My stomach drops at the implication of his words. "You don't think Hudson was planning to keep Luca for himself either, do you?"
Luther shakes his head grimly. "No, I don't. Hudson is cruel and sadistic, but he's also practical about profit margins. He’s a greedy bastard and didn’t know when to stop. Which means that there's a buyer out there somewhere, someone who paid good money for a specific Omega and is still waiting for their purchase to be delivered."
The thought makes my blood run cold as I stand up again and finish clearing the table. Luther might hate my restless energy but I can’t sit still. I finally have a family to protect and it feels like it’s all just slipping through my fingers. Not even my fancy ass law degree is doing jack shit to save them.
Luther just watches as I wash and dry, the silence filled with the clank of dishes and metal as I stack up the dishwasher. It’s almost calming knowing that my Alpha is watching over me, the thrumming sound of his purr starting up and filling the space. It soothes my anxiety until I can finally focus on just one thing, the shrill vibration of my phone ruining the moment.
I pull it out with a frown as I see the caller ID. "Why would Kai Vizant be calling? He told us to fuck off the last time we tried to get information about his Omega."
Luther shrugs, though I can see his shoulders tense at the mention of the other Alpha's name. Our previous conversation with Kai hadn't gone well, to put it mildly. He's been defensiveand dismissive ever since about our questions regarding Hearthstone, insisting that his pack had simply rescued a battered Omega through legitimate charitable channels.
I swipe to answer the call and put it on speaker so Luther can hear whatever Kai has to say. "Vizant."
"Can we talk?" Kai's voice comes through the phone speaker, and there's something different about his tone. The arrogance and defensiveness from our last conversation have been replaced by something that sounds almost like desperation.
"Why now?" I ask, keeping my voice neutral despite my curiosity. "You made it pretty clear that you thought we were wasting your time."
"Not on the phone," Kai says quickly. "This is a conversation to be had face to face."
Luther moves closer to where I'm standing, his expression darkening with suspicion. "Why should we believe you when you explicitly said that there was nothing wrong with Hearthstone or their operations?"
Kai cuts him off before he can tack on another question. "Luther, I know you understand what it means to protect your Omega. So I'm going to ask you, Alpha to Alpha, not to do this on the fucking phone. Pick a time and place and I will be there, but I have information you'll want that the police haven't done shit about."
Luther considers the request for a moment before he speaks. "Jenny's Café, 10 AM tomorrow morning."
"Done and done," Kai agrees immediately, the speed of his acceptance telling me that he's genuinely desperate to share whatever information he has. "I'll be there."
The line goes dead, and I look up at Luther with confusion and concern written across my face. "What do you think that's about?"
Luther runs a hand through his dark hair, messing up the usually perfect styling as he thinks through the possibilities. "I think he knows more about the battered Omegas and that donor list than he let on. The fact that he's calling right after Hudson got out is either terrible timing or suspicious as fuck."
Luther moves toward the front door again as the distinct sound of a deadbolt slides into place. The metallic click echoes through the quiet house, but then I hear another lock engaging, and then a third one that I didn't even know existed.
"What the fuck?" I ask, staring at the front door with surprise. "How many locks does this place have?"
Luther turns back to me with a grim smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "Grayson's parents were a little bit paranoid about security, which was one of many reasons they chose to live here rather than closer to the city." He tests the door handle to make sure all the locks have engaged properly. "It's proving useful for my sanity right now."
I move closer to examine the door, noting the three separate locking mechanisms that I hadn't noticed when we arrived earlier. The hardware looks professional grade, the kind of security setup that goes far beyond what most residential properties would need. It makes me wonder what Grayson's parents were afraid of, or what they might have been involved in that required this level of protection.
"There are cameras outfitted around the entire property. Double locks on all the doors and windows throughout the house, and there's another set of locks along the bedroom doors as well." He laughs at the way my nose turns up. “Grayson’s parents were… very worried about safety. Always saying that someone was coming for their baby boy. Nothing ever happened, which I’m glad for, but I’m even more glad for the safety now. If someone's getting in here, it's because they really, really wantedto," Luther says grimly, finishing his inspection of the front room security features. "Not because we didn't try to stop them."
I climb the stairs behind Luther, my mind still reeling because I can’t turn it off. "What's next then? We can't keep everyone cooped up here forever, no matter how secure this place is."
Luther nods toward the last room at the end of the hallway, and I follow his gaze to see the door standing slightly ajar, soft light spilling out into the corridor. I can't help but chuckle as I see the scene that greets us when we peer into the bedroom. Grayson is stuffed onto the edge of what appears to be a hastily constructed nest, his long frame wrapped protectively around Blake's back while Blake is curled around Luca in the center. They look fucking adorable, all three of them tangled together in a pile of blankets and pillows that speaks to the instinctual need for comfort and security.
"We take it one day at a time," Luther says softly. "Luca is due in about two weeks, maybe less since he's carrying twins. We'll have to talk to Blake tomorrow about what he wants to do regarding his condition. Hudson is another problem that..." Luther starts to say, but I find myself laughing softly as I place my hand against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my palm.
"Boss," I interrupt gently, using the nickname that always makes him smile despite himself. "You're not the only one here who gets to protect this beautiful family."
Luther grumbles under his breath, but I can see the affection in his hazel-green eyes as he looks at me. "Ourbeautiful family," he corrects, his voice firm with conviction. "Maceo, they're yours too. This pack belongs to all of us equally."
A reminder I need more often than not. Luther strips and scoots in on the other side of Luca, leaving Grayson’s back just for me. I always wondered how a pack like this could work withsuch a powerful Alpha as Luther but it’s seamless the way he takes what he wants and leaves me what I need.
I settle down behind Grayson, some of the tension I've been carrying all day starting to ease as the scents of my pack surround me.
"Feeling a bit better?" Grayson asks softly, his voice barely above a whisper.
"How did you know I needed Luther?" I press a kiss to the back of his ear as I place a hand on his hip.
