Carlisle twirls the keys with unnecessary flair. "We need to show up in style. We need to look like we can afford you."
The leather interior smells like money, and I run my hands over the seats with the kind of reverence usually reserved for religious artifacts or really good weapons.
"I want one," I announce. "In red."
"That can be arranged," Carlisle purrs.
"Murder first, luxury cars later," Felix reminds me, but he's running his fingers along the dashboard with the same appreciation.
"You've all got your positions?" Bane asks, shifting into mission mode. "We'll be right behind you at all times. You're never alone, understand? Archer and I will be security, Elias and Carlisle are posing as buyers."
"Roger that," Felix says with zero inflection, even though I can tell he's absolutely making fun of Bane. Something that goes over the burly alpha's head, but not the others, judging from the way they're trying not to snicker.
"Understood, Daddy Bear," I say, leaning up on my toes to kiss his cheek.
Bane goes beet red. "What are you?—"
"Tactical kiss," I deadpan. "Very important for mission success."
Elias actually chuckles, and opens the door for me. "Be good and be safe," he whispers, leaving me with a soft kiss that takes my breath away.
The door closes and Felix starts the engine. "Ready?" he asks, looking over at me.
"More than ready," I assure him.
We start down the road, and I see the headlights of two very nondescript SUVs tailing us. Strange how that actually makes me feel safe.
Felix is silent on the drive, but I'm not as eager to break it as I probably would be under different circumstances. Tonight is our first mission out since meeting the pack. Our first foray back into the world we escaped, even if it's only temporary.
When the theater finally comes into view, my heart rate kicks up a notch.
It looks innocent enough from the outside—an old theater that's been converted into an upscale venue, all art decoarchitecture and subtle wealth. But I know better. The shadows know better. They're screaming now, recognizing this place for what it is.
Souls for sale.
"You sure about this?" Felix asks as he pulls into the valet line. "Once we're inside, we're committed."
"I've been sure since the moment they told us what this place was," I say, checking my reflection one more time. The innocent omega looking back at me is a mask, a weapon as deadly as any knife. "These bastards have been operating for too long."
Felix squeezes my hand, a silent reminder that he's here, that I'm not alone. "I know, but you can still back out," he says quietly. "No one would think less of you."
I turn to face him, letting him see the steel underneath the silk. "I'm not backing out."
The valet opens my door, and I slip into character like putting on a second skin. Demure omega, eyes downcast, movements careful and docile. Felix exits behind me, immediately taking position as my handler, protective but not possessive, professional but not familiar.
He presents our invitation to the doorman, a burly alpha who looks us over with the kind of assessment that makes my skin crawl. But the invitation Felix presents him is perfect, Carlisle's connections coming through once again, and we're waved inside.
The lobby is adorned with marble and crystal, beautiful in the way that expensive things often are. But underneath the perfume and polish, I can smell it. Fear. The lingering scent of omegas who've passed through these doors and left into yet another hell.
The shadows cluster closer, their whispers turning to snarls.
Time to hunt.
Felix's hand finds the small of my back, steadying me as we move deeper into the building. "Ready?" he murmurs, low enough that only I can hear.
I think about the weapons hidden under my dress, the plan we've rehearsed a dozen times, the pack that's infiltrating alongside us. I think about every omega who's been sold in this place, every life destroyed, every horror perpetrated.
"Let's burn this fucking place to the ground," I whisper back.
