Chapter 10 Unguarded
Unguarded
Ondine
Jake’s phone rings, and it cuts through the silence like a blade. He looks at who is calling and grits his teeth, points at his pack mates, and says, “We will discuss this more. Give me a minute.”
And then he answers his phone and leaves the room.
Sebastian takes the initiative to walk over to the lasagna and cut himself a hearty square. I’m literally salivating. I wipe my mouth as inconspicuously as possible.
Sebastian takes my hands and brings me to the table. He sits me down and puts the lasagna in front of me.
I blink up at him, but he’s already gone.
It is such a simple act, but it means so much.
To the uninformed, or someone in this community who’s been living under a rock, this may seem harmless, but it’s far from it. Alphas have rituals of keeping, caring, and feeding their omegas. These rituals are closely tied to their base selves. It’s primal and dead fucking serious.
Jake is their leader, and the message he’s been sending when he serves me a plate has been one of acceptance and respect. Now with Sebastian…
It’s something you do when courting a mate.
Sebastian ignores the befuddled look from Shadow and fills up a glass of water, then returns to me. He places the glass of water in front of me, pats my arm, and turns back to Shadow.
Sebastian is about to say something, and it’s about to be serious, based on the grim look on his face—but Jake returns.
“Pack it up, boys. We just got that call we’ve been waiting for.” Jake makes eye contact with Shadow and Sebastian, and their whole countenance change. They drop all their heat they had for each other and whip into action. They take off to their rooms.
“What’s going on?” I say, standing abruptly.
Jake comes up to me, looks me head to toe, then answers, “There’s a client with whom we are under contract.
We’ve been waiting for someone to make a move, and he just did.
I’ve got all three of us on private detail.
Ten betas. Four fleet vehicles. Our client is due to arrive at the private airport nearby in under an hour. ”
Sebastian strides into the kitchen wearing a fine black suit, white shirt, and skinny black tie and shoes in hand.
Oh, god, he looks fine. Did he look this attractive earlier?
He sits on a chair and ties up his shoes, and starts asking questions.
“Are we doing my plan? With Shadow and me arriving first? And our secondary team is staying with you and Freddie?”
He stands and hands Jake his tie. Jake pockets his phone and throws the tie over Sebastian’s head, then he lifts his collar and ties his tie while answering his question.
“Shadow is staying with me. Because I will be with Alpha Wong. But I like the idea of you being there when we arrive. Let’s tech up in the car.
We need to get there now. You take the secondary team to the Sky Nest Hotel first, before the restaurant.
I’ve got the tertiary team headed to Crimson Lion now. ”
Oh my god, I’m such a dimwit. This whole time, I’d been in Jake’s office.
Listening to all his calls. Hearing him speak about his work.
And this is the first time it’s dawned on me what they all do.
They are private security. This is why they are out on the peninsula.
The small airport is out here. They have six black SUVs for chrissake.
There’s so much activity around me. Jake finishes Sebastian’s tie, patting him on the chest, and they shove some food down quickly, leaving their plates in the sink.
Shadow rushes in with his suit and tie already put together.
He doesn’t bother with dinner and just chugs a protein shake.
Jake leaves and returns with bags and hard Pelican cases.
Betas on their staff come in and out of the house, asking questions and taking equipment.
And before I know it, I’m alone and the house is silent.
I turn in circles, looking around in confusion. From the time of the phone call until now was maybe five minutes. Jake’s ominous footfalls make their way through the house to me.
He’s typing on his phone before he even says the first word.
“We’re going to be gone for two or three days. Maybe longer. We take shifts and will be home at various points. Are you going to be alright here?”
“Um,” I don’t even know what to say.
“Are you going to be ok?”
“Can I go home?”
“What?” He stops typing.
“You want me to stay here? While you’re all gone?”
His mouth hangs open. He looks in two different corners of the room, like answers will be there before facing me again. “Stay here. You’re staying here. Don’t fucking leave.”
I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to do here all alone. I don’t do them any good here. And five minutes ago, they were fighting because of my inability to do anything good for Shadow. I am a bad omega.
“I’ll call you tonight. Text me. You’ll be fine.” With that, he grips my arm, but just lets go and leaves out the side door.
As soon as the last car leaves the driveway, my stomach growls. I turn to my food and scream in alarm, “What the hell!” My heart is beating out of my chest, and I think I jumped a whole three feet vertically in the air. “Boone! I didn’t realize you were still here!”
Boone is standing by the big picture window in the kitchen, holding the back of my chair. He gives me a sly smirk and gestures for me to sit. I would ignore him or stay clear of him, but I’m so godawfully hungry. Ok, not true, I’d sit just to see where this is going.
I sit down, and he pushes in my chair and then takes the seat to my left.
“You know this exact situation was referenced in your contract,” he says with a grin. He’s got a great mustache. Just so full and perfect. A mustache that probably makes a lot of men jealous.
“Really?”
“I don’t know, Ondine. Did you really not have your lawyer read it before you signed?”
“Why?” I watch as he raises his eyebrows but doesn’t answer. “There’s nothing in there I should be worried about, right?”
“I guess you’ll never know.” He winks. I roll my eyes.
I’m so worried I won’t get another chance, I dive right into my dinner.
And ignore Boone. He makes me feel strange.
It’s probably just our designations. I feel all tingly, like I’ve just been electrocuted, but I cannot tell if it’s good or bad?
Who knows. I don’t. All I know is this food is out of control good.
“You like the lasagna?” He asks, like he’s teasing me.
“Yes,” I answer between bites.
“It’s my specialty.”
I drop my fork. “You didn’t make this. I saw Emmerson setting it out.”
He looks a little wounded. “There are two more in the freezer. All mine. I brought them over. Emmerson put it in the oven.”
What strange behavior from an alpha. It almost seems like courting behavior. “You feed the Meier Pack?”
He shrugs his shoulders. “On occasion.”
I pick my fork back up and finish my food. Boone makes pans of lasagna and puts them in the Meier Pack’s freezer. He’s so comfortable with them he can be in their house when they aren’t home. What is his deal?
“So you’re not part of their security business?” I ask, trying to suss him out.
“I help them out here and there.”
“With attorney stuff?”
“That. And other things.”
I’m too tired for evasive answers. I finish my plate and take it to the sink. He stays at the table while I put everything away. Wipe the counters. Arrange the chairs nicely. And then leave.
I don’t want to go to my room, so I play the piano until my fingers ache. Hopefully, the unbonded alpha got lost.
Jake texts me later that night.
You haven’t texted me.
Was I supposed to?
Yes.
What was I supposed to say?
That you miss me. That you want me home.
It’s been two hours.
We are stuck in the city for a few days. The job is not going to be completed quickly.
What’s the job exactly?
I’m glad you asked. You never ask about work.
Freddie Wong hired our firm to be his personal security while he’s in Cash City.
His father is Senator Robert Wong. There’s been a threat on his life, and Freddie thinks it’s Alpha Lee Man-ho that brokered the contract for the threat.
Last night, we met Freddie at the airport and escorted him to the meeting with Lee at the Crimson Lion.
It got heated, but not violent. Threats were exchanged.
That all sounds very serious. Are you ok?
Yes, and it is serious. We are glued to Freddie while he’s here. He’s got a reputation for being reckless and operating outside the law. It’s my job to just make sure he doesn’t get himself killed.
When are you going to bed?
Now.
Send me a picture.