Fired at the Heart (Taken by His Alpha #5)

Chapter 1

1

A mild headache pounds at my temples as I toss back two suppressants, followed by two pain relievers.

I don’t have time for the side effects that come from prolonged use of the medication, but it’s better than the alternative.

My office door opens, and Cassian, my second-in-command, pokes his head in. “Everyone’s here, Avery.”

I arch a brow at him in silent reprimand.

“Boss,” he corrects.

I sweep the two pill bottles into my open desk drawer. “Give me a minute.”

A frown creases his brow, but he ducks back out without a word.

I roll my head on my shoulders, working out the knots as I wait for the pain relievers to take effect. Need to stay sharp.

With a deep breath, I head out of my second-story office and into the warehouse.

Below, my crew stands at the center of the large space, their hands clasped behind their backs, ready and waiting. Their attention locks on me as I descend to the ground floor, where Cassian waits at the base of the stairs.

As I pass him, his head tilts slightly in my direction, his body stilling for a heartbeat before his eyes resume a steady sweep of the men and women gathered.

They straighten, their faces displaying a mix of respect, fear, and in a couple of people, contempt. But I refuse to let it faze me. I’ve worked too hard, fought too many naysayers, to let anyone question my authority now.

“Listen up!” The murmurs in the room fall silent. “We’ve got a new shipment coming in tonight. High risk, high reward. I need everyone sharp and focused.”

I turn to my third-in-command. “Rico, you’ll take point on the pickup. Jace, you’re on perimeter security. And Lena…” I turn to the petite brunette, her delicate features belying her ruthless skills as a fighter. “You’re with me. We’ll handle the buyer.”

Cassian tenses at the last order, and the tension in the room ratchets up a notch. I rarely take more than one guard with me, but this buyer is new, and I don’t trust him to pay for the products he ordered. I want Lena to have him in her crosshairs if he decides to fuck me over.

“Questions?” I scan the room, daring anyone to challenge me.

A scoff cuts through the silence, drawing every eye to the recruit standing to the left of the group.

My eyes narrow as I turn to face him. “Do you have a problem?”

“Seriously?” A sneer twists his face into an ugly mask. “We’re supposed to take orders from an Omega now?”

The room goes still, a collective breath held in anticipation of my reaction.

With deliberate movements, I step forward. “Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Want to repeat yourself?”

The recruit falters, his bravado wavering when he doesn’t receive the support he expected. He pushes on, mistaking my calm for weakness. “I said, I don’t take orders from Omegas. Especially not ones who think they can play at being an Alpha.”

A hushed murmur ripples through the room, and I sense Cassian tensing, ready to intervene. I hold up a hand, halting him in his tracks. This is my battle to fight.

I continue forward, closing the distance between myself and the recruit with measured strides. “Were you confused when you signed your contract?” I tilt my head. “Or did you just not read it?”

He crosses his arms in a show of bravado and jerks his chin toward my second-in-command. “I signed on with the big guy back there. Not some little bitch.”

I’m close enough now to see the sweat beading on his upper lip and catch the faint tremor in his hands. “So, you’re just stupid.”

His arms drop to his sides, his fists clenched. “What did you say to me?”

In a flash, my hand darts out, and shock registers on the recruit’s face as the blade of my knife finds its mark, burying deep into his throat. A strangled gurgle escapes his lips, and he staggers back, clutching at the wound. Crimson spills between his fingers, staining his shirt a vivid red.

I turn to face the recruit’s friend, who stands frozen, his face a mask of horror. Before he can think of retaliating, I draw my gun, the cold metal an extension of my arm as I aim at his heart.

The shot rings out, deafening in the confined space. The recruit’s friend crumples to the ground, a dark stain blooming across his chest. The acrid scent of gunpowder mingles with the coppery tang of blood as I level my weapon on the third of our recruits.

He had come in at the same time as the first two but hadn’t seemed too friendly toward them during initial training. “What about you? Do you also have a problem taking orders from an Omega?”

Face pale, he swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. He shakes his head, his words tumbling out in a rush. “N-no, boss. No problem at all. I’ve got no issue with your secondary gender, I swear.”

I study him for a moment, searching for any hint of deceit. All I see is fear, desperation, and a silent plea for mercy.

My lips purse, disliking how quickly he panics, but that can be trained out of him. “Good. Then you won’t mind cleaning up this mess.”

Relief washes over the recruit’s features. “Of course, boss.”

I turn toward Rico. “Make sure he does a good job.”

The Beta’s head dips in silent understanding of the underlying message. If he doesn’t shape up fast, he can join the other two in the barrels.

Rico beckons for the recruit to follow him. “Come on, I’ll show you where the supplies are. This is the only time you’ll be given this lesson, so pay attention.”

“Yes, sir.” He scrambles after Rico as the man strides across the warehouse to the storage room holding the chemicals that soak blood out of concrete and melt bodies.

I turn back to the rest of the crew. “Well? Do I need to tell each of you what you should be doing right now? Are you babies who need your hands held through a basic operation?”

“No, boss!” The shout echoes in the warehouse, and the group disperses.

Retrieving my knife from the dead recruit’s neck, I wipe it clean on his shirt. We needed those guys to fill in the blank spots left in my crew after wiping out some punks who thought they could sell guns in my city.

Waste of fucking time training them, and now we have to start over.

Adrenaline still thrums through my veins. The rush of power and control that comes from killing is a familiar companion, but it feels colorless. Like I’m only going through the motions these days.

In a few hours, we’ll walk into a trap if our buyer betrays us, and the potential blood bath doesn’t spark any excitement or fear. There’s only a hollow ache of loneliness that even the threat of death can’t dispel.

As I head for the stairs back up to my office, I glance at Cassian, still standing sentinel. For a moment, I imagine him not as a subordinate, but as an equal to share the weight of leadership. A partner in strategy who I could trust to help run the business.

The image flickers, there and gone before it forms. Trust is a luxury I can’t afford, not in this world. I learned that lesson the hard way, and I won’t make the same mistake twice.

Cassian takes my look as an invitation to follow, and he joins me in the office, closing the door for privacy.

“Are you all right, boss?” he asks, his deep voice softened with a tenderness I have never encouraged.

“I wasn’t in any danger from those fuckwits.” My crisp response discourages whatever’s going through his head.

Cassian’s been with me for years, though, and refuses to accept my dismissal. “Something’s bothering you.” He steps closer to touch my arm. “Is it the suppressants? Are they taking a toll?”

Jaw clenching, I brush off his touch. “Did I ask you to be my nursemaid, Cassian?”

He sighs and shoves his hands into his pockets. “Someone needs to be.”

I turn toward him with a warning in my expression. “Are you questioning my capabilities?”

“If anyone can handle the business side, it’s you.” He sighs again. “You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. But you’re wrecking your body by taking those things constantly. It’s not natural.”

My fingers curl into fists at my sides. He’s right, of course. The suppressants are a necessary evil, the price I pay for the power and control I’ve fought so hard to achieve. Lately, though, the side effects have been worsening. The migraines, the nausea, the bone-deep exhaustion that no amount of sleep can cure.

The alternative, though, is going into Heat, which means taking extended time off to lock myself up and endure the torture of needing an Alpha who isn’t here.

A hand settles on my shoulder, the warmth of Cassian’s touch seeping through my shirt and into my skin. It’s a simple gesture, a silent offer of support, but it triggers a deep, instinctive rejection.

“Avery…” The way he speaks my name holds an emotion that forms a sour ball in my gut. “I may not be the Alpha who Marked you, but at least let me try to help. Please. Before this kills you.”

When I turn to face him, his gray eyes are molten with a longing I’ve pretended not to see for too long.

“I don’t need your help, Cassian,” I say firmly. “I can handle this on my own.”

Not taking the hint, he steps forward, his pheromones enveloping me, trying to soothe me, to tempt me. But his scent leaves me cold, as all Alphas do now.

“You can, but you don’t have to.” He bends closer, his breath ghosting across my cheek. “I’m here , Avery.”

Nausea twists my stomach, and I step away. “I can’t, Cassian. You know I can’t.”

“I do.” His jaw tightens with resignation. “It doesn’t change how I feel.”

My throat tightens. He’s offering me everything I’ve been yearning for. But he’s not the Alpha I want to hear those words from. He’s not my Alpha.

I square my shoulders. “I need you, Cassian, just not in that way. Not now, not ever.”

“Understood, boss,” he says, but I doubt this will be the last time he offers.

The sharp vibration of my phone gives me an excuse to distance myself from him, and I reach into my pocket. As I pull out the device, the screen brightens with an incoming text message, and my world tilts on its axis.

Sebastian Rockford’s name flashes across the display.

There are only two reasons for any Rockford to reach out to me. My heart hammers as I tap the screen to open the message.

Sebastian

Have time for lunch?

Relief, followed by disappointment, sweeps through me. So, it’s about business.

I type out a reply.

Avery

How many people will be attending?

Sebastian

We’ll need to book the whole restaurant.

So, a big job.

Usually, I don’t discriminate against clients. But the Rockfords hold a special place in my black book of people I never want to associate with again.

Back in the day, we had been in business together, and things were going great. I was happy and fulfilled in life. Bonded to a powerful Alpha who shared my love for violence and complemented me in every way.

Then, out of the blue, they decided that gun running was unsavory. They only wanted to import illegal cheeses, deal in stolen artifacts, and get richer with their casinos and whorehouses.

Like what I did was suddenly beneath them just because they have a mansion in Skyhaven.

I could buy a fucking mansion in Skyhaven, too, if I wanted to waste millions.

But if they’re reaching out to me, it means they’ve gotten themselves into a situation too big to handle on their own. Which means they need me.

A vicious smile twists my lips as I send my response.

Avery

This feels like a conversation better had face-to-face. Let’s get together in three days at your place.

A thumbs-up appears in response.

I slip the phone back into my pocket and turn to Cassian.

He takes in my expression and smiles back. “Got another job for us?”

“Oh, yes.” Vindictive anger coils in my gut. “Someone from back in the day is asking for a favor.”

His head tilts in speculation. “Are we heading uptown?”

“It appears so. Make sure your best suit is clean.” I touch the back of my neck, where a permanent Mark brands me as an Alpha’s Omega. “It’s time we visit my old family.”