2. Binnie
Binnie sprawled in his chair, wincing as he swallowed the last bitter dregs of coffee, hoping the man across from him would stick to business and not what had happened between the two of them last year. From his seat, Binnie could see both the dismal storm about to erupt outside as well as his secretary, Gil, sitting at her desk, studiously ignoring the phone to read a book with a half-naked man on the cover.
He should probably care more about that, but he had a headache—one of those deep, throbbing headaches that made him feel like his head was in a vice. The kind that made him want to run to Google to check his symptoms. He resisted. Google never said a headache was a headache. It was always a brain tumor or an aneurysm and he had time for neither. He had to hope that his alpha genes truly were as superior as his father claimed.
Just as he was about to greet the other man in his office, his phone vibrated across the desk. He picked it up, thumbing it open to look at the text. He sighed, as much from the dick pic as the text attached.
Tonight?
Binnie sighed and shook his head, exiting out of the app and placing his phone face down. He watched a slow smirk spread across the other man’s face.
“Still the belle of the ball, I see.”
Binnie rolled his eyes but felt his skin flame, anyway. This was why Binnie never hooked up with people in his circle. No politicians, lobbyists, consultants. Nobody who could ever use his…proclivities…against him. It made hook-ups difficult but not impossible. Especially in D.C. where it felt like everyone worked for the government.
But Binnie had managed. He’d stuck with the alt scene, the underground clubs, the sites that advertised discreet hook-ups, the occasional pro. Anything outside of government work.
Until Jordan. He was a bout of temporary insanity brought about by too much alcohol and a nasty confrontation with his father. But it had been forever ago, and he really needed his help on this. He scanned the other man for any signs that they were going to have a problem, but Jordan seemed just as eager to focus on work as Binnie, which was a relief.
“How’ve you been, man?” Binnie asked, trying to be polite while also testing the waters. If this was going to be an issue, it was better to know sooner rather than later.
Jordan cleared his throat. “Uh, good. Really good.” The man’s cheeks flushed. “I’m uh…I’m getting married.”
Relief flooded through Binnie. Thank fuck. He grinned. “Congrats, man. That’s amazing. Anyone I know?”
He shrugged. “Maybe? Annabeth Rossdale? She?—”
Binnie barked out a laugh. “That tiny blonde spitfire who absolutely roasted my father in the Gazette? I approve.”
Jordan grinned. “Yeah. That’s her. She’s an absolute demon. One of the meanest people I’ve ever met. And she hates your father.”
“I know,” Binnie said wistfully. “If I liked girls, that might have been enough to get me to propose.”
Despite Jordan’s modesty, he’d known Binnie knew Annabeth. Everyone knew Annabeth. She was notorious in political circles, an Ivy League educated omega with credentials for miles. She’d been on the Washington scene for about five years and the whole political world trembled before her pen. Especially alphas.
Except Jordan, apparently.
“I’m happy for you, man.”
Jordan beamed at him. “Thanks.”
With that out of the way, they could move onto the real reason Binnie had asked for this meeting. “I’m sure you’ve seen my father’s latest numbers? We’re losing, man. His last rally was standing room only. We have a huge challenge trying to get numbers for the upcoming vote.”
Jordan grimaced, rubbing his hands across his face. “Yeah, I know, man. Your father’s lunatic campaign against omega rights is gaining more and more traction everyday. Every fucking traditionalist vlogger, podcaster, and radio host is pushing his hateful fucking rhetoric. It’s…disturbing to say the least. He’s given the crazy, the ignorant, and the bigots a voice, and they’re all too stupid to see he’s using them.”
Binnie’s chest burned. Satan had nothing on Corbin Raider. “It’s fucked up. He’s fucked up. We don’t have a lot of time to right this ship. We need a counter-strategy like yesterday. One that highlights the importance of secondary gender equality. All secondary genders. We need to show that this isn’t about morality; it’s about the strength and progression of our country.”
Jordan nodded, flipping open his laptop. “I’m with you, but your father has mass appeal with the fundamentalists, the conservatives, and the traditionalists, and it’s spreading like wildfire. How are we gonna counter that effectively in time?”
Binnie didn’t know if they even could. His father had been a senator for a long time and he had his claws deeply embedded in that chair. Ousting him when he was this close to seeing all his insane plans come to fruition was a large hill to climb, and some days, it felt like he was climbing it blindfolded and barefoot.
He jumped to his feet, needing to walk off some of the adrenaline pumping through him. “We pivot,” he said with far more confidence than he felt. “We focus on the shit these old fucks love. We focus on the money. We focus on the way it benefits them. We show them the social and economic benefits of gender equality. Like, the importance of omega participation in the workforce and how it’s proven to boost the economy. How their unique perspectives foster adaptability and innovation in the business world and so on.”
Jordan flipped his laptop open and began to type. “Solid angle,” he said, then paused. “But we’re up against generations of hate and deeply ingrained bias. Turning people to our side will take more than just promoting how useful omegas are in society. They don’t care about that shit. They want them at home working as indentured servants to their masters.
“Your dad’s pushing this narrative that he’s doing this to help omegas. That they’re being exploited by being forced to work when their poor little omega brains were only meant to breed and serve. He’s saying they don’t need equality but protection. An alpha’s protection.”
“I know. Believe me, nobody knows more than me just how deep my father’s hatred of omegas goes. He knows exactly how to twist things to make him seem reasonable. Sympathetic, even.”
Jordan nodded again. “It makes it easier for these bigoted assholes to feel good about themselves for voting for these fucked-up policies. They’ve convinced themselves they’re white knights helping these pitiful omega creatures being put upon by an unforgiving world. Hell, they’re so good at it, they’ve got some omegas on their side trying to push this bullshit on social media.”
Binnie walked to the window, staring out at the misty haze of rain, watching as it formed rainbow-colored puddles on the road. “That’s why we need to outsmart them. Show them omegas are perfectly capable of not only surviving but thriving all on their own. We focus on empowerment, not protection. We show them how empowered omegas create a stronger society.”
Jordan leaned back in his chair, brow raised. “How do we do that, exactly?”
Sadly, Binnie was spitballing, coming up with these ideas on the fly. This was why he’d wanted this meeting with Jordan. Up until their hook-up, they’d worked really well together on several campaigns. But after that night, Binnie ghosted him. He wished he could say it bothered him, but it really didn’t. There were no feelings involved.
He shook his head like he could physically clear it like an Etch A Sketch. “We can find successful omegas who are excelling in their fields, proving that these stereotypes are just…archaic and that they’re not just wrong but harmful.”
Jordan started nodding along, his pine scent growing slightly heavier with his excitement. “I like that.” He started typing away once more. “Highlighting real stories would be super powerful.” He stopped short. Binnie watched his face fall, his excitement deflating like a leaky balloon. “No matter how much we show people that omegas are thriving, it still doesn’t refute your father’s bullshit about how alphas are designed to lead, that they should be the only ones in government. History is on his side.”
Binnie flopped back into his chair, rocking it back until the springs protested. He glanced out the glass wall of his office, his gaze catching on a tiny blond boy talking to Gil at her desk. Whatever they were discussing appeared intense. Gil’s face was set in a scowl while the boy in the powder-blue hoodie gestured emphatically. He was definitely an omega. Young. Maybe early twenties? What could he need? Maybe he was lost. People got lost looking for the tax collector’s office one floor up all the time.
He dragged himself back to the issue at hand. “That’s where we challenge the narrative by pushing all these successful beta and omega leaders. They want to bring up history, let’s counter with statistics. Let’s show them how countries led by omegas are thriving and always have. Betas, too. Honestly, most countries without an alpha leader are light years ahead of us progress wise. We need to show them that. We need to dismantle this bullshit notion that leadership is intrinsically tied to secondary gender. We need to drive home that this is about knowledge, skill, and merit and that it has nothing to do with secondary gender.”
Jordan’s mouth twisted into a frown. “This is gonna be a really tough sell. We can show off as many successful omegas as we want, but it won’t matter if nobody is listening. We need to get more alphas to our side of the aisle. Allies who can speak against your father’s shitty policies.”
Binnie snapped his fingers. “That’s exactly what we need. The only way to change the perception is from within. But not just alphas. alphas of influence, ones who have their communities’ ears. alphas who believe in equality and want to help flip the script. This has to be a group effort. We need to create a coalition that transcends secondary gender lines.”
Jordan bobbed his head. “Yeah, okay. I’ll reach out to some potential alpha allies and then I’ll start drafting some proposals.”
“Talk to your fiancée, too. She probably has way more contacts than either of us and nobody is a better success story than her, an omega who terrifies the toughest alphas in politics. She would be a major asset. Hell, she’s practically an urban legend. They won’t even speak her name on the senate floor. It’s like she’s the boogeyman.”
Jordan laughed, cartoon hearts in his eyes. “This is going to be a nightmare. You know that, right? Once your father gets wind of this…your life isn’t going to be easy.”
Binnie scoffed. His life had never been easy. “Nothing worth having ever came easy. This is about unity and progress. It’s about creating a society where all secondary genders are equal.”
“When are you gonna run for office?” Jordan asked. “Put all that charm and charisma to good use?”
Binnie flushed but shook his head. “Never. I promised my mother I would never become a politician. This is about doing what’s right.”
“And it’s about taking down your father,” Jordan added with a laugh.
Binnie smirked. “That’s just the cherry on top. I’ll work on a more detailed policy framework and start setting up some meetings with key influencers. If we work really fast and blow this up on socials, we can turn the tide on this.”
Jordan slammed his laptop shut and got to his feet, reaching across to shake Binnie’s hand. “I believe you. You’ve got my support. I’m going to reach out to some of the alphas on our side of the aisle, test the waters a little. Let’s talk more next week. I’ll have my assistant reach out to yours.”
Once more, Binnie’s gaze caught on the boy now sitting in his waiting room with his leg jittering like an over-caffeinated chihuahua. He led Jordan out. Before he could ask his secretary about the boy, he jumped up from his seat and charged toward him. Binnie’s eyes went wide at the determination on the kid’s face but wasn’t afraid despite the intensity.
“Are you Binnie?” he asked, tone near frantic as he shot a nervous look at Gil like he’d been dismissed already, probably more than once.
“Yeah, who are you?” Binnie asked, frowning. The kid’s scent was going haywire, the floral notes sour with nerves.
“Fen. Fen Fletcher. You knew my brother Josh?” he asked hopefully.
Binnie froze. Goosebumps erupted along his skin. Two things stuck out immediately. The first was the omega’s desperation. The second: his alarming use of the word knew. Past tense. Fuck.
“Come into my office.”
Gil made an irritated sound then said, “You have another meeting in less than?—”
Binnie cut her off. “Thank you, Gil. I’m sure this won’t take long.”
Binnie led Fen into his office and shut the door, gesturing to the seat Jordan had just evacuated before walking around his desk and dropping into his chair. “How can I help?”
“Josh is dead,” Fen blurted.
Even though Binnie had just pondered that being the case, hearing it still felt like a kick to the stomach. “What?” he said, voice suddenly raw.
Fen hesitated, narrowing his eyes to study Binnie. “You truly didn’t know?”
Binnie frowned, wrenching his drawer open and digging inside for a bottle of water. “No. Of course not. When?”
Fen flopped back in his seat, somehow looking even smaller and more delicate than a moment ago. “A little over a year ago.”
A year? A whole fucking year? How could an entire year have passed without so much as a whisper that Josh was dead? Surely, it would have been in the papers? Josh was a decorated soldier, a war vet, former special forces. How would this have not made the papers?
“How?”
“‘Training accident,’” he air-quoted, tone as bitter as Binnie’s morning coffee.
Something gnawed at Binnie’s insides, this unsettled nauseated feeling. “You don’t believe the report?”
The omega’s gaze was stubborn. “No.”
Interesting.“Why not?”
Fen’s gaze flicked to him. “Because my brother told me not to.”
Binnie blinked, trying to process his words. “You have another brother?”
That wasn’t right. He definitely did not. Binnie and Josh had been close. They all had. There were nights out in that godforsaken desert where Binnie, Josh, Loch, Saint, and Ollie had laid in the sand, staring up at the stars talking about their families. Josh had only ever mentioned Fen.
Fen didn’t answer Binnie’s question, just handed him a well-worn piece of paper that had been opened and closed so many times it was soft around the edges, like velvet.
Binnie unfolded it, noting the way the ink was starting to fade. His eyes scanned the typewritten message, throat tightening as he read Josh’s final words to his baby brother. The only person he’d ever cared about.
Fuck.
They’d all known Cerberus was dirty. That was why they’d all run fast and far as soon as their contracts were up. Josh was the last one. The one who had a hard time letting go. The one who’d begged the others to help him prove how corrupt Cerberus was. They’d refused. They’d all refused. They thought Josh would drop it. Cerberus was too powerful. They all knew that. Even Josh.
Stubborn, pigheaded Josh. Always running toward danger rather than away from it. They should have known he wouldn’t drop it. Josh was always the fucking hero.
Binnie blinked back tears, his nose growing stuffy. Josh had trusted Fen to find him. He knew Binnie would be the only one who could find Loch, and without Loch, they’d never convince the others to come.
He pushed his palms into his eye sockets, his headache intensifying. This couldn’t be happening. A year. How could a whole year have gone by? How could he not have checked on him? At least made sure he’d made it back to Maryland? They practically lived in each other’s backyard, but Binnie had been so consumed with the idea of taking down his father, he just kept putting off the calls he swore he’d make.
His throat felt thick, his stomach heavy. He hadn’t checked on any of them except Loch and not even him, really. He knew his address, had memorized it as Loch requested. But they didn’t talk. Didn’t visit. When was the last time Binnie had even thought of the others?
Fuck, for all Binnie knew, Loch was dead, too.
Maybe they all were.
He was spiraling but he couldn’t seem to pull himself out of free fall. They’d served together for years. They’d had each other’s backs dozens of times…and Binnie hadn’t even bothered to check in. He knew where they’d landed, like Loch, and they’d talked often about their plans once they escaped, what they’d do to cleanse the horrors of what they’d done from their brains. But had they followed through?
Loch had hermited himself away in a cabin a couple hours away. Saint had lost his fucking mind and was doing hallucinogenics in a trailer somewhere in the Nevada desert. Ollie was working as a supply chain and logistics guy for a major corporation in Brooklyn.
Binnie had assumed Josh was living with his brother in their apartment, getting on with his life. Maybe even working in encryption like Fenny. But Binnie had never once bothered to confirm it. Not. Fucking. Once.
“Why—” Binnie cut himself off as his voice cracked, clearing his throat painfully then trying again. “Why did it take you a year to come find me?”
Binnie could smell the boy’s tears before he saw them roll down his pale cheeks.
Fen sniffled, running the back of his hand across his nose. “Because I had nothing to show you until I broke through my brother’s encryption,” Fen said. “It took thirteen months.”
“Thirteen months?” Binnie barked in surprise, speaking without thought. “Are you really bad at your job or was Josh really good at his?” Fen blinked at him until Binnie dropped his head. “I’m sorry. That was out of line. I’m just…in shock, I guess.”
Fen continued to stare. “Josh buried what he’d found under twelve layers of encryption. He wanted to make sure that nobody could get to what was on this drive, even if they did manage to get it away from me.”
“What is it he found?” Binnie asked.
Fen wiped his eyes, his nose now red and swollen, eyes puffy. Binnie handed him a box of tissues from the window sill and he took them, blowing his nose loudly before he said, “That depends.”
Binnie arched his brow. “On what?”
Fen leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. “On whether you plan on helping me or not.”
“Help you what?” Binnie bluffed. “You haven’t even said what it is he discovered.”
“I can hear it when you lie, you know,” Fen said without inflection. “Your heartbeat skips. You don’t want to help me, you just feel guilty. You stink of it. You know my brother sent me to you for help taking down Cerberus, but you’re afraid.” He stood. “Sorry I wasted your time.”
Binnie was on his feet before he even realized it. “Wait!”
“Why?” he asked simply. “Are there some magic words I can use to get you to grow a backbone?”
“Damn,” Binnie said, wincing. “You’re definitely meaner than Josh,” he muttered.
Fenny glowered at Binnie, but he sat back down. “Josh didn’t have to prove himself to every person he met just to be given even a little bit of trust or respect. He was an alpha, remember. Like you. You all just expect people to listen to you. To believe you. To trust you and follow your orders. Because they do. Without question. I promise you, I don’t have the same life experiences you do.”
Binnie gave him a sad smile. “I get it?—”
“You really, really don’t. You can’t,” Fen said. “It’s not your fault. But we’re just not the same.”
Binnie nodded. “Fenny,” he started, “I know you want justice for Josh. Anybody would. Hell, I would. I do. But you have no idea who Cerberus is or what they’re capable of.”
Josh asking Fen to go up against Cerberus was insane. He must have been desperate if his only course of action was to send these—files?—to his baby brother and not them.
Binnie’s chest tightened. But why would Josh have sent it to any of them? He’d begged them to help and they’d all refused. And now, Josh was dead.
Fen scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I work for the NSA, my security clearance is probably higher than ninety percent of my co-workers. Do you truly think I don’t know who Cerberus is? Who their connections are? I just don’t care. I’m going to find a way to take them down.”
Binnie sighed. “Your brother wouldn’t want you to die for this. And if you go after Cerberus, you’ll die.”
“Josh was all I had left. And he’s dead. If I die, I die. But I’m not going down without a fight. Your involvement in this isn’t needed, it was merely requested. By Josh. I have no interest working with a huge fucking coward.”
Binnie’s eyes widened. “What?” he blurted.
Fen glowered at him. “You heard me. My brother sent me to find you. Said you’d know how to find Loch, and that, together, you could help me. Josh clearly thought you cared about him, that you’d help him, that you’d help me. That you would understand the gravity of the situation. This isn’t just about me or you…or even Josh. The shit on this drive affects millions of lives.”
Binnie wanted to know more. He truly did. But he had his own battles to fight. “Fenny, you’re an omega. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but my father is attempting to set our country back by a hundred years. If he gets his way, you’re going to find yourself being run down and publicly mated by whatever mouth-breathing alpha loser catches you in the town square. My focus needs to be on stopping him. I loved Josh like a brother, but I can’t afford to get involved in some revenge plot.”
Fen gave him a flat stare, his disgust so apparent Binnie wanted to take a shower. “Can any alpha fucking multitask? I thought you were a soldier. Do they not teach time management to you guys?” he spat. “I’ve spent the last year working sixty hour weeks, staying up all night, living on energy drinks and ADHD meds just to crack this encryption. So, a helpless little omega like me can hang, but you can’t? Weak.”
Binnie gave a humorless laugh. The little brat was goading him. Part of Binnie wanted him to. He wanted Fen to force him to help Josh.
For better or worse, Binnie had always been painfully practical, carefully weighing his options before choosing the one with the greater likelihood of success. It wasn’t that he didn’t work hard, he just wanted to put his efforts toward something that would make a difference, make sure all his hard work pushed the needle in the right direction. But how was he supposed to refuse this? “If I agree to help you, will you show me what’s on those files?”
“I don’t know,” Fen said. “Are you just going to bitch out on me at the first sign of trouble?”
Binnie’s mouth fell open, and he gaped at Fen before a loud laugh erupted from deep within, causing Gil to snap her head in his direction, her confusion evident. “Joshy said you were stubborn.” He sighed. “Okay, kid. Fuck. I’ll help you. But we do things my way. Well, Loch’s way.” After Binnie convinced him to help. “You have no idea who you’re up against.”
Fen looked him up and down, and once more, that sour smell of anger and rotting flowers filled the room. “Are you sure you’re opposing your father? You’re making a lot of assumptions about me. Are you saying I can’t lead because I’m an omega?”
God, Fen was going to eat Loch alive. He almost felt bad for the other alpha. Except, he knew how much Loch loved it. Fenny was exactly his friend’s type, the type he refused to allow himself for fear of getting too close. Fen was a pretty little monster, all teeth and claws. He was going to walk Loch and Binnie was gonna hand him the leash.
He crossed his beefy arms over his chest. “Okay, little one. You think you can lead? Tell me, do you have combat experience?”
Fen scowled. “What does that?—”
Binnie cut him off. “How many times have you had to plan a mission?”
Fen’s scowl deepened. He had clearly realized he’d gone too far. “Never, but?—”
“Ever been pinned down by enemy fire? Had to stand by and watch while your friend defused a bomb that was about to blow up a class of kindergartners in the middle of the desert? Have you ever fired a gun? Had anyone threaten your life?”
Fen huffed out an angry breath through his nose. “No.”
“Exactly. I’m not saying you can’t lead because I’m an alpha and you’re an omega. I’m saying it because Loch and I have combat experience. We need your computer skills. You can be the brains, let us be the brawn.”
“And this Loch guy isn’t going to try to talk me out of this or try to take me out of the equation?” Fen asked warily.
Binnie laughed, the first genuine laugh he’d felt since learning Josh was dead. “Oh, Fenny. I don’t think you have to worry about Loch trying to talk you out of anything.”
Except, maybe your clothes.And possibly your last name.