Chapter 12 #2
“You weren’t. I ran into one of my men outside,” he says. “He said it was the least he could give and still make it look good. They needed to play along because this piece of shit was acting crazier than usual.”
“He shot someone,” I remember, chewing on my lip. “The guard refused to pin me down so Dylan could rape me.”
“Fucker,” Raynard mutters, gazing at Dylan with disgust. “He shot Idris. That’s who met me in the hallway. Idris is fine, used his belt as a tourniquet and kept it moving. He’s a good man.”
“Wow,” I whisper.
“I am deeply sorry that Dylan had treated you so badly. I’m sure Gareth and his brothers plan to ensure he never has a chance to do this to anyone again,” he says.
“You can speak plainly with her,” Gareth says, shooting someone. “Did he not realize I was right here? Idiot.”
Everyone around me is crazy.
Raynard raises his brow before shrugging.
“I suppose patricide isn’t particularly horrific when you’ve just been kidnapped,” he decides.
“Make a statement, Gareth, while still leaving me enough of a body to return home with. I need everyone to know that your rule won’t be bucked.
There will be no discussion that disproves you and your brothers are the new bosses. ”
“You’re okay with all of this?” I ask.
“Oh yeah,” Raynard says, nodding. “Having a loose cannon for a crime boss is bad for business.”
“All clear!” Maddox yells.
Raynard rises to his feet easily, motioning for someone to help him pick Dylan up.
“You have a murder basement, son?” he asks nonchalantly as a couple of men lift Dylan.
“Our woods are a bit full at the moment,” Gareth chuckles, helping me up as he stands.
My legs are shaky from the adrenaline crash I’m now experiencing, and I’m getting over the sedative’s effect quickly.
“Maddox has a warehouse that will work for this. He bought it just in case we had to get our hands dirty.”
“Sounds like you were never planning to keep your noses clean,” Raynard chuckles, nodding as the rest of the Behan clan surrounds us. “Everyone good?”
“Yeah,” Aled says. “We didn’t lose anyone either, though there are a few injuries.”
“We’ll get everyone patched up,” Raynard shrugs. “Let’s get out of here before we get policemen sniffing around, yeah?”
Gareth carefully picks me up without thought as my legs buckle, and Raynard gazes hard at me.
“You’re tougher than you think,” he says. “Take a break, Olivia. Let’s make sure we get you all something to eat too. I bet you didn’t eat at all, huh?”
My cheeks heat at how easily he speaks about my heat, and Maddox glares at his uncle.
“Was I insensitive?” Raynard asks. “This is what I get for being surrounded by people who talk about this shit without thought. I forget how to interact with normal people. Sorry, Olivia. Am I wrong, though?”
As the group begins moving toward the exit, my stomach growls. Mortified, I hide my face in Gareth’s neck.
“No, you’re not wrong,” I mumble. “I’m hungry.”
Barking interrupts whatever Raynard is about to say, and Balthazar explodes into motion.
“Hey, baby,” I croon, gasping as he jumps up to see me better. “Did you try to protect me?”
Gareth chuckles as he comes to a stop, trying to get Balthazar to calm down.
“She’s coming home with us, buddy,” he says. “We have some things to take care of first. If you’re good, you can come with us.”
Balthazar gives another very loud bark before he settles down, his baleful eyes still watching me.
“How do you feel about burgers?” Raynard continues, glancing carefully at the dog. “Does Minneapolis have anything decent around here?”
Aled nods as we begin to move toward the stairwell next and I stiffen in fear.
“What is it?” Gareth asks.
“I hate tiny stairwells,” I sigh. “It’s fine, I’ll suck it up.”
“I’ve been down this one, and it’s not small,” he promises.
There’s sympathy in Raynard’s gaze as he opens the door and peers out.
“It’s good,” Raynard adds. “We’ll hurry down. We don’t want to get caught in the elevator by the cops.”
Nodding, I take a breath and squeeze my eyes shut as Gareth bursts into motion. Holding me tightly, he jogs down the stairs, and Aled joins the conversation to distract me.
“There’s a place down the road that has a drive-thru. They have burgers and milkshakes,” he says.
I can hear the click of Balthy’s nails as he moves down the stairs beside me, and I focus on that.
“I love milkshakes,” I mumble, forcing myself to breathe in Gareth’s scent to keep me centered. Ugh, I really fucking hate the way stairwells smell too.
It doesn’t matter how new, they smell musty. It brings too many memories of sleeping in them with Cerenity when she was little. No wonder she needs order in her life. Fuck.
“Do you have a favorite kind?” Maddox asks, making me open my eyes.
My lips press together to hide my smile as I realize they’re all trying to distract me now.
“I love an Oreo milkshake, but sometimes a peanut butter paradise will hit the spot too,” I murmur.
My arms wrap tighter around Gareth’s neck as I’m jostled by his steps, and the stairwell echoes with the sounds of so many people moving.
“My daughter and I have a lot of great memories surrounding milkshakes.”
“You boys really fucked the pooch here, didn’t you?” Reynard whistles softly. “Not for nothing, but you have people who miss you, right, Olivia?”
“I do,” I say, sighing as we escape the stairwell into a back alley.
“Our car is this way,” Gareth says.
“Send me the address,” Reynard says. “And feed your omega!”
Reynard mutters to himself as his men follow behind him, and Dylan is beginning to show signs of waking up.
“I saw,” Maddox murmurs. “They’ll take care of Dad. Reynard is worried about the family now that you’re safe. It’s just his way.”
“Cian won’t start a war in my name unless he has a reason,” I say. “I may need to go see my family soon. A call isn’t going to cut it.”
The alphas around me growl in complaint, while Gareth rolls his eyes as we reach the car. Unlocking the trunk with the key fob, he whistles for Balthy to jump in. Shaking his head, the dog refuses as he whines, watching me.
“Do you need snuggles too?” I chuckle. Balthy barks, making Gareth groan as he climbs into the trunk with me. The dog effortlessly jumps in with us, laying his head on my stomach.
“Looks like you’re sharing custody of your dog,” Aled smirks, shutting the door.
Everyone else climbs in, and Gareth raises his brow at Balthy.
“No begging for food,” he says. “We need to feed our omega.”
Balthy huffs out an agreement, and Aled hands a bone to Gareth.
“It looks like you left this in the car at some point,” he says. “The dog deserves it.”
“Yeah, he does,” Gareth says, giving the bone to Balthy. “Don’t drool on Olivia, please.”
Politely moving so that his head is on the floor, he begins to gnaw on his bone.
“Now that some of the crazy is behind us,” Gareth drawls. “How are you?”
“Physically?” I ask, my heart still racing. “Fine. Emotionally, kind of all over, honestly. What are you going to do with Dylan?”
“Torture him for his sins,” Gareth shrugs. “You don’t need to watch, Angel. I can’t just put a bullet in him and leave it. Cai heard Dylan confess to killing my mother.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper.
“I don’t remember anything about her because he took her from me,” he says. “I need him to leave this world screaming.”
“Then that’s what you’ll do,” I say, laying my head on his chest.
Gareth hugs me tightly, and I hear him sigh heavily.
“Are you sure this won’t change how you think of us?” Maddox asks. “I mean, other than despising us, will you have an issue with what Gareth is about to do?”
“I don’t hate you,” I grumble. “I do think you’re man-children who need to use your words though.”
“I love you too,” Maddox says as he drives.
At my audible gasp, I can hear him grunt.
“It doesn’t matter how long I’ve known you for, it’s the truth.
I’ve never met anyone who can rally and fight the way that you can and still be as sweet as you are.
You’re fucking beautiful, but it’s as if you have no idea.
Up till very recently, I worried about status and saw beauty in terms of how someone dressed. You break the mold, Livy.”
“What my stunted brother is attempting to say,” Cai says, “is that you don’t have to try hard to be gorgeous. You simply are. The hoody you’re wearing right now makes me feel twelve feet tall because it’s mine.”
Aled chuckles as he glances over his shoulder at Gareth and me.
“I think we’re all emotionally stunted,” he admits. “We have a lot of mommy issues.”
“That’s an overshare,” Gareth mutters.
“I think life has a way of fucking us up,” I say. “I haven’t been the best person or mother.”
At the breath they all take to say differently, I shake my head.
“No, it’s true. I know it. My daughter and I were homeless for a large part of her life.
We stayed in hostels, she started working when she was way too young, and we were always moving.
It was a terrible experience for an omega.
Not to mention, I was plagued with voices, anxiety, and depression from my abusers. ”
“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Cai says softly, crawling from the front seat to gaze down at me. “How does our bond feel?”
“Different from theirs,” I say immediately. “It feels warm and right. I don’t even know when it happened.”
“You bit my dick like the little savage omega that you are,” he chuckles. “I thought you’d be upset with me.”
“I’m the one who bit you!” I squeal, rolling my eyes as I laugh. “I promise I’m not completely irrational when I’m not in heat or in fight or flight mode. I think I’m still really hurt.”
“I know,” he sighs. “I think you can expect foot rubs, a new nest, breakfast in bed, and whatever else I can think of.”
“You’re a suck up,” Aled accuses, winking at me.
“We’re at the drive-thru, what does everyone want?” Maddox calls out.
Glancing out the back window, I see where we are and moan.