Chapter 12
Isat on a pile of blankets, watching the cleanup happen on the main floor. The night was done with, and every patron had been escorted out.
Kyan entered, heading directly for me. He took me in with a quick sweep. Since Sin had ripped my shorts off, I had a towel wrapped around my hips, tucked in at the ends.
“Why are you not bandaged?” He eyed my arm.
“I ran out,” I admitted. I’d been bathing so much, I kept having to switch them out, so now, the stitches were on display, peeking out from under my sleeve.
He looked out to the platform where I’d been watching from.
“I’ll bring you some more.”
I didn’t respond to his muttered statement.
He hesitated. After coming to a decision, he lowered to the ground, his back to the pane, facing me with his knees drawn up. He looked awkward, bending his long limbs.
“How did you know Alice Lane?”
The simple question held so much weight.
“Where is she? Can you get me in contact with her?” My questions spilled out of me at rapid-fire speed.
He eyed me.
“She’s dead.”
I deflated, my heart sinking. No. No. No! She was my only source after Lyndsy had died! She could have cleared my name. Alice was the last thread I had to get out of this shit storm after trying to out those horrid excuses for men.
Kyan settled a palm on my arm, and it ripped me out of my panic. I sucked in a breath, the pressure in my chest loosening. He tugged my arm and slid his hand around my waist. I crawled into his lap, curling as close as I could.
I felt weak and helpless, but if I focused on the large Alpha holding me, the feeling faded.
“I’m okay,” I wheezed, cinching my eyes shut until they blocked out the light, turning the inside of my eyelids pink.
“Briar, tell me.” His cajoling, soft voice worked its magic, and it all spilled out of me.
“She was my informant. She told me about you three and the shady shit you were up to. That article happened because of her. But while I was looking for proof through public records, I found a domestic violence report against Bourne Pack, under Ruben Bourne, where the charges were dropped.” I shook my head.
“I couldn’t let it go and started digging, which led me to another domestic violence report.
” I licked my lips. “I started working on an exposé about them around the time I published yours.” I shuddered.
“They must have killed Alice. Just like they killed Lyndsy for agreeing to meet with me.”
If they were willing to do that to one of their Omegas, then they would have gotten rid of Alice for sure. The same thing they were trying to do to me . . .
“I’m going to fucking die,” I mumbled, turning my face into his chest. Alpha pheromones hugged me, and combined with his soothing rub of my back, I went limp against him.
“No, you won’t.” He snarled his abrupt comment. “No one will touch you.” His arms stiffened around me.
“Kyan.” Sinclair burst into the room and slammed the door.
“What?” Kyan snapped, his pupils blooming when they clapped on me. I tensed until it felt I would break.
“Authorities are here.” Sinclair’s eyes snapped to my face. “Elias wants you to handle the situation downstairs,” he said gruffly, not looking away. “Before they start trying shite and find her here.”
The last comment made Kyan exhale and pat my thigh to slide off him. He turned and clasped my face. “I’ll handle it. Stay put.” With that, he left, taking with him a growing comfort I was attempting to not let take over.
Sinclair hadn’t moved, and we remained still, staring at each other. He could continue to hover. I tucked my knees higher to fold my arms over them and rested my cheek on my forearm, facing away from him.
All the tipped-over furniture was back in its place, and servers were wiping every surface down with disinfectant. That was only the first round of cleaning; later, another couple would arrive during downtime and do another routine.
Footsteps approached, but I didn’t pay them any mind. Sinclair said nothing for a good few breaths, and just when I was relaxing into the silence as I looked out of the window, he spoke.
“You were watching me.”
I didn’t bother glancing up at him.
“What are you talking about?” I tried for nonchalance.
“Were you watching us, erm, you know . . .” He went silent again.
Why was he dancing around the words?
“Watching you stick your tongue down a stripper’s throat?” I mumbled, sounding as disinterested as I could muster. The pang slicing through my heart was easier to ignore compared to the initial sting.
“I didn’t stick my tongue in her mouth.” Why did he sound so defensive—almost angry?
“Sorry, I meant watching you take her tongue in your mouth.” I chuckled, burying the pressure in my chest that kept expanding. Shadows crowded my mind, but I turned my back on them.
“I don’t belong to you,” he snapped it so violently and harshly that the words sliced through me physically. Somehow, his accent made it sound harsher.
I whipped my head around to glare at him. His lips were pressed into a thin line.
“I know,” I gritted out, getting to my feet since he wasn’t going to just let me be. “And I don’t want you.” The lie fell from my mouth with ease.
Sinclair’s lip curled up.
“I just wanted a damn cigarette,” I hissed, the lie spilling out with ease.
That seemed to irritate him even more.
“And you thought leaving this room was smart?”
“No one recognized me.” I shrugged. I refused to admit that I’d taken off after seeing all those women surrounding them. That the jealousy had spurred me into a rash reaction. I lifted my chin, keeping hold of his brown, angry glare.
“Another stupid decision.”
“The first was coming to your pack for help,” I spat, my shoulders drawing up.
He leaned close, his nose flaring with hard breaths.
He curled his lip, stepping close until our bodies were inches apart. I rested my palm on his heaving chest to keep him at a distance, but it was a stupid move. His heat radiated to my palms.
“What? You’re going to pin me to the wall and fuck me again?” I mocked, part of me hoping he would. I wanted to have their bodies as much as I could before I never saw them again.
He was so still, it would have frightened me if I didn’t give a shit anymore.
The last thing I should be doing was taunting the men who could easily turn me over to the police, but the bitterness wouldn’t let me. “Is that all you see in women? A body to fuck?”
His shock morphed into careful stiffness. Sinclair circled me, reminiscent of a shark hunting its prey.
Now he was all cruelty. “Bottom heavy, sexy, plump lips to shove my cock past?” he groaned exaggeratedly. “How could I not want to fuck you?”
I ignored the stabs of discomfort in my stomach and lifted my chin, full of bravado.
I slid my finger over his chest. “So you’ve had enough now that you’ve had me?” The sarcasm fell flat, making me sound sad. I didn’t recognize the pain-riddled words that left my mouth.
Sinclair sucked in a breath and held my gaze. I couldn’t read them—I never could, and it was frustrating.
“No,” he whispered, the word sounding dragged out of him. I was so still it hurt. “I don’t think I can have enough—”
If Elias hadn’t walked in, I would have been under Sinclair already. Air flooded back into the room, snapping me out of his thrall. I stepped back as Elias charged toward me.
“Kyan mentioned what you knew about Alice. Why was she also a target for Bourne Pack?”
Alice had also been involved in Bourne Pack’s circles. “They must have found out we were talking about them. That’s why they got me fired—”
“Fired?” Elias repeated, his eyes narrowed.
“Soon after you had your article pulled,” I explained, meeting his intensity head-on. His mouth opened and closed. For a while, I’d believed Greymont Pack was the reason until Lyndsy’s death.
“I didn’t . . . know.” His tone wilted, and he cleared his throat. “Get some rest.” With that, he turned and left, Sinclair quietly trailing after him.
Leaving me alone again.