Chapter 42 - Jo
forty-two
Jo
“We need to get the fuck out of here.” Sweet and laidback Sam from a minute ago is gone, and in his place is the alpha who got us out of Thornfield and our last safe house alive.
I still can’t believe what I just heard. “Are…are you sure?” I know it makes sense, given the way we’ve been treated by the only two staff members we’ve seen since we’ve been here. But I just can’t imagine that Adela would not have told me.
Unless…right. When I was eavesdropping on the guys’ conversation, Hayden said they always cut their conversations off when she enters the room. She wouldn’t know.
“We burn the clothes we arrived with in the fireplace, and we leave the bags of clothes they bought us here.” Sam orders, and West immediately goes to light the fireplace.
“I’m sending a car your way,” Declan says through the speaker. “Head in the direction of home, and it’ll grab you from wherever you are. But you need to leave before Xavier Bowen realizes exactly who he has under his roof.”
“Home?” My brows shoot up. “I thought—”
“I don’t know why I thought safe houses would be better than where I can keep an eye on you myself. Especially since I haven’t had time to run pest control yet on my rat. Come home, and they won’t dare come for you on the Gallagher compound. Especially if the police aren’t involved.”
“You know where to go?” Sam’s voice snaps me out of my daze.
I nod, swallowing roughly. “Yeah. I can get us headin’ in the right direction.”
“Text me when you’re on the road, Jo,” Declan demands, his voice taking on that no-nonsense, protective big brother quality.
“Got it.” We hang up, and since the guys and I didn’t have any luggage, as soon as we burn the clothes we came in, we leave the guest house.
Thankfully our footsteps are muffled by the grass as we trek across the back garden.
I really wish I could give Adela a heads up for why we’re taking off, but it’s too risky.
We make it around the side of the house, and then we’re in front of the garage doors, right where we got out of Adela’s car earlier. “We could break into the garage and take one of the cars…” Kole suggests. “Unless you were planning for us to walk.”
Sam sighs, shaking his head. “They can track us if we steal one of the cars.”
“We could order a rideshare?” Hayden suggests weakly.
“Oh yeah, do you think they have a ‘Come ASAP, we just found out the house we’re staying in actually belongs to a cult leader who wants us dead or worse’ option?” Sam bites out, running a hand through his hair.
His tone has me bristling. “You don’t have to bite his head off, Sam.”
A wave of warmth from Hayden brushes against me through the bond.
The garage door next to us starts to open.
“Did any of you do that?” Sam snaps, looking around.
“How the fuck would we have done that?” Kole snaps back.
But then, headlights from the direction of the guard house shine in our eyes, and we have nowhere to hide, caught against the garage door behind us like a burglar in a cartoon caught robbing the bank.
“Shit,” West mutters, and I have to agree.
Shit.
Good news is, it can’t be Xavier Bowen, because the guard told Adela that they extended their trip another two days.
The front door to the house opens over to our left, and Adela walks out, glancing at us in confusion before squinting at the car. “Vander?”
Welp. So much for that.
Sam’s hand rests above his belt, right where I know he shoved the gun he stole from the guards at the Pierce residence.
The car pulls forward, blinding us, and then finally, it turns off.
Two figures get out of the vehicle, and a deep voice sends a chill up my spine. “It looks like my daughter-in-law is good for something other than breeding after all.”
My hackles raise at his tone.
Adela’s cheeks are flushed with embarrassment when I look over at her. “Vander,” she ignores Xavier’s comment. “I thought you weren’t due to be back for two more days.”
It’s hard to see with only the light from the garage, but Vander is tall, handsome enough with his brown, styled hair and stubble. Xavier looks almost the exact same as Vander, just aged up thirty years.
Vander’s mouth tightens into a line. “Adela…”
“You did our job for us, it seems.” Xavier grins, stepping forward.
Immediately, Sam pulls his gun and points it straight at him. “Stay the fuck back.”
“Jo?” Adela’s worried voice pulls at my heart as she looks between Sam and Xavier. “What’s going on?”
“Go inside, Adela,” Vander orders, his voice harsh even as a glimmer of worry pokes through his expression.
Adela’s eyes search mine, confusion twisting her features. “...Jo? Why are you doing this?”
“Adela!” Vander barks, making her flinch in surprise.
Red spots my vision.
Adela doesn’t go inside though. She takes a shaky breath before tilting her chin up in defiance, her hand protectively on her belly. “I deserve to know what’s going on.”
“You know me, Addie.” I raise my hands in a placating gesture. “You know what I stand for. And you know they’ve been keepin’ somethin’ from you. You…you can come with us.” The words are out before I can think better of it.
The click of a gun has me turning my attention back towards Vander. It’s pointed straight at me. “You won’t hurt her. You can’t take her from me.”
Hurt her? Why would he think I would hurt her?
Sam curses, moving his aim between Vander and Xavier. “Put down the gun, now!”
“Vander, no!” Adela shrieks, running down the porch steps. “No, this is my friend! The one I was telling you about! She protected me and the baby. She would never hurt me.”
“Fuck, Adela,” Vander curses, hastily putting the gun away and rushing to meet her before she can get too close. “How can I keep you safe if you run into danger?”
I look at Vander in confusion. This…this doesn’t match what we assumed. There’s only tenderness and love in his eyes when he looks at my best friend, and I’m having a hard time connecting what she told Hayden to what I’m seeing in front of me.
Xavier sighs like we’re all being dramatic. “Adela. Go back inside. Vander. Come here.”
I watch as Vander stiffens slightly before he presses a kiss to the top of Adela’s head and whispers something in her ear. She nods, shooting me a tearful look before he gently pushes her to go back inside.
He returns to his father, and suddenly it all makes sense. Vander loves her, but he’ll never choose her over his father. Either that or…Xavier is holding Adela’s safety over Vander’s head.
“Lower your gun, boy.” Xavier orders Sam.
Sam snorts. “Not a chance, Prometheus.”
Xavier only shrugs, showing no surprise at the fact we know his alias. “If it makes you feel better, keep it out. It won’t do anything, though.”
“I’m pretty sure it’ll put a bullet through your eyes if I aim right.”
Xavier clicks his tongue. “Ah, but you wouldn’t do that, would you? Not when I’ve been searching for the five of you for so long. I’ve been looking so long, in fact, that I was able to stop by your dad’s place and introduce myself.”
My blood chills, and Sam pales. “You’re lying.”
“Lovely man, Samuel Wright, for an alpha. He was so worried about you too. Couldn’t understand for the life of him why his precious, perfect son would run off with a patient. He was so thankful when I told him we were hoping to settle the matter internally rather than go to the police.”
“Fuck you,” Sam spits.
“The men I’ve stationed nearby know to engage in the kill order if they don’t hear from me by midnight. So I would be very careful if I were you.”
Vander’s mouth gapes open, shock and confusion written across his features. “Dad?—”
“Shut up, son.” Xavier snaps.
“What do you want from us?” My voice is shaky, and I hate it. Terror turns in my stomach at the idea that Sam could lose his dad because of me.
“You seem to have something that belongs to me. A scientist by the name of Walter Brooks. I want him back in one piece and alive.” His expression is hard now, giving way to his true emotions. He may have been acting unbothered a minute ago, but now it’s clear just how angry he is.
I wonder if he knows we killed Richard Pierce.
“We do not have the scientist,” Kole snips. “He would not fit in our pockets, would he?”
“That may be, but you know where he is and how to get him for me.”
“What about Whitmore?” Sam asks, his jaw tight. “Surely he knows just as much as Brooks.”
“Whitmore is underground at the moment, something he will pay dearly for when I can find him,” Xavier grits out.
“Him and Senator Kinsley. As it is, I have a timeline to keep, and a room of useless servers at Thornfield because someone wiped them out. I need Brooks back. But…I’m willing to make you a deal. ”
We all stiffen, and Hayden’s fingers tighten around mine.
“What kinda deal?” My words come out carefully, all too aware of the fact that Xavier has Sam’s dad’s life in his hands.
“So pragmatic. That’s what I like about you, Jo.
” The sound of my name coming out of Xavier’s mouth sends goosebumps crawling across my flesh.
“You know, up until you pulled that little stunt to break out of Thornfield, I thought you hated alphas as much as I do.” He gives me a pitying look.
“Unfortunately, just like every omega before you, you’ve become a slave to your designation and instincts.
Welcoming alphas into your bed when only a year ago you were slitting their throats. ”
My own throat dries, making me swallow roughly.
Xavier sighs, continuing his little speech.
“I can still respect your humble beginnings though. Wronged by the very designation that was designed to protect your kind, you turned on them, exacting revenge for your fellow women who suffered at their hands. It almost makes me wonder if Arthur Banesworth really did quit and leave the country.”
The mention of Banesworth has my stomach turning, but I keep my expression unaffected. “I’m hearin’ a whole lot of stuff that doesn’t sound like makin’ a deal.”
“Impatient, as always.” He clicks his tongue.
The guys stiffen around me, catching onto the wording. “As always?” West asks carefully.
The asshole scoffs. “You don’t think I’m going to admit the country’s first omega serial killer into a facility I control and not be curious?
” He gives me a look that clearly indicates he thinks I’m being naive.
“I’ve been watching you since you were convicted on thirteen counts of first degree murder. ”
Vander gives me a look of contempt, and now I get why he thought I would hurt Adela.
Xavier tilts his head. “As a show of appreciation for your…artform, I’ll give you forty-eight hours to bring me my scientist. If you do, I’ll let slide the fact that you’ve stolen millions of dollars from me in the form of kidnapping my omegas.
Not only that, I’ll let you live. Nobody will ever know the five of you left the asylum.
Nobody will look for you, you can live your disgusting little pack life free and happy. ”
“Yeah, before you drug everyone to get rid of our designations," Hayden mutters darkly.
“There is that,” Xavier concedes, nodding his head. “Or you can refuse and I can use you as bait for Declan Gallagher to bring him to me, and then I’ll just send you all back to Thornfield again. If you even think about double crossing me, I’ll have my men kill Samuel Wright.”
“Why not just keep us now?” I arch a brow. “Seems like it would be faster for you to do it the second way.”
“I would rather avoid a direct confrontation with the Mafia if I can help it.” He sniffs once. “It is in both our best interests for you to take my deal.”
If he doesn’t care about getting those omegas back, that means we’re missing a bigger piece of the puzzle than I realized. They must be closer to nullifying designations than we thought.
If we take his deal, we hand back our one advantage.
If we take his deal, we put the rest of the world in danger.
If we take his deal, we’re betraying every alpha and omega in the world.
There’s only one choice to make.
“Deal.”