Chapter Fifty-Five
Fiona
“No, we're not walking to the store.” Saoirse crossed her arms over her chest.
I rolled my eyes as I grabbed some market bags from the hook by the door. “You’re being dramatic. It’s just kids coloring on our steps.”
“It is not. Also, why didn’t you tell me you’re still feeling watched?” Her red lips curved into a frown. “I haven’t sensed anyone in days.”
“Because I’m a pretty omega, of course I’m being watched.
Come on, you’re coming with me and it’s not like I’m helpless.
Also, it’s silly to drive and parking here is shit.
Now, if I’m getting this in the oven in time for dinner, we need to go shopping.
” I gave her a look. “Did the security cameras show anything?”
While I understood safety, I was not in the mood for paranoia. Facts or it didn’t happen.
“It’s not children or city workers, but I couldn’t make out who it was,” she replied.
“Okay, are we still on the radar for anything other than being Pack Himbo?” I prodded.
She shook her head and sighed. “Fine, we can walk.”
The door opened. Carlos walked in and gave me a kiss. “Mi Reina! Where are you off to on this fine day?”
“We’re going to walk to the store to buy everything I need to make dinner. Would you like to accompany us?” I asked. There. Safety in numbers.
Carlos hung up his backpack and kissed the back of my hand. “It would be my pleasure. Has Hale called or texted you? I haven’t heard from him since this morning?”
“He hasn’t answered my texts. But he did say his phone was acting up.” I should order him a new one.
I also wasn’t getting anything through the bond. He was on the train, or on the way to the train, and just fine.
Carlos took my bags and the three of us set off down the street. Saoirse had washed the chalk off the stairs again.
He paused in front of the market. “If we walk a couple more blocks there’s another store.”
“But I really like this one and I want dinner to be special. I’m going to make roast chicken, since he keeps talking about it. He should know that we really care about him,” I replied as we entered the high-end organic market.
“I’m not sure he needs overpriced chicken to know that,” he said as he followed me straight to the butcher’s case.
“It’s not like we’re going to shop here all the time. I just really like the quality of their meat,” I replied as I let the butcher know what chickens I wanted. Two should be enough for the five of us. The guys ate a lot.
We got chicken along with fresh herbs, potatoes, carrots, and gravy mix because I never had figured out how to make gravy from anything other than a mix, and some rolls.
I grabbed a couple of other things, then we headed home.
Saoirse was on high alert, but even I felt like someone might be following us.
“Wait.” She pulled us between two buildings, putting herself in front of us. Somebody walked by and she jumped on them.
“You can’t just jump on people.” I ran after her, Carlos following.
“Raelynn?” Carlos frowned as he stared at the woman on the ground.
Oh, it was his ex. Should have seen that one coming.
“She was the one who did the chalk. I couldn’t see your face, but I recognized the coat,” she replied. “Why are you following us?”
Raelynn struggled under Saoirse’s grasp. “What are you talking about? It’s a big city. Let me go.”
“Liar,” Saoirse replied.
“Are you following my pack?” Carlos made a face.
“I just want to understand what’s so good about them. Maybe scare you a little. I can’t believe you packed up without me.” She pouted.
Her? Pack up with him? Never. I snorted in disbelief.
Carlos shook his head. “I never led you to believe that packing up with me was an option. Yeah, we dated, then we were friends, and we hooked up a little, but it was never anything serious. You didn’t even want a pack.”
People were watching us.
I think she’d spent the last few months realizing what she lost, and him packing up meant she’d never have a chance to get it back.
Saoirse let her up. “Stop following my pack or I will alert the authorities and file the appropriate paperwork.”
“You need to leave us alone, Rae. We broke up years ago, and we stopped being friends months ago.” Carlos looked tired.
“I don’t understand. What do they have that I don’t?” She looked me up and down.
My fists clenched. Yeah, I wasn’t even going to go there.
“Leave us alone before I call the police.” Saoirse’s voice went low with warning.
“Fine,” Raelynn huffed and left.
Carlos hugged me. “Well, that solved that. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. Exes be exing.” I hugged him back. It could be so much worse than her following us around. I didn’t understand the chalk but whatever. Maybe she was trying to remember what place was ours.
When we returned home, I went straight to the kitchen.
Once I got the chicken in the oven, I sat down at my laptop and started doing more research on places we could rent for Hale.
I’ve already found some co-working labs and started getting some quotes, but I was also trying to figure out who I might know.
Me
Does anyone have connections with an independent lab? My mate needs to do his research for his university with supervision, but going back-and-forth from New York is too far. Thoughts?
Timotheé
That is beyond my scope of information.
Arya
What if you build him one?
Dom
Can you build a lab in your house in New York City? I feel like drug enforcement might take issue. Also, she said supervision.
Arya
Scientists can be kidnapped and made to supervise.
Me
True.
Dom
You need to stop reading kidnapping and stalker books. That’s not romance, that’s a felony.
Timotheé
Like none of us have ever committed a felony.
Dom
Exactly. I live it. I don't want to read it.
I kept checking my phone. Because I still hadn’t heard from Hale. Not even an I’m on the train text. Worry pooled in my belly.
Still, I continued making dinner, hoping Hale would walk through the door at any moment. Right now, I was mashing the potatoes.
Carlos wrapped his arms around me from behind. “That smells delicious. Is it ready?”
“Almost, but he’s not here. According to the tickets he bought, he should be home by now.” I still couldn’t feel anything.
“Oh.” He looked at his phone and frowned. “He hasn’t texted. Maybe the train is late?”
I shook my head as I added more milk. “No. I checked. He hasn’t answered my texts or calls.”
“Okay. Maybe he took a later train and didn’t tell us because his phone is broken? I don’t get the sense he’s in trouble. Or sad or angry.”
“Same. Still, I’m worried. Do you track Hale on your phone? I don’t have any tracking apps on my phone because Saoirse is paranoid. Though she can track my phone in an emergency. It is ultra-super encrypted.” I put a whole bunch of butter in the pot and mashed some more.
“Maybe we should get you two phones? Or simply one of those little tracker things that overzealous alphas buy their omegas? I think there are under the skin ones that you can tattoo over to help keep them from being detected,” he offered as he fiddled on his phone.
Well, that was a random bit of information I didn’t expect him to have. But it was a thing.
“If it makes you feel better to put a tracker in me and tattoo over it, I’m fine with that. But what about Hale’s location?” I couldn’t push away the sense that something wasn’t right.
“We should set up a Location Finder group. Oh, Saoirse probably has an encrypted phone too?” he asked.
“She has a normal one and her special phone. But I lose phones, which is why I only have one,” I explained.
“That’s fair.” He nodded as he got on his phone. “I’ll start setting it up. But he’ll have to accept.”
So that was a no.
“That smells wonderful, what time is supper?” Saoirse asked.
“Hale’s not home yet.” I froze, potato masher in hand and something dawned on me.
“Oh. Perhaps the train was delayed?” she asked.
I turned to face her. “I can’t get a hold of him.
He ran, didn’t he? He’s not coming home.
It makes sense. I freaked him out the other day, talking about kids.
His parents were mean. Things aren’t working out with his research.
Hale’s spiraling again and thinking we’re better off without him. Which we’re not.”
Her arms wrapped around me. “No. Perhaps he needs time to think. Which is perfectly understandable. But he didn’t run. He might just need a day or two to process everything. I’m sure there’s an explanation.”
“His phone is having issues. But it is weird that we haven’t heard from him since this morning,” Carlos replied.
“Do you think someone took him?” Dusty joined us, plopping down at the breakfast bar. “What? You were worried about the chalk on the stoop and people being watched.”
“That was Raelynn. I’m sure she didn’t kidnap Hale.” Carlos’ frown deepened.
“Are you sure?” I asked. If that bitch laid one hand on my alpha…
“We saw her this afternoon, remember? Also, he’s in Research Circle. I’m not sure she knows where that is.” Carlos was on his phone.
“It’s worth calling her to make sure. But…” Dusty looked at Saoirse. “Could they kidnap him as part of the challenge arrow? Like, You offed my husband, I steal yours?”
“Dusty, that isn’t real.” Saoirse shook her head.
“But what if someone thinks it’s a thing? That’s really all you need.” Dusty asked.
I abandoned the potatoes and joined them. “What challenge arrow?”
“The one from the charity game,” Dusty explained. “In this popular assassin video game you can challenge an assassin with an arrow when you think they did the wrong thing.”
“I have never heard of that. Wait, do you think Hale was kidnapped? Because of us?” I sucked in a breath. Oh, shit.
“It was children who shot the arrow. They found them. I checked,” Saoirse added. “But, I will make some calls, in case our weeping widow is smarter than she appears.” Giving me a squeeze she left the room.
“I’ll call Raelynn.” Dusty picked up his phone and left the room.
I turned to Carlos. “You don’t think he’s been kidnapped, do you?”