Interrogation Techniques by Charlie Richards

Chapter Three

Del rubbed his hand up and down Miggs’s back and did his best to squelch his angry snarl. His rage wouldn’t help his clearly distraught mate. However, Del didn’t temper the glare he pinned on Mycroft.

“You know that’s bullshit,” Del stated, pleased that his voice only held a hint of gruffness. He lifted a hand for an instant to indicate his quietly crying mate before returning it to rubbing his back. “This is not the response of a man who killed someone.”

Hell, Del would know. He’d slain more than his fair share of shifters, humans, and other paranormals.

Mycroft unwound his arms and lifted his hands in placation. “I know. I heard the gratefulness in Miggs’s voice when he spoke of Kenny helping him.” Pushing away from the wall, the cheetah shifter added, “I’m only telling you why we can’t just clear Miggs of being rogue.” Before Del could answer, Mycroft smiled. “And congratulations, by the way. We’ll get this sorted.”

Del’s anger at Mycroft evaporated. He should have known he had people who would help him. While his brothers would always be there for him, Del sometimes forgot that some of these shifters considered him a friend.

Hell, Germaine asked me to help him move just last month. That’s what friends do.

“So, we need to find out what really happened to Kenny, then,” Enforcer Malone stated from where he rested in the doorframe. The alligator shifter jutted his chin toward Miggs, a small smile curving his thin lips. “Hell, it’s obvious Miggs didn’t hurt him. That means someone else did.”

“If he’s even dead,” Germaine cut in, cocking his head. “Maybe that was a lie just to have us out looking for Miggs.”

Mycroft growled softly. “If that’s the case, how many others have used the same ploy?” Curling his lip, he added, “The word of alphas in good standing aren’t normally verified with an independent investigation.”

“Time for another policy change,” Malone commented drolly.

Germaine scoffed. “Oh, yeah. The council is going to love that suggestion. Ever since creating the investigative branch, we’ve been stretched thin as it is. Adding duties to them means we’ll need even more of them.”

“Yeah, but look how the changes are affecting us.” Malone waggled his finger in Del and Miggs’s direction. “Councilmen and enforcers are starting to find their mates. I hope it continues.” His expression turned wistful. “I wanna find my mate.”

Del had truthfully never given finding his mate much thought, but as he looked down at Miggs, he knew he would do anything for the man in his arms. Taking care of his cute shifter would definitely be a change, but he figured it would be a good one. Fate didn’t make mistakes, after all.

Cradling Miggs’s jaw, Del urged him to lift his chin and meet his gaze. The tears filling his mate’s gorgeous brown eyes sent a spike of need through him—a need to fix the problem. Del just wasn’t certain he could, but he was sure going to try.

“We’re going to get to the bottom of this,” Del assured his mate. “We know you didn’t hurt your friend. That means someone else did.”

“Could it have been Alpha Shaun or someone in the inner circle acting under his orders?” Mycroft asked. “Have they used that kind of punishment before?”

“That’s not a punishment,” Miggs snapped, turning to scowl at Mycroft. “That’s a death sentence, and all he did was help free me.”

Del couldn’t help but smile at the bit of fire Miggs displayed. His mate’s spunk caused Del’s blood to heat. He wanted to find out if he would display such passion in other areas of his life... like with their bedplay.

Having always had a healthy appetite for sex, Del couldn’t wait to explore everything with his sexy little shifter.

Mycroft rubbed a hand through his hair as he nodded. “If we discover he ordered Kenny’s death, he’ll be brought in, alpha or not. So will whoever carried it out.”

“If he’s even dead,” Malone reiterated. “Maybe he’s being locked up like you were, so no one knows he’s actually alive.”

“If he’s even dead,” Mycroft repeated, nodding. He began moving toward the door. “I’ll put Investigator Ryzer on it right away.” Then Mycroft pointed at them. “In the meantime, lay low. You’re off duty until this is cleared up, Enforcer Delanrue.”

Del shook his head, countering Mycroft. “What about Pedro?” He scowled. “I really want a go at him.”

“Malone is here now,” Mycroft stated, pointing at the shifter. “He can handle it.”

“And if I run into any problems, I know where you are to get help,” Malone told him even as a wicked grin curved his lips. He cracked his knuckles as a low chuckle escaped him. “But we both know I won’t need it.”

Groaning, Del rolled his eyes. He did know. Malone was almost as good at the job as himself.

“Just really wanted the chance to scare the shit out of that lying asshole,” Del grumbled.

While Malone and Germaine laughed, Mycroft snorted and headed out of the room.

Del met Miggs’s gaze and saw the surprise in his eyes. Lifting one shoulder in a half-shrug, he offered an unrepentant smile. “Warned you, didn’t I?”

“Yeah,” Miggs murmured with wide eyes. Then he blinked, and a shy smile curved his lips. “I’m okay with it.”

“Good.” Del dipped his head, his focus on Miggs’s oh-so-tempting lips. When Miggs turned his head, stopping the action, Del frowned as something stabbed through his chest that it took a second to identify—the feeling of rejection. “Miggs?”

Miggs’s cheeks took on a pinkish hue as he mumbled, “I-I, um, I haven’t brushed in, well, a couple of weeks.” Peering at him through his lashes, he admitted, “I don’t like how my mouth tastes right now. How could you?”

Relief filled Del, and he nodded. “Then I look forward to getting you to my rooms so you can change that.”

“And to help with that.” Germaine stepped forward, holding up a keyring. “Let’s get you out of here.”

In a grand gesture that drew a snicker from Miggs—which, to Del’s surprise, he liked the sound of—Germaine bowed low and unlocked his mate before indicating the open doorway.

Del wasted no time rising to his feet and carrying his still giggling shifter from the interrogation wing. As soon as he reached the door to his suite, he heard the rumble of Miggs’s stomach. He pushed the door closed behind them and locked it, then lowered his mate to his feet.

Keeping Miggs close, Del rested one hand on his hip and used the other to cradle his jaw. “I would very much like the opportunity to wash you in the shower, but hearing your stomach, I feel the need to feed you, too.”

His instincts to care for his mate were conflicting, and he struggled with which direction to choose. Then he remembered the advice he’d overheard a mated shifter give to Dakota on relationships

Just because you’re mates doesn’t mean your relationship will be all roses and sunshine. It still takes work. Always remember to communicate, and never go to bed angry.

With those thoughts in mind, Del asked, “What would you like, Miggs?” He rubbed his thumb along his jawline as he eyed the lips he really wanted to taste. Noticing Miggs’s hesitation, Del offered, “If you don’t want me to wash you, I can fix you food. My kitchen isn’t extremely well-stocked, but I can whip up omelets and potatoes, bacon and sausage. Or if you’d prefer a steak, I can zip to the cafeteria and order something from there.”

As if anticipating his offerings, Miggs’s stomach rumbled again.

“When was the last time you ate, my mate?” Del asked softly. He knew the prisoners were fed, but that didn’t necessarily mean his mate had eaten much of it.

Miggs’s brows furrowed, telling Del he had to think way too hard about it. “Um, yesterday my cellmate let me have a piece of bread,” he murmured, sounding uncomfortable. “He was taken this morning after breakfast, and dinner hadn’t been served, yet.”

Del growled, making a mental note to find out who Miggs had been in a cell with. He was going to make certain abuse of a weaker shifter would be added to his crimes—assuming he was still alive. The stronger were supposed to care for those less powerful, not the other way around.

How did we end up with so many asshole alphas that just don’t understand that?

Without bothering to voice that question, Del waited... and waited. His poor mate looked completely indecisive—his mouth opening and closing and his gaze shifting left and right. He wondered if the sweet man had ever been given the opportunity to make decisions for himself.

Then Del remembered that Miggs said he’d essentially been a slave for the last several years.

He probably just doesn’t remember how or doesn’t feel confident enough.

“How about this?” Del crooned softly, hoping to soothe his clearly uncertain shifter. “I’m going to take you into the bathroom and undress you. I’ll start the shower, and you can take your time scrubbing down and getting clean. I’ll leave a bathrobe hanging on a hook, and you can use it when you’re done toweling off the water.” He wasn’t certain the straightforward instructions were the right approach—his mate was a grown man after all—but after everything that had happened, Miggs seemed a little overwhelmed. “After that, come out and sit at the dining room table. I’ll have a late lunch ready for you.”

As Del finished laying out his plans, he released Miggs’s chin. He used the hold he still had on his waist to turn the much smaller male. Guiding Miggs through his front room, he enjoyed the way his mate fit against his side. The man couldn’t have been more than five-foot-one and a buck-twenty soaking wet. From the feel of his hip through the sweats, Del knew Miggs was underweight.

I can’t wait to feed him up and help him reclaim himself.

Del had seen flashes of what he was coming to think of as Miggs’s true personality, and he looked forward to seeing him flourish.

“Here you go,” Del said as he encouraged Miggs into the room. “There’s shampoo, soap, and such in the shower stall. Help yourself to anything.” While Del was loath to release his mate, he did it so he could reach past him, open the massive walk-in shower, and turn on the heads. Pointing, Del told him, “I’m going to leave it on the temperature I enjoy, so just adjust it to whatever you’d like. Okay?”

Turning back to meet Miggs’s gaze, Del fought back a smile as he took in the way the small shifter peered around the nicely appointed space. For those who spent a fair bit of their time at Shifter Headquarters, the accommodations were excellent. Like all the enforcers, Del’s place had a living room, a small kitchenette and dining space, a large bathroom, and a bedroom. The bathroom had two doors so that it could be accessed from both the living room and bedroom.

Del touched Miggs’s shoulder, catching his attention. “Lift your arms, little mate,” he encouraged. With a wink, he added, “Time to get you all wet.”

Even as Del enjoyed the way Miggs blushed, he hid the look for a few seconds while tugging the overly large sweatshirt from his mate’s body. He tossed it toward his laundry basket. Then he crouched before Miggs and gripped the waist of his sweatpants. Pausing, Del peered up at Miggs, silently asking permission.

Even though Miggs nibbled his bottom lip, he still nodded.

A win. I got him to make a decision.

“Lift your legs, one at a time,” Del ordered as he tugged the sweats down each one.

As Miggs obeyed and he removed the too-big pants, Del did his best to ignore the beautiful, semi-hard penis before his face. The scent of his mate was driving him crazy, but he controlled himself. He needed to see to all his mate’s needs... not just the sexual ones. Fortunately, the way Del could clearly make out Miggs’s ribs helped him keep in check.

I need to feed my poor mate.

Once Del had the sweats off, he rose and gripped Miggs’s shoulders lightly. He used the hold to turn him. Unable to control himself completely, Del slid his palm down his mate’s back and squeezed one small round ass cheek just a little as he pushed him forward with his other hand.

Miggs gasped and hopped forward a step. He peered over his shoulder at him with a wide-eyed gaze. His nostrils flared, and he clenched and released his hands. Even Miggs’s eyes began to dilate while the scent of arousal flooded the bathroom.

“Get in the shower, my mate,” Del ordered, his voice rough with his own rising need. He took a step backward, needing to put more space between them to keep from grabbing Miggs and saying, to hell with it. “I’ll start some food.” As his mate nodded and eased into the shower, Del asked, “Are you allergic to anything? Or is there anything you don’t like?”

Del didn’t want to accidently make something that Miggs hated.

“Um, I-I don’t like... strawberries.”

While Miggs’s answer surprised him, Del nodded anyway. “Okay.” With a wink, he turned and headed out of the bathroom calling, “No strawberries for you.”

Just as Del closed the door, he heard, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Del stated through the door.

Del strode swiftly to his small kitchenette and began pulling out supplies. As he started frying the pound of bacon along with another pound of sausage links, he pulled his phone from his belt. With a couple of swipes of his fingers, Del called Dakota.

Just as Del pulled the carton of eggs from the refrigerator, he heard Dakota pick up. In lieu of a greeting, Dakota stated, “I don’t care what the excuse is. You said you were coming, so you better damn well be coming.”

“I found my mate.” Del laid it out there.

For several long seconds, no noise came through the line.

Del waited.

Finally, Dakota stuttered, “D-Did you just—did you just s-say what I-I think you said?”

Smiling, Del couldn’t remember the last time he’d shocked the shit out of his brother. “Yes,” he confirmed. “I found my mate.”

Dakota’s whooping cry boomed in Del’s ear, making him grin.

It took a good two minutes before Dakota’s exuberant cries died down, but Del didn’t mind waiting some more. He loved that his brother expressed such joy on his behalf. If the situations were reversed, Del hoped he would have felt the same.

“Well, bring her on over with you,” Dakota finally ordered, his grin coming through loud and clear. “Or him. Shifter? Human? Who is it? Where the hell did you meet? I just left you heading... to... the interrogation wing.” Dakota’s words slowed, and Del could just guess that his smart brother was putting the pieces together. “Del? Who is it?”

“Miggs was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Del told him. “And I’m going to bring him over tonight, because I think I’m gonna need you and Dane’s help to keep him safe.”

As much as it galled him, Del never second-guessed his gut, and his gut screamed of danger to his sweet little mate.

“Absolutely,” Dakota responded without a second of hesitation. “Anything you need.”

Del smiled.

He’d always been able to rely on his brothers.

As Del continued cooking, he told Dakota what little he knew.