“You’ve seen my mom?” I ask him, and he nods. “Her first pack did that to her. I wanted… I wanted a guarantee that I would always be safe, always have a backup plan.”
He looks at me with what I would call affection as he replies. “That’s smart, Lily. Your secret is safe with me.”
“Thank you. For helping and for not telling anybody. I just…” I shake my head as I trail off.
“You just what?” he asks.
“It’s nothing. How bad is the damage?” I ask him as he logs into the site that the letter from the IRS directed us to. I have to get off the couch and lean over him slightly to put some information in. When I see the amounts, I want to scream and cry all over again, but I hold it together.
It doesn’t hurt when Cash’s strong hand rubs up and down my back. “Just breathe. Do you have enough to cover it? Do you need help?” he asks.
I’m shocked when I look over at him. “You’d do that?”
“You’re a part of this club, we’d all do it,” he answers, and I nod my head, understanding that it’s an offer as an extension of this club, not something personal between the two of us.
“Do you know your checking and routing number?” he asks.
“My what?”
“Do you have a banking app on your phone?” he asks. I nod and pull it up. I watch his eyes widen when he looks at the amount. “First off, as soon as we pay this, you’re openinga savings account and transferring all of this over.” I don’t mention how I, in fact, thought all this money was already going into a savings account. “If you wanted, you could invest some of it, but that’s more of a gamble.”
“No, I just need it as a backup, just in case.”
He types out a few more things and asks me for my email, which sends a digital copy of the receipt showing I’m now a law-abiding citizen.
“So… that’s it?”
“That’s it. It’s all taken care of. When you need to file next year, I’ll help you get it all sorted.”
I can’t help it. I wrap my arms around the large Alpha’s neck and squeeze. I probably shouldn’t be hugging him so hard or taking deep inhales of his scent, but I do. He also wraps his arms around me and doesn’t let go. The hug feels more than just two friends sharing an embrace, but I don’t let myself get the wrong idea. Cash is simply a good fucking guy, who clearly has a soft spot for trainwreck Omegas.
But I swear his scent is getting thicker…
The door to the office opens, and it’s Axel’s voice that brings us back to reality. “Darlin’ you all good in here?” he asks. I step back from Cash, and he hands me the papers from the IRS.
“Yeah, Cash was helping me with something,” I respond, giving Cash a nod. My hand grazes past Axel’s as I leave, and when the door shuts behind me, I wince, wondering if Axel is going to get pissed.
It’s only beenone day since I thought the government was going to cart me away for tax evasion and I was going to get thrown in some high-security Omega prison. But having to go on a date with more Alphas is making me think an orange jumpsuit might be better than having to keep up this charade.
I’m wearing a floral mini dress when I see Axel walk across the square, headed toward his bike. He looks pissed as I get into Kurt’s truck.
“What crawled up that boy’s ass?” he asks, also noticing Axel’s mood. I just shrug my shoulders while I internally scream.Why can’t all this be easier? Why can’t Kurt just let me stay with the club?Guilt makes my stomach churn, and I wonderhow I’m supposed to eat knowing that Axel is upset? All while there’s nothing I can do about it.
I don’t even bother listening to what Kurt says as he drops me off at the front doors of the restaurant. At least this one is more casual, plus Mexican food is my favorite.
Three large men stand in the lobby. They’re attractive enough. Maybe I just need to have an open mind? When the broad, blond one speaks, I know I’m doomed.
“Come on, Omega. Let’s go sit at our table,” he orders.
He’s large but in an Alpha-finance-bro kind of way. Nothing like the guys in the club who put time and effort into their bodies. This guy is simply big because of his genetics, not because he ever does manual labor.
“My name is Lily,” I introduce myself while trying to swallow down any attitude. I really can’t afford to have another crying session after another date.
Just play nice, and get this over with.
The one with the beard tilts his head as he listens to my voice. “Right, we’re Paul, Dave, and Phil.”
“Right,” I parrot, hating this whole situation.
