Chapter 36
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
STONE
I see the exact moment Flynn realizes the depth of the danger he’s in. His expression shows only the most subtle of changes—a tightening around his mouth, a slight shift in his eyes, the tremble in his body—but I know. He’s trying to hold it in, trying not to let it show, but it’s there.
And it’s killing me.
All I can think about is murdering Tom for doing this to him. For the part he had in my sister’s death.
He doesn’t deserve to live. To breathe. To feel safe when others don’t have that luxury.
I want nothing more than to go to Flynn, to pull him into my arms and whisper that I won’t let anything happen to him. That no matter how many threats lurk in the dark, I will be his shield. My instincts demand I make my omega feel safe. But I can’t. It’s too soon. He’s not ready, and the fuck if I’ll do anything to make him uncomfortable. To cause him to fear me. The last thing I want is for him to think I’m anything like those bastards from the Carlisle Pack. It would gut me more than a denial from him.
Flynn moves from where he’s leaning against the counter, his movements slow, deliberate. He’s holding on to Sasha’s hand like it’s his only lifeline. He opens his mouth, and in the softest voice, he says, “I’m going to go to my room. I’m tired.” He lets out a heavy sigh as he gently releases Sasha’s hand and heads toward the stairs.
Sasha looks between Levi and me, uncertainty flickering across her face, before she stands. “I’m going to check on him. Make sure he’s okay.”
Levi extends his arm out, grasping her hand in his for a fleeting moment. A gentle understanding between them that he knows that she’s the one who needs to comfort our omega right now.
It’s a connection I wish I had with her. The ease of touching her that both Levi and Flynn seem to have.
We both watch as she rushes after him, the sound of her feet pounding on the stairs echoing down to us. Only when I’m sure that they’re both out of earshot do I let out the breath I’ve been holding and turn my attention to Levi.
I open my mouth but he beats me to it. “We need to do something. Tom has gone too fucking far. We need to end him now.” My eyes focus on his clenched fist, his knuckles already turning white, the determined gaze.
I nod, my jaw tightening. “I know. He’s never going to stop. Now that the Carlisle Pack is out of the picture, he’s going to want to take Flynn to cover his tracks. We need to end this now. But we need information. We can’t go in like a bat out of hell and not know who we’re up against.”
Levi exhales sharply. “Then we gather intel first. With the MC on lockdown, we don’t have them to back us up. I know the Skarlanthans will help us, but still, who knows how many the Foundation has in its pocket.”
“Let me talk to my mysterious informant and some of my old colleagues at the force to see what I can find out.” I pause for a moment. “Then we can make a plan.”
“Agreed,” Levi growls. “But I want to keep Flynn in the dark about how serious things are. You saw how badly he was panicking over what we just told him.”
I can’t deny that I don’t feel the same. My eyes quickly scan the house. “We need to make this place more secure. We need to install alarms, cameras, all the bells and whistles if we plan to stay here. We can't leave anything to chance.”
“We also need to find a secure place for Allegra,” Levi states boldly. “We need to put his mind at ease about his sister. Not to mention, it won’t be long before Tom tries to use her against him. You handle information on the Foundation, and I'll handle the rest.”
* * *
It takes me less than an hour to reach the station, my gut churning with the weight of what I’m about to do. Walking into this place again, even after all this time, feels like stepping into a past I thought I’d left behind. The air is thick with the smell of coffee and ink, the low murmur of voices blending with the occasional ring of a phone. The tension in my chest rises as I make my way past the desks.
I get some odd looks, a few friendly nods. And some looks of surprise. No one, especially me, expected to see me back here.
I spot him immediately—Detective Rourke.
He’s one of the few people still on the force that I one hundred percent know I can trust. We became friends when we were rookies, and he was one of the few who comforted me when my sister went missing. He ends his conversation with some unfamiliar gentlemen, then pushes his chair back from his desk and stands.
“Stone,” he greets, nodding toward a victim's meeting room door, and I raise my eyebrow in confusion as he steps closer to me. “Figured you wouldn’t be here just for a social visit,” he continues, his voice lower.
I follow him inside, shutting the door behind me. The moment we’re alone, his expression hardens. “Talk.”
“It’s Tom from the Foundation,” I say, wasting no time. He and I share the same suspicions, so there isn’t anything else I need to elaborate on.
Rourke sighs, rubbing a hand down his face. “Jesus. What else is new?”
“He’s making threats against someone special to me. My Kismet,” I confess.
“Kismet!” he exclaims, raising his hand to his chin. “You found yours?”
“I did. Didn’t know about him until I found the sick fuck who killed my sister.”
I can see the sadness flood his eyes. “So you’ve confirmed she’s dead.”
I nod, fighting back the tears that still want to break free from the freshness of the realization of her death.
“I’m sorry, Stone. Your sister was an amazing woman. I just hope the sick bastard paid a hefty price for killing her.”
“He did.” He doesn’t need to know who ended him. That I’ll take to the grave.
“Your omega, he wouldn’t happen to have been with the Carlisle Pack?” he asks and my heart races.
“Yes. Why do you ask?” My eyebrow raises, confused as to how he knew about them.
“This is bigger than what you think.” He leans forward, placing his hands on the table. “Word has gotten around about their deaths and that their omega is missing. It’s still being kept hush hush, but I’ve overheard some shit. They aren’t just trying to find the missing omega. They want to use him for something. Something worse.”
His comment piques my interest. Me coming here is proving informational. I just need to know what Rourke knows.
“What do you know?”
“I overheard one of the Foundation’s board members talking with a cop on his payroll,” he says, his voice low as if he thinks that someone is listening in on us. “Tom and his people. They’re looking for someone named Flynn. They weren’t talking about revenge. They were talking about possession. Control.”
I mutter a curse under my breath.
“I’m sorry, Stone. If I knew he was your bond, I would’ve contacted you sooner. I’ll see what I can dig up, but you know how far the Foundation’s reach goes.”
“I know.” My voice is steel. “But that doesn’t mean I’m letting this happen.”
“I hate being a cop. It’s no wonder people don’t trust us.” He runs his hand through his hair before stepping over to the door.
“Promise me you’ll see what you can find out and let me know. I won’t let anyone know I got the information from you.”
“At this point, I could fucking care less. I’m ready to follow in your footsteps and quit. I’m here for you, Stone, in any way that I can help. If shit hits the fan, goes sideways and you need backup, call me. I’ll be there.”
“Thank you.” I shake his hand and head out of the station, more pissed than when I came in.
Flynn’s safety is my top priority. There’s no way he’s going to have the same ending as my sister.
* * *
By the time I get back to the house, the weight of what I’ve learned is pressing heavy on my chest. I’m so lost in thought—replaying everything Rourke told me—that I don’t even notice Flynn curled up on the couch, book in hand.
It’s not until the door slams shut behind me and he gasps, “Stone,” that I see him.
He looks up, those blue eyes filled with so much pain it nearly brings me to my knees. All I want is to hold him, to take that hurt away, to make him feel safe.
Fuck. My name on his lips has my cock pressing against my zipper. But I shove the thought down. Now isn’t the time.
“Flynn,” I say, forcing my voice steady. “I didn’t see you there.”
“Is everything okay?” He lays the book down on the couch and sits up straight, concern etched on his face.
Shit, I can’t tell Flynn what I’ve learned. Not yet. Not when he’s already near the edge of a breakdown. Of possibly running from the threat and us.
But he senses something. I can see it in the way he looks at me, uncertainty and hesitation flickering in his eyes.
Flynn shifts, fighting between remaining sitting or standing, arms crossed over his chest. “You went somewhere.”
I nod. “Had to take care of something.”
“Did it involve me?”
“Why would you ask that?” I force a smile as I move across the room, hesitating for a moment when I reach the couch. “Is it okay to sit here?”
He nods and I sit down, angling my body toward him, subtly taking a deep breath through my nose to get a hit of his delicious scent.
“Where’s Sasha and Levi?” I ask, wondering why they’re not in here with him. Why didn't they come rushing to see what was going on when I slammed the door?
“They’re outside. Said they needed to check on something.”
“Okay.” My mind already knows they’re looking at improving the security.
Flynn presses his lips together, his grip tightening around his arms like he’s trying to hold himself together. “I know you’re protecting me. I know how serious this is… but I don’t know if it’s fair to the three of you.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“I mean—” He swallows, taking a quick look at me before glancing away. “The three of you are putting yourselves in danger for me.”
“We’re doing it because we care,” I say, my voice softer now. “Because you’re worth it. We don’t see it as a danger. We see it as taking care of our omega, our Kismet.”
He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.
“Your safety is our priority, Flynn. We’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that no harm comes to you. We regret not knowing about you sooner, so that we could’ve saved you from the pain you endured.”
His throat bobs, and for a moment, I think he’s going to argue. But then he just exhales, shoulders slumping, and nods.
He doesn’t believe it yet. But I’ll make damn sure he does.