SALT #2
On one hand, intense anger and resentment surge up, even stronger than before, because that bastard put me through several hours of self-doubt and pointless torment for reasons I still do not understand.
And now he suddenly comes back? Is he playing some kind of stupid game with me?
Just like that, he thought it over and decided? Incredible.
I hate indecisive people, since I am a simple guy myself. When I decide on something, I dive in headfirst, fully committed. I do not play silly games or dance around the issue. This makes a terrible impression on me.
"Yes. It took us a while. We had to deal with some legal issues and make a few phone calls.
But we already signed his part of the contract.
I have the second part here. All you need to do is sign, and tomorrow you will be transported by prison bus to the ferry at Hallwell Port, from where you will both be taken to the Beta Activation secure facility on Calsing Island. "
I stare at him with my mouth my mouth hanging open. After a moment, I consciously close it and swallow.
"And what if I changed my mind? What if I do not want anything to do with a guy who cannot make a decision like a grown man?"
Storm closes his eyes briefly, his lips pressed together impatiently.
"Can you rein in your damn pride for a moment and put it in your pocket?
Try showing a little sensibility, Salt. This man not only agreed to be in a relationship with a quadruple murderer, but also decided to participate in a risky experimental program, where, for all he knows, they might pump hormones into his veins.
Making a snap decision on the spot would only prove he is reckless.
A normal person would think it through. Maybe you should appreciate that. "
I cock my head smugly, pouting with a hint of defiance.
He is probably right, but wounded pride does not stop being wounded just because logic says otherwise.
And I have always been driven by emotion.
Part of me still wants to say to hell with all of this, that I do not need him. But another part of me thinks of… Senu.
This is for my poor brother. Only he matters, and my revenge.
That damn alpha can be my ladder, one rung on the path leading to that revenge.
Also, his young age might actually work in my favor.
Maybe I can keep him at a distance, make sure he doesn’t dare touch me. That wouldn’t be possible with some older creep buying my contract for twisted reasons. He’d fuck me the first night. This guy… I doubt it.
Good.
For now, I have a decent plan, and I am not backing out of it. And that means signing the contract.
Suddenly, Storm straightens up.
"There is, however, one thing you need to know before you make the final decision and sign the marriage contract." He takes a deeper breath.
"What is it?"
"Eliano is part of a mafioso family. Raised by the mafia, bred by the mafia."
A short pause. My mind goes blank. I have no reaction at first.
Storm tilts his head, his glowing eyes observing me keenly.
"He’s in this difficult situation, without a home or cash, because he ran from them a few days ago."
That’s interesting. So, he has nothing right now, and suddenly he can have a comfortable place to stay, food, safety… and an ass to fuck. And not a penny spent on my contract; the BA program would buy it out! Sounds like not a bad deal at all…
"So… he saw an opportunity here and decided to take it? That’s his reason?"
Storm hesitates, then slowly nods.
"That may be the case," he adds carefully.
Well, damn. It’s not that bad, actually, come to think of it. We both have practical reasons to enter this contract. And neither of us wants this for some silly romantic reason, for some fairytale-ish prospect of a family and living together forever, blah blah.
And the mafia thing? I don’t know much about them. Anyway, we’ll be locked up somewhere, probably far from the city anyway.
Fuck that. We’ll see how it unfolds!
All in? All in!
I reach for the tablet and scribble my signature next to Eliano’s.
"Great," I say tersely, pressing my lips together to keep myself from saying more.
Storm studies the signature for a moment, then adds his own, and hands the tablet to the handler, who signs as well, acting as the intermediary and representative of the organization.
"So what now? Are we packing up?" I ask flatly.
Storm focuses his eyes on me with a strange intensity, almost as if trying to read my thoughts, then speaks up unexpectedly.
"In a moment. I have a word of advice."
"Oh. Is that necessary? I already signed up…" I pull a mocking face and twist it spitefully.
Storm ignores me. "I tend to have a pretty good intuition about people. If you’re planning to wrap him around your little finger, thinking he’s just a kid, I’d rather warn you to save yourself the disappointment."
I glare at him with narrowed eyes, my face likely flushing with redness. Storm scans me inquisitively.
"Salt, inadvertently, you might be caught in an intense situation. Eliano is not a malleable kid, not a softie you can steer however you like. He may be young, but his upbringing can’t just be dismissed."
I feel a rush of surprise, almost unease.
Damn, am I that transparent? Does Storm suspect that I plan to take the lead in this relationship and run it on my terms?
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I mutter warily.
"He has a rock-hard core inside him. You may find him challenging. Especially since you’re a beta."
"The fuck? Are you trying to insult me?"
"No. These are simply facts. You don’t have the hormonal mechanisms to regulate and soothe his intensity the way omegas do, so—"
"Why are you even telling me this?!"
"The part about regulation? I’m actually required to," he says, handing me a thin brochure. "It’s policy. If the relationship is between a beta and AOs, we’re obligated to provide this informational pamphlet.
It’s meant to clarify certain situations that might feel strange to a beta, like scenting, marking, knotting… "
I snatch the pamphlet out of his hand and deliberately toss it onto the floor. Mr. Gessler grimaces in outrage, but I just snort loudly.
It has nothing to do with me or my plans. Whoever this guy is, whatever his background, I have my goal. No regulations will be needed, and I won’t need to know anything about his alpha behaviors. I’m going to disappear before he ever shows me that animalistic side.
"Whatever you say, dude."
Storm watches me for a long moment, the gears clearly turning in his head, which I don’t give a fuck about.
Then he finally nods.
"Okie dokie. So. I already called the Beta Activation liaison and confirmed that you’ll arrive tomorrow. Mr. Gomez took it well and will be waiting for you at the port."
"By the way. What’s his last name?" I ask suddenly. "What mafia family does he belong to?"
"Part of the agreement with Eliano is that his surname will not appear on any public documents. It will only be listed on a physical paper copy."
"But you don’t have to conceal it from me, right?" I say, raising an eyebrow.
Storm is silent for a moment, then exchanges a glance with Mr. Gessler before finally speaking.
"Eliano is a member of the Ferro crime family. But he wants nothing to do with them and cut all ties. He doesn’t want his brother, Rocco, who has just become the new capo, to take an interest in him."
"The Ferros? They’re big, aren’t they? The biggest in the city," I blurt out, rubbing my chin. "Oh well. Why am I even surprised? He looks the part. Very Italian. "
"One last piece of information about Eliano. He has never been an active mafioso. His uncle forced him to take part in underground fighting contests, which he hated. That was his life."
"What’s his age?"
"Twenty. In four months, he’ll turn twenty-one."
"Damn, I figured he was just some kid, but younger than me? That little shit!"
Storm rolls his eyes.
"And who’s talking, a twenty-two-year-old fossil?"
I pout and flip him off.
Storm snorts. "It means nothing in alphas. He can still challenge a beta energetically, so kid or not, he won’t be easy to play."
"We’ll see." I frown and quickly redirect the topic. "Is that all he ever did? Fight?"
"He has some education. His uncle ordered him to study law online. He completed two years of criminal law, but he told me the field didn’t interest him that much."
"So… he doesn’t want to fight, doesn’t want to study. What does he want?" I ask, slightly amused.
Since I was eighteen, I have been working at a tattoo parlor ten hours a day, and my professional future was clearly defined. This is obviously not the case for Eliano.
"Well, he told me he also runs a journalism blog and would like to work as an investigative journalist in the future."
I let out a disgruntled snort.
A twenty-year-old kid, no stable job, and a shady background?
Even with my limited knowledge, I know what the mafia means.
Filth, drugs, racketeering, forcing people into prostitution.
Disgusting pigs. But as I said, for now it doesn’t interfere with my plan, so I shut my mouth. Murderers don’t get to grumble, anyway.
"I’m not digging into it any deeper," I mutter, averting my eyes. "So. I become Salt… Ferro, right? Married to a mafioso."
Storm nods. "Yep. To a full-blooded Ferro prince."
I chuckle stupidly. For a few seconds I turn this around in my head, letting my thoughts swirl.
Then it suddenly hits me. "So why isn’t he here? Did the bastard chicken out, too ashamed to look me in the eye and explain himself?"
Storm grimaces slightly. "Damien already took him to our house. He’ll be staying with us overnight. Tomorrow we’ll lend him a car so he can drive to the Hallwell port. That’s where you’ll meet him."
"I still don’t get why he couldn’t show up here, at least shake my hand and say, 'Damn it, Salt, we’re getting married now, and maybe try to figure things out with me.’ Did he get scared?"
Storm sighs. "No. He wanted to come. But I admit it was my suggestion that he didn’t, and let you both cool down. I honestly preferred that you didn’t unload a string of curses straight into his face, and I know exactly that you would have."
"You bet I would!"
"You’re proving my point, Salt."
"Whatever. It’s a coward move either way," I shrug. "But be it your way. I’ll marinate my emotions overnight and unload them on him tomorrow, nice and fermented."
Mr. Gessler straightens slightly, and something close to anger flashes across his face.
"I suggest you slow down with this kind of behavior, Salt. A big mouth brings more trouble than satisfaction, believe me. Some things cannot be taken back. It’s easier to destroy than to build. That’s an old rule."
"Wow. True pearls of wisdom. I’m sure that sounded smarter in your head," I scoff.
"Honestly, I don’t know why you were even approved for this program," Mr. Gessler mutters coldly.
"Oh, I can be charming when I want to be, and your ‘specialists’ fell for it hard," I bare my teeth at him. "I shed a few tears, told some sob stories, and ta-da."
Gessler clenches his jaw. He wants to say something, but he doesn’t. Maybe he took his own advice, the fucker.
Now that the contract is signed, they can do nothing, so Mr. Gessler stands up, his expression sour and haughty.
"Time to go. Let’s move."
We all leave the booth. A police officer cuffs me, which I do not enjoy at all, since I’ll have to parade like this across the entire hall. But oh well, when you’re a criminal, you have to wear your crown proudly, so I walk upright, throwing murderous looks at everyone we pass.
Then we get into the police car waiting for us and they drive me to a small detention center belonging to Second Chance.
Tomorrow morning, the prison bus will arrive here.
My mind is racing with thoughts, many of them contradicting each other.
I do feel irritation, but there is also a strange kind of thrill.
I know a massive change is happening in my life, a major turning point, and there is a lot of work ahead of me, especially because I did not expect this facility to be located on an island.
That might mean extra complications when it comes to my escape plan, but I am not giving up.
An island also means that security measures are likely lower. Who knows what opportunities might come up? I need to keep my eyes and ears open.
And as for that indecisive jerk, Eliano?
Well, I sure hope he doesn’t think he’s found himself a sweet little hubby with whom he’ll try to make a baby just to fulfill the terms of the Beta Activation Program! If so, he’s in for a serious disappointment. I plan to dodge my obligations as much as possible, for as long as I can.
To do that, I need to set the tone of our relationship from the start, firmly on hostile ground. No flirting, no easy smiles, no blushing.
I’m not giving in to his alpha energy! This beta won’t be easily conquered, that’s for sure.
My plan starts now.
Soon, Senu!
I’m coming to avenge you.
I will get to Tanner, and then I will finally be able to rest in eternal sleep. Nothing good is waiting for me anyway. Life is cruel by default. Period.