“You have to get out of there.”
“And go where?”
“Fuck, we just had a lock down or the check would be in my account. I’m sorry, Steel.”
“Mav and I can ride out a few weeks here, but you need to let him know you’re doing triple shifts or something. Stay away. And, Tyson, I wasn’t messing around… if you got anyone you care about hiding in the wings, you need to ice that connection right fucking now. And keep it iced until Rex is distracted by something else.”
“What’s his plan?” I ask, rubbing my temples.
“He thinks it’s The Fallen that took the girls. He’s in the club talking about how he’s going to take one of their Omegas since they took his. And I’m down with that. Sorry if that sounds shit, but I’d do anything to make sure Sallyanne and Harley never have to see any of these cunts again.”
My heart drops at what Steel says. “Including selling out an innocent Omega?”
“Come on, Tyson, if a person is involved with The Fallen, they’re not innocent. You know the fucking deal because it’s the same here. All the club sluts know how life is and they’re hungry for it. They lap up Rex’s shit attitude desperate to climb onto his knot, or even for a lick of his attention. It’s a fucking joke how desperate they are, acting like what he’s got is all addictive, like it’s the best blowie around.”
“Jesus, Steel, what the fuck happened to you?” I ask before thinking.
“I’ve been here trying to survive. So sorry if it doesn’t sit well with you and your education, but if Rex getting another Omega keeps Ma and Harley safe, then you can bet your sweet ass I’ll be out looking for one myself to deliver to him. End of fucking story.”
My younger brother hangs up on me, but he leaves his anger searing through my veins. His anger buries deep, like always. Awave of guilt follows, and it’s a big ass wave too. I feel a failure for leaving him and Maverick in Rex’s vicinity for so long. But I had to. I had to do something to give us a future, a way out of Rex’s clutches. Because the second we turn our back on Rex and the Death Riders is the second we become another of Rex’s enemies made worse since we’re his own flesh and blood.
Sending off a message apologising and letting him know I’ll send him money as soon as it clears, I wait for a response, but none comes. I want to say Steel’s powered down his burner phone and stashed it already, but you never know with Steel, he might just be messing with my head instead.
I splash cold water over my face in an attempt to look alive and half professional. And it’s hard to do either given the circumstance and the gamut of emotions bubbling in my guts. There’s a huge sense of relief knowing the girls escaped but it’s bittersweet knowing there’s a pretty good chance I’ll never see the two of them again. The risk of Rex finding out where they are is not worth a family reunion. The fact we probably wouldn’t see them again was a point of contention for a long time. And our arguments all but stopped when Harley started getting targeted by Rex, after that we all agreed whatever the risk and whatever the consequence, getting the girls to safety was our only objective, and what our makeshift pack have been working towards for the past few years. It’s been a fucking slog full of smoke and mirrors because Rex is a snake who trusts no-one.
And now knowing we’ve finally achieved the near impossible and the girls are on their way to safety, I feel fucking hollow knowing Rex will stop at nothing until he’s got another Omega to take Sallyanne’s place. And the poor Omega who takes her place is going to suffer. The knowledge that Steel is going to be a willing and active participant, involved in snatching one of The Fallen’s Omegas is going to be my biggest failure in life.
The mere mention of Omega has me sprinting down the corridor like my ass is on fire because there is no way I can afford for Rex, Steel, or even Maverick to find out Tristan claimed me. I barely cover a couple of feet before a sketchy as hell plan formulates in my head, but with it also comes the awful realisation that Steel isn’t going to be my biggest failure in life—rejecting Tristan is. But I’m prepared to do a whole lot more than break her heart to keep her away from Rex and the club. At least until I know I can keep her safe, and then my good girl is never leaving my goddamn sight again.
Chapter
Nineteen
TRISTAN
Watching Tyson as he gives his speech for receiving Dean’s award is like watching a person I’ve never met. It’s painfully obvious something happened in the space of me leaving and him taking a phone call. By his unwillingness to even look at me it’s not hard to figure out the kind of conversation coming my way.
“Okay”—I turn to Big Tom the second the applause dies down and decide to take the coward’s way out—“we can go.”
Since I already spoke to the Board members before the presentation, I figure I don’t have to again.
“Sorry, Miss Cameron, can we trouble you for a photo with Dr. Blake and the executive team?” The coordinator foils my escape plan.
I twist around, a big fake-ass smile already in place. “You bet, as long as I get a couple of copies for Dad’s office.”
Handing my bag to Big Tom, I follow behind the lady and wait while everyone is assembled how she wants the photo staged. Of course, she positions me in the middle of Tyson and the Hospital Registrar. As I glide into place I nearly choke on the acidity of Tyson’s lemon scent. Gone is the mouth-wateringsweetness from before, making me question how I ever thought it was sweet. And no shit, the iciness of his presence is like standing in a wind tunnel during a blizzard. But I’ve been through worse, a lot freaking worse.
On the outside I smile at the camera and act like I haven’t got a care in the world. Internally I race to build another wall around my bruised heart before I have to face him. Which is stupid. I barely know Tyson, and the obvious rebuttal that is coming my way shouldn’t hurt but there’s no denying it’s going to be another chip in my already dented and bruised armour.
“And we are done, thank you for your patience. That concludes our award presentation, you’re free to go unless of course you have further questions,” she says, effectively dismissing us all.
After another goodbye handshake with the board and everyone else involved, Tyson and I are the only ones left in the room. Big Tom stands by the door ready to go and I wish I was over there with him instead of standing waiting around for Tyson to speak.
I fidget as I keep watch out the window, but I’m not going to start the conversation. Bugger that.
“Tristan, will you please look at me?” Tyson asks after a few minutes watching me shuffle. It shocks me how he even sounds like a different person now. Gone are all the good things I was tripping on before.
I turn to face him, and despite the fact there’s a hundred or so words filling my thoughts, none of them reach my mouth, leaving me gaping like a fish. I wave him on, trying to get this whole thing over and done with, which makes what was left of his emotion drain from his eyes.
