Chapter 22
Luciano
Syl: Everything is fine. Revea’s scent is perfect.
Me: How the fuck do you know that?
Syl: Because she came on me. I came, too. I need to go home and change my pants.
Syl: My bark worked. So did hers. I’d like to do that more :)
Kai: Luc, damage control.
Val stares at me. I slowly blink back.
I still can’t process Syl’s messages.
When we realised his car was gone, we tried calling him. Kaiden left a voicemail that hinged on murderous, barking at him to leave Revea alone. But he never responded.
Val and I raced to the salon, probably broke a few speed limits, and now we’re here. Reading that.
And I’m the one who needs to do damage control?
I don’t even know what I’m walking into. My head’s mashed with thoughts of Syl barking, Revea’s scent, her coming... Fucking hell.
“I need to speak to her,” I murmur to Val, already heading to the stairs.
When we arrived, Revea was busy setting up the staff on the scanner. We got a brief wave and a smile, but just as we started following Revea to her office, we got mobbed by Margret.
Then those messages came.
Now I’m taking two steps at a time, trying to figure out what the fuck I’m going to say, how I’ll fix this—
Oomph.
“Shit, sorry…” I say.
She’s against me. Her hands on my chest, those bright green eyes slowly sweeping up to mine.
“Wasn’t your fault, just bad timing.” She smiles. “We would have collided anyway.”
Fucking hell.
What the fuck was I coming here to say?
“Revea, I need you to know that if Syl did anything to make you feel uncomfortable, I’m so fucking sorry.” Her hand slides up. “W-We’ll speak to him.” Keeps sliding. “Make sure he understands…”
And it doesn’t stop until her fingertips press over my mouth, stopping my words.
“Luc,” she murmurs, and holy hell, my dick hardens. “I appreciate your concern. But we’re both adults, everything was consensual, and Sylvan was...” She smiles a little. “Perfect.”
“Oh,” I say around her fingers, no longer knowing what the fuck to do or say.
Especially when my alpha urges me to take those pretty fingers in my mouth.
“It’s just the whole barking thing. We were worried he... Once Sylvan has his mind set on something, he…”
Revea starts laughing, and that sound.
So soft and raspy, fuck. What was I saying?
All I can do is picture her making that sound when she’s pressed beneath me—
“Remember, Luciano...” Her fingers drop, and mine twitch with the need to pull them back. “His bark works, but so does mine.” Then she flutters those pretty eyes right at me, cocking her head. “Makes me wonder about your bark.”
With one perfect hand, she pats me twice over my padded vest, then descends the stairs like nothing happened.
What. The. Fuck.
I fall back against the wall, tapping my head against the concrete behind in an effort to compose my alpha and my cock. Both are ready to burst.
I drag a hand over my face, then take out my phone.
Me: No damage control needed. Whatever Syl did, we need to fucking thank him.
I slip it away rather than wait for a response because the urge to find Revea, chase her, back her into a room and bark at her—
“What happened?” Val’s at the bottom of the stairs, frowning up at me.
I practically skip my way down. “What happened? Sylvan has earned his master of seduction title and is now my fucking hero.”
“What?” The lines on his face smooth out. “She’s fine? She doesn’t… regret it?”
“Not from what I saw.” I shake my head with a short laugh. “She was flirting with me. Openly. Flashing me this sexy little smile, fingers on my mouth, asking if my bark would work too.”
“Dios mío…” Val murmurs, pulling on his lips.
“And right now, all I want to do is chase her down.”
“We need to keep busy,” Val says, but his eyes are sweeping the room.
I nod, a slow smile building. “At least till everyone has fucked off tonight.”
His gaze cuts back to me, darkening. “Why?”
I grin, but then I’m distracted by the revolving doors opening behind Val.
Two familiar figures step in, both broad-shouldered, wearing their Nexus vests like they never left.
Gary spots us first and lifts a hand as they make their way across.
“Just can’t keep away from me, can you, mate?” I smile, clasping him in a hard handshake. “Oof, arm’s gone weak.”
Gary snorts. “Mate, I’ve slept three hours in two days.”
“Even less,” Max mutters as he shakes Val’s hand before we switch.
“Kaiden fill you in on the details?” I ask.
Max nods.
Gary glances around the salon. “Yeah, but we didn’t think Nexus did this type of job?”
“We don’t,” Val replies.
The guys wait for him to say more.
He doesn’t.
“Only one of you needs to be here at a time,” Val finally continues. “No point having two exhausted alphas on the floor when a rested one will do the job better.”
Max nods immediately. “Agreed.”
Gary exhales, looking relieved. “Our omega will like that plan.”
The conversation drifts for another minute, but my attention is already wandering, my alpha restless.
Then Revea appears, smiling as she heads towards us.
My alpha immediately perks up, watching every step. She glances between Val and me, colour rising in her cheeks.
“She’s so damn gorgeous,” I murmur.
“Focus,” Val replies instantly, even though a spike of possessiveness rolls through the bond.
“You must be Gary and Max?” she says, smiling bright and beautiful. “I’m Revea Monroe, owner of Shear Instinct. Thanks for coming by before I leave for LA, really appreciate it.”
She holds out her hand.
Gary shakes it. Max follows.
And my alpha rumbles.
These guys have just had a baby with their mated omega. Chill the fuck out.
But beside me, Val’s shoulders tense, and our eyes meet for a second.
“Our alphas need to calm the fuck down.”
Val exhales slowly. “Agreed.”
Gary smiles. “Nice place you’ve got here. Our omega loves it.”
“She’s a client?” Revea’s eyes light up.
“Oh yeah, but she hasn’t been for a while. Busy with this one at home…” Without prompting, Gary pulls out his phone. “This is Bella. She’s one month old.”
Revea leans in. “Oh my god, she’s adorable. Look at that hair!” Then she calls over her shoulder. “Mags!”
We’ve found the salon’s kryptonite. Baby pictures.
After Margret joined, she squealed so loud that more people came to investigate. Gary’s now on picture ten of Baby Bellz, and he’s surrounded by every member of staff who doesn’t have a client.
“I’ll sweep the place while he’s… doing whatever this is,” Max murmurs, shaking his head as he walks off.
I’m just relieved this seems to be working out.
Val said yesterday Revea treated bringing in new staff like a goodbye.
She’s got no idea.
This just means that when we come back to the salon after her stint in LA, it won’t be for security reasons.
It’ll be for her.
I plan to make that very clear before the day’s over.