He nods. “Not sure how much he understands, but we’re trying.” He eyes me up and down, jaw working hard. “He’s not just a client to you, is he?” He wriggles his brows, like he knows the full story.
I glare at him. “How about we stick to the topic?”
“Sure, sure.” He smirks, pleased with himself. “Since you asked so politely, Zack and I were playing basketball. Well, I was playing, and he was just drooling on it.”
I force back a smile as he paints the scene. Sounds like Zack, all right.
Al shrugs and lifts one hand. “Then he shouts and rips his shirt apart, saying his ohm was burning up.” Al levels me with a searching look. “Does he really have an omega on the outside? Is he in here because he bonded her by force?”
I suppose it won’t hurt for this man to know a little. And if he’s from Darinian, the chances of him being involved with Ray are low. I hope. Being a lawyer is always about knowing which details to bring to daylight and which ones to keep in the dark.
“Yes, Zack has a bonded omega. And a bonded alpha,” I add reluctantly.
Red, I can understand, but Rickon submitting to Zack’s bonding makes me uneasy. I’m still wrestling with that reality, though I wish I’d kept my mouth shut in front of Ricky. I was just so shocked that my best friend had a bond. Or maybe just that I hadn’t been told about it . . . or that it wasn’t my bond he took. My stomach squirms with unease.
Alhedy whistles with surprise. “A bonded omegaandan alpha? All due respect, but what psychos would want that wild beast raging in their emotions?”
He’s not wrong, but I’m not admitting it aloud ever again.
Al shakes his head. “And did the omega go into heat?”
I sigh. “Yes, but Zack doesn’t know what a heat is. I sent a message to the prison, and they claim to have delivered it, but we’re guessing it didn’t go through.”
Al grunts and shakes his head. “No one told us anything, and I’ve been with him the whole time.” He purses his lips. “Well, now the explosion makes more sense. Poor kid.” He clicks his tongue, the noise echoing in our conference room. Then his gaze narrows on me. “So, are we good now? You going to take my case?”
I hover my hand over my bag, thinking of the new client engagement forms tucked inside. Honestly, I want nothing to do with this man and his list of felonies, but right now, he’s my only reliable access to Zack. The wild alpha’s locked in solitary precisely because the prison didn’t pass on my message. All I got from the front desk was a blatant lie.
“One more question,” I say. “You know a man by the name of Ray Fibbistachi? He just got interred here.”
Alhedy shrugs and shakes his head. “Heard we had a new inmate but haven’t seen him yet. Don’t know more than that. But—” He hesitates, dragging his index finger along the table. “We know most men by handles around here, not their real names.”
Does Ray have an underworld name? “He was involved with the Laversham trafficking hub and dealing omega haze. Seems to have made a shit ton of money no one can find.” Maybe if I can discover his underworld name, we can track who’s helping him.
Alhedy studies me thoughtfully, gaze cold. “Lots of people get involved in haze dealing. It’s lucrative.”
“Like you?” I shoot back.
“Never been convicted,” he boasts with a sly smile.
I frown and drum my fingers on my bag. Maybe no one caught him, but I found plenty of hearsay floating around his records. “Mr Alhedy, it seems we’re not on the same page.” I lean forward, catching his eye. “I have no interested in helping a haze dealer improve his situation. If you rot in here or get shivved in the back by your enemies, it’s none of my business.”
He snorts. “Sure, you’re a real good boy who likes to keep his hands clean. Or at least his image.” The look he flashes my way sparks a whole new batch of guilt in my stomach, as if he recognizes a fellow criminal. “I’ll have you know anything I do with omegas is consensual. You got any idea how expensive and intrusive haze registration is?”
He scoffs under his breath and then shoots me a sly look. “But, Mr Wren, sir, you don’t have a lot of options. Every man in this prison has blood on his hands, and even if it was an accident, Zack’s drawn attention to himself now. He brushed into a lot of hot-tempered alphas in his little fritz-out, and I’m sure they’ll want to return the favor.”
Al curls his hands into fists and his upper lip peels up in a sneer. “And believe you me, it wasn’t an accident Zack got put in my room. Someone wanted one of us to take a piece out of the other. I’ve got plenty of enemies in here, so I figured it was me, but that splash of fear in your eyes tells me another story completely.” He holds my gaze, intelligence flashing in his hazel eyes.
Despite the way rough way he speaks, you don’t become a mob boss by being a dummy.
Al leans forward. “If Zack hadda come at me, I wouldn’t take it lying down. So, you tell me, who wants your boy’s neck snapped clean through, hmm? He and I will both be a lot safer if I know what we’re dealing with.” He stabs a finger down on the table foremphasis. “And I think I deserve some danger pay for this shitty business.”
“If you think you’re getting a dime out of—”
He interrupts me with a laugh. “Whoa, whoa. You lawyers have something rammed up your asses for sure. I don’t need your bucks; I just need you to get me transferred back to Darinian. That’s my price.”
I chew on my lip as I study him. My instincts tell me it’s a terrible idea to get mixed up with a crime boss of his magnitude. If he ever figures out my connections to the guys down at the Steelside Pub, he’ll have something to blackmail me with. I promised Red I’d get Zack out, and right now, Alhedy is my best chance at keeping eyes on Zack, but I can’t lock myself into a deal without knowing more.
Stifling a groan, I dig into my bag and pull out the new client papers.
