"And what if you don't find them?" I ask, voicing the fear that's been growing since the attack. "What if they're still out there, waiting for another opportunity?"
Gabriel's jaw tightens, a muscle jumping beneath his skin. "We'll find them."
"You sound very confident for someone who lost the attacker last night," I point out, immediately regretting my sharp tone when I see the flash of frustration in his eyes.
"We have leads," he says after a moment. "The blood sample, for one. And Theo's analyzing the security footage frame by frame. We'll find them," he repeats, and I wonder if he's trying to convince me or himself.
I move toward the front of the shop, needing some distance from his intensity. The morning sunlight streams through the windows, highlighting the destruction in stark detail. It feels surreal, like I'm walking through someone else's nightmare. I never imagined my little flower shop could become a crime scene, that my peaceful life could be upended so completely in the span of a few days.
"I need to call Jamie," I say suddenly, turning back to Gabriel. "He needs to know what happened, what to tell our customers." I had no clue where my phone had ended up.
Gabriel nods, pulling out his phone. "Use mine. It's secure."
I take it from him, our fingers brushing briefly. The contact is fleeting but sends an unexpected jolt through me that I quickly push aside, focusing instead on dialing Jamie's number.
He answers on the first ring. "Hello?"
"It's me, Jamie," I say, relieved to hear his voice. "I don’t know where my phone is at the moment."
"Viv!" His relief is palpable even through the phone. "Are you okay? They wouldn't tell me much, just that there was a break in at the shop.”
"I'm fine," I assure him, the familiar sound of his voice bringing unexpected tears to my eyes. "But the shop... it's bad, Jamie."
"How bad?" he asks, and I can hear him moving, probably pacing like he always does when anxious.
I look around at the devastation, struggling to put it into words. "Broken glass everywhere. Display cases destroyed. Most of the arrangements are ruined."
"Fuck," he breathes. "What about the cooler? The standing orders?"
"The cooler seems intact," I say, moving toward the back to double-check. "The standing orders should be fine, but we'll need to reschedule today's deliveries."
Jamie curses again, softer this time. "What about you? Where are you staying? Do you need me to come get you?"
I glance at Gabriel, who's watching me with that unreadable expression. "I'm... safe. Staying somewhere secure for now." I hesitate, not wanting to worry him more than necessary. "Police protection."
"Jesus, Viv," Jamie breathes. "What the hell is going on? First that Alpha bursting into the shop, then you get tackled at a funeral home, and now this? What aren't you telling me?"
I close my eyes, guilt washing over me. Jamie deserves the truth, but how much can I safely tell him over the phone…or at all.
“I don’t know how much I can tell you, and I don’t want to get you involved.” I told him, and I was going to stick to that. He didn’t need to be dragged into this mess, me being in it is enough.
"I'm already involved, Viv," Jamie says, frustration evident in his voice. "I work there too, remember? Whatever this is, it affects both of us."
I glance at Gabriel, who gives me a slight nod. Permission, I realize, to share at least some of the truth.
"It's complicated," I say, moving to a corner of the shop for a semblance of privacy. "Remember that Alpha who burst in? Jensen? Turns out he's connected to some kind of research project. Something big. And now people are looking for him—and anyone who might have information about where he is."
"And they think you know something?" Jamie asks, his voice rising in disbelief.
"They think I might," I confirm, keeping my voice low. "Even though I've told the police everything, which is basically nothing. But whoever broke in last night..." I trail off, not wanting to mention the syringe or the dead Omegas. That would only terrify him further.
"What?" Jamie presses. "Whoever broke in last night what, Viv?"
I take a deep breath. "They weren't just looking to ransack the place. They were looking for me."
The silence on the other end of the line stretches for several seconds. "Are you saying someone tried to hurt you?" Jamie's voice is tight with anger and fear.
"Yes," I admit quietly. "But I'm okay. The police got there in time."
