“Then, I’m sorry,” she tries desperately. There’s no sincerity in her voice, they’re just words.
“Make it right. Either you show up tomorrow, or I’ll be back to ensure your children know what a disgusting person you are.”
Visiting the homes of Patrick Bland and Bobby Grender is a similar experience. Although Bobby looks, sounds, and smells like a chronic alcoholic. Surprisingly, he’s also the only one so far to recognise me. His pleas for help fall on deaf ears. Much like Patrick’s. But where Bobby has a drinking problem, it seems like Patrick’s been looking for his salvation through one of the Lord’s houses.
I walk away from them, providing the same instructions, amending the threat slightly for when they don’t show up.
Visit number four is my first dead end. Literally. Trevor Dunstan killed himself five years ago, if you go with what his wife says. Gabe will triple check if the man is in fact dead when we get back later.
I feel sad for his wife. She’s the one who has to face me, not the gutless piece of shit who stood by Regalo and handled getting us out of the cages and onto the beds. I must have begged him every day to get help for us by telling someone, and never once did he. He just snapped on his latex gloves talking away to himself before he used the stun stick with unnecessary determination.
List members five, six and seven are the easiest to find in a sense because it seems after Regalo, they’d elected to pack. When the door swings open and Alpha Toby stands there in his buttoned up short sleeve shirt, his pens in his top pocket, his burnt coffee smell rushing out, memories of what he did sends me reeling backwards. Straight into Lincoln’s protective arms.
“You’re so brave, dove. Your pack stands behind you, now and always. If you need a break, we’ll step up for you.”
And obviously we draw the rest of Toby’s pack to us. Even maintaining my place, a short distance from the door, I’m assaulted by the scent of Roger and Barry, who also make me feel instantly sick. Roger smells like rotten meat, Barry is like the sludge in the bottom of your bin.
Dropping my head to Lincoln’s chest, I fill my lungs with his scent. His gin botanicals all but obliterate and strip the distasteful smell they burn into my nostrils.
Gabe’s voice cuts through the memories too. “Len, Pack Bullard can take these slimy fuckers straight in to the Alliance interrogation area. Do you want to do that?”
I lean against Lincoln, thinking about what it is I want, and Valak comes over to triple check on me. “Lennon, tell me what they did to you and the others,” he demands in such a beautiful, sweet way that I answer him without shame or worry.
“These are the alphas Regalo used to make the made omegas submit. It didn’t work on me, so they had to improvise.” My voice is probably louder than it needs, but I’ve got nothing to hide.
“Excuse me?” Noah spits.
I turn to face him and Val. “Toby liked to use his fingers or a knife. Roger hurts people to make them surrender. Barry pretended to be your friend, but always joined in once I passed out.”
“Did Toby touch you?” Lincoln asks slowly, because I really don’t think any of the others are able to at the moment.
“They all did. Every goddamn chance they could.”
Lincoln’s hands wrap around my face, and he pulls me up in his arms so swiftly it makes my head spin. He kisses me like this is our last day on earth, and he stops every single memory of what these awful people did to me in the lab before setting me back to my feet. “Turn around, dove, and watch your pack.”
Barry bolts. Of all the times he chooses to run, it’s today. Gabe easily nabs one of his legs, and the guy drops, but Gabe follows him down and unleashes a series of vicious jabs. And Gabe is stunning in his brutality, leaving Barry broken and whimpering in pain. Gabe holds him by the ankle assessing the damage.
“More, Len?” He asks at one point.
Barry must be fucking stupid, instead of giving up completely, he feebly tries to kick out of Gabe’s hold, but my crazy guy just winks at me and drags the beaten and bleeding man by his leg towards where Pack Bullard stands waiting for their first prisoner. Gabe makes it hurt, ensuring the barely conscious Barry hits every stair, garden ornament, pot and anything else Gabe can find on his way down to the car.
The other two watch, horrified. There’s a point when Gabe reaches the gate near where Bullard is waiting, that both Roger and Toby start turning away.
“Don’t move,” Valak barks. And these weak as piss alphas get owned by Val in two words.
The reality of their situation catches up with the both of them, and adding to their already gross scents, is the smell of their fear and desperation. But my pack drop a cloud of alpha pheromones for me to get lost in.
Noah joins Valak. Both stare coldly at my old tormentors. I can feel how close they are to losing it, but instead they stay in complete control. Noah tells them to hold their hands out. And like naughty children, their hands shoot out in front of them. They drop their eyes submissively, and Roger starts wheezing in panic.
“You have had seven years to come forward and face the Alliance, why didn’t you?” Noah asks, his hands in his pockets. And I know it’s because he’s struggling not to lose his shit.
“No one knew!” Roger wails, his beady eyes darting around.
Gabe suddenly appears again, striding right up next to his brother and Noah. “Don’t you fucking ruin those money makers, Noah.”
Noah turns and gives Gabe a beautiful death glare before he raises one of his cultured eyebrows. Gabe shrugs unperturbed, looking over at me quickly before he fills Noah in on what the hell he is talking about. But my guy is loving me like he’s always done—in quirky style.
“Look, I’m VP in Len’s business now, all I’m doing is reminding you of the clause where you have a responsibility, Noah, to ensure you don’t do anything to risk injury or harm or prevent you from working. Besides the fact, you’ll screw her insurance premiums if you break even the smallest bone in those hands.” Of course, Gabe smirks, rolling his eyes around and being melodramatic in his conspirator-like whisper. “So many witnesses too, bro.”
