Chapter 2 #2
The Minneapolis Irish mafia have no idea of our existence because our image is squeaky clean. Dad’s territory is also in California, which may as well be the other side of the world for these people. We want to keep things as quiet as possible.
“She hasn’t the faintest idea of who we are to her,” I mutter. “If she’s on scent blockers, they must only work for others, because her deliciousness is out there for the world to smell.”
“Down, Cai,” Maddox sighs.
Aled hides a smile as he hunches down, his thumb rubbing his bottom lip as he thinks.
“What are you having her do right now?” he asks.
I explain that I panicked and chose the task that he bitches the most about, and he barks out a laugh.
“Let’s give her time to finish before we tell her we’re rejecting her,” he decides. “I’d prefer that I didn’t have to step in where she leaves off if she chooses to leave the company.”
“If she’s competent at her job, I’m sure we can convince her to stay,” Maddox muses. “Cai, find some dirt on her. See what she failed to tell us during her initial interview. Everyone has something.”
“Fuck,” I groan. “This feels gross.”
“Because it is, brother,” Aled says, clapping me on the shoulder.
A knock sounds on the door, and I have the immediate feeling that it’s the bagels. There’s a take out coffee shop called Brewed Awakening not far from here that’s to die for. The owner makes all of their baked goods from scratch.
“I don’t want to get up,” I pout. “My breakfast is here.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Maddox complains, standing to answer the door. “Thank you, Vera. Can you grab Cai’s laptop for me, please? I have something important that needs to be taken care of.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I watch as Maddox takes the bag of bagels from her and a tray of iced coffee. God I love that woman. I didn’t ask for it, but I seriously need some caffeine for what Maddox needs me to do.
I’m prone to food comas after eating.
“Thank you, Vera!” I call out.
“You’re very welcome,” she says. I can hear the amusement in her voice, but there’s not a twitch of it on her face. She’s a tough cookie, and that’s why she’s lasted so long as my oldest brother’s assistant.
He’s very difficult to please in any way.
Maddox closes the door immediately after he dismisses Vera, and knowing him the way I do, I know he doesn’t mean anything by it. He is merely done with the conversation.
“You’re a pain in my ass,” Maddox says, putting the bagels and coffee tray on the table in front of me.
“And yet, you’re going to drink the coffee and have a bagel,” I say knowingly, watching as he finds himself staring at the bag after pulling out an iced coffee.
“Well, they are here,” he mutters, opening the bag and helping himself to what he wants. “Do you think you can get the information I need by the end of the day?”
“What, now you’re in a hurry?” I ask. My stomach is twisting in pain at the thought of food now, but I force myself to grab an Asiago bagel. It’s perfectly loaded up with cream cheese, and I take a bite as I pull the halves apart.
Fuck, it tastes so good. Yet, I can’t enjoy it without thinking of Olivia and her doe-like blue eyes. She’s a casualty of our lifestyle and fierce loyalty to family.
There’s no room for her. She’s too pure, too weak for this life. Maybe she’ll find someone better who will adore her and give her kids. She’s not too old for that right?
The thought of her with anyone else makes my head hurt, and I rub my temples as I chew. If I’m not careful, I’ll throw myself into a migraine. My ears are already fucking ringing.
“Drink some coffee,” Aled grunts. “You look pale.”
Swallowing hard, I wince as I nod. That bite of food feels like lead as it travels down my throat, and I put it away for coffee. I’m going to fake it until I make it, ticking one more mark of loss under the guise of loyalty.
It doesn’t matter that I don’t know this woman, someone, somewhere, thought she’d be a good omega for my pack.
“Are we going to tell Gareth about her?” I ask.
“Absolutely not,” Maddox growls.
Our father adopted Gareth when he was three, and his mother died soon before Dad remarried to Aled and my mother.
Outside of my twin, my brothers all have different mothers.
Aled and Gareth are very close, and there’s not a drop of familial blood between any of us.
It’s the kind of close that means I have to sleep with ear plugs in the room next to his so that I won’t have to listen to them fuck.
Aled wasn’t kidding when he said that he was more attracted to men.
We can’t tell Gareth because he lives by a very specific moral compass. He would kidnap Olivia without a second thought and keep her. Fucking insane beta.
“Goddamnit, do you see what a mess this is now?” Aled asks.
“You’re the one who insisted that they needed an assistant,” I laugh. “The way I see it, this is your fault.”
The iced coffee goes down smoother, giving me a jolt of energy when Vera returns with my laptop. This time, I get up to take it from her, and return to my seat to get to work. Forcing myself to turn off my conscience, I begin to dive into Olivia’s past.
After just a few minutes, I can feel myself threatening to thaw, but one glance at Maddox’s thunderous features makes me rethink that. She’s a nobody, and by the end of the day, she’ll be even less than that.
“How’s it going?” he asks.
“She was in a mental institution up till three years ago,” I reply. “It appears in the records that she’s unstable as fuck.”
“Excellent,” he says. “Find it all for me.”
Aled gets comfortable and props his feet on the coffee table. “Wake me up when it’s time for me to do something. I’m not going back to my office today. If I could go home without Gareth pulling the truth out of me, I would. This is one of the more fucked up things we’ve ever done.”
“It was your idea,” I remind him absently, falling down the rabbit hole of information in Olivia’s chart.
Every word tells a story of an omega very different from the one I leaned over less than an hour ago. Something isn’t adding up.
Who are you, Olivia?
My eyes flick up to meet Maddox’s gaze and I shake my head slightly, showing that it’s a bit more complicated than we originally thought. Maddox winces, beginning to plan a contingency in case Olivia throws a tantrum over being fired.
Taking a deep breath, I go back to my work. Teulu yw popeth.
Family is everything.
OLIVIA
Not a soul has come to check on me all day. I worked through lunch because I didn’t know when I was supposed to leave, and my head hurts from taking bites of a protein bar while I work.
I’m not sure what to think of Behan Communications. I feel as if I need a redo of my first day. One where I don’t feel ostracized by my boss.
I lied this morning when I was asked what I was doing on the computer. Instead, I was pulling up the Behan Communications website to see who was who in the company. I learned that Aled Behan is my boss, but he wasn’t the one who came into the office earlier today.
That alpha didn’t smell like bergamot and spices, but instead macerated berries that I strangely wanted poured all over me. They’re obviously twins, I had a sense this was the case from my interaction with them both this morning. Regardless, Cai Behan smells fucking incredible.
The only reason I didn’t perfume was because of the strict control on my body.
Even if I did, my panties wouldn’t allow any scent to escape. They’re a form of scent dousing and shapewear contraption that came in handy today.
Finishing my last call from the list, I send that person their form through email and checkmark their name. I’m finally done.
“Olivia?”
Glancing up, I see Maddox Behan flanked by his brothers. He’s the tallest of the three with sage green eyes that give off a no bullshit attitude. I’m not sure I like the way they’re looking at me at the moment though.
I feel like a rabbit ensnared in their trap, and I don’t ever want to feel that way again.
“It’s just about five o’clock,” I say instead, my voice steady.
I stay seated because the muscles in my legs are beginning to tremble.
It’s easier to hide that when I’m hidden by the desk.
I take the time to slowly pull on my coat, as if there’s nothing wrong in the world.
“Did you need anything before I leave for the day? I finished the list you left for me.”
My gaze moves smoothly to Cai to show that I know the difference between the two of them and he swallows thickly. I don’t understand why both he and his brother react so strongly to me.
Maddox Behan walks further into the room with his brothers trailing behind him and I wait for whatever shoe is about to drop. They’re way too intense for something not to be wrong. Maddox’s nose flares as he walks, and his brows draw downward in annoyance.
“This might be a sensitive question to ask at work, but are you on any type of blockers?” he asks.
“Yes,” I reply without hesitation. “It helps me concentrate better.”
I’ve learned to lie easily over the past few years. I have no remorse over it, because it helped me keep my daughter and I alive. The old habit remains with me, and not even my scent changes anymore when I stretch or corrupt the truth.
“Thank you,” he says. “This is going to come as a surprise to you then. You are my scent match, Olivia, and I reject you.”
“You are also my scent match, and I reject you,” Cai says with no inflection. The blood drains from my body as I physically flinch, feeling as if they both just hit me.
I didn’t have any idea that they were anyone other than my bosses. Their words don’t hurt any less despite the blockers, and I can feel my eyes burning.
“And you?” I ask, forcing the strength to remain in my voice as I glance at Aled. Now I know why he acted so strangely in the parking garage.
“You are also my scent match, Olivia, and I reject you,” he says, his voice deep and sharp.
“Perfect,” I reply, surprising them. “At least you’re all united in your cowardice. I’d hate for you to be interesting. I quit, gentlemen.”
“You’re taking this so well,” Maddox laughs. “Is it perhaps the mental illness you seem to be afflicted with. What do her records say again, Cai?”
“Schizophrenia with active auditory hallucinations,” his brother replies, smirking. “Honestly, I’m a little surprised you’re so well adjusted.”
“The voices were killed quickly and judiciously a few years ago,” I state. “I never had schizophrenia, but I pretended well.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Aled asks.
“It means it’s none of your business,” I say, picking up my purse. “I’m also no longer any of your concern.”
“I think you misunderstand,” Maddox says smoothly. “My brother still needs an assistant, and you seem fairly competent.”
“My family and I will ensure that you won’t be able to get a job anywhere else,” Aled adds.
Oh well. So much for getting out of the house.
“I don’t have to work for money,” I shrug, forcing strength into my legs as I push back the rolling chair and stand. “I think your sleuthing skills leave a lot to be desired, gentlemen. Did you look into my family by chance?”
“Your daughter is Cerenity Quinn, and she owns a nightclub,” Cai says. “It would be a shame if something happened to her. Isn’t she pregnant?”
Ah, they’re thugs. That’s adorable. Stealing my spine, I get ready to act my ass off.
“I would love to see you try,” I say, not at all worried. A bubble of laughter escapes as I shake my head, and the men in front of me look at each other uncomfortably.
I’m sure they think I’m insane. Maybe I am, because I’m no longer afraid of them. Instead, I’m simply disappointed. I really thought I was going to make a difference here. Their words simply tell me that these men aren’t who I thought they were.
I’ll have to let someone know that there’s a new family attempting to move into Minneapolis.
“You should be careful who you attempt to intimidate,” I say. “Cerenity and her pack have deep roots in the Minneapolis community. If I disappear for any reason, Cian and all the families will be very unhappy.”
It’s now Maddox’s turn to pale as I pull my bag over my shoulder.
Cian is a mafia leader, and the “families” are the senior mafia leaders.
I’ve rubbed shoulders with very powerful people over the years, and I doubt that anyone of them would allow me to be scrubbed off the map without some sort of retaliation.
My heels move across the carpet as my lips curl into an arrogant smile that I don’t feel.
“Excuse me,” I say, tapping Maddox’s chest with the tips of my fingers. “I believe you’re blocking my exit.”
“The families cannot know we’re here,” he growls, making the hair on my arms rise.
“Kidnapping me will alert them faster than anything else,” I shrug. “My daughter has my location running on her phone. Good luck not having your carefully built tower fall around you. I suggest you go meet with Cian and Corbin properly as soon as possible.”
“How are you comfortable throwing out those names?” Aled asks, aghast.
“They helped me rebuild my life,” I shrug. “It’s clear it’s a life I’ll continue to live without you in it.”
“No, you won’t,” Maddox growls. “You will work for us, with docked pay.”
The words are fueled with an alpha bark, and it takes me several moments to break through it. My abductors used their bark on me so often that I’ve gained some immunity to them.
“I am stronger than your rejection and your pitiful bark. I hope your lives implode magnificently. I look forward to roasting my marshmallows over that fire. Now, move out of my way.”
The brothers part like the Red Sea, and I walk away without a backward glance. If a tear or two falls on the drive home, I refuse to judge myself too harshly for it.
Fate is a brutal bitch. I fucking hate her.