Chapter 44 Calliope
The main floor of the club was open with three poles on the main stage and several more spread around the room. My pack watched an omega sway in time to the music. Her legs wrapped around the pole in the center as she spun and climbed its length until she was hanging from the top by her ankles.
Dax was looking at her a little too hard, making me kick him beneath the table. He turned those dead eyes on me, and I suddenly wasn’t jealous anymore. The warmth crawled back into his gaze when he looked at me. Cain caught my eye and nodded. This was the plan, I would perfume, cause chaos in the club around us and then we would hopefully be taken to the owner. I smiled at my beta and allowed my perfume to release. It filled the space quickly, making everyone in the room turn and look at me. Just as everyone around us started to move, security appeared out of the crowd.
They approached the table. The largest one approached Ayden and leaned down to whispered in his ear. The alpha smiled, nodded, and gestured to the back of the stage. They went back and forth for a few minutes before we stood and followed. There was a hallway there that led down into a basement. Down we went until we were staring at the face that had been on the folder Cain had received.
An older beta male sat there, his fingers tapping on the desk as we approached. He gestured to two chairs in front of him and I went to one while Cain slid into the other. Dax and Ayden stood behind us, hands on our shoulders. “This is not the usual way that I conduct interviews, but I suppose I could make an exception.”
“I’m not here for an interview.”
“You would do better to sit and not speak,” He snapped at me.
Dax’s growl rumbled from him at the disrespect. My hand came to rest on his where it sat on my shoulder. Giving him a reassuring pat, I addressed the beta. “Your life depends on how this conversation goes, so I suggest you change your tone when you speak to me.”
“You really expect me to believe that a tiny little thing like you can do anything to me?”
“While it wouldn’t take much for me to reach across this table and remove your throat,” I brought my hands up and made a grand gesture of checking my nails, “I am the only thing standing between you and the end of my beta’s blade.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“What I mean is that you pissed off the wrong person, and your name came to my man’s attention.” I gave him innocent eyes when I said the rest. “And having his attention is not something you want.”
“That was a threat.”
That made me laugh. “Oh, no, quite the contrary. I am giving you a way out. You see, after we did some checking we found out that you did not do what you have been accused of.”
He seemed relieved. “I am not a bad—”
“Save the bullshit.” I cut him off with a hand in the air. “I know this club isn’t what it seems.”
“You know nothing of the sort.”
“Don’t bother lying to me.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. Opening it up, I found the financial logs that I needed before continuing. “Unless you really are planning on telling me that someone pays you ten grand every two weeks for four hours in your private basement establishment and you don’t know what’s going on in there?”
“How do you know that?”
“I know more about you than you know about yourself.” I couldn’t help but smile at him. I knew I had him by the balls, but it wasn’t enough. “It took everything I could to convince my men here to leave you in one piece. But that ends when you stop being useful.”
“I didn’t know they were selling omegas when they first approached me.”
“What exactly did you think they were doing when they brought the omegas into your place of business? One that doesn’t have a mixed designation permit.” That silenced him. “So, here is what we are going to do. I happen to know that you are hosting one of those auctions in three days. Don’t ask how I know that. You will put me in it.”
“The fuck he will,” Cain snapped.
I silenced him with a glare before turning back to the other beta. “You will put me in as your own personal admission. Provide security and work with my pack to keep me safe.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because you can either do as I ask you, or I can end you right now and deal with the person I choose to put in charge.”
“You can’t do that.”
“I can in fact do that. You see, the holding company that owns this building seemed to have a cashflow problem. That tends to happen when you funnel every cent into an offshore account.” My face twisted into a sinister grin. “I now own that company and all of its real estate assets. Care to try and tell me what I can and can’t do with my own business?”
“What if something happens to you?”
“Then you die.” His mouth snapped closed.
He turned to his security asking only one of them to stay. When we were alone, he relaxed, smiling. “That was quite a show you four put on.”
Cain smiled, relaxing. “Your pack hasn’t found its omega yet, have they?”
“We haven’t been so lucky.” Devyn shrugged. “So, what brings you in tonight?”
“You have a guest that comes to your auctions,” I started.
“We have a lot of men that come into those auctions, and files on all of them.”
“Even Jeremy Cooper?”
That stilled him. “Why would we have a file on an FBI section chief?”
“Maybe because he’s the one that pays for the private space.” Cain knew more than any of us were aware of.
“How do you know that? We’ve tracked the money and don’t know where it comes from. You know that.”
“The call I got from your employee and the file that dropped into my server told me who it was. Jeremy has been in the building, and he’s been here recently.”
“So, what’s the play?” Devyn asked.
We had discussed before how much of this we wanted to let the beta in on. “The play is that you put me into the auction. I was serious about that.”
“Absolutely not.”
“The fuck you say?”
“That ain’t happening.”
My pack spoke at the same time. “Guys, really?”
Ayden grabbed my hand, bringing it to his lips. “He’s traumatized you enough.”
“I need to do this.”
He studied my face for a long moment. I knew exactly what he would see there. I wasn’t afraid—I felt powerful. Jeremy would pay for what he did to me. “Fine.” That meant he was agreeing now, but we would talk about it later.
“So, what do you need from me?” Devyn asked, pulling my attention back to the beta.
Cain took that answer. “Turn off our cameras. We were never here. You have no record of Jeremy. Nothing touches any of us.”
“You’re going to kill him.”
“I am not going to do anything.” Cain was smug. Devyn’s eyes flicked between us as Cain pulled a phone out of his pocket. He pulled up a secure website. “This is an off-the-books op.”
“Heard.” Devyn snapped his head to the alpha security guard. “Cam.”
“On it,” Cam responded. He pulled out his phone and did something, turning back to Devyn. “Done.”
“Being Secret Service has some benefits I guess,” Cain laughed.
“Doesn’t matter.” Cam shrugged. “None of us exist, and officially you’re our boss.”
“How much power do you have?” Dax blurted out.
Cain flashed a smiled at him. “More than anyone knows.”
“So, we put Calliope into the auction, what next?” Devyn broke the moment with our pack.
“We handle it from there.” I crossed my arms under my breasts.
“All due respect to your mate,” he inclined his head to Cain, it just pissed me off, “I have a right to know what you plan on doing and why.”
“I’m only going to say this once, so listen very carefully.” Cain’s voice pulled everyone’s attention. “This is not my op, it’s Calliope’s. She decides when, what, and where. Every aspect of what happens is hers to decide. Also, the next time you disrespect my omega, I’m going to let Dax loose on your pack.”
“That’s not much of a threat. I could take him.” Cam was so confident and so wrong.
Dax looked at me, his eyes asking my permission to put the alpha in his place. I nodded just enough so my pack could see. Dax exploded out of his chair, clearing the desk in one movement. When he landed his knife was in his hand. Cam was completely unprepared for the sudden violence, allowing Dax the opportunity to place the blade at his throat.
“It’s clear that you don’t know who Dax and I are.” I spoke directly to Devyn. “Dax you may know as The Omega Slayer, The Blue Ridge Butcher, and perhaps the one you might know the best—The Pack Annihilator.”
“We are so fucked,” Devyn said.
“I happen to be responsible for the string of alpha murders.”
“So completely fucked. Just make it quick.”
“We aren’t here for you or your pack.” When he relaxed, I added. “But Dax will kill your alpha if he so much as looks at me. Have I made myself clear?”
“Crystal.” His voice shook a little when he responded.
I leaned forward looking him directly in the eye. “So happy you understand me. Now, I will tell you why I want Jeremy Connors dead. But it doesn’t leave this office.”
“Fine.”
I took a deep breath, trying to settle my nerves. Cain and Ayden reached out as one, pulling my hands into theirs. All three bonds flooded with love and a sense of calm. I was so far gone for all of them. “Five years ago, Agent Connors ran a website promoting the sale and abuse of omegas. My alpha at the time used it as a blueprint to abuse me. It culminated the night that my alpha arranged for me to be gang raped. Jeremy was in the room directing everything.”
“Jesus,” Devyn whispered.
“I will get Jeremy Miller with or without your help. With just makes it a little easier.”
“Tell me what you need.” Just like that, we were up and running.
Working out the kinks took a while and by the time we left, the sun was starting to come up. The walk to the parking lot took less time than I hoped it would, and I was sitting in the passenger seat of the hummer when Dax crowded into my space. “What the fuck do you think you are doing?”
I turned on him, reaching down to my waist and pulling my blade. Pushing it against his throat until he started to bleed, I let the anger pour into my voice. “I tried to play nice with you about this. Tried to make my boundaries clear. But you seem intent on pushing them.”
“You’re so hot when you’re threatening me.”
Cain laughed from the back as he cuddled with Ayden. “You really stepped in it this time.”
“Not helping.” Dax’s voice made me push the blade into this throat.
Blood welled on the edge of the knife. “I am going to repeat myself one more time for you. If you don’t get it, I will get Cain to make you disappear for good.”
“That will hurt you more than me.”
That made me pull the blade back, shocked at his insight. “While that may be the truth, I will not have you questioning my every move. If you are capable of having a conversation with me, then we can do so. Undermine me again, and I will slit your throat and mourn you.”
“You wouldn’t be the first alpha to mark her that she’s killed,” Ayden added.
That made me snap my head back. “Don’t make it three.”
Ayden laughed pulling Cain into his lap putting him between us as a human shield. The image made me smile. I loved those men so much. I don’t know what made me turn back to Dax, but when Idid his hand was coming up. Making a split-second decision, I flipped the knife around, so the blade rested against my wrist. Lashing out with that hand, I caught his cheek, leaving a trail of blood leaking from that cut. His tongue slipped out, lapping along the streak. I was mesmerized, flooding from the sight of it.
“You liked making me bleed didn’t you, love?” The teasing from Dax nearly made me cum from the promise.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Dax had a shit-eating grin on his face when he said, “You’re perfuming.”
“The fuck I am,” I snapped. I was so fucking hot. Pulling my dress up I tossed it over my head into the back seat.
I was trying to unhook my bra when Ayden reached out, pulling me into the backseat, they sandwiched me between them. “You’re in heat.”
Their combined scents calmed me down enough so I could think. “Not yet, but soon.”
Our conversation was cut off by an explosion that rocked the Hummer. Hands pulled me from the SUV. I went limp allowing them to do so. I felt arms close around me. Acting on instinct, I threw my head back, slamming it into someone’s face. There was a muffled curse before I felt a pinch of pain on my neck. I struggled until my vision went black.