Chapter 29 Laz
TWENTY-NINE
Laz
“Sorry, Laz.” Margie checks her clipboard. “Your sister has revoked your special permission to enter OV.”
“C’mon, Margie. You know me. I won’t cause any problems. Sabs is just being dramatic.” I try to bargain with her, tightness forming in my chest. “If I could just see her—”
“Sorry, kid,” Margie cuts me off, picking up her magazine and reclining in her chair. “Rules are rules. Now scram before you meet Big Billy.”
I look around. “Who’s Big Billy?”
She nods at her gun. “That’s Big Billy.”
Margie may look like a sweet older lady, but she can kick serious ass, making me both grateful that Faye and Sabs are well-protected while being annoyed that she won’t bend the rules. Maybe Cole had better luck.
“Can you at least tell her I swung by?” I give her my best puppy dog eyes.
Margie plops her turquoise Crocs adorned with charms on her desk then makes a shooing motion. “I can, but I don’t think it’ll make a difference.”
“Thanks anyway.” I slouch away, defeated, pulling out my cell to let the guys know.
ME
Sabs is still avoiding me. No access to OV.
COLE
I saw Faye on her way to class. She refused to speak to me. The Stellas are with her 24/7. We can’t get her alone.
Yet another blow.
It’s hard enough that Faye walked out on us, but Sabs shutting me out too has made the last few days even more difficult. If I can just make her listen, maybe we have a chance of making things right with Faye.
I decide to bite the bullet and call Beckett, my oldest brother. I would’ve called Forrest, but he’ll be underwater snorkeling or in a completely different time zone right now, so Mr. Serious will have to do.
Calling my parents isn’t an option. I don’t want them to worry or ask why Sabs isn’t speaking to me, not when they tasked me with taking care of my little sister.
That and they’d get excited at the prospect of me finding my scent match.
Mom would probably start wedding planning and knitting clothes for future grandbabies before I had a chance to explain the situation.
When I tell them about Faye, I want everything to be perfect.
“Laz? What’s wrong? What happened?” Beckett’s initial confusion upon answering the phone turns to panic. He’s seriously uptight, and it doesn’t take much to tip him over the edge.
“It’s not an emergency.” I roll my eyes. “Have you heard from Sabs?”
“I spoke to her yesterday to discuss my firm sponsoring her volleyball team,” he replies stiffly.
I can imagine the disapproving look on his face.
“She did mention you weren’t on speaking terms, but I didn’t ask why.
I’m not getting involved in your silly sibling squabbles.
Especially not right now; I have an important meeting due to start any minute, and I don’t need any distractions or theatrics from you. ”
“But—”
“No but’s, Laz! You’re both at SVU!” I have to pull my phone away from my ear, he’s shouting so loud. “Figure it out!”
The line goes dead.
Well, calling him was a fat load of no good. At least he confirmed that Sabs is alive and well.
REN
Delilah whisked her away in a golf cart before I could catch her after class. She looked upset. Meet over coffee to talk tactics?
I sigh in frustration. Every fiber of my being wants to be by Faye’s side. Knowing that she’s upset and I can’t be there to make her smile is tearing me up.
I tilt my head, eyeing the familiar face jogging toward me in yoga pants. I blink twice to make sure I’m not imagining it. Nope, that’s her red ponytail, swishing in the breeze.
“Sabs!” I call out to her. She looks in my direction, then turns her head away to snub me. “Come on, Sabs! Just hear me out, okay?”
She slows, whipping out her phone to send a quick text before popping one earbud out.
“You’ve got some nerve, Laz.” Still huffing to catch her breath, her eyes shoot daggers sharp enough to kill.
“And before you think about hanging around until Faye gets back, I just texted her to tell her you’re here, so she won’t be coming home soon. ”
“How is she?” I ask. “Is she okay?”
“What do you think?” She puts her hands on her hips. “Faye’s strong, but she’s hurting. What did you expect would happen? You lied to her. And you lied to me.”
“What Damon did—”
“Spare me the details!” She holds up one hand to signal that she doesn’t want to hear it.
“We all know what Damon did. Kady got some hotshot PI to investigate.” Her shoulders slump along with her features, fury giving way to something else.
Hurt. “You should have told me, Laz. I know you and Damon are best friends, but why would Cole let him stay in the pack after doing something like that?”
“Come on, Sabs. I’m your brother. Do you really think I—or Cole and Ren—would have wanted Damon to stay if it was his fault?
” I’m talking too fast, but this may be my only chance to tell the truth about what happened.
“I didn’t tell you for Damon’s sake. He was already beating himself up about it enough. ”
“As he should!” Sabs explodes. “Kady showed me the police file. He assaulted and blinded an omega!”
Sabs has a fiery temper and because of her stubbornness, she’s hard to reason with at the best of times, especially when she’s convinced that she’s right.
“Damon and the file don’t tell the full story. Faye has to know the truth,” I plead. “She’s my mate. I can’t lose her, Sabrina.”
It’s probably the second time in her life I’ve addressed her by her full name. I only use it when I’m being 100 percent serious, which for me is unusual.
Sabs’s eyes bounce between mine. “You really love her, don’t you?”
I don’t answer her right away. I haven’t really put my feelings into words before, and it seems crazy to say I love Faye after knowing her for such a short amount of time, but…
“Yes,” I confess. What I feel for her is more than love, though. It’s fate, and all I know for sure is that I can’t live without her. “We all do. She’s our scent match. We can’t lose her, so we need your help.”
“I don’t know if you can fix this.” Sabs shakes her head. “You know how Faye’s parents died, don’t you?”
I nod. The fact that she believes we could be anything like the monster alphas who killed her parents is soul-destroying.
“Then you should understand that there’s no coming back from this. You haven’t seen her the past few days.” Sabs grimaces. “She’s broken.”
“Please, Sabs,” I beg. “Let me tell you the full story. The parts Damon didn’t share with Faye. If that doesn’t change anything, I promise, I’ll walk out of her life forever. You have my word.” I hold up my pinkie. “Pinkie swear.”
“Fine.” She huffs and removes her other earbud. “You have ten fucking seconds before I call Margie over.”
I better make this count because, even though she’s my sister, Sabs isn’t joking, and I don’t want to be introduced to Big Billy. It’s not just my future happiness at stake, but the entire packs. If Sabs doesn’t hear me out, we risk losing Faye forever.