Fallen Omega

Chapter 35

Chapter

Thirty-Five

Knight

“ F uck.” I wipe the history and shut my computers down, unplugging them and taking the hard drives.

I hide the drives in a hidden lockbox safe. They won’t come down here, but it’s protocol.

Any raid or attempt to get in here is treated like the end of the world. Everything’s shut down.

When that’s done, I open my trash laptop and turn on porn. Everyone loves to judge people who watch the amount and type of porn I’ve filled this thing with. It’s very handy. Not in a spank bank way, this shit doesn’t do it for me, but it paints a picture of the dude who watches it. And this amount. I leave it running. Add some lotion and tissues.

Overkill, but hey. Whatever.

I take off at a run and burst into Liz’s room but she’s not there. Next, I go to Reaper’s suite, a goth king’s pride and joy. Not really. It’s plain and simple with the basics. Prison chic with some extras. Like weapons. And workout equipment. And books. Dude likes what dude likes, I guess. I grab a notebook and pen and tear out a page, scrawl a note and leave it on Liz’s door in case she’s here and…I don’t fucking know. Maybe she’s with Reaper.

Maybe she’s with Dante. Or she’s just walked off into the morning.

No, that’s one thing she wouldn’t do. Just go off. And my heart clenches in my chest because some worst case scenarios are in my head and won’t go away.

I text Reaper Peabody , and add the word Angel? He’ll get both references. The first tells him not to come in here until further notice.

The second? If anyone can find her, it’ll be him. It needs to be him because if the Council gets their hands on her and tries to register her even with our mark—it’s the Council, who knows with them? Our protection should be enough—then they won’t put her on any system until she’s way out of reach.

Though their version of out of reach and ours are two different things.

Still, last thing I want is her in their clutches.

And it would have to be the Council. They’re powerful, more so than law and order. They’re an arm of government and they can cross lines where the ones in blue can’t.

I’m getting ahead of myself.

I go back and quietly go into Dante’s domain. His office is empty. We both keep our offices clean and any info locked away when we’re not down here. It means we can vanish our activities in second, like taking a breath. But I’m not here for his office, I’m here for his personal space.

He’s a stubborn motherfucker, one whose proclivity for denial takes him all the way into the stratosphere, especially when it comes to certain dark-haired beauties, but he might have her in his bed.

I push open his bedroom door. The dark colors are strong with him, but I don’t see Angel.

More importantly, like with Reaper’s room, I don’t smell her. In fact, apart from the faint scent embedded in her room, I don’t smell her here at all.

Which is fucking odd.

My heart clenches again and with that sensation, coldness spreads, rising up the back of my neck, like fear for her.

Liz should be here. End of fucking story. Not traipsing away somewhere, or off with Reaper. And she isn’t. She was here, he was out, and…and I heard her singing. I think a man would give anything to keep hearing her voice when she sings.

Maybe I just imagined it, or maybe it was more that I could feel it, since there’s soundproofing. But she was here, so how can she?—

I stop, looking down, then up.

Would fucking Dante shove her in one of the safe rooms?

Fuck, I don’t know. But I’ll find out.

I head up to the second floor, press the hidden button that effectively hides the floor below so it looks like it’s just more wall. I then go into the storeroom and grab some bottles, and head on up.

It’s overkill, what I did, but I prefer that to being caught with our dicks out.

I shove the door open, and carry the bottles out, putting them down. The look Darcy shoots is all I need.

In the office, I hear Dante reaming someone out in pure Dante-style.

“You heard me,” he says. “This is private fucking property. A legit business with all the paperwork. Liquor licenses paid and up to date. On display. And I’m happy to show you our books, if you have a warrant.” He pauses. “That’s right, Trevor, they need just cause and a warrant.”

Our lawyer’s one of the top alpha lawyers in the city, possibly the east coast. He’s a criminal lawyer who’s schooled in Council ways and reach and politics.

There’s a man in a suit who’s definitely upper law enforcement, and the Council woman who looks like she’d rather be anywhere but on Unholy Trinity ground, and a boy in blue who is poking around near the stage. The little shit’s on our payroll.

He’s lucky it’s me and not Reaper.

Reaper would mark him for death. Not for coming here—chances are the cop had no say in that—but for what he’s doing, touching the dancers’ belongings, and edging out the tablet, one that Sierra uses with the girl’s numbers and schedules on it.

That, in Reaper’s eyes, is worthy of death. The girls work for us, fall under our protection and he takes that job seriously.

I stare at the cop until he feels the prick of my gaze and looks up.

He flushes brick red and turns, looking at the curtains.

Creeper asshole.

“These bottles don’t put away themselves,” Darcy says.

I go over to her. “Looking to be fired?”

Her voice drops like mine. “Maybe I’m saving your ass.”

“Or you covet my ass. What do you think? Better than Julien?” I turn slowly, showing her.

She laughs. “Hardly.”

“A word like that gets you unemployed, quick,” I say.

We start putting the bottles away. And I start chatting to her about the boring shit, inventories, what’s selling.

She answers but I can hear the concern in her voice, and as I pull out the paper version to go against the one on the device, she asks, “Reaper?”

“I don’t know. Not here. I texted but he’s smart enough to keep away.” I pause. “Liz?”

She doesn’t respond, but her mouth tightens.

“What?” I ask.

“Dante.”

“With him?”

“No idea. ”

But I do. I don’t hear her and since the raiding party, such as it is, hasn’t left, but hasn’t done much, it means they’re here for her and any dirt on us they can find. Good luck on the latter, but the former? If she’s in the safe room, then she’s okay.

But it’s a game of chess in the manager’s office, one that Dante’s playing very carefully.

Both sides want to see who gives up information first.

I’ve seen him do this thousands of times. For someone with a hot temper, he can be fucking carved ice, heartless.

My money’s on him.

Then a thought comes to me. We’ve been making the bite known.

Maybe they think it’s a fake or…shit. I hold that thought. The man in the suit makes a line for downstairs. Darcy moves to block his way as do I.

“I think,” I say, as pleasantly as I can, “that you need a warrant to go any further.”

“It might help if you cooperate,” the man I dub Goon says.

I smile broadly. “It might help if you have just cause. Move.”

“Oh, fucking show him, Knight,” Dante says.

I sigh, leading the way. The only thing back there, apart from the storeroom, is the security room with the monitors showing the store room, the bars, the floors, the front of house, and outside. I see Julien give up his post of keeping the invaders upstairs away from anything, and he goes back to what he was doing, which was setting up for tonight. The bartender, Mason, doesn’t turn from his inventory and Dante herds the others to the foyer.

“Your friends are going,” Goon says.

He reaches out to touch one of the monitors but I slap his hand away. “Don’t, you’ll turn it off and this system’s touchy. She’s frigid, doesn’t like men playing with her. Goes cold and plays dead when they do. ”

Goon frowns.

“You’ll fuck it up and it’ll take me half the day figuring out how to turn it on. We need it working in case there’s trouble.” I pause. “You know. Bar trouble? A patron acting out? You have been out for a drink, right?”

He grunts.

I take that as a yes.

“So let’s not cause any issues by knocking out the feeds,” I say.

I march him out and the tall woman, an alpha, gives the place a visual once over.

She’s older, beautiful, with ice blonde hair and the kind of regal expression that can castrate a man at twenty paces.

The woman turns to Dante.

“Dante?” Her nose wrinkles as she says his name. She clearly doesn’t hold with the old school adoption of a one name moniker for pack members.

There’s a familiar air about her, but I can’t place it. She’s on some kind of blockers, something sophisticated because there’s not even a whiff of scent about her, and usually she’d give off something, even if it was subtle.

“You’re busy. I won’t keep you.” He meets her gaze. “We’re busy, too.”

Did he just use his voice? On another alpha?

“We’ll be in touch, Dante,” she says. “Soon.”

He nods to Julien who opens the door. “Only if it’s on neutral ground, in court, or at your grave. If it’s here, you’ll need an invitation or a warrant, and this doesn’t seem your kind of place, Councilwoman.”

“President.”

“Candice,” he says.

She looks around. “Where’s the third?”

He just raises a brow.

“The third,” the Councilwoman, Candice, says. “You’re the Unholy Trinity. It’s in the name. ”

“Goodbye,” he bites out. The merest hint of his alpha voice infusing the words. A little stronger. I pick it up for sure, and only because I know him. But yeah, it’s just so she obeys, not enough for her to notice. “Our lawyer will be filing an official complaint.”

That’s the interesting thing we three have in common.

We rarely use the voice.

I would use it in sex games a little, before I found it didn’t make it as fun anymore.

I don’t think Reaper uses it. And Dante?

He’ll do what it takes for the results he wants. The voice can bring attention when it’s used full force.

This subtle use of it is pure and unadulterated control.

Candice nods, a small frown forming, like she’s suddenly got things to do. “You do that.” She turns and sweeps out, her entourage following.

The moment they’re gone, Julien locks the doors.

Dante motions around the place and everyone starts searching in case a bug was planted.

But we come up clean.

“Didn’t think they had enough time. This wasn’t planned. It felt…desperate,” Dante says.

“You need me, Dante?” Trevor, our lawyer, asks.

“No, have whatever you want, on the house. You did good.”

“Yeah, well, no warrant means they were looking for information, getting a lay of the land. Of you. This girl, why do they want her?” Trevor wants to know.

“To marry her off.” Dante pauses. “Actually, stay for a few drinks. I have some things to run past you. Client-lawyer privilege.”

Darcy turns in a circle. “We’ve lost money today. We had to shut down all illegal operations. I don’t think we should open tonight, not downstairs. Keep it up here, small crowd. ”

It’s going to cost us more but she’s right, and honestly, at this moment, I don’t care.

Dante’s gaze hits her. “We can use the time to set Lizette up right for her act.” He turns. “Trev?”

“I’ll take one drink.” Trevor sits, and Dante goes behind the bar, fetching a bottle and glasses and coming back to sit with the lawyer while Mason helps with putting things back.

“Get her and work out the act,” Dante says to Darcy. “There can be stripping but nothing exposed. Just a tease. Run it past me when you’re done.”

“Want to wait for Sienna?” Darcy asks.

He shrugs. “She can check it when she gets in.”

I put my hand on Dante’s shoulder before he turns his attention back to Trevor. “Where is she?”

“Safe room leading from the office on the club floor.”

I stare at him. “Jesus, that one locks on the inside automatically.”

“They all do.”

“That one, Dante,” I say, “needs a code to get out. Did you give it to her?”

“It’s in there.” The asshole doesn’t look the least bit concerned.

My hands coil tight. “Does she know?”

He pours two drinks and spins to look at me. “She can get out. You know how it works. She’s not fucking stupid and as much as you like your games, she’s not a fucking child.” He pauses as he takes me in. “She’s ours, for all intents and purposes, so I’m not putting her in there to leave her for fucking dead.”

Trevor doesn’t look. Neither does anyone else. And I glare at fucking Dante. “Just how is she ours if we don’t want to keep her, like you insist on saying?”

“And you’re sickeningly in love with her. You want to keep her.”

“And you? ”

Dante doesn’t answer. Not for a long time. He leans back, sips his drink, only the tight hold he has on the glass gives me any indication of his turmoil, whatever the fuck’s going on with him.

“Like I told you, she’s going to perform, do an act. You can help Darcy. Get Angel, and go help pick the song and outfits. Tonight, we’ll perfect the act. After that, I’m going to headline her here. Down in the club. She’ll sing, make us money, make her money, and they won’t be able to touch her. She’ll drive men crazy, knowing they can’t touch our omega.”

“And the fucking Council?” I ask.

“Do they have a leg to stand on?” he asks Trevor.

The man sighs. “It’s more a matter of what they think they can do. Even if she’s marked and you’ve essentially made a life bond with her, they can make that life fucked.”

“Even for us?”

“That’s Candice for you. She’s ruthless. If you have leverage, that changes things.” He shrugs. “That’s all I know.”

“What kind of leverage?” Dante leans forward.

Trevor clutches his drink. “Depends on the circumstances.”

I look at Dante. I don’t like the sound of that.

“So, we got nothing?” he asks. “Fucking Knight here marked her but didn’t claim her. The mark should be enough to protect her.”

“You told me they have her slated for another alpha?” Trevor asks. Dante nods. “But she’s not claimed, just marked?”

“Yeah.” Dante refills his glass. “Just marked.” He pauses. “Even marked they can take her?”

“No, but they could use that against you. And marks wear off. If she’s on their system, their radar…” Trevor takes a swallow of his drink.

“Put her in a wig to perform.” Dante glances my way. “ They got nothing. ”

“They do.” I swallow. “What if we claim her?” I rub a hand through my hair.

Dante goes still and it’s the last thing he wants, would ever want. But if it’s a way…

Trevor glances at Dante, then at me and sighs. “Normal circumstances, yes. You’d be fine. This—you—aren’t normal. I don’t know what they’ll do. Marking her might allow them to watch over their omega and use that excuse to come down on you or your business partners. Claiming her is different.”

“Can they do that?” I frown.

“You are criminals they can’t pin anything on. If you mark an omega, as in mark her again and she’s seen with you here or you claim her, then they can maybe use it. Or maybe it makes you all safe. I don’t know. We’re poking in the dark here.”

“Not if we don’t get leverage.” Safe or not safe. Know or don’t know. We need leverage like in any good operation. I run a finger along the edge of the bar. “We need to?—”

“We’ll work it out.” Dante dismisses me, turning to Trevor. “What do you know about Hover Valley?”

With that, I just fucking turn and stalk off.

“Baby? Liz?”

There’s a small whisper of sound, like a foot on the floor, and the only light is from my phone. I shine it on the intercom button. I press it and hold it down. “It’s me, Knight.”

“Knight?” Relief drenches her voice. “Where are you?”

“Outside. Are the lights on in there?”

She sighs softly, pressed up, I imagine, against the other side of the door. “Yes, but I can’t get out.”

The relief fades and fear’s a high note in her voice .

“You need to listen to me, okay?”

Silence spreads.

“The keypad my side won’t open it without you punching in a different code that only Dante has.”

“What do you mean?”

“That any code on this side needs a code your side for the door to open.”

“What? No!”

“Liz…”

She whimpers. Fuck, I went the wrong way there. “It’s okay. You can open it on your side. All you need is to put in the regular door code.”

“I don’t have one,” she snaps. “I’m sorry, I’m just…alone, scared, sore. I don’t…I don’t know what’s happening.”

Why the fuck is she sore? But one issue at a time. “You’re not alone. Look in the corner to the…right? There’s a vase with fake flowers.” This works as a temporary prison, too. But I keep that to myself. “See it?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Pick it up. There’s a barcode on it. The middle six numbers? Punch those in and then hit enter.”

I can hear her through the little intercom, the beep of numbers. And then…”

“Hit enter a second time.”

She does, the button beeping.

A few seconds later, the door hisses with the release of the lock, and I pull the heavy thing open, sweeping her in my arms. Since it’s closed off, private, I pull it shut with me inside with her, and she screams.

“No!”

“We’ve got the code, Liz. It’s all good, baby girl.”

And because I can, I kiss her into submission. Soon she’s clinging, kissing me back, and they’re the bone melting kind, the boner raising kind. Boner and bone melting with her are one and the same .

She tastes of worry and sweet Liz, of desperation and happiness.

Desperate from being alone and locked up.

Happy I’m here.

“Fuck, Liz, I love you.”

She buries her face in my chest and breathes in as I do the same thing. We’re taking each other’s scents deep, like it grounds and strengthens our bond.

I hold her for a long time as she centers herself and then she lifts her head, kissing me again, before suddenly stopping and I smell why.

Fucking Dante.

“He’s a prick,” I say, “and I know you were with him, but I really don’t care.” I amend myself, “Actually, I do care, but only because he can’t get out of his way around you.”

“I…I know you don’t. I do, and…” She swallows. “He hurt me.”

Rage sweeps me, hot and wild.

“Knight, no. It wasn’t deliberate,” Liz says, reading me perfectly. “He… The raid happened and…”

“Oh. Shit.”

He knotted and pulled out before he was down. She doesn’t have to say it. I hear it in her voice. I remember an old girlfriend of mine, who wasn’t an omega. She sounded like that. A sort of not-your-fault but bewildered and hurting sound.

That time, I felt bad. I mean, I did it. I didn’t know what I was then, but…yeah. This time, even though it wasn’t me, I hurt for her.

“Hold on.”

I pull the sofa out, turning it into a bed, and search the built-in cupboard, taking out a big, fluffy blanket and pillows and throwing them on the bed. Then I kick off my shoes. She looks at me, then bends, wincing, and takes off hers.

“Dress and panties, too. ”

“But—”

“We have everything we need and no one’s getting in. We’re alone. And don’t worry. I’m not going to have my way with you. Trust me.”

She gives me a doubtful look, but she does as I ask, and we slide under the covers. I’m dressed, she’s naked, and I pull her in against me. I put one hand on her burning stomach, the other cupping her between her legs and she spoons into me.

My touch seems to soothe her, and she goes weak.

“Oh, that feels so good.”

“I’m glad, Liz.”

She rubs her cheek against me, no idea how difficult this is, how much I want to feel her up, take it further. But she needs to heal, and this is the only way I know how.

And then she says, voice sleep heavy, “I’m in love with you, too.”

It makes everything better.

I must have passed out at some point, because I awake to sweet kisses and her on top of me. I want nothing more than to slide into her, but we need to get upstairs. “Liz, don’t be a minx.”

“I’m not. I just woke up with you everywhere. Funny, that he warned me off all of you.”

I go still. “Did I miss something?”

“No, I was just thinking of that guy who warned me the night I met you. The one who was also at the restaurant. He moves like Reaper.”

I go utterly still. “Is he blonde?”

She frowns and nods. “Yes.”

“And he moves like…like a ghost? ”

“Yes, like Reaper.”

I gently push her off me. “Fuck, Liz. Get dressed. We need to find Dante now. That’s Ghost. Ex-Unholy Trinity. Our enemy.”