronin growled at the menacing intent in Krause’s words.

“No,” Kell said. “You stole my innocence, and I won’t let you steal Braun’s.”

“As I recall, you gave up your innocence quite willingly.”

“I was in the throes of my first heat. I mean afterward, when it hurt. When you were cruel. The way you’ve always been cruel to me.”

The cracking sound of a slap was followed by a growl, and then Kell became partially visible where Braun had been.

“Krause slapped me, and Braun tried to protect me. My little brother shouldn’t have ever been put in that position.”

“He loves you,” Ronin said, then pressed a kiss to Kell’s temple.

“Hit me and you’ll have an alpha constable up your ass in a not so fun way,” Video Braun snarled.

“No alpha has ever been arrested for hitting an omega.”

“Who said anything about arresting you?”

A pause. “I’ll call your bluff.”

Braun made a pained sound. Video Kell screamed, and then he was flailing backward. He hit the side of the bed awkwardly and bounced to the ground. Ronin bit back another harsh growl. On video, the bedroom door slammed shut. Kell scrambled back to his feet and darted out of sight.

“Krause! Leave him alone! Braun!”

Ronin paused the video, unsure if Kell needed to see the rest. “We have absolute proof now that the complaint Krause lodged about that day’s incident is a fabrication. That will definitely help Braun’s credibility when he testifies.”

“Does he really have to?”

“Yes. He can corroborate what’s happening on this video from the moment he enters it, until the time period is over.”

Ronin hugged Kell with his other arm, holding his omega tight, trying to show how much Ronin loved him, no matter what terrible things he might see over the course of the next three days. “My beautiful Kell,” Ronin whispered. “So strong and so amazing.”

“I don’t feel strong. All I want to do is curl up on your couch and sob until I vomit. I miss Branson so much, and seeing it all happen again…my heart broke a second time.”

“You cry all the tears you need. Tears don’t make you weak, they make you human. Tears mean you still have emotions, and that means Krause didn’t break you. No matter how hard he tried, you survived. In the end, he lost.”

“I still lost, too. I lost my son.”

“I know. And that loss may never stop hurting, and that’s okay. Those kinds of wounds are difficult to heal. I had a younger brother once. Tobi. He was omega. We were created one heat apart, so we were close growing up. He was killed when he was a teenager. It nearly destroyed my parents’ relationship, but they got through it. We all did, with a lot of love and patience.”

“I’m sorry for your family.”

“Thank you. A part of me will always miss him, but our parents keep his picture up, and they remember him every year, like they do all of their children on their birthdays.”

“Your family sounds wonderful.” Kell wriggled around so he could rest his head on Ronin’s shoulder. “I like thinking about our future. Meeting them. Will your parents mind that I probably won’t be able to give them grandchildren?”

“Hell no. They’ve already got eighteen.”

Kell startled. “That’s a lot.”

“They love it. Their house is always full of love and laughter during Winter Solstice. We all decorate the house, and if there’s snow, we have a tradition of pouring hot maple syrup over the snow to create candy.”

“You often have snow?”

“Yes. Nakota Province is very far north of here, so the weather tends to be cooler.”

“It rarely snows here, and if it does, it’s a dusting.”

“Then we’re going to the Winter Solstice celebration this year. You’ll see plenty of snow.”

“Good.” Kell kissed his jaw. “I love sitting like this, but you have work to do. I’ll stop distracting you.”

“You’re no distraction, you’re a welcome relief. Thank you for sitting through that video with me. It’s immensely helpful.”

“You’re welcome.” Kell stood, then bent to kiss his mouth. “Good luck.”

Ronin finished watching another thirty minutes of that file with his headphones on. He could clearly hear Kell sobbing and calling for his brother. A few minutes later, someone screamed. The voice was deeper than Braun’s, so that was likely when Braun bit Krause’s face. Then Tarek’s voice shouting for Braun.

Whatever exact words that were exchanged between Tarek and Krause were lost to the soundtrack of Kell’s crying.

Thank goddess Tarek got Braun out of there.

No one listening to that video could deny the intent in Krause’s voice when he threatened Braun. It was illegal for a mated alpha to have sex with an unmated omega during their heat without the express permission of the person legally responsible for the omega. With Braun’s father recently deceased, Tarek had been given legal responsibility over Braun’s safety and care. And Tarek’s later arrival on scene, plus his testimony, would prove Krause had at the very least attempted to commit rape.

Kell’s own mate had tried to rape his brother, had stolen his only child, and had repeatedly and systematically abused Kell. No jury in the world could convict Kell of first-degree murder.

At the end of the work day, and at the end of Ronin’s limit with watching his mate abused on film, Ronin received a call from Prosecutor Awless’s office. Awless wanted to discuss a deal involving lesser charges and the unlikelihood of actual prison time for Kell if they played ball.

Ronin politely told him where to shove those lesser charges. They weren’t burying this. They didn’t get to pretend Krause Iverson wasn’t a sadistic son of a fucker. Oh no, Ronin was committed to this, even more so after watching hours of damning footage. Especially with all of Kell’s medical records in his possession. If Ronin had to call and question his witnesses for a solid month, he’d do it. He’d shed light on every single one of Krause’s sins.

Kell’s reputation deserved nothing less.

* * *

That night Ronin’s mobile blew up with threatening phone calls. Promises to expose dark secrets about him that didn’t even exist. Threats to end his life before the trial was over. Angry voices daring him to keep pushing.

Ronin forwarded every single message to Constable Jenks.

Eventually, he had to turn his phone off so he and Kell could sleep. And they did, together in Kell’s bed. Ronin had terrible dreams about some of the things he’d seen that day, but each time he woke, he relaxed at the sight of Kell, safe and in bed with him.

Senior Iverson was panicking now, and panicked people made mistakes. It no longer mattered if Kell testified, because the minute that footage was leaked to the press, the Iverson name was done for. But Kell would testify. He’d tell his story, and he would be vindicated.

In the morning, Ronin forwarded six more messages to Jenks. Jenks had left his own message, indicating the numbers were all attached to by-the-month phones, and even if they tracked down where they were purchased, it was doubtful Senior Iverson had done it himself. But Jenks promised to put a man on it.

Kell brought his own choice of books to the office and settled in while Ronin had a meeting with his team. They’d already culled hours of useful footage that Ronin spent most of his morning going over. Tarek brought them lunch today, as well as a container of sugar cookies Braun had baked for them. Tarek was still technically on paid leave for another day while his shoulder healed—he started desk duty tomorrow—but Tarek had wanted to check in.

Kell ate more cookies than sandwich, but Ronin didn’t complain.

Ronin used Tarek’s presence as a good excuse to take a bathroom break and stretch his legs. The public toilet was empty so he stepped up to one of the three urinals to do his business. Tension from hours of watching video after video segment tightened the muscles behind his eyes, threatening him with a headache. He’d have to see if someone in the building had some ibrospirin he could take.

The only stall toilet flushed, and Ronin jumped, nearly splashing piss onto his shoes. He hadn’t noticed feet when he first walked in, but he hadn’t looked all that hard. Ronin tucked himself in and moved to the sink to wash his hands.

Pain exploded in Ronin’s forehead, and then nothing hurt at all.

* * *

Kell liked Tarek immensely, but he was anxious around any alpha not his own, and the thick scent of Ronin’s anger coating the room wasn’t doing Kell any favors. Ronin wasn’t angry at Kell, but that didn’t change how his own emotions responded to the alpha pheromones. And every time Kell looked at Tarek’s sling, old guilt resurfaced.

Tarek glanced at his watch. “Must have had additional bathroom business he forgot to mention.”

No, that wasn’t it. Ronin was perfectly regular in the morning. “How long has he been gone?”

“Almost ten minutes. It’s a big building, maybe he got lost.”

“He could be next door chatting with his team.”

“Good point.”

A commotion in the corridor turned both their heads. Tarek stood from the sofa and his hand went into his coat where his firearm would have been holstered. He was off-duty and probably didn’t have the weapon on him, but his stance sent ripples of anxiety across Kell’s neck and shoulders. He stood, as well, but moved away from the door, instead of toward it.

“When I go outside, lock the door behind me,” Tarek said. “I’m going to see what’s happening.”

“Okay.”

Kell dashed forward the instant the door clicked shut and jabbed at the button lock. It wasn’t a lot in terms of defense, but at least the door was solid. No glass window someone could break. Kell retreated to the other side of the desk, his instincts telling him it was a good place to hide should he need to do so.

He wouldn’t put it past Senior Iverson to try and stage an attack here, even with so many law officials around. The top desk drawer had a shiny pair of scissors that Kell debated grabbing, when deep voices began conversing on the other side of the door. Kell’s fingers twitched.

A knock. “It’s me, little one.”

Ronin.

Kell bolted to unlock the door, and then yelped at the sight of Ronin’s face. His forehead was bruising, with a long gash cutting across the bruise horizontally. Flecks of dried blood still clung to his nose and cheek, and Ronin was holding a hand against his left side.

Anger over the damage done to his alpha sent Kell’s adrenaline rolling, and his hands started shaking. “Who did this? Where are they?”

“I didn’t see anyone,” Ronin replied. His strong hand came to rest on Kell’s shoulder. “Fucker came up behind me and shoved my head into the bathroom mirror. Then he kicked me when I was down, because my ribs hurt a little, too, but nothing’s broken. Only bruised.”

“We’re checking security footage now,” Tarek said.

Kell pulled Ronin against him and rested his cheek over Ronin’s heart, needing to hear its steady beat. “You could have been killed.”

“No one expects to get jumped in a public toilet,” Ronin replied. “I’m a little embarrassed I let my guard down and didn’t see it coming.”

“Stop.” Kell blinked back hot tears. “Goddess, someone else I care about has been hurt because of me.”

“Because of Krause. Period.”

“Hey.” Tarek tapped his shoulder, until Kell looked up. “I do not blame you for me getting shot, Kell. Not at all. Neither does Braun. I was happy to protect you. Do you believe me?”

Kell studied his face and saw no deception there. Only a gentle kindness mixed with sincerity. “I believe you. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Braun will never forgive me if anything happens to you.”

The memory of Braun’s frightened screams from yesterday’s footage made Kell hug Ronin tighter. “Ditto for me if anything happens to Braun.”

“He’s safe right now, I promise,” Tarek said. “Despite how it might seem, your case has more public support than is being reported. The scandal of an omega murdering their alpha gets bigger ratings than an abused omega acting in self defense. But people are on your side, Kell.”

“Thank you.” Kell wasn’t sure he believed that, but hearing it helped.

“Come on,” Ronin said. “It’s time to go home.”

Home.

Home was with Ronin, whether that was a law office or their hotel room.

“Yes,” Kell agreed. “Let’s go home.”