Chapter 41 - Sam
forty-one
Sam
Something about this place makes me uneasy.
Maybe it’s the casual wealth being displayed like it’s normal to have a fully functioning miniature house on your property. Or maybe it’s the fact the bed is barely big enough for two of us, let alone five of us.
It’s nothing I have any place to complain about, given that Adela gave us refuge when we would have otherwise been fucked.
Hayden got back from the main house only a few minutes ago, voicing his concerns about the pregnant beta.
Thank gods Jo is asleep on the king sized bed in the other room, or else she’d probably be storming the house right now, demanding Adela spill the whole story.
We have enough to worry about right now without adding her to the mix.
Jo might hate me for it, but I have to put her first at all times.
“Do you think she is in danger?” Kole asks, his brow furrowing as he glances at the closed door of the bedroom. “Lisichka will not stand for it.”
West shakes his head. “As long as she’s pregnant, she won’t be in any physical danger. I can tell just by looking, these are the kind of people who value lineage and blood above all else. As long as she’s carrying this guys’ precious heir, nothing bad will happen to her.”
“Yeah, and what about after?” Hayden mutters, crossing his arms. “She seems to at least realize she’s in some kind of weird situation. I mean, they won’t even talk about anything business related while she’s in the room.”
“That’s the thing,” I cut in, tapping my fingers on the kitchen island, “she’s an adult. We have to trust that if she needs help, she’ll tell us. What if these guys are just rich assholes? It’s her choice whether or not she stays with him.”
“It’s not that simple,” West nearly snaps. “Her father is the one who put her in Thornfield to begin with, her mother left when she was fifteen, this is the only place she has. She can’t leave, even if she wanted to.”
“We need to come up with an exit plan for after she gives birth,” Kole says darkly, frowning.
“If she wants it,” Hayden adds. “She seemed pretty dead set on not wanting our help.”
“Plus, the matter of the custody of the baby,” I rub my eyes, “if these guys are as powerful as Adela says, she won’t be able to just cut and run. He’ll come after her and the baby. She needs to completely disappear.”
“I feel like you’re gettin’ ahead of yourselves there, boys.
” Jo’s sexy, sleepy voice comes from the now-open doorway.
Her hair is rumpled, and she yawns, walking past the rest of the guys and surprising me by tucking herself under my arm.
She wraps her arms around my waist and leans her head on my chest, her fucking delicious apple cinnamon scent making my dick inappropriately hard.
“We need to talk to her somewhere there won’t be any influence on her answers. See what’s really goin’ on.”
“How much of that did you hear?” I ask, pressing a kiss to her head.
“I started listenin’ behind the door when I heard Kole say I wouldn’t stand for somethin’.” She yawns adorably, before blinking up at me and pressing a kiss to my chin. My heart just about skips ten beats at the casual show of affection.
A knock on the door has us all tensing, and it’s probably best that West is the one who answers it, since he seems to be the least on edge.
“Ellen,” he says warmly, all trepidation gone from his tone. “How can we help you?”
There’s a little sniff from the other side of the door. “Ms. Olivier informed me that you are in need of…heat suppressants?”
“Yes,” he answers easily, his stance casual. “Jo’s were in her suitcase, and as you know…”
“The airline lost your luggage. Right.”
“Right.” A pause. An awkward shift of feet as Ellen stays silent. “Was there something you needed?”
“Oh. No, I just wanted to confirm…the…type of suppressants.”
I arch a brow. The type? As far as I’m aware there’s only one type—a pill that omegas take every day.
West leans back, looking at Jo. “Just a regular thirty-day supply, right? Even two weeks would be better than nothing.”
“Sounds good to me,” Jo agrees, nuzzling into my chest.
“Right.” Ellen sounds unsure. “I’ll reach out to our on-call doctor and see if he can prescribe some.”
Jo stiffens in my hold. “That ain’t gonna work,” she leaves my side, walking to the door and standing next to West. Before I realize what I’m doing, I’m standing behind her and West, eyeing the beta woman suspiciously.
She swallows nervously when she sees me, but her mask of superiority falls back into place almost instantly.
“Why…why not?” Ellen asks, raising her chin like we’re all beneath her.
“My doc doesn’t want me on them anymore…
somethin’ stupid about my kidneys.” The lie falls easily from Jo’s lips.
“There’s a note in my file to not fill a prescription for me.
But…” She looks around with wide eyes before letting out a self-deprecating laugh.
“I mean, I doubt you want me goin’ into heat here, right?
I’d feel sorry for your cleanin’ staff.”
Ellen’s nose scrunches in distaste. “That would be…unfortunate.”
The uptight beta looks like she might say something else, but Jo takes a step forward, leaning towards her like she’s sharing a secret.
“You can’t imagine the smell. The pure amount of fluids.
” Jo lets out a little shiver. “I mean, it’s comin’ outta me and I’m still a little grossed out.
Not to mention the noise. I’ve been told I’m a screamer.
Are these walls sound-proof?” She frowns looking at the walls of the house.
“I…don’t think so.” Ellen’s lips are a tight line as she looks at my omega with barely concealed disgust.
“So…” Jo tilts her head. “I think it might be in the best interest of everyone on this property if we get those suppressants…even if we have to go…off the record.”
Ellen huffs, her eyes darting from Jo to me, then from West to Kole and Hayden, who are still sitting on the couch, watching the exchange with amusement. “I’ll…see what I can do.”
Without another word, she turns on her heel and walks off, and West sighs as he shuts the door.
“I have a bad feeling about her,” West sighs, running a hand over his face.
“I have a bad feeling about this whole damn place,” I mutter, pulling Jo back into me with an arm around her waist.
Hayden cackles, his head falling back. “It was fantastic watching Jo scare the shit out of her though.”
“Anyone want to take a bet on how long it takes for her to procure some?” Kole deadpans. “I give her…two hours.”
I scoff. “At nine in the evening? Maybe by mid-day tomorrow.”
“What exactly are we bettin’?” Jo props a hand on her hip. “‘Cause I think it’s gonna be tomorrow mornin’.”
“You cannot be in the bet, Lisichka,” Kole laughs, "because the prize is who gets to sleep with you in the bed.”
“Hmm, but if I win, then I get to choose who sleeps with me in the bed.”
“You would choose a favorite?” Kole arches a brow.
“Who said it would only be one person? Maybe if I win, I make all of you pile into bed with me.”
Hayden huffs. “I’m out. No way am I sleeping with Sam pushing his erection into my ass all night again.”
“You wish,” I bark a laugh, shaking my head. “The only one I want to press my dick into is Jo.”
“And they say romance is dead.” She smirks, shaking her head. And of course, now all I can think about is pushing my dick into her. Which, of course, won’t happen until we’re no longer on the run.
Whose stupid-ass idea was that again?
Fuck. Right. Mine. The burner phone that Adela gave Jo starts to ring on the coffee table, and Jo frowns, taking it from Hayden when he passes it to her. “It’s Declan.”
She answers it on speaker. “Dec. What’s up?”
“Jo, you need to listen to me very closely.” The undercurrent of panic in his no-nonsense tone immediately sets me on high alert. “You need to get out of there, now.”
“What?” Jo’s eyes widen. “Why?”
“Rory just called, he’s been trying to get more information out of Brooks.
And…fuck, Jo, he knows exactly who Prometheus is,” Declan rushes out, his panic taking over his tone.
A chill settles over my veins, and my mind races, putting together pieces that finally make so much sense.
The reason for my unease ever since we stepped foot in the Bowen Residence.
The clear amount of wealth this family possesses.
Ellen’s clear distaste for us even though she doesn’t know us.
“Prometheus…his real name is Xavier Bowen.”