Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Silva
Iam not thrilled about the meeting I’m headed to this afternoon. Everything inside of me is screaming that I run. Something big is going to happen, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
Pulling up in front of the club, I blow out a breath as I see Isidro and his alphas standing there waiting for me. Syrus is also parked in the spot next to me, and it seems as if I’m the last to this little party.
At least Syrus won’t let these people take me away. I’m not sure what the crime would be. Are they even allowed to punish me for technically colluding with a criminal?
Ah, there it is: the guilt I always feel when I remember the price for my freedom. It’s crushing, and I have to press on my chest as the air leaves my lungs.
Fuck, I can’t fall apart. Later that’s a possibility, but not now. I have a very uncomfortable conversation to get over with.
Grabbing my phone, I send Lexi a text. Maybe I’ll feel better if I reach out. She’s my reason for everything I’ve ever done. I need to get a handle on my anxiety.
Me
I hope you had a great lunch date! Eat some cake for me.
She and Emmett have been dating for a few months now. Emmett has been head over heels for that girl for years, but Lexi only recently started seeing him as more than a best friend over the past year. The two of them have always been inseparable, but since they made things official, it’s worse.
They’ve been dancing around each other for so long, so I’m excited for them both.
Lexi
Thank you. Is it silly that I still get nervous butterflies when I’m around him?
Me
Not at all. Relax and enjoy yourself!
Lexi
Hey, Emmett mentioned there was an issue at the club. Are you okay?
Me
I’m handling it. Go have fun. Love you!
There’s a long pause as I grab my bag and hop out of the truck before my phone buzzes in my hand again.
Lexi
You know you don’t have to handle everything all of the time, right?
She’s wrong, at least about this. I don’t want her to worry.
Turning off my phone, I shove it into the back pocket of my olive green cargo pants.
I decided to dress comfortably with a cropped black long sleeved shirt underneath my jacket with my cargo pants.
There’s a stun gun in one of my many pockets, as well as a pocket knife.
Just because I’m resolved to deal with whatever these guys have to say to me, doesn’t mean I’m not willing to put up a fight if they decide to drag me away.
Yes, maybe that’s dramatic, yet it’s what my anxiety is telling me. My nerves are screaming that something bad is going to happen.
Swallowing hard, I walk over to the front door in my boots. I’m wearing a shit ton of descenting spray, as well as perfume. I do not want these alphas to know that I’m tied to them, not yet.
“Hey,” I mutter, unlocking the door.
Syrus is staring at me funny. I know it’s because he can’t smell me. I’ll have to explain this to him later. I was freaking out so badly last night, I forgot to mention to him that these alphas are both my scent matches.
He also told me that he loved me, and it meant I didn’t sleep much last night as I tossed and turned with that information. The only person I’ve ever said that to is Lexi and my parents.
The things I feel for Sy are big…I haven’t placed a label on it yet.
I love seeing him whenever possible, the butterflies bounce in my stomach every time I see him, and he’s the only person other than my sister with a key to my house.
If that isn’t trust and something resembling love, I don’t know what is.
“You look like you’re headed to see the firing squad,” Kyren says, watching me carefully as I yank open the door. “Do you really need your guard dog to handle us, Princess?”
“Silva doesn’t need me. I guarantee she has multiple ways to put you on your ass should you deserve it,” Sy grumbles, walking into the club. “I’m here because I offered to be, and because I don’t trust you three.”
“Tell me how you really feel,” Isidro chuckles, following us in.
The door slams shut behind us, and I walk into the middle of the room and grab a chair. Turning it around, I straddle it. A chair works as a weapon if necessary. I’d rather hedge my bets in my favor.
“So talk,” I grind out. “Why do you know who I am?”
“When my brother and I were working for the CIA, there was a string of disappearances we were investigating. The files belonging to you and your sister have haunted us,” Harlan says. “I never understood why there was never any progress on any of these cases.”
We were expendable. Gideon always had his people take those that no one would miss. The abused or ignored.
Pressing my lips together, I stay silent as I incline my head for him to continue.
“My team and I decided to strike out on our own. We essentially went rogue while keeping some of our past contacts that believe the system is also corrupt,” Harlan adds.
“We’ve been very successful at cracking some of the cases no one else will touch, and sometimes families will reach out and hire our security company to find their missing loved ones.
It’s how we’re able to fund our passion projects since money doesn’t grow on trees. ”
“I’m very aware it doesn’t,” I mutter. “So what are Lexi and I? A charity case? I can reassure you that we are not being sex trafficked.”
“Not currently, sure,” Kyren smirks. “You disappeared so thoroughly from the system for years. Where did you go?”
They don’t know. Relaxing slightly, I shrug. “Here mostly. We could have simply run away from our foster family. As you said, the system is corrupt. Sometimes, they give teens to people who have no business having them.”
“The Fieldings had male teens,” Harlan presses.
I give him a long, measured glance, waiting for things to click.
“Why would we run away if things were good?” I ask, rolling my eyes.
Isidro is the first to understand, and smacks Harlan over the head.
“Think, amor,” he growls.
Harlan’s eyes grow wide as he curses, and I refuse to look at Syrus. What if he thinks differently about me?
“Hey,” Syrus grunts. “Eyes on me, Spitfire.”
Blinking, I give him what he wants until he sees whatever he needs to.
“Good girl. Please continue,” he murmurs.
Kyren purses his lips as if he doesn’t like what Syrus said, but that’s too damn bad. Whatever he might think, whatever might happen next, I don’t belong to him.
I belong to myself.
“What happened in that house?” Harlan asks, swallowing hard.
Resting my arms over the top of the chair, I shrug. “Luke and Brad were lowlifes that were used to being given everything they could ever want. It never made sense to me why their parents always turned a blind eye to things.”
“Silva,” Harlan bites out. “What the fuck happened?”
“She doesn’t owe you her story,” Syrus tells him. “I can punch you all day long. Please don’t tempt me.”
I can’t help the small smile I offer him, though it’s unamused.
“I did what I had to, Harlan. The first night we were at the Fieldings, I overheard Luke say that he wanted to rape my sister. Instead, I offered myself in her place,” I explain. “There was no other choice for me.”
Syrus squats where he is, and I expect it’s to keep himself from falling. He takes a deep breath, his eyes on me the entire time, somehow focused on giving me strength.
“For how long?” Kyren asks, his good ole boy accent gone as he swallows hard. Syrus is right, it’s hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t with them.
“Roughly three years,” I say. “Lexi and I both presented as omegas, and the brothers decided they couldn’t be happy with just abusing one sister. When I found out, I made plans to run. We weren’t out for long when someone found us.”
“Who?” Isidro asks.
“Someone who knows how to make people disappear,” I rasp out. “Fuck, I need a drink.”
Standing, I walk over to the bar and reach for a bottle of whiskey. Grabbing a shot glass because I’m not planning to damage out the entire bottle, I pour out a drink and shotgun it.
“Silva, I can’t help you if you won’t give me more,” Isidro says, coming over to grab my arm.
I glare at him over my shoulder, ignoring the way he freezes as his nostrils flare. Yeah, yeah. I smell like almost nothing. It’s confusing, isn’t it, asshole.
Ugh, talking about this stuff almost puts me in the worst mood.
“I don’t need help,” I say, shrugging him off. “We got out. We have the town, and they’re not coming back for us.”
“Who?!” Kyren yells. “We’ve been looking for you for years, Silva. It’s become an obsession at this point. Harlan and his brother keep coming back to you two: the twins who got away. The least you can do is tell him everything.”
“Did I ask for your obsession? No,” I state, leaning against the bar. I ignore Isidro, knowing that I can get to my stun gun if necessary. “I’ve been the unhealthy obsession of too many alphas, and it’s frankly exhausting. I like my quiet life.”
“I can’t accept that,” Harlan grunts. “Neither will my brother. He’s going after your sister, because the best way to get answers is to divide and conquer.
Fuck, if you could only see yourself right now.
I bet if you had a gun you’d kill me dead for threatening her, huh?
I don’t know why, but that’s so damn hot. ”
“You’re disgusting,” I snarl. “You want to know, fine. There’s a man who tracks when omegas come into their designation and decides if they’ll be missed or not.
When I escaped the Fieldings with Lexi, they found us squatting in an abandoned house.
I was trying not to attract attention, but missing twins are hard not to notice.
“They broke into the house and kidnapped us, and we ended up at a mansion. This isn’t a Cinderella story, so don’t get it twisted. He—”
“You’re not going to give us names, are you?” Isidro asks.
“I can’t,” I sigh. “It violates my promise.”
“Tell us what you mean by that before I decide you’re working with a trafficker,” Harlan says. “You’re the law, Syrus. Are you not pissed off about this?”