Forbidden Mate- A Step-brother Romance - Chapter 22: Chapter 22

~APOLLO~
"We received the surveillance footage from the shop," Adrian informs me. “A lot of bribing and threats were done to receive it. The owners gave us a hard time at first."
I didn't need the details; I was just glad we now had the footage we needed. I wanted a view of the entire building; I needed to confirm that Mathew acted alone when he attacked Lana.
We stood in front of the computer as the clip began playing.
"There he is," Jake says as he spots Mathew walking into the shop from a distance.
"High up the audio," I tell Adrian, who quickly does as I request.
It was hard to watch the video knowing what was coming. I didn't want to watch my mate get assaulted again. It reminded me of my failure to protect her when she needed me.
"He's asking for you," Adrian says as he studies the footage. He didn't need to tell me; I could hear Mathew ask about my whereabouts.
I narrow my eyes when he pushes my mate to the ground. It was hard to watch this when Mathew was still locked up in one of our cells—alive and breathing. I wanted to go to him and finish the job. He should be dead.
"She isn't giving him the details that he wants," Jake says with surprise. "She knows he will harm her if she remains quiet and yet look at her. She's fucking brave."
My hand tightens into a fist.
She should have told him where to find me. Why did she not say anything? Why the fuck did she choose to protect me? Her life was more precious than mine; did she not realize that?
I watch as Mathew slaps her across the face when she refuses to give him the information that he wants about me.
I wince.
I felt like punching myself for letting something like this happen to her.
"You're lucky to have a step-sister like that," Adrian tells me after reviewing the footage. "She is loyal to you."
His words knock all the air out of me. Looking at the footage only made me feel a hundred times worse. She'd protected me, not once caring about her own life.
I did not deserve a mate like Lana. After everything I've put her through, she should have given him my information.
Why the fuck did she remain silent?
"It looks like he's telling the truth from the surveillance," Jake notes. "I think he acted alone. There shouldn't be any more threats to your family. I don't believe anyone else would try to attack, especially not after the torture we've given to the man.”
I was still on edge. I did not trust Mathew, and I didn't trust these videos either. There was still a chance that my family was in danger. I had to be extra alert from now on.
"I need to get home," I tell them.
After what I had just witnessed, I needed to see my mate and ask her why she put her life in danger for me.
I don't wait for my pack members to ask any questions as I rush out of the pack house.
The drive home wasn't easy. I kept seeing Mathew attacking Lana because she wouldn't inform him about me and my whereabouts.
Why?
Why would she do something like that for me?
I rush into the house and find my mate in the kitchen. She looks surprised to see me home so early. Usually, on a Friday night, I'm out at the club. I could see why she would be surprised that I was here.
I open my mouth to ask her the questions buzzing in my head when I feel a vibration.
I stare at my phone in annoyance.
It was my mother—again.
"Is that another one of your women calling?" Lana asks in a disgusting tone as she walks towards the fridge.
I return the phone to my pocket, ignoring my mother's call. I knew I would have to hear about this later.
However, right now, I need to pay attention to my mate.
I grin, "I'll answer you if you admit you're jealous."
She frowns, "Jealous? I have better things to worry about than how many women you're sleeping with."
The mood shifts in the room when she catches me staring at her arms; I was searching for the bruises that asshole had left on her. However, everything seemed to heal up nicely. Even the cut on her lips was gone.
"What?" She asks softly.
My eyes scan her face, "how are you? Do you feel hurt anywhere?"
Her bottom lip trembles, and it makes me even more pissed. I still regret not killing that bastard. He messed with the wrong person when he put a hand on my mate.
She seems nervous under my gaze as she responds, "I am fine. You do not need to keep asking."
I didn't want her to know that I cared, but this wasn't something I could ignore. I needed to make sure that she felt okay, not just physically. I knew the attack had affected her mentally as well. I've never seen Lana so nervous about her surroundings. She kept feeling like someone would come out of nowhere and attack her. Even Isabella has been emotionally scarred from the incident.
"I am doing everything I can to ensure that something like this never happens again," I inform her. "You do not have to be scared, Lana. I promise never to let another man hurt you again."
Her eyes glisten with unshed tears as she whispers, "Thank you." The delicate tremor in her voice carries a weight of unspoken emotions and makes my chest hurt.
I still didn't understand why Lana was thanking me when I should have been thanking her.
"I saw the footage," I confess. "I know you did not answer Mathew's questions about my whereabouts. I know now that is why he attacked you. You were protecting me."
She looked surprised that I knew this now. It bothers me that she knew this all along and never once said anything about it.
"I did what anyone else would have." She lies. "He looked dangerous, and I didn't think telling him your whereabouts was a good idea."
I pulled out my phone from my pocket to show her that I had Mathew locked up in a cell. I wanted her to know that she truly was safe for now. However, I was shocked to see an ongoing call with my mother.
A chill seeps into my bones, sending an icy shiver racing down my spine.
This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.
How long has my mother been listening to our conversation?
Just how much did she hear?