“P-please,” Ru sobbed, gripping Pember’s shirt. “Please, I don't want to go to prison.”
Sal wrinkled her nose and looked back at Maya. “Bags are packed, right, baby?”
Maya hummed and sucked her lip. “Mm-hmm.”
“So we should go, yeah? That’s the plan?”
Maya let out a breath, peeling Sal away from her neck. “We’re not going anywhere,” Maya said, staring at Pember.
“W-what? But you said. You said you had a plan. The Maldives. The flight’s booked, right?”
Maya sighed and gave Sal a sympathetic look. “No, baby. We’re not going to the Maldives.”
“What do you mean, May? Come on, let’s go!” She tugged at Maya’s shirt, her chin beginning to quiver when the other omega didn’t budge.
“You manipulated them,” Pember said, ears pricking at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. “Every single one of them. You might blame the alphas, but what about you?”
Just then, the door burst open and armed officers poured in. It was all white noise punctuated with “Get down on the ground! Get down on the fucking ground!” as they shouted over one another. Pember shoved Ru to the floor, cradling his head to his chest as water from the sink dampened his shirt.
“Just stay down,” he whispered. “It’s all… it’s all going to be alright.”
“Pem,” he whimpered. “I’m scared.”
“I know, Ru. I know.” There was a wet patch forming against his knee, and Pember realised Ru had wet himself.
The armed officers roughly patted them down, the plastic guards on their gloves catching Pember’s face and neck. Ru was dragged out of his grasp, and the other omega squealed as his face was shoved against the floor.
“Contained!” someone shouted, which was when Blake and the other sergeants strode in.
“Get off him,” Blake snarled, pulling an officer off Pember. “Get thefuckoff my mate.”
Caitlin nodded at the officer, quickly getting between them before Blake did something stupid. “He’s our operative,” she said, brushing off Pember’s shoulders.
Blake snatched him away, boxing him in against the corner whilst the other officers restrained Maya, Sal and Ru. Sal screamed and was hauled out of the room first by her arms, but Pember could only look at Ru. Without even thinking, he ducked under Blake’s arm and grabbed Ru by the shoulder.
Pulling him up, he rested him against his body and growled when another officer tried to take him away.
Ru was shaking all over, his eyes bloodshot. “Y-you… you’re police?”
Pember shook his head. “I’m not a police officer, but I’m with them.”
“You tricked me! I-I thought you were my friend! I thought… I thought I could talk to you!”
Pember could do nothing but grit his teeth and hold him. How could he explain? How could he hand Ru over to a bunch of alphas and say he was safe?
He squeezed his shoulders and looked him in the eyes. “Ru, listen to me. I know things are scary right now, but I promise you, you can trust him.”
His eyes flicked up to Blake, a tight smile pinching his lips. Blake nodded, gently peeling Pember’s hand away from Ru’s shoulder.
“You’re going to go to the police station. Tell them everything that’s happened. What you’ve been through. Can you do that for me, Ru? Can you tell them?”
Ru nodded rapidly, tears still spilling down his cheeks. “O-okay. Okay, I’ll tell them.”
Pember looked up at Blake, his own chin starting to tremble. Then he nodded.
“Reuben Atkinson,” Blake said, gently wrapping his fingers around Ru’s arm. “I’m arresting you for conspiracy to commit murder.”
Blake’s words got lost amongst the chaos, and Pember slowly faded back into the corner of the room. He watched as Ru was taken away, and the other officers carried out a sweep of the restaurant. There was a high-pitched cackle, followed by a scream, and when Pember looked down at Maya again, she was smiling.
