“He’s telling you the truth.” Dr. Dante flicked a look at Nox. “He doesn’t know.”
“Don’t lie to me, Dr. Dante.”
“You said you can smell a lie. Do I smell like I’m lying?”
Dekker huffed a breath. The arrogant mask he wore fell. “You believe what you’re saying, nothing more.”
“He doesn’t. He wasn’t aware Koda did it.”
“Your proof?”
“I saw the video too.” Reese swallowed several times like it hurt. “He had no idea.”
“Not good enough, Dr. Dante.”
Reese looked at Nox. “How did you get out of the Utah facility?”
Nash ran the question over in his head, but the words fell flat like a foreign language.
“How did you get out, Nash? Tell him.”
Nash opened his mouth, then closed it.
“For god’s sake, tell the son-of-a-bitch how the fuck you got out of the Utah Facility before he hurts Luca.”
The only thing Nox could do was stare.
To Dekker, Dr. Dante said, “He can’t answer because he didn’t act on his own free will. Koda ordered him.”
“Or maybe he just doesn’t want to say.”
Which wasn’t true. If Nox knew, he would have told the man. He would have told him anything to protect Luca.
“Prove it to me,” Dekker hissed.
“I can’t.”
Dekker raised his eyebrows. He didn’t have to say it aloud; the lie tainted the air.
“Tell him,” Nox said. “Just tell him what he wants to know, whatever it is.”
Agony twisted Dr. Dante’s expression.
Dekker gripped the slide bar again.
“Tell him, Reese.” Nox’s voice cracked with desperation.
Tears filled his eyes.
Dekker inched the slide bar back.
“Please,” Nox said. No secret was worth more than Luca’s wellbeing. “Please just tell him.”
The bitter flavor of pain replaced the sour taste of Reese’s lie. “I know Koda ordered Nash because otherwise, he would have never been able to kill him.”
Nash didn’t remember walking out of the cell with his team. One moment he’d been playing cards, the next standing in front of Koda.
His Alpha smiled, but the sadness in his eyes eclipsed any joy.