13. Mathew
“How many guards are they expecting to be on duty?” I look at the blueprint of the biotechnological research complex we’ll be sneaking into for a job. “The place is well-covered with security cameras, but there are a couple of areas that are bare. Is that on purpose or is that where they put individual security guards?”
“They expect around twenty or so people to be on duty that evening.” Timothy points to the north side of the complex. “That’s where the security room is, right next to their break room. They also have a separate entrance into the complex, here.”
“Twenty is going to be tricky. It’s rare for there to be that much security for a place of this size. That means that there’s probably much more going on than what Allen told us this was going to be about.” I hate it when people try to fuck me over by giving me much less information than needed, or pretending that whatever they’re asking for is a lot less dangerous than it really is.
This job didn’t look that complicated. Get inside, grab some samples, get out. It’s items, not people. They gave us boxes to transport the samples in, they’re small enough to fit into a pocket, so easy to take with us. They promised us that the samples weren’t toxic or anything like that, so no extra danger to plan for.
“We’re sure that they’re not hiring us to steal samples of drugs from their rivals?” I sigh. I’ve been tired a lot lately, but I also feel like this job has been giving us more trouble than it should. Which isn’t making my mood any better.
“No drugs. You’ve known Allen for long enough to know that they would never touch drugs. I think we’d have heard about it if that had changed.” Timothy slides a page in front of me.
I sit down, staring at it, trying to make sense of what it says. It’s the overview of some chemical compound, giving the formula, something about various names and more information that my brain is refusing to take in.
“Pretend I’m me from a decade ago and explain this in the simplest terms possible?” I glance up at him and he smiles, nodding.
“It’s a chemical compound that can be cultivated in some types of flowers. At low levels, it helps soothe pheromones, which is mostly what they’ve been trying to perfect. The company we’re going to ‘visit’ has been trying to find a suitable type of flowers to consistently produce it. If they manage that, it would create a whole new market. It means we’re no longer dependent on diffusers and oils for pheromone soothing but that we can use flowers, which is supposed to be a lot safer.”
Supposed to be. I don’t like the sound of that.
“And at high levels?”
“Some researchers have speculated that at high levels, this compound could eliminate the need for Alpha-Omega compatibility during heat. Which would make constructed packs a lot easier to manage, as per the researchers’ papers. There are of course also other less savoury uses…” His cinnamon pheromones fill with bitter notes and I don’t need him to go into detail about those ‘other’ uses.
Human trafficking and forced mating. There are plenty of rich Alphaholes who see a very attractive Omega, only to find out that they’re not compatible and that they can’t mate the Omega. Those bastards would love it if there was a way to get rid of that ‘hurdle’.
I saw it plenty of times while working for the Hearts. Some rich Alphahole would come in, pick out the most beautiful Omega on staff, and when they realised the Omega’s instincts immediately rejected them, they would get irate. Something like this compound would solve that issue.
Any Omega would be fair game for any Alpha... Not something I’m the biggest fan of. The Suits Syndicate would have a whole new business to add to their arsenal of revolting income streams and that doesn’t sit right with me.
“Allen promised me that this job wasn’t any more dangerous than usual.” I slide the page with the chemical stuff on it aside and stare at the layout of the complex. “The blueprint also doesn’t look like anything more complicated than we’re used to. So, why do I have a bad feeling about it?”
“Number of security guards and the camera coverage, something doesn’t add up. And, of course, the separate entrances and exists for very specific groups of people.” Timothy steps back and checks his phone. “Derrick is putting together the team, but we’re still understaffed and this is looking more complex than usual.”
“I’ll join you.” Riley stands up from the couch, where she was carefully winding her new yarn into balls, while clearly listening in on our conversation. “I’ve not been on a mission in weeks and this looks interesting. If this goes well, I might join your organisation full-time. I’m not used to working in a team, but I’m willing to try it out.”
Timothy eyes me, questioning and I shrug, though my heart is beating fast at the idea of Riley joining us.
“I’ll let Derrick know. He’s seen you in action before, more than me, so he’ll have a better idea of what role would work best for you.” He types out a message, smiling, clearly finding something amusing.
“Actually, I think I’ll also go. You need someone to sneak past any pheromone checkpoints. I don’t need to scrub my pheromones to do that. Less work for the team. I’m the best candidate for getting past the last layer of security and grabbing the samples.” I’d been considering this for a while now, especially as I learned more and more about the job and realised that between losing people the night we grabbed Vera and Caleb and the attack at the restaurant, we’re still short some highly skilled people. Getting to work with Riley is only a bonus.
“No.” Jorge jumps up from where he was sitting at the table, looking over some of Timothy’s notes for the mission, his chair falling over with a loud clatter. His pheromones are overwhelming and edged with something sharp. “You’re not going in. Get someone else to go in. It’s not going to be you.”
I stare at him for a moment, until I realise that he’s serious. He believes that just because he says so, I’ll stay at home.
Hell no.
Hell fucking no .
The whole room is now full of harsh pheromones, anger from Jorge, and surprise and apprehension from Riley and Timothy.
I slowly stand up, trying to keep my voice calm, hoping he’ll get the message. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you right. What did you say?” My voice feels strange, like it’s not mine.
Jorge doesn’t seem to realise the change in situation. “I’m not letting you put yourself in danger like that. You can’t go.”
“Not letting me?” I take a step towards him. “Not letting me do my fucking job? Are you being fucking serious right now?” Fury is building under my skin and if I had any of the forsaken pheromones I’m supposed to have, he would know the danger he’s putting himself in right now.
“Yes.” He doesn’t back down, though the way his eyes keep shooting to Riley, who’s putting out enough enraged pheromones for the both of us, means he’s now well aware he’s overstepped a line. “You said it yourself, it’s very dangerous. Let someone else do it.”
Let someone else put themselves in danger?
Let someone else put themselves in danger for a job I accepted?
Like their lives aren’t worth as much as mine?
I grab Jorge’s shoulder with one hand, slamming him against the wall, pressing my knife against his throat with my other hand. “If you ever fucking dare to prevent me from doing my fucking job, it will be the last thing you’ll ever do. Am I clear?”
Colour drains from his face as he stares at me, terror in his eyes. He’s never looked at me like that before. But then, he’s never tried to get between me and my work before.
“You may be my Alpha, but you don’t own me. This is my job , this is what I do . I’m the one in charge of this organisation, not you. You have no say over how I do my work. Is that clear?” I step back, my body filled with fury at Jorge even thinking that he can control me like that, that he can tell me what I can and can’t do.
Jorge’s head drops down, like he’s lost all fight in him. “I can’t lose you.” His voice brimming with tears and he shoots me one last look, one between anger and pain, before he flees from the library.
Fuck...
Those words…
That look in his eyes...
The anger drains from me in an instant and my chest aches.
Oh, no. No, no, no.
I glance at Riley and Timothy, who haven’t moved yet, only staring at me. “I’ll be right back.”
I can’t let him leave like this. I can’t let him leave when he looks hurt like that. I can’t let him leave believing that I would ever needlessly put myself at risk, especially because I know how much that would hurt him.
My heart races as I run after Jorge. “Wait!”
Of course, he keeps going, but I’m in much better shape than him and manage to catch up. “Wait. Please.” I grab his wrist and he tries to break free, but I hold on as tightly as possible. His pheromones are filled with pain and they make the ache in my chest even worse.
He stops fighting me, but doesn’t turn around, keeping his back to me.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realise...” My breath comes out in short bursts. ‘I can’t lose you.’ The words keep going through my head. “I didn’t realise where you were coming from.” I try to make him turn to me, but he refuses. “You know this is my job, you’ve always known.”
“I’ve always hated it.” His voice is quiet, controlled, but still heavy with tears. “On nights when you’re away on a mission, I don’t sleep until you reply to some inane question I’ve sent you, just to make sure you’re still alive. If it’s a longer mission, or if your phone is out of service, I’m not able to go to sleep until I know you’re safely back home.”
I stare at his back, now glad he can’t see the tears running down my face. I had no idea. “I always make it back home safe. I don’t go out on missions that I know I won’t return from. I always make sure to make it back home safe.”
“But one day, you might not, and I can’t stand the thought of that.” He finally turns around, wrapping his arms around me, holding me so tight it’s hard to breathe. “I can’t lose you.”
I keep my arms by my side, not sure I can hold him just yet. If he still can’t accept that this is part of my job, then we’re going to have to have some really complicated discussions. “I can’t live my life constantly worried about the small chance something goes wrong. If I want to take down the Hearts, if I want to help people escape from them, I need to take risks. There will always be risks.”
“I know.” He lets me go, noticing the tears on my face. He reaches up, wiping them away as he lets out a long breath. “I’m sorry. I won’t stop you from going out on missions. It’s selfish of me to keep you home and send someone else out to take those risks instead. Just because I don’t want you to die, doesn’t mean someone else should die in your place. I’m sorry.”
“As my Alpha, as my scent match, it’s normal to worry about me. But as someone involved in the same world, you have to know the danger all of us are always in, no matter what we do.”
He nods, his eyes down. “Please, promise me you’ll take extra precautions from now on. It’s no longer just you and me. Vera is involved too and so are Caleb and Riley.” He takes my hands, his pheromones swirling between emotions faster than I can process them. “You’re pregnant . We’re a pack, a family . Everything has changed. You’re not on your own. You have people who love you and want to help you. But for that, you have to make sure you stay alive .”
I swallow hard, understanding what he’s saying. I can’t lose any of them either. Even the thought of potentially losing any of my mates shoots pain through my body, makes my mind go places it shouldn’t go.
But this is my job, this is what I do, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop. So I give him the best I can offer. “I don’t randomly go running into dangerous places without a plan. I’ve got the best team that I can get at my back with every mission. We don’t go in until we’re sure that our plan means everyone gets back out alive, mission complete or not. Yes, this one is dangerous, more dangerous than usual for this client, but that means we need to adapt our plans to it. Not that we give up before we even start.”
He nods, emotions crossing his face at high speed, then he meets my gaze and gives me a tight smile. “I’ll look into this guy more. Between this being more dangerous than usual and that chemical compound-thing that Timothy talked about, it feels fishy. You were right, something feels off.” He takes a deep breath, straightening his shoulders, like he’s made a choice. “The best way to make sure you make it back alive is to help you create the best plan possible. And for that, you’ll need as much information about this guy, and probably the company, as possible.”
“Thanks.” I take his hand and this time he lets me pull him close. I wrap my arms around his neck and carefully put my lips to his. He immediately embraces me and pulls me against him tightly, deepening the kiss.
Yes. The best way to make it out alive is to work with as much information as we can get. That, and the best team we can put together.
For the first time since I started my goal of taking down the Hearts nearly two decades ago —the day they ‘took me in’ as a child— I finally feel like this is something that’s possible.
And not just that, I get to do it while surrounded by my pack. I get to do it together with my sweet Omega and amazing Alphas. I get to have my goal and a family .
I always thought that I would have to do this alone. That I’d have to choose between taking down the Hearts and having people by my side, because having both would be too dangerous for everyone involved.
But my pack has shown me that that’s not the case at all. I can have it all, because they want to rid the world of organisations like the Hearts as much as I do.
Now I just have to make it happen.
Which is, of course, the complicated part.
One step at a time, and that means making it into and out of the research complex alive.
We’ll see about the next step after that.
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Captive Beta (Her Vicious Pack 6)