41. Cross-Country
Cross-Country
Tony
Despite all the gunfire, three coyotes entered the house after I’d left the broken door open, and it provided enough distraction to get her out of there.
Her scent fills the car, and I’m high out of my mind as I drive us deep into the American Southwest. Eight hours later, her smell shifts, and she’s finally awake.
I took Matty and Fern to the airport, then we kept driving.
No airports for us. I want to get her as far away as possible.
We are in a worse spot than we were before.
I’m not only taking her away from her nest, but her bonded alphas who she wants to kill.
Things are fucked.
“I can smell that you’re awake.” I lower the air conditioning so I can hear better.
“Where did the other person go?” she says with a dry mouth. She needs water. And to walk around.
“Matty? I took her and the baby to the airport.”
I can hear her heart pick up speed. She’s still in kill mode. It beat at a strange rhythm and speed while we were in that godforsaken house. She has to kill her alphas; her inner omega demands it.
It’s not common, obviously. It’s a strange phenomenon known as Bond Annihilation.
“Where are we?”
“We’re in the middle of New Mexico.”
“Where are we going?”
“Barberie, Louisiana.”
“Oh.”
I’m taking her to the only place I know to go—home.
“We’ve been on the road for about eight hours. We have another fifteen to go.”
“You can’t—“
“I have to. I have to get you away from there.”
“Tony, my nest…”
“I know.”
The farther she gets from her nest, the worse she’ll be.
“This feeling, this feeling I have to sever the bond…I can’t think of anything else. We have to go back. It’s all I can think about.”
Her voice cracks and so does my heart. I pull off the freeway to a gas station.
“Stay here.”
I go inside and get water and muffins. I drive us out to a secluded spot, then help her out of the car. The rough, dry ground is flat for miles except the spare plateau. Sage and cacti litter the ground.
Kelya is a fucking mess. She’s still in her red ropes and white pants. Her robe is long gone. And she’s not wearing shoes.
I get a brush from my bag and comb out her hair. Her curls are so frizzy. The dry air is brutal on her skin and hair.
She still has on the handcuffs.
I’m genuinely afraid she’ll run out into the desert after the alphas, so I leave them on. After she drinks and eats, I take her out and help her relieve herself behind some sage. She stands on my shoes, and I hold her hands as she squats.
It’s not awkward between us. We’ve been through too much to find this moment strange. When we get back to the car, I drink some water myself.
“Kelya, I have those sleeping pills. Take a handful and sleep for the rest of the drive. Maybe when we get there, it won’t be so bad.”
Her hair dances in the hot breeze. Her golden eyes shimmer in the direct sun.
She looks like a raging demon. A succubus you encounter on a lone highway. She’s beautiful.
“How did you know to come?” she asks softly.
“Ash. He texted Matty. I took off by foot into the desert.”
“Were there really coyotes?”
I chuckle and bring her closer, kissing her forehead.
“They followed me in. Hollis and Noble were keeping Ash from helping you. They had him in the billiards room. The coyotes provided the distraction he needed to get away, but both he and Noble were bit in the process.” She pulls back, worried for Ash.
“They are in the hospital. Ash is fine. He lost a lot of blood, but he’s all settled now. He’s been in contact with Matty.”
“Is Noble going to die?” she asks with hopeful glee.
“Unfortunately, he’s fine.”
“Is anyone after me? The cops?”
“I don’t know. I don’t care.”
She nods.
I hand her the pills. She sighs and tosses them back, swallowing them dry.
“Kelya, I’m in love with you.”
Her handcuffed hands fall down, and she just stares at me with her amber-colored eyes hot in the sunshine. Her freckles are more clear than they’ve ever been. I want to stroke my thumb over them. Kiss them. Count them. Steal them.
“I never left. And I’ll never leave you.
You bring me so much joy. I love being near you.
Eating meals with you. Watching you be happy.
I want to share your bed and your life. I never thought I’d find someone who brought me both peace and excitement.
You’re clever and lucky. I want to be with you always. I’m pledging myself to you. Forever.”
“Tony…”
“I know. All you can think about is killing two men. It’s funny how that doesn’t deter me at all. My wild omega. Killer and thief. Notorious on several continents.”
“Take me back to them so I can finish the job.”
“No.” I shake my head. “I’m not letting you do that. You kill three alphas, I’ll never see you again.”
“But one is fine.”
“One is self defense. Ash has it all on video. That’s why I told him to find his way to us. I needed a witness.”
“Three is self defense…” she mutters unhappily.
She’s so fucking funny. I reach up and stroke the freckles on the apples of her cheeks.
“No.”
Her eyes flutter.
The pills are doing their job. I set up the backseat into the most comfortable mobile nest I can, mostly using clothes from my suitcase. She curls up amongst the items, and I watch her for a minute.
I’m never leaving her. I will solve this. I’ll make everything right. But first, I need to take care of my own business.
She’s waking up just as we pull into my driveway in Barberie. There are four cars out front. I called Henri, the pack lead, but he seemed to not believe a word I’d said. It’s dark. The Spanish moss hangs from the trees over my beautiful house.
I can do this. I sigh sharply. I can do this.
Time to evict some people.
I get out of the car and open the passenger door to the haggard omega rubbing her eyes and wearing one of my shirts.
“Come on, ma petite voleuse.“ I throw her over my shoulder with a squeak and walk her up the driveway, up the porch, and right through the unlocked front door.
It smells like Pack Boudreaux. A mix of all of them, but none of me. From the hall, Emmanuelle screams at my intrusion. I stride to the back of the house where the main great room is. The kitchen, living room, then lofted den. It has three large arched windows looking out over the blackened bayou.
In the living room, the alphas sit around together, but Emmanuelle is standing next to me.
Her long dark hair is wet, and she’s wearing some of her alpha’s clothes. Henri’s.
“What the hell are you doing here, Tony!” she shouts at me. I ignore her and look around. All my furniture is here but moved around. They have things scattered about.
“Henri was told several times I was getting my house back. Eviction has been notified. Get out of my house.”
The alphas stand up.
They know they don’t stand a chance against me. My aura may not be teeth-shattering, but it still tells these alphas I’m an alpha with a vulnerable omega, and I will defend her.
“My heat is days away! He said he talked to you about this.”
“Your heat is always days away, Emmanuelle.” I’ve heard the excuse before.
Since the alphas are up, I take Kelya to the oversized white couch and put her down. They move out of our way.
“Who is that?”
“This is my omega.”
Kelya assumes the role she’s been thrust into. She sits back, crosses her legs, and puts her hands in her lap.
“Hello.”
“Why is she wearing handcuffs? Is that blood?”
“It’s a weird kink thing we do,” she says. I roll my eyes.
“Everyone out of my house.”
“Come on, Tony, this is ridiculous. You didn’t give us any time.”
“You’ve been here almost a year! The money hit your account days ago. All of it, plus interest. Our agreement is over. Living rent-free in my house is not happening.”
“I’m calling the chief.” Henri is already on the phone with my dad.
“Pack your shit up. Now.”
The other alphas mill about. But I did my due diligence. They’ve had plenty of notice. Our agreement was notarized. Kelya has a little grin on her face, watching the drama.
It’s always more fun when it isn’t your drama.
Emmanuelle looks just as she did last time I saw her. She’s a tall Italian woman with large breasts and big pouty lips. She hangs off of Henri, who is a giant blonde alpha who has no control here. But he is on the phone with my dad. The police chief.
I turn my attention to Kelya. She looks thin and tired. I go to the fridge and find a protein shake for her. Vanilla. I kneel in front of her and put my hands on her knees.
“Drink this.”
“Hey, you can’t just go into our fridge and take our things!” Alfi tells us. I ignore him.
None of these people matter.
Having her in my house is settling me. It’s affirming that this was the right decision. I watch her face, hoping I can glimpse her opinion of it. It’s important to me that she likes it.
Kelya drinks half of the protein shake quickly.
“Your home life wasn’t much better than mine,” she says.
I look around at the chaos. All because I wanted what was mine all along.
“All these people. Why did we both surround ourselves with ridiculously rude and stupid people?” she asks then drinks the other half.
“We were fools.”
“Maybe. But I wouldn’t change anything.”
I cock my head to the side. “Why?”
“Because I met you.”
I lean in and kiss her vanilla lips.
Moments later, my dad walks into the house wearing his police uniform, flanked by several officers. He didn’t even knock.
We look alike. Or so people tell me. He’s the older version with a mustache and larger, thicker glasses. Bloodhounds often have poor vision that worsens with age.
Chief Racine.
He surveys the scene. They take in the upset and frantic Emmanuelle. The flustered Henri, and then Alfi, Jean Luc, and Harrison, who are posturing around.
Then his eyes land on Kelya and me. His face reveals what his scent confirms—distrust.
“What’s going on here?” he asks instead of greeting me.
Emmanuelle answers first. “He just broke in and demanded we leave! No notice. No call! He’s got an omega in handcuffs. I don’t know—he could have a gun or a weapon on him.”
Oh, she’s good. Kelya stiffens.
“Son.”