Alpha & Omega (Alpha's Rejects #4)

I gripped the steering wheel tight enough to crush the thing as I sped along the highway toward DC. There wasn’t much traffic, being so late, but I had to be careful of speed traps, which were when cops loved to nail you the most.

When Tony called me sobbing, my instinct knew exactly what had happened, recalling why his face was bruised from a while ago. The lying and dismissing made things clearer. I should’ve known, dammit! I should’ve pushed him to admit the truth. His situation could’ve been prevented had I been more insistent and protected him. Instead, I failed him.

At the center of my worry was rage. I wanted to fucking hurt his boyfriend, making him feel the very pain he inflicted on Tony. He better not be a boyfriend any longer, but I had doubts after the way Tony lied to me the first time, protecting that fucking bastard.

I understood all too well the need to be loved and accepted after foster care, so much so that you easily looked past the red flags. It wasn’t uncommon for foster kids to grow up and suffer from domestic violence. Still, Tony knew better, right? Though he was also by himself and no doubt lonely. With his alcoholism, finding someone to like you made it that much harder.