Chapter 1
Chapter
One
Two days later
MARIE
“No, Tommy. I’m not moving in with you,” I sigh, looking around my apartment as I pack my shit up.
“Well what are you going to do?” he scoffs. “I’m glad you found your backbone, but you shouldn’t stay in Chicago if that doctor is burning your integrity with all the hospitals. You love nursing, what else would you do?”
“I know,” I grumble, trying to figure out how to deflect. When he makes an annoyed sound, I roll my eyes. “I’m packing up now. I’ve already applied to a bunch of jobs in Minneapolis, Tommy.”
“I still haven’t heard you tell me where you’re staying,” he growls.
“I’ll find something,” I murmur, trying to get him to drop it.
I wouldn’t have called him at all, but he makes sure to have one of the guys he used to work with check on me. He also occasionally calls me to patch up his men. If I disappeared, Tommy would lose his shit. “My unemployment benefits should be kicking in soon too.”
I had to fight at the office this morning to get them.
Nancy at the hospital decided to make things difficult and told them that I had quit.
While this is true, I was fired first. There’s nuance there, and I fully plan to fight for that money.
I have money in savings and the hospital owes me one last paycheck as well.
Hopefully, they won’t figure out a way to screw me out of that too.
Blowing out a breath, I shake my head as I grimace at my apartment. I told my landlord that I’ll have to leave most of my furniture. I don’t have room for it all in my little Honda Civic hatchback, and I don’t want to waste money on a rental moving truck.
I’m way too proud to ask for help, and that pisses off my brother to no end. I would be more likely to ask if I didn’t think that he’d hold it over my head forever.
“Marie,” Tommy complains when I’m quiet for too long.
“Right, I got this, Tommy. Promise. I’ll be in touch soon,” I mumble quickly. “Bye.”
I wish that I was on better terms with him, but he’s too judgmental for me. Cerenity told me to hit him with something heavy to reprogram him. I thought she was kidding, but apparently they’ve been pranking, beating, and fucking each other into bliss over the last nine months.
They have a really odd relationship. As long as their pack is happy, that’s all that matters.
The phone lights up with a video call and I ignore it when I see that it’s Tommy. I don’t need him to see my puffy eyes and the fact that I haven’t showered in two days.
Making a face at myself, I attack the rest of the boxes. I finish packing, tape the shit out of them, and then walk them out to the car on a collapsible cart. It’s not perfect, but I manage to get everything inside that needs to be.
“At least it’s not winter,” I mutter under my breath as I gaze up at the sky. There’s still a lot of light out, but that’ll change soon.
I don’t have a plan outside of driving to Minneapolis. It’s about a five and a half hour drive, and I plan to sleep in my car tonight. Afterward, I’ll probably begin looking for a hostel or something.
Does it count as being homeless if I technically have a perfectly good apartment that I’m ending my lease on?
Heading back inside, I skirt past my landlord while he’s not looking to avoid small talk, and sneak into my apartment. Locking up, I grab the last bag left and walk to the bathroom. I don’t know when I’ll be able to figure out another shower outside of a public one, so I take my time.
Everything gets washed, shaved, and scrubbed until I feel like a new omega.
Drying off, I decide to leave the towel and dig in the bag for moisturizer for my body and face, and then pull on a pair of leggings that make my ass look good and my favorite long sleeved shirt.
It says You missed one with the date that they burned women who had a little too much medical knowledge.
Based on my current experience, it makes me feel a little better.
Drying my hair, I braid it so it’ll stay out of my face and then pull on a pair of my favorite socks and boots.
Just because Chicago is sporting warmer weather, doesn’t mean it’ll hold once I get to Minneapolis.
I have a sweatshirt for tonight already on the passenger seat of the car.
It’ll be a miracle if I can see out of the rear window once I get going.
“Let’s go fake it till we make it,” I mutter under my breath, packing everything back up into my duffle bag.
This is the first time in my entire life that I don’t have a plan. I did everything right. I worked my ass off through school, repaid my student loans in record time, and even helped my brother with whatever bullshit situation he called me in for.
Ugh, David is really going to hate not having a nurse to call whenever he needs one. He took over for Tommy once my brother left Chicago for Cerenity, but at least he pays me for my time.
Lifting my bag to my shoulder, I leave the bathroom and check the apartment one last time. I lived here all through college, but it never really felt like home. Maybe it’s because I lived alone all this time, or the fact that I insisted on working so much that I was rarely here.
Whatever it is, I’m not sure that I’ll miss it.
Walking out the door for the last time, I lock up and see the landlord leaning against the wall. He’s overweight, smells funny, but for the most part was decent as long as I paid the rent on time.
“You’re really leaving,” he says, his hand held up for me to drop the key into it.
“Yes,” I say with a nod. “Thanks for everything.”
I hate goodbyes, which may be why after living for so long in Chicago, I have no one to really say it to. I don’t have any friends that will miss me. They’ll simply move on once I’m gone.
Truthfully, Tommy and his goons did a pretty decent job of isolating me. If I wanted to get laid, I was always cock blocked. It got to the point that I finally hired an escort service to lose my virginity at twenty-three years old. Now, I’m a regular guest at the heat clinics when I have my heat.
There’s no strings attached, it scratches the itch I have to be adored with knots and cum, and then it’s over. It’s worked well for the past seven years since I lost my virginity, but it’s beginning to feel stagnant and tired.
I want some kind of connection. It’s been almost worse since Tommy moved to Minneapolis, and he’ll occasionally suggest that I make the move. Now, I don’t know how to feel since there’s no other options for me.
Leaving the apartment building behind, I hustle to the car and get in.
Checking everything over, I grimace as I see that there’s a very small gap of visibility in my back window.
Hoping it won’t be a problem, I start the car and begin driving after I set my GPS to take me to a camping ground in Minneapolis.
As I was sitting here, it occurred to me that there’s at least toilets and water fountains there. It also means I won’t be trying to sleep on a random street. I know the world isn’t kind to omegas.
I’ve been both an emergency medicine and intensive care nurse, and found I enjoyed both. I’ve seen all kinds of awful things come through those doors, and domestic violence has been a large factor.
As I drive, I promise to never allow my brother to mistreat me again. He’s been bullying me because he’s older by eight years. While I was in college, I managed to see less of him by claiming I was busy.
After that, he somehow always knew what my schedule was. He’s got to have an asshole on his payroll that can hack into the computer system. I have no privacy, and it’s chafed for a long time.
The hours fly by until I’m on a lonely stretch of road. There’s very few cars, and the exits have miles in between them. Fuck, the worst part is that after this, I’ll be only a half hour out from my destination. Universe, I don’t need this shit!
Chewing on my bottom lip nervously, I flick my gaze up to the rearview mirror where several motorcycles come up behind me.
“Go away,” I breathe, reaching into the cupholder to make sure I have the stun gun that Cerenity sent me.
I doubt that it’ll help much if they make me crash. My anxiety is sparking harder as I watch the sun get lower in the sky.
The six motorcyclists are wearing black leather vests that aren’t helping the thumping of my heart. As one of them cruises out in front of me at seventy miles an hour, I realize that they’re surrounding me.
The vest has what appears to be an animal skull wearing goggles on its forehead and red flames exploding on either side. I’m driving in the slower lane, and they’re all around me.
My fear is bleeding away after everything that’s happened in the last couple of days, and in its wake is anger. Who the fuck do they think they are?
Leaning on the horn, I snarl as they begin to slow down, which in turn forces me to as well. Rolling down my window, I get ready to act like a crazy omega. If I’m too much trouble, they’ll leave me alone, right?
“There’s nothing here for you!” I yell. “No car trouble, no valuables, nothing. Now get out of my way!”
“Spunky, huh?” one of them yells at their friends.
“She’s kind of cute in a psycho way too,” another of his little friends snorts.
Well that backfired.
Frustrated, I roll up my window, make sure my car is locked, and try to call Tommy. Unfortunately, this stretch of road has absolutely no signal. My skin crawls as I think of how vulnerable I am right now.
My breathing is becoming reedy, but I’m still angrier than a bull elephant in rut. The fact that I’m thinking about sex has nothing to do with anything, okay?
The men force me into the shoulder, and my frown becomes more of a scowl as I stick my stun gun in the pocket of my leggings. It’s almost impossible to tell there’s a pocket, and my shirt covers it well.
Crossing my arms, I watch as they get off their large motorcycles and surround me. Everything about them is meant to intimidate. Their black t-shirts, leather or jeans that seem to strain against their thick thighs, the black out visors covering their eyes on their helmets, and grim looks.
It doesn’t get any fucking better when they take off their helmets. Some of them have bandanas over their lower faces with ghostly teeth, and I realize I might prefer the helmets. They’re all obscenely gorgeous in that way that’s above everyone.
It’s detached and cruel. I know it well because it’s a look that my brother has perfected. It says they’re above all common courtesy and the world should kiss their feet.
Well, fuck that. I’m tired of bending, scraping, and apologizing for my existence.
Maybe my self proclaimed decision to stop looking like a doormat should have taken a vacation until tomorrow, but it’s too late for that.
I have growly, asshole motorcycle club members that seem to have decided that I’m a new shiny toy. Each one knocks on the windows, shakes the car as I gasp and white knuckle the wheel, all while I glare at their catcalls.
“Go away!” I yell. “I hope you know that every annoying word out of your mouth makes you less of a man in my eyes.”
“Did she just say our cocks were small?” the brunette man standing in front of my hood asks.
Gah, of course he’d think that’s what I was saying.
“I’m not above running you over,” I growl, putting the car into park and revving the engine.
A knife appears in the man’s hand that commented on my estimation of his dick size and I lose my mind. I shove the car into drive and floor it.
Don’t underestimate a girl who doesn’t have shit to lose.