“Sounds good to me.”
* * * *
Lucky
Ford ordered room service and helped Lucky into the living room to sit on the sofa.He was sick of lying in bed, his hips and knees sore even though he’d been sleeping.
“I guess being here means you’re out of the loop, with my case?”Lucky risked ruining the light-hearted mood as he tucked into a bowl of soup.
“I get daily reports while Sykes and Jesi finish the case,” Ford explained, like he was tempering his words.
He wished they wouldn’t treat him like he was delicate and incapable, but Lucky wasn’t exactly at his healthiest.That didn’t mean they had to keep secrets.“They beat Jack badly.Is he okay?What about Gigi?”
Chase twirled his fork through his noodles.“Jack’s in hospital but stable, and Grant took Gigi home to explain to their parents.”
“He’ll be out by the end of the week.”Ford filled in the blanks and took a bite from a fully loaded hamburger.“He’s got a cracked rib, a broken leg and fluid in his lungs, but he’ll heal quick.That’s the benefit of being a young alpha, about to come of age.Everything heals quicker.”
Lucky’s heart raced as he realised how much worse it could have been for Jack and Gigi if he hadn’t shown up.He couldn’t imagine a young girl like Gigi getting caught up in such an ugly situation.“Would Scout?Rafe?have taken Gigi?”
Ford set his burger onto the plate on the coffee table, then brushed his hands of the crumbs.“She was fucking terrified, but Rafe isdeepundercover.Although he’s the boss of the crew, he hasta do nasty things to maintain cover.According to his report, Lincoln paid him to grab you and told Rafe that Jack would play along.Except, when they approached Jack, he was on the phone to Gigi, which left a witness they weren’t expecting.They grabbed Jack and tried to get the job done quick.Only, he wouldn’t do it.
“Jack was fucking brave, facing an entire crew to protect you, but he didn’t realise he was wasting time.”Ford shook his head, like the whole thing was a clusterfuck.“Gigi showed up, one of the crew nabbed her and suggested taking her instead.Rafe couldn’t say no without looking weak.He suggested they tie her up and use Gigi to draw you out.If you didn’t cooperate, they’d use her as a bargaining chip.”
Lucky nodded, understanding how quickly Rafe’s plans had gone awry.“And he did,” he admitted, remembering that moment clearly.In that split second, he’d faced the decision of saving his own life or Gigi’s.That was still the easiest decision he’d ever made.“Not to sound rude, but why did it take you so long to find me?Rafe had no intention of handing me over to Lincoln.”
Ford lifted his burger for another bite, though he put it back on the plate after.“You’re right.His plan was always to double-cross Lincoln.He’d take payment, nab you, then pretend to sell you to me as an appraiser for the Omega Market.I’d leave with you and when Lincoln kicked up a fuss, it was my job to take Lincoln with me, with a bullshit story about how he’d double-crossed the boss and would be dealt with.
“That way, Rafe kept his hands clean and the crew would get ‘paid’ by the ORT with money we liberated from other criminals.Then the Roach could track its way up the food chain.I was meant to take Lincoln to headquarters to be arrested and processed.”Ford shrugged, like it was the usual process.“Except everything went to hell.Rafe called in the situation to headquarters to tell them about Jack, but by the time the team arrived he was unconscious and Gigi was missing.Turns out, she went to the bathroom and fainted.By then I’d gotten the call from Rafe to pick you up.Most of the team assumed everything was ticking along as planned.”
“Until you got there and saw Lucky,” Chase chipped in, as though he’d heard this before.
Setting his soup aside, Lucky grasped Ford’s hand.“I said this to Rafe before, but…I understand that you have to let bad things happen when you’re undercover.You could have dumped me at headquarters and neither of you had to take responsibility for what happened.You could have carried on with the plan to keep Rafe in play, but you both risked his cover to protect me.I might never find the right words to thank you, but I appreciate the sacrifice you made.”
“No, I fucked up.I had Lincoln and his cronies in my sights that afternoon.If I’d arrested them then, you might never have been taken.”
“And how long would it have taken for us to cross paths and discover you were our mate?Omha led us here.We need to trust Her guidance, just as you did when you saved me.”
Ford brushed his thumb over the curve of Lucky’s jaw.“The truth is that I would’ve done the same for any other omega,” he confessed, looking more guilty than he needed to.
Lucky laughed at how conflicted he looked.“That’s what makes you so amazing.”He leaned across to kiss Ford, needing him to understand that his role as an ORTa wasn’t just a job, but a natural instinct buried deep inside him to protect all omegas.The ORT had a soul-deep need to protect omegas, and that was a precious gift.
Chase set his bowl of noodles onto the table.“Why did you leave campus alone?”
Lucky swallowed, having figured that question would crop up eventually.He didn’t want to answer, because he knew how Chase would take it, but he didn’t want to lie to his mate.
“That’s not relevant.”Ford shot Lucky a telling glance that said he already knew.Had Rafe told him or had Jack been able to explain, despite his injuries?“Rafe had multiple contingencies.How he got there makes no difference, because it was inevitable.Hell, I’m surprised Lincoln didn’t just chaperone you right into his crew hideout.But it happened, now we move on.”
He breathed a sigh of relief when Chase nodded, as though Ford’s explanation made sense.
“How did Lincoln get his hands on OX?”
Ford gritted his teeth and yanked a cigarette from the packet on the table.“No idea.He was trying to buy the OX from me.”
Lucky looked up at Ford.“From you?”
He flashed Lucky a warm smile.“We arrested his usual dealer last year and I took his place.Problem is, I didn’t know what Lincoln was trying to buy when I took over.It’s all been vague hints of how much cash for how much product.”Ford lit the cigarette between his lips.“I was hoping to work my way up to his suppliers, maybe grab the hardcore dealers.Once I heard Lincoln talking about OX to his druggie friends, and that they knew his plans for you, that took precedence.We can’t let OX onto the street, no matter who is dealing it.”
Chase picked at a chip on his coffee cup, avoiding eye contact.Lucky didn’t know how the bond worked, but everything about Chase said he felt guilty, though he couldn’t imagine why.
