10. Chapter 10 - Evan
" W hat do you mean you don't know where she is?" I slam my palm against my desk, making Oliver jump. My assistant clutches his tablet to his chest like it's a shield that might protect him from my rage. "I didn't hire you to lose track of people, Oliver."
"I'm sorry, sir. Detective Byers turned off his phone's location services. I've been trying to…"
"Try harder." I pace the length of my office, running a hand through my hair. It's been nearly twenty-four hours since Dahlia left the safe house, and my patience has evaporated like morning dew. "Call his precinct. Call his partner. Call his fucking dentist if you have to."
"Yes, Mr. Blackthorn." Oliver scurries toward the door, then freezes when it swings open.
Dahlia strolls in first, wearing the same clothes from yesterday, her curls wilder than usual. Behind her stands Detective Boy Scout, looking irritatingly smug.
"Well, well," I drawl, leaning against my desk. "Look who decided to grace us with their presence."
Oliver wisely slips out the door, closing it behind him.
Dahlia crosses her arms. "Don't start, Evan."
"Don't start?" I laugh, but there's no humor in it. "You disappear for an entire day, and you think I shouldn't 'start'?"
"I needed space." She drops her bag onto one of my visitor chairs. "And I'm fine, as you can see."
I turn my attention to Byers. "You had one job. One fucking job."
"My job is to keep her safe," he responds coolly. "She's safe."
"Your job is to follow my instructions," I snarl, stepping toward him. "And I specifically told you to bring her back to the safe house after the concert."
Dahlia steps between us. "I asked him not to."
"Of course you did." I throw my hands up. "Because why follow basic safety protocols when you can just do whatever the hell you want?"
"Don't talk to me like I'm a child."
"Then stop acting like one." I'm practically vibrating with fury. "Do you have any idea what could have happened to you? What's still trying to happen to you?"
"Yes, I do." She jabs a finger at my chest. "I'm the one who was attacked. I'm the one whose lab was ransacked. I'm the one who's suddenly an Omega with every Alpha in a ten-mile radius trying to get in my pants."
Byers shifts uncomfortably behind her.
"And speaking of getting in your pants," I say, dropping my voice. "You reek of sex and cologne."
Her cheeks flush, but she doesn't back down. "My personal life is none of your business."
"It is when your 'personal life' interferes with your safety and your research." I step closer, towering over her. "Or did you forget that you're supposed to be finding a cure for the Crimson Plague?"
"I haven't forgotten anything." Her eyes flash dangerously. "But I'm still a person, Evan. I can't live locked in your cage, only allowed out to run tests in your fancy lab."
"It's not a cage; it's for your protection!"
"It's your way of control!" she shouts back. "You're obsessed with controlling everything and everyone around you!"
Byers places a hand on her shoulder. "Dahlia, maybe we should…"
"Get your hand off her," I growl.
His eyes narrow, but he drops his hand. "You don't give me orders, Blackthorn."
"Actually, I do. I'm paying your salary." I turn back to Dahlia. "And you…you need to understand what's at stake here. People are dying. The virus is spreading. And you're out there fucking everything you meet."
"How dare you." Her voice is quiet but razor-sharp. "I know exactly what's at stake. I've been working myself to exhaustion trying to understand this virus. I needed one night… one fucking night… to remember who I am outside of all this."
"And who is that?" I ask, my anger giving way to something more dangerous. "The woman who would fuck anyone with balls?"
The slap comes so fast I don't have time to dodge it. Her palm connects with my cheek, and the crack echoes in the office.
"Fuck you, Evan." She grabs her bag. "I'm done with this conversation."
She storms toward the door, and Byers moves to follow her.
"Stay," I command him.
To my surprise, he does, crossing his arms and watching me with barely concealed contempt.
I rub my cheek, which stings like a bitch. "Well, that went well."
"You're an asshole," he says simply.
"So, I've been told." I drop into my chair. "But I'm an asshole who's trying to keep her alive."
"By insulting her? You have such great strategy."
I glare at him. "You let her convince you to take her some place instead of bringing her back here. Excuse me if I don't consider you the authority on good decisions."
He doesn't flinch. "She needed to feel normal. To feel in control of something in her life. Haven't you noticed? Everything's been taken from her and she's clinging to whatever scraps of freedom she can find."
I hate that he's right. I hate even more that he understands her in ways I haven't bothered to.
"Just... keep her safe," I mutter, dismissing him with a wave. "And next time, answer your fucking phone."
He gives me a mocking salute and leaves.
I sit alone for exactly forty-three seconds before standing up and following Dahlia.
I knock on her bedroom door. No answer.
"Dahlia, open the door."
"Go away."
"I want to apologize."
A pause, then I hear footsteps. The door swings open, and she stands there with red-rimmed eyes that punch me in the gut.
"You made me cry," she accuses. "I never cry."
"I'm sorry." The words feel foreign on my tongue. "I was worried, and I lashed out."
She studies me for a moment, then steps back to let me in. The suite is spacious but impersonal… I had it decorated in neutral tones with minimal fuss.
"I shouldn't have slapped you," she says, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"I deserved it." I remain standing, keeping a safe distance between us. "What I said was unforgivable."
"Then why say it?"
I run a hand through my hair. "Because I was jealous, okay? The thought of you with someone else drives me crazy."
Her eyes widen slightly. "Jealous? You barely know me, and we're always fighting"
"I know enough." I step closer, drawn to her like a moth to flame. "I know you're brilliant. I know you're stubborn as hell. I know you taste like honey and fire."
Her breath catches. "Evan..."
"I know I want you." I take another step. "I know I can't stop thinking about you."
She stands, and we're toe to toe now. "This is a bad idea."
"The worst," I agree, my gaze dropping to her lips. "Tell me to stop."
"I should."
"But you won't."
She swallows hard. "I won't."
I cup her face in my hands and crush my mouth on hers. She responds immediately, opening for me, her hands fisting in my shirt to pull me closer. She tastes like coffee and desire, and I deepen the kiss, backing her toward the bed.
We fall onto the mattress, and I brace myself above her, breaking the kiss to look down at her flushed face. Her lips are swollen, her eyes dark with want. She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
But there's a lingering scent that doesn't belong to her. The detective and someone else.
I freeze, suddenly aware of what I'm doing.
"What's wrong?" she asks, her voice husky.
I roll off her, sitting on the edge of the bed with my head in my hands. "I can't do this."
"Can't do what?"
"Share you." The words scrape my throat raw. "I don't share, Dahlia. Not ever."
She sits up and smooths her clothes. "I'm not yours to share or keep."
"Fuck… I know."
I'm about to leave when my phone rings. It's an unknown number. I almost ignore it, but something makes me answer.
"Blackthorn speaking."
"Hello, Evan." The voice is distorted, and unrecognizable. "Enjoying your time with the Omega?"
I stiffen, turning away from Dahlia. "Who is this?"
"Someone who knows your secret."
My blood runs cold. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't you?" A low laugh. "Because if I remember clearly, you know exactly what I am talking about."
"What do you want?"
"Stop the research and shut it down. Or every news outlet in the country will know exactly what Blackthorn Biotech was doing three years ago... and what you really are."
The call ends, leaving me staring at my phone. Who the fuck was that?
"Evan?" Dahlia's voice seems to come from far away. "What's wrong? Who was that?"
I turn to her. "No one," I lie. "Just business."
Her eyes narrow. "You're lying."