“Roger that.”
“Something wrong?” Red asks after I hang up on the call and say a hasty goodbye to Callisto.
I run my fingers through my hair, stiff with gel. “The police say we need to pack up the tent.”
Her eyes flash with anger.
I reach out, requesting her hand. She might not want to leave, but I’d be grateful to have my omega inside a house once more. “If you’re done here, let’s go see what they have to say.”
Chapter thirty-six
Red
Rickon turns off the highway where a small, arrowed sign at the intersection saysLaversham Alpha Lodgings.Such a genteel-sounding name for the wretched place keeping my alpha hostage.
“I don’t think we can dodge this one,” he says, working his bottom lip through his teeth. “Roadside camping is illegal, after all.”
I nod, staring out at the twilight lavender painting the midsized landholdings. “Josef already tried to talk them out of it, right?”
“Yeah. But if the OCB can’t change their minds, I think it’s time to pack up.”
My heart twists with anguish. We’re covering so many miles each day, rushing out at dawn and getting home after dark. If I could share the driving load, maybe it would be okay, but I can’t keep asking Rickon to shoulder these burdens. Sometimes henods off during filming, and the current dark smudges under his eyes have nothing to do with makeup.
Rickon reaches over and pulls my hand onto his knee. “I didn’t have time to tell you this, but I called Calli earlier, and the Omega Center sent him their support letter. He submitted it right away, and he’s confident Zack will get a fast-tracked hearing now.”
I perk up. “Wonderful news! Should we also ask Calli about packing up the campsite?”
He shakes his head. “No. He’s working on his one-hundredth case and ran into issues today. We need to let him concentrate right now.”
A strange, jittery sensation runs through my belly. Callisto doesn’t feel the same way now, but since he once used his caseload as a reason to reject me, I’ve kinda resented his work. Now that I’ve been on the receiving end of all his efforts on my and Zack’s behalf, I can appreciate the lawyer’s work ethic. To have one hundred wins shows real dedication.
But I gotta acknowledge that’s a bit selfish of me. If I’d made an effort to understand his career in the first place, we might not be at arm’s length now. Not everyone can pivot their life for me in a heartbeat like Rickon did.
Callisto and I both have life lessons to learn, but he’s shown an inspiring persistence to keep trying.
Just like my commitment to saving Zack. “So we pack up and go back to the apartment?” I ask Rickon.
“Yeah. We just reached seventy thousand signatures, so that’s an amazing result.” He glances at me and sighs. “You’ve been all over the news, and I can’t help thinking about the traffickers coming back to look for you. If something happened to you, Red, I couldn’t . . .” My alpha chokes up.
I squeeze his hand, my throat tight too. “I’d hold out. However long it takes, I’d know you were searching for me.”
“I’d never stop,” he promises. “Never ever.” His lips quiver with suppressed emotion, and I lean across the console to rest my head on his shoulder.
He slows the car, and our headlights sweep across the OCB van, our tent, and the unwelcome police cruiser.
Josef strolls over and opens my door, his face a mask of annoyance. “I’m sorry, Red. I’ve tried every trick in the book short of declaring this the site of an official OCB investigation, but they won’t budge until you pack up.”
“Thanks for trying,” I tell him. “Don’t stress. Rickon says we should comply this time. No doubt he has new headlines in mind.” We share a conspiratorial grin.
The patrol car flips on its lights, scrolling bright red and blue across the darkening road. Just as I suspected, Rickon snaps a few photos on his phone before switching to film mode.
The police officers haul themselves out of their car and adjust their hats before swaggering over. “Is this your campsite?” one demands. His scent sweeps out, thick with animal fur and a hint of lanolin.
I stare up into his alpha face with its meaty jaw and wide cheekbones and feel an instant rush of dislike. Not for him personally, but for all alphas who use their forceful presences to get what they want.
“Yes, it is.” I draw myself up, refusing to cower. “But I’m pretty sure you know that since you’ve seen the news.” I shrug like it’s no big deal.
Rickon comes to my side, and Josef flanks me on the other, their scents staving off the police officer’s.
