Miriam sighs, pulling me in for a hug. “Just look after Charlotte. We’ll keep Lucky distracted.”
“We will,” I tell her, giving her a hug.
I don’t expect there to be any issues here in the neighborhood, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. I only wish Charlotte was staying with them.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Charlotte
Fear is such a strange emotion. It takes over until all I can focus on is the worst-case scenario. My mind runs through a thousand nightmarish possibilities in the span of a few minutes, but my body manages to stay calm.
On the outside, you’d never know I’m breaking into a million pieces.
I’m worried for myself, mostly because I can’t die and leave Lucky alone. Thankfully I know he would have people to look after him now, which is something we’ve never had before.
Still, I’m not dying today.
It’s not an option.
But I’m so worried about Steve and Miles. Blade has had them for at least a couple of days. There’s no telling what he’s done to them in that amount of time. Even as worried as I am about them, I’m more concerned with what Blade and his men could have done to Vanessa. There are certain vile kinds of evil that I know Blade is more likely to inflict on a woman.
My nerves are shot, and that’s not even taking into account what will happen if Magnum is there.
I heard what Patrick said, but I owe Mag my life. All of it is eating away at me, and my stomach churns.
My nightmares have come to life.
“Would you like to tell us who Steve and Miles are?” Cormac asks on the car ride to the warehouse.
Patrick’s eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror, and Malachy twists around in the front passenger seat.
I had a feeling this was coming, and at the very least, I owe them details about who they’ll be helping to save.
“Pregnant omegas need access to alphas during pregnancy. It’s even worse for unbonded omegas. Without contact with alpha pheromones and semen, there can be serious medical complications.” I swallow thickly, looking out the window to avoid having to meet any of their gazes. “I was scared of my own shadow back then. If it wasn’t necessary for me to be close to alphas, I would have refused matching. Then I met them. They were patient and kind and all the things Blade could never dream of being. They’d lost their omega, and they were still grieving. They were just as resentful about needing an omega as I was about needing alphas, but they were so patient, and they never took their frustration about the situation out on me.”
“It wasn’t an intimate relationship, then?” Cormac asks.
I nod, then shake my head. “There was sex—my body needed alpha semen—but not emotional intimacy. I mean, I cared about them, and they cared about me, but I knew they were still in love with a ghost, and I wasn’t in a place to love anyone except Lucky. I didn’t even love myself back then. I was just going through the motions because I had to for Lucky. They took care of me during my pregnancy, held my hand while I gave birth to Lukas, and split shifts with me the first few weeks after he was born. Without their support, I don’t know if I’d be here right now.”
Cormac reaches over, grabbing my hand. “We’ll do our very best to make sure they make it out of the warehouse alive.”
“We will,” Malachy agrees. “But if it comes down to you or them…”
That’s probably the most I can ask for.
I hate this so much.
The worst part is, I could have stopped all of this before it even started if I had just made sure Blade was dead.
Emory Moretti is in charge of the exchange, but Patrick and Malachy are pretending to be his enforcers. We swap into his vehicle, with Patrick taking the passenger seat and Malachy sitting with me in the back seat. There are also two SUVs filled with his men, and we’re all stuck waiting.
Cormac split off from us with several of Moretti’s men. They’re getting into place around the warehouse.
I can only hope it’ll be enough.
One stray bullet could take any of us out.
My blood pressure has to be dangerously high. I can feel my heartbeat echoing in my ears.
