“So, what now?” Rowan asks quietly. “What happens to the omegas they were abusing?”
I flinch at the word, but the longer I’m with my pack, the more I understand what was stolen from me at The Serenity Center. I’ve spoken to a therapist about my experiences, and while I’m scheduled for some more in-depth tests, she said that the return of my earliest memories is unlikely. Not only were they stripped away by force, but the little I remember of my childhood hints at a trauma my mind is happy to forget.
“They’re in new accommodation, and we’ve got some therapists on board to help them through their early days.” Jake looks at me, sympathy shining in his eyes. “The rehabilitation team is sifting through their records to see if they can locate their families. It’s not easy, and even if they’re successful, some of them may not want to go back to their old lives.”
“Because they were given away.” I rub at the ache in my chest. “Or sold. I think that’s what happened to me, because I remember a little about my father. He was in trouble with a violent alpha and had to pay off a debt. I was the only thing he had of any value.”
Kane has gone as stiff as stone under me, but he sweeps me up now, a growl vibrating in his chest. “Fuck this. She’s heard enough.” He stomps towards the door, his body curledprotectively around mine. “We’re going for a ride, and a nice, long fuck. So don’t wait up for us-.”
“We found Lily Luscious.”
“Are you fuckingdeaf?” Kane explodes, spinning around and glaring at Jake. “That bitch doesn’t exist, especially not here!”
“I agree, but Diana should know that she can’t hurt her anymore.”
“It’s okay,” I tell Kane, my hand pressed over his thumping heart. Even if I wasn’t in his arms, I’d be able to feel his rage through our bond, and it gives me the courage to say, “I need to hear this. Please, Kane. Just stay close by and I can bear anything.”
He grumbles an angry retort but presses me back against the wall like he’s shielding me from an explosion. It also smothers me in his delicious scent, and I have to blink through my haze to hear Jake. “She was also hiding in the compound, but unlike the Carrillo brothers, gave herself up without a fight. She’s claiming they were holding her hostage, and she denies that she was anything other than an unwilling partner in their slick business.”
Dex is on his feet so fast, his chair makes a screeching sound on the tile. “No one is going to believe that!”
“We don’t,” Jake says quickly, holding up a reassuring hand. “But a confession means we avoid a lengthy trial where she will no doubt spin a lot more lies.”
A frustrated groan rips from Rowan’s throat, his clenched fist bouncing off the table. “Will that witchnever fuckingdie?”
“Two minutes with me and she will,” Kane snarls. “Give me the address, Jake.”
“I’m heading there in an hour.”
The words hit me like a slap, and I shove off the wall so hard Kane stumbles back a step. “Not without me, you aren’t!” I hiss, sliding out of my alpha’s protective arms. “You’re not going anywhere near her unless I’m there, too.”
Pandemonium erupts at my declaration, the guys all shouting their objections while I cross my arms and glare at Jake. Instead of adding his protests, he jerks his head at me, and I stalk across the floor, grabbing him by the end of his tie. I’m not exactly gentle, and I watch his throat bob as he tilts his head back to look at me. “I want you to come. All of you,” he adds as the other guys scowl at him. “I’ve requested a private meeting before they transfer her to the holding facility. I thought we’d see what she has to say when the proof is right in front of her.”
“What proof?” I demand, tugging the knot on his tie. I’m obsessed with the silky material, but right now I’m tempted to swap it out for a collar, just so he remembers who he belongs to.
Instead of looking contrite, he grins into my flushed face. “That I’m crazy in love with my mate. And that we’re all part of something that she was too selfish and cruel to ever have for herself.”
I consider that for a moment, stroking my fingers over the side of his neck. “You want to flaunt our perfect pack in her face?”
“I want her to choke on it,” he replies, catching my hand and kissing the palm. “But only if it doesn’t cause you any further pain. That bitch never gets another thing from you, including your tears.”
“I won’t cry,” I promise him. “But I’m going to rain hell down on her if she looks at you the wrong way.”
Jake cocks a brow at the venom in my voice, but I can see the delighted glint in his eye. “I’ll enjoy watching you put her in her place.” His hands cup my waist, just as hot and possessive as the blood pumping in my veins. “And afterwards, I’llreallyenjoy giving you that shower you missed out on.”
“We’llenjoy,” Rowan corrects him, a challenging glint in his eyes. “I’ve still got some sticky patches to wash off.”
But Kane’s not in the mood for games, snatching his jacket off the back of a chair and jerking his head towards the door. “Let’s go bury the bitch once and for all.”
It’s an hour’s drive to the warehouse where Lily Luscious is being held. I get a vindictive pleasure from comparing the drab gray walls and rough concrete floors to the gaudy extravagance of Sultry Studios. Instead of an elaborate throne room, she’s being held in a storeroom with some kind of machine parts stacked on the shelves. She’s dressed in a plain blue jumpsuit and is sitting at a dented metal table, her hands cuffed in front of her. Without her usual flawless makeup, I can see the small scar on her temple from where I hit her with her shoe. A kinder person might not notice that her nails are chipped, and her long blonde hair is limp and unwashed, but kindness is the last thing I’m feeling as we enter the room.
Sawdust and oil hang heavy in the air, but there’s no mistaking the sour scent coming from the only other omega in the warehouse. Rowan wrinkles his nose, and I have to cough into my hand at the rotten fruit smell. Kane, however, gives a loud, vicious laugh. “I guess toxic shit really can’t be buried forever.Fuck me.”
He makes a gagging sound while Dex crosses his arms and gives Lily a look of pure loathing. “That stink isn’t going to make you very popular in jail.”
“Yeah, what’s the saying?” Rowan chimes in with a vindictive smile. “One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.I’d say you could infect a whole city block with that stench,Luscious.”
Lily narrows her eyes at them, but Jake smooths down his tie and says in a cool voice, “The attorney general is talking about solitary confinement. Twenty years in a room that’s half thesize of your closet. He’s citing safety issues given your…aroma,and he believes that anything else would be unfair to the other inmates.”
