28. Lily
Lily
The Haven’s lights pierce through the darkness as the cab pulls up. My hands shake as I hand over the cash. My heart’s pounding so hard I can barely breathe.
And then I see them.
Three figures burst through the doors, their scents hitting me before I can even make out their faces in the dark. Leo’s warm vanilla-wood, Alaric’s deep sandalwood and bourbon, Raph’s rugged cedar and musk. The familiar blend crashes over me, and my throat tightens with emotion.
Home.
“Lily!” Leo’s voice breaks on my name.
My legs give out. I don’t know who catches me first. Maybe all of them. But suddenly I’m surrounded by warmth, strength and safety. The tears I swore I wouldn’t shed break free, spilling down my cheeks unchecked.
“I’ve got you, princess.” That’s Raph, his fingers threading through my hair.
“You’re safe now.” Alaric, his thumb gentle on my bruised cheek.
“We’re never letting you go again.” Leo, his arms tight around me like a shield from the world.
I breathe them in, letting their scents wash away the lingering taint of Damian’s touch. My fingers clutch at their shirts, needing to anchor myself in reality.
“I was so scared,” I whisper into their chests. “I thought… I thought…”
“Shh.” Leo presses his lips to my temple. “You’re home now.”
“Let me see,” Alaric murmurs, tilting my face to examine the bruises. A growl rumbles through all three of them.
“I’ll kill him,” Raph snarls. “I swear to god—”
“We should get you inside,” Alaric cuts in. But his voice shakes with barely contained rage. “You need rest, and—”
“No” I grab their arms as they try to move me. “Please, just… just hold me for a minute? I need…” My voice cracks. “I need to know this is real.”
They tighten their hold instantly. Leo’s chest warm against my back, Alaric and Raph bracketing my sides. Their heartbeats surround me, strong and steady, while the cool mountain air drifts over my face.
“We’re here, princess,” Alaric murmurs.
“We’ve got you, baby,” from Raph.
“Always,” Leo promises into my hair.
I don’t know how long we stand there, tangled together in the Haven’s driveway. Long enough for my tears to slow. Long enough for my breathing to sync with theirs.
When we finally move inside, they won’t let go of me—not that I want them to.
We end up on the huge couch in Raph’s office, me curled in their protective circle.
Raph wraps a blanket around my shoulders while Leo brings me tea.
Alaric just holds my hand, his thumb tracing gentle patterns on my skin.
“What happened?” Raph asks softly. “How did you escape?”
The concern in his voice makes my eyes burn with fresh tears. I clutch my tea tighter, letting the warmth seep into my trembling fingers. “I…” My voice cracks. “I waited until he fell asleep.”
Leo’s arms tighten around me protectively. I feel his chest rise and fall against my back, trying to control his anger.
“You don’t have to tell us everything right now,” Alaric murmurs, his thumb still tracing gentle patterns on my hand.
But I need to. “He made me sleep in his bed.” I feel them all go rigid. “But he… he got careless. Left his laptop out.”
“Lily…” Raph’s voice is rough with emotion.
“I knew there had to be something in there. Something to make him stop.” The words tumble out faster now. “So I waited, and I… I used his finger to unlock it while he was sleeping.”
“That was brave” Leo breathes into my hair, and something in my chest unclenches at the pride in his voice.
“But that’s not even the craziest part.” I try to smile, but my lips tremble. “He, he found me snooping around his laptop.”
“What did he…” Leo’s voice is rough.
The memory of Damian’s crushing my throat makes me shudder. The wall cold against my back, spots dancing in my vision. A small sound escapes me before I can stop it.
My Alphas respond instantly. Leo’s arms band tighter around my waist, his heart rumbling through his chest into my back.
Alaric presses against my side, his free hand coming up to stroke my hair.
Raph shifts closer, cradling my face in his palms, his thumbs gentle on my cheeks as he searches my eyes.
Their combined scent wraps around me, chasing away the thought of Damian’s touch. Safe. I’m safe.
“I got away,” I continue. “I… I had to take a huge risk, but—”
“We’re just grateful you’re home.” Alaric says firmly, seeing me struggle.
“We should have protected you better,” Leo murmurs into my hair.
“You did your best.” I lean back into their warmth. “And I… I protected myself. I’m not that weak little Omega anymore.”
My phone buzzes. I’ve unblocked the number, knowing this was coming.
Damian’s name flashes on the screen.
I straighten my spine, feeling strength flow through me.
The terrified Omega who left here is gone. In her place is someone who brought down her tormentor with nothing but her wits.
***
My Alphas tense around me. “Let me handle this,” I say, determined.
They exchange looks, their protective instincts clashing with trust. But something in my expression must convince them.
“You’re sure?” Alaric asks.
I nod and put the phone on speaker.
“Well, well.” Damian’s voice fills the room. “Safe and sound at the Haven, I presume? All cuddled up with your precious Alphas?”
Leo’s chest rumbles against my back, but I place a calming hand on his thigh.
“Must feel so good, right?” Damian continues, his tone dripping with mockery. “Their arms around you, their scents making you feel all warm and protected. Just like you used to feel with me. Before you got… rebellious.”
“What do you want?” My voice comes out steel-strong.
He laughs, the sound sharp and cruel. “Oh, sweetheart. I just wanted to point out your little mistake.”
Raph’s fingers dig into my shoulder, and I feel Leo’s heart rate spike against my back.
“You see, I agreed so quickly because you got greedy. Three million? Really?” His tone sharpens to a knife’s edge. “That’s a significant amount. And I transferred it from one of the McCoy’s trust accounts.” He pauses, letting the words sink in. “So what do you think will happen now?”
I say nothing.
“If you ever want to report me, you’ll be explaining to the police why that money landed in your account.”
The air in the room shifts as my Alphas exchange glances. Their scents spike with worry.
“Your silence speaks volumes, precious.” Damian’s voice oozes satisfaction.
“So here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to keep doing whatever I want.
You’ll never know when I’m watching, when I might decide to…
pay you a visit. And there’s nothing you can do about it, because now?
” He chuckles. “Now you’re just as guilty as I am. ”
A commotion in the background makes him pause. Then, the unmistakable sound of a door being broken down.
“FBI! Hands where we can see them!”
“What—” Damian’s voice rises in panic. “What did you do? You stupid bitch, you’ll go down with me—”
“Goodbye, Damian,” I cut him off, ending the call.
***
My Alphas’ scents swirl with anxiety.
“Lily,” Raph’s voice is tight. “What did he mean about transferring $3 million to your account? You have that money? You If the FBI traces that transfer—”
“They won’t find it in my account,” I reply, a laugh bubbling up in my chest.
Leo’s arms tighten around me. “What do you mean?”
The laugh breaks free as relief, triumph, and freedom all swirl together within me. “Remember that account he transferred the money to? It’s actually his. One he let me use years ago for shopping. Of course he wouldn’t recognize his own account number. He has dozens.”
Understanding dawns in Alaric’s eyes. “He just transferred company funds to his personal account.”
“But how did you know he’d use company money?” Raph asks, his brow furrowed. “If he’d used his personal funds—”
“I know Damian,” I interrupt, letting my head rest back against Leo’s chest. “He’s too arrogant and thinks he’s smarter than everyone else. I knew he’d try to screw me over, and this was the only way he’d think to do it.”
“Let me start from the beginning,” I say, catching their confused expressions.
And so I do, step by step, watching their faces change as the story unfolds.
When I get to the part about him catching me in the bathroom, about his hands crushing my throat, my voice trembles despite my best efforts. Their scents flood with protective rage. Leo hugs me closer while Alaric’s fingers lace through mine.
“So I had to think fast,” I continue, leaning into their warmth. I turn to Raph, whose eyes haven’t left my face. “I remembered what you said about illegal transfers from his company accounts. And I knew he traveled to the Canary Islands a lot, so…”
“So you knew what to look for and found proof of the transfers right before he caught you.” Leo interrupts, his chest rumbling against my back.
“No.” I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. “It was complete bullshit. I didn’t have time to find any real evidence. But I was pretty sure he wouldn’t know his own account numbers by heart. Well, ninety percent sure…”
“Jesus, Lily.” Alaric’s voice is rough. “If he had known you were bluffing—”
“But he didn’t,” I interrupt, feeling giddy with the memory. “You know what they say. The guilty are always looking over their shoulders. I just had to sound convincing enough.” I smirk. “Guess all those poker nights with you guys really paid off.”
“And the FBI?” Leo asks.
“I gave an anonymous call to the IRS as soon as I got off the phone with Raph. Gave them Damian’s account number and told them about a suspicious transfer I’d witnessed.
Three million dollars of McCoy trust money, moved to a personal account.
” I shake my head. “I’m honestly surprised the FBI took this long to show up. ”
“Damn girl” Raph whistles, impressed, his eyes dancing with pride.
“And now that they’re investigating this transfer, they’ll audit everything. The whole trust.” My smile turns savage. “With all the other fraudulent transfers they’ll find? He’ll be lucky if he sees daylight before he’s a hundred and six.”
“Holy shit,” Leo breathes against my hair.
Alaric pulls me closer, pressing his lips to my temple. “You brilliant, incredible woman.”
“Mmm, your brains make you even sexier,” Raph purrs, his arm sliding around my waist.
“This calls for a celebration,” Leo declares, his scent warming with pride.
“First,” Alaric says softly, his thumb brushing over the bruise on my cheek with infinite gentleness, “let’s take care of this.”
I melt into their touch as they tend to me. Raph’s fingers card through my hair while Leo fetches an ice pack and Alaric examines my throat with gentle hands.
Ouch.
A sudden ache starts in my womb.
My Heat is coming.