“I’ll be okay. It’s not safe for you at my house.” Beau pats my hip before giving it a squeeze. I’ve been ignoring how good it feels to be close to him. This is a job, and I’m supposed to be helping him. Not real flirting. Not real-feeling things.
“It’s not safe for you either, Beau.” I glance up at Thor. “I need to move in with him too," I announce.
“Never,”Apollo growls, making me sigh. I drop my forehead against Beau’s shoulder and take a deep breath, eyes falling shut.
“We have to do something," I snap, glancing around us.
We can’t trust Hudson. I lied earlier when I told him how I knew him. I said I’ve seen him in the tabloids, but the truth is, Thor and I know Pracilla.
I met her two years ago when I got hired at Haze Instincts because she’s the manager of Haze Boutique, where I get most of my work clothes from. Everyone who works at Haze knows her story. She shares it with anyone who will listen.
We know the truth. Not the lies that everyone else believed about her, but the full story. We know what he really did.
Priscilla's husband worked for Hudson’s dad, running his company as CEO, until he went feral and almost destroyed the company over the affair his wife started with a nineteen-year-old…
I watched the way he reacted when I brought her up. The way he glared as I said her name. How the look in his eyes shifted from amused to protective.
I wanted him to say it. That he didn’t break up a marriage, and they weren’t having an affair. He saved an Omega from her abuser. She says Hudson spent two months hiding her from her ex in private and then drawing attention to her in public so she'd have the protection of eyes on her.
Then one day he brought her to Haze to meet Declan and Kodiak. I don’t know how he found them or any other details, but they know him. Declan and Kodiak know Hudson, and more importantly, Hudson knows who they are and what they really do. At least enough to know they would protect Pracilla.
Does he know where she works? Do they still talk? Priscilla always says he went back to his playboy life after he helped her. The tabloids sure work hard to confirm as much, but something isn’t adding up.
There’s more to him than meets the eye.
“He knows Dec and Kodi,” I hiss. Thor nods, already putting it together the way I did.
“It was before I got hired, so I don’t know the details. I can’t reach out; we’re being watched.” Thor nods his head toward the bar area, and I spot the three men that have been following us since the bar.
“I’ll contact them now.”Apollo says, and I relax just a little.
“What if we use the hotel a little longer?” I ask, glancing between Thor and Beau.
“Longer than one night?” Beau asks, nibbling his lip nervously.
“Yes. This way, Apollo can still be close by in another room but out of danger and away from Hudson and any more unexpected visits from Scott.” I explain as Beau nods slowly, and Thor squints like he’s thinking of the logistics.
“Maybe. I’ve stayed in hotels for weeks on end before, just trying to avoid my father. It’s how I ended up with hired escortsin the past.” Beau says, shrugging. “Didn’t end great. At first it was better, until the guards started hurting me.”
“Names.”Apollo barks, and Beau’s eyes snap wide as he shivers against me.
“No barking, Alpha. Be gentle," I hiss, but the way Beau’s pupils blow tells me I read his reaction all wrong. I’m about to say never mind, but the look Beau gives me screams,'Please don’t say another word.'
“Didn’t bark.”Apollo grumbles, making me roll my eyes at his whine. I can just imagine his pout.
“I don’t remember their names.” Beau says softly, cheeks turning red.
“Lie.”
“Apollo, don’t call Beau a liar.”
“It was a lie. I can’t point out lies?”
“No. Now anyway, I think we can make the hotel thing work. I can come and go but still stay close, and as long as Hudson is reporting to Scott, you’ll be able to go anywhere without him showing up. Tonight proved that, but if he does, Apollo will be watching, so we’ll be ready for him.” Giddy excitement fills my veins. This is a good plan.
“They won’t be the only ones watching.” Thor adds, tilting his head side to side to stretch. He must be just as tired as Beau and I are. “He looks at both of you in a way I don’t like.” Thor adds with a grunt, not meeting our eyes.
“He looks at us like he wants to fuck us.” I snort. “The same way everyone in this club is looking at us.” I’m used to the way he looks at me. Clearly Thor doesn’t care, though, because he meets my eyes with a glare of annoyance.
