Chapter Twenty
Lindon
I had already pretty much decided what our next step in regard to keeping Hazel would be when we picked her up for our date. But when she reached up and touched our cheeks, one at a time, and told us she wanted to do it again, I knew it couldn’t wait another day.
The bastard who “bought” her had to die. But also, she needed us to keep her safe here while that happened. We had to divide and conquer.
Out of the three of us, I was the best man for the job of extinguishing his life, and that wasn’t a flex. I hated that when it came to a straight-on murder, for that was what this would be, I was the best fit, but there we were.
My wolf wanted to stay. I agreed, but staying would keep her in danger, and that wasn’t an option. This was the best way to protect her.
I didn’t tell Hazel why I was leaving. I couldn’t.
It was best she didn’t know. Not for now.
Instead, I lied by omission. It was eating at me that we were constantly doing to her, but I didn’t see another option.
I explained that I was leaving town for work.
That was technically a truth, but it was also a lie, and I knew it.
“Be safe.”
“I promise. I will.” But also, if it came to me messing up the mission or getting hurt…I was going to go with getting the job done.
“When will you be back?”
“I don’t know.”
True’s research gave me everything I needed. I had the address. I knew about the property, who owned it, who owned the surrounding places, what the roads were like there—which were dirt, which pavement. Heck, I knew the schedule for the train in town so I didn’t get locked in there.
True stayed back researching.
Shiloh was going to protect her. We all had our roles. Mine just happened to be away from her.
One of the problems with how True got information was that sometimes it was dated.
That meant that the first thing I did was make sure I was at the right place.
It was as far away from the neighboring properties as the map said, which was great.
There were no tiny homes in between, which we’d seen in some other missions.
The place was a compound, not a fancy, rich, wealthy home kind of compound; more like the creepy ones you saw on Dateline when they were talking about cults gone wrong. Not that cults could go right.
I used some of the scent blockers from Hazel’s shop. They were designed to disguise omegas, but I was using them to disguise me. I didn’t want to be found out too soon. I observed for two days before going in. There were two omegas living there, if what they were doing could be called living.
They wore collars, and not the sexy, kinky kind of collars. These collars sent shocks through them with a click of his button. They were skinny, like how are they still standing skinny. They had been there awhile. I couldn’t imagine the horrors they’d faced.
I needed to get them out of there, but they couldn’t know I existed until after I killed him, because the odds of them freaking out on me and alerting him to my presence were great.
Usually, I fought with my claws and teeth. I didn’t like the human ways, but this time, it called for it. There was too much risk with taking my fur. He could take the fight where the omegas were and harm them in the process.
A single bullet was the better option.
I had three things to accomplish. I needed to get the omegas out, take care of him so he could do no more harm, and also make sure I got every item out that connected him to our mate.
The killing was easy. He came out to smoke. I shot him. Done.
Next came the hard part. I went inside. The omegas were there, cowering. “Tell me how to get your collars off.”
They stared at me.
“I promise you, I’m not here to hurt you,” I said. “I’m here to save my omega from him.”
That seemed to help. One told me where the key was.
I had to go back to his body to grab it, but I quickly got them off.
Ideally, I’d find the papers and destroy them, but as I was digging, I found more and more that needed to stay hidden for the safety of others, including contracts he had for omegas who were still underage that he had yet to collect, and photos that should never see the light of day. It was too much.
“Do you have any things?” I asked. “Personal items?”
One told me they had another set of clothes.
“You are free now, but this place won’t be here. I’ll make sure you have enough money to buy a lot more clothes, ones that aren’t tainted by this place. If you want, I can also find some place safe to take you.”
They agreed to accept my help and in return helped me, not with carrying, showing me where the gasoline was stored in the garage. We were burning this place to the ground after I grabbed the contracts I found.
I never gave him a reason for his death, never let him see it coming. It wasn’t out of mercy. I didn’t have time, and honestly, he didn’t deserve that.
I had no idea how best to help the omegas.
Both of them had been sold by their own families.
From what little they told me, it wouldn’t be safe to go back.
I called True, asked him to find a safe haven for them, and he did.
True rocked the research. It was out of the way, but as much as I wanted to be with Hazel, I wouldn’t be able to, not until I helped them out.
On the way, I stopped and I got them clothes and money like I promised, and food. We didn’t talk a lot. They weren’t in a state to do so. The entire time, all I could think was that this was almost my mate’s situation.
After I dropped them off at the safe house and gave the people who were running it some money to help with their expenses, I got back in the truck and called True. “It’s done. He’s gone. The omegas are where they need to be, and the evidence is ash.”
I’d killed people before, often in my fur and with my teeth.
I expected to feel bad about this one because it wasn’t a fair fight.
It was my bullet shot into an unsuspecting man.
Nothing about it was a fair fight. I didn’t feel bad at all.
He was evil and tried to hurt my mate. I didn’t regret it for a single second.
The only thing that I was feeling bad about was lying by omission to Hazel.
How could she trust me if I continued to kept secrets from her?
The truth was, she couldn’t.