Alpha Ascending

and the fact that she was a woman. In fact, during her first day at the academy, a group of recruits thought they could intimidate her because she had a petite stature, as well as a vagina. When she knocked their ringleader on his ass during self-defense drills, they quickly learned that Sofia Selinofoto was not someone you messed around with.
The inside of the club was much larger than it looked from the outside. It seemed like a typical club, with a large dance floor in the middle, two bars, a DJ booth and stage, plus several VIP booths scattered around. All the lights were on and it was practically empty, but she could tell that this place was probably packed all the time. Glancing around, she saw the two uniformed officers in the corner, talking to a third man.
She strode across the room and stopped short of the group of men. “Excuse me.”
The uniformed officer turned around. “Well, hello, Detective.” His voice was pure disdain.
Great. Just who she needed. Gabriel Martinez. “Officer.” She gave him a nod, keeping her face as neutral as she could. There was no way she was going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her annoyed. So instead, she turned to the lone civilian in the group. “I’m Detective Sofia Selinofoto.” She held up her badge. “And you are?”
“Zac Vrost.” The handsome, blond man offered her a hand. “I’m one of the partners here.”
She eyed his hand, her gaze going up his arm and then crashing into blue eyes. There was something about them that she just couldn’t place, but her gut was telling her something about Zac Vrost wasn’t as it seemed. “So, can you tell me what happened?”
He dropped his hand smoothly, unperturbed by her brusqueness. “I’ve already given my statement to the officer.”
She flashed him the same look that she gave the bouncers. “Then you can give it to me again.”
Zac Vrost didn’t seem the least bit intimidated, and his own gaze intensified. He seemed to have a quick inner battle with himself, then began to speak. “Fine. I was inside The Lounge when—shit!”
“Shit?” Was this guy kidding?
Panic flashed for a split-second on Vrost’s face. “That’s not, I mean—excuse me.”
When he sidestepped her like she wasn’t even there, her blood began to boil. Seriously? She could take this shit from fellow police officers, but she was not going let a civilian get away with disrespecting her like that. She marched after him, her mind already filled with the things she wanted to say to him, when she suddenly stopped.
Zac Vrost’s back was turned to her, his arm supporting someone who seemed to have trouble staying on his feet. A half-naked someone, dressed only in dark slacks.
“Zac,” the man grumbled. “I—”
Sofia froze, feeling her heart thud against her ribcage like a jackhammer. A searing gaze bore into her, making her breath catch. Heat waves seemed to emanate from those strange eyes. Beautiful eyes, actually—one green and one blue. The force of his stare made her stagger back. Sensuous male lips parted. “Who are—”
“Mr. Vrost.” She broke the gaze, snapping out of the trance those eerie eyes cast on her. “What’s going on?” There was a door behind him, and from the quick peek she got, it looked like a whole other room. Was there a secret club inside this club? What was going on in there? And why was that man half naked? It took all her strength, but she avoided looking down at his muscled chest.
Vrost mumbled something and then kicked his foot forward to shut the door. “Nothing, Detective,” he said as he swung around to face her. “Just a private party.”
“You’re still having a party in there? After what happened?” she asked.
“Well, business is business. You know how cutthroat rent is in Manhattan. I can’t afford to shut down.”
True. It wasn’t like it was a serious incident, probably just a couple of guys shoving each other. But something about this whole thing wasn’t right. Unable to help herself, her gaze slid back to the half-naked man. Vrost had propped him up, facing away from her. Oh dear Lord, the man was sexy from behind too. That sinewy back was bunching with muscles, and all that tanned golden skin begged for a licking. Get a fucking grip, Selinofoto. “What’s wrong with him?”
“Just a little too much to drink. It’s his, er, bachelor party,” he said. “You know how it is. Last days of freedom.”
For some reason, her chest tightened and her stomach fell. She told herself it wasn’t because of the knowledge that he was taken. Still, it was like having a bucket of ice poured all over her. “Well, then, why don’t you send the groom back to the party and come and make your statement.”
“No,” the man slurred. “You—”
“Will do, Detective.” Vrost gripped his friend tighter. “Come along now, all your friends are waiting.” He grabbed the door, opened it, then stepped inside.
She lunged forward, trying to catch the door before it closed but it was too late. It was one of those secret doors, built into the wall so no one could see it and had no latch or handle. “What the fuck?” Did everyone here think they were above the law? How dare he just walk away from her? There was definitely something going on around her, and she didn’t like it. Vrost was definitely hiding something.
She waited there, hating that she probably looked like an idiot. Martinez and his partner were probably snickering at her, but she didn’t dare give them the satisfaction of knowing she was frustrated or that Vrost had just ignored her.
When the door budged open, her body went tense, ready to tear Vrost a new asshole. But, to her surprise, someone else walked out of the secret entrance—a tall, older man. Tall was an understatement; he was probably half a foot over six feet and had broad shoulders like a mountain. He also had long blond hair tied back in a