Chapter 3 #2
“Four?” Felix asks. “Where?”
“There’s something buried down your tits, isn’t there?” Brice groans. “You keep touching yourself, and it’s really difficult not to notice. Is it a knife?”
Nodding, I reach between my breasts and pull up the knife carefully so they can see the hilt.
“It’s sweet that you’re choosing now to be all concerned, but I’m set,” I say. “I can take care of myself.”
“Hollis also has very important and dangerous people who care about her coming to check in regularly,” Caleb adds.
What is he doing?
“Dangerous how?” Malcolm asks, dropping the bag in his hands on my desk. “Feel free to do some product testing, Hollis. If there’s anything you particularly like, let Remy know and he’ll make sure to add it to the event’s gift bags.”
I would rather die than discuss sex toys with Remy, thank you.
“I have mafia ties,” I say with a shrug. “I’m discreet, I know my job, and I’m a great alpha pimp.”
I say the last part with a wink at Felix. Caleb and Lars choke on their saliva before snarling at the pack in front of them.
“That’s it,” Caleb says. “Get the fuck out. I’m pretty much done with you being disrespectful to my girl.”
They’ve always joked that I’m theirs, but it’s never been serious. When they can convince me to go out, we act as each other's shields to protect each other from being hit on. This way we just get to have a good time.
“Your girl?” Brice asks, raising his brow. “Hmm. That’s interesting. Again, I apologize for my entire pack, and everything that has been said that has been the slightest bit insulting. We’ll leave for now, but we take our projects seriously. You’ll be seeing us more often.”
They’re supposed to continue to be assholes, or at least be taken aback that I have ties to the mafia. They barely batted an eye about that. Though, Aisling doesn’t hide her identity or who her family is. She also doesn’t care about what people think.
As long as it doesn’t affect Omega’s Haven, they can go to hell.
Standing, I walk toward the door where there are two guys in their late teens pushing each other and laughing nearby. They may even be pretty high from the way their movements are slower, and their smiles are languid and dopey. Hesitating, I wait for them to pass by before opening the door.
They see me and grin, beginning to make lewd motions with their hands to mimic their intention that I should suck their tiny cocks.
“Ew,” Felix mutters, moving closer to see them. “Does that happen often?”
“It’s a public city block,” I mutter, pulling my knife from between my breasts. It’s a lot longer and sharper than most would expect it to be, and it took some time before I was able to ensure that I wouldn’t cut myself when drawing it out.
Holding eye contact with the kids on the street who have to be maybe nineteen, I draw my tongue up the flat side of the knife where I know I won’t cut myself. Their eyes begin to widen with fear and they push each other to run away.
“All better,” I murmur, knowing my voice sounds a bit creepy. It’s better if Pack Ledger thinks I’m crazy.
“I think I just fell in love,” Malcolm groans.
Well, a girl can dream. Unlocking the door, I push open the door.
“I hope I’ve suitably explained now that I’m more than capable of taking care of myself,” I say, pushing the door open. “Goodnight, gentlemen.”
Each of the alphas say goodbye, but they stare for way too long before they walk away from me. The hand holding the knife starts to shake, so I hand it to Caleb who is standing next to me now.
“What the fuck was all of that about?” he asks.
“Get your shit, Hollis. You can tell us at the bar,” Lars says.
“I mean, I’m closed tonight, that works for me,” Caleb says. “If it wasn’t, I’d kick everyone out. This looks serious.”
“Grab my bag for me, Lars?” I ask, catching his gaze as my legs threaten to dump me on my ass.
“Yep,” he grunts, picking up my large messenger bag for work and sliding in my laptop and cell phone. “Anything I’m missing?”
“The giant ass binder,” Caleb says. They’re in sync together as Caleb walks back inside to turn off all of the lights and set the alarm.
I know how to arm their security at their businesses as well as at their homes. That’s the kind of best friends that we are. I haven’t had a chance to see them in at least a month, but they called to tell me they may have found Alisa.
Now, I have to explain the giant fuck up that happened. Cian could probably do it, but he told me so I could rip the bandaid off instead. Gently, with booze and pastries.
“Did you walk here?” I ask, my voice starting to fade from stress.
“Yeah, I’ll drive your car over to the bar,” Caleb says, fishing my keys out of the bag that Lars is holding.
“Thanks,” I say, forcing myself to keep moving. Now that Pack Ledger is gone, I feel as if I just lost another piece of myself.
I feel as if I’m floating in a sea of pain, and the only thing I can do is continue to move. Caleb locks my office door, his hand clamped on my elbow as he hits the key fob to find my car. I don’t even have to say anything because the lights flash before we’re walking that way.
“You’re hiding shit from us,” Lars grunts.
“Hush,” his brother reprimands. “Wait till we’re in the car. I’m waiting for someone to yell at me for practically dragging her down the sidewalk. This looks like a kidnapping.”
“Hardly,” I tease him. “Kidnappings don’t have booze and treats.”
“This conversation is going to require treats…” Lars drawls. “Swing me by the bakery, big brother. Have you had any real food yet, Hollis?”
“Negative,” I say, getting into the back seat as Lars pushes in with me. “Why aren’t you sitting up front?”
“Easier to get answers and maybe give you a hug if necessary,” he says gruffly.
Dropping my head back, I nod as Caleb pulls away from the curb.
“I didn’t call you to talk about my shit,” I say, feeling air starved. I’m trying so fucking hard to dull this feeling that I should track Pack Ledger down, so I can tie them to bedposts and fuck them.
This is why I regularly buy toys from their company. It keeps my sex drive in check.
“I know, because whatever just happened isn’t something you could have known about,” Caleb says. “How about we deal with your shit first. We may need to be pretty drunk for you to tell us about Alisa.”
“You know?” I squeak out, my anxious spiking hard.
“No,” Lars says, sliding his hand into mine. He doesn’t do hand holding, he’s very standoffish typically, but the rules are different for us. “All we know is that she’s not at Omega’s Haven. Our hope is starting to dim, Hollis. Are you going to tell us she’s dead?”
“No,” I deny. “Nothing that I’ve been told or researching points to her no longer being alive.”
“Then we put a pin in it,” he says, squeezing my hand.
Caleb drives like he stole my car, weaving in and out of traffic before sliding into the alley that opens up to the back door of Brewed Awakening . I love this coffee shop, and it’s also easily saved a few lives too.
That’s just the kind of alpha Lars is.
Sliding out of the back seat, he jogs to the door, unlocks it and slams his way inside.
“Hollis?” Caleb asks, twisting around to see me quietly falling into a panic attack. “They’re yours, aren’t they? Couldn’t you have chosen a pack that’s less arrogant?"
“That would involve having any choice in the matter,” I gasp. Breathing is getting harder with each word, and Caleb looks worried.
“You just found out though, huh?” he asks.
“Yes,” I whisper. “I can’t have them. You know how I feel about this. Without Maree, I’m half a person, Caleb. I’ve looked for her, but she was a baby when she was kidnapped. No one that looks like me comes up anywhere but here on city cameras when I send the image to see what pings back.”
We were identical when we were born, so I feel like I’m basically looking for myself. We slept in bassinets next to each other, and someone decided to take her and leave me. What are the odds of something like that happening?
My parents searched and searched for her, but any leads have long gone cold. I’m never going to find her.
“What if she’s dead, Hollis?” he asks, swallowing hard. “How long are you going to punish yourself for something that happened when you were a baby?”
“I could say the same thing for you!” I yell, the feeling helping to push back the anxiety and sadness.
“That was different. I should have protected Alisa better,” Caleb says.
We’re interrupted by Lars getting back into the car with his hands full of trays.
“You both need food,” Lars says. “Don’t yell at each other.”
Sighing, I nod. Inhaling sharply, I moan. “Do I smell bread?”
“I have a catering job and they ordered subs. I accidentally made extras, so I pulled these for us. I also have lemon bar squares and brownies. I’m not sure what this kind of conversation will need,” he says.
“Hollis found her scent matches and they’re sex toy selling twats,” Caleb says, turning back around after selling me out.
“That’s colorful,” Lars mutters as his brother drives the short way to his bar.
Finnegan’s bar is a neighborhood staple and does very well. The two of them are comfortable if not completely happy.
“They flew off the handle over an invite to the mixer, and you know, Cian warned me this may happen,” I grumble. “I just didn’t think they’d be the hot heads.”
“I bet they’re wondering now if you’re even available,” Lars says wickedly, shoving open the door. He has a hard time with big emotions typically, but I’m different.
They helped me keep skinned knees from my parents for years. What’s a few tears between friends now when I’m freaking the fuck out!
“Shit is going to get complicated,” I mutter, following him out of the vehicle.