Santiago doesn’t keep his eyes on mine for long. Even in the flickers I get, the regret I find in them is surprising. Given he knows Valentine and also can’t pretend he didn’t bark inmy face, it kind of makes sense. But Alphas don’t generally go around, admitting they’re wrong. Which he also hasn’t done.
“I left you something in the hangar, by the way,” he says softly, his accent still impossible to place, and it’s hard to read him, as his gaze keeps moving.
Ronin yells out, interrupting Santiago. “Don’t believe a word he says. I’m responsible for the present. Call it a gift, since we won’t be able to attend your wedding reception anymore. Not that we were before. But in spirit, we’ll be with you.”
Santiago growls under his breath, ignoring Ronin. “Don’t trust the Irish. So, you’re a De Luca now, which means we’re basically family. Please remind Valentine of that when you tell him I may have barked at you.”
I go to argue that hedidbark at me, but he waves me quiet with another smile before he keeps talking.
“And it seems you’re apparently my new attorney. Client privileges and all, you can deduct this from my first bill. Still, I apologize.” He moves unexpectedly, scaring me as he grabs my hand and wraps my fingers around the butt of his gun.
His movements are fast but don’t hurt me as he manipulates my hand, twisting it around to shoot himself point blank above his waist.
I scream.
Ronin leans out of the cockpit window, slapping the side of the jet, laughing even louder, before he starts yelling again. “Did ya do it well enough? It needs to look convincing!”
“Fuck’s sake,” Santiago hollers back, twisting around to seemingly have a freaking chat with Ronin, while still making me hold the gun. “It’s bleeding like a fucking leaking faucet, pretty sure that means she shot me good enough!”
Santiago finishes yelling and turns back to me. He doesn’t say another word or explain what the hell is going on. He just winks as he stands, then leaves.
He limps back to the private jet, holding up his shirt, so Ronin can see what a good shot it was for himself. Without a backward glance, Santiago races up the stairs. A moment later, the door gets slammed shut, and the aircraft starts to taxi away.
The plane picks up speed as it bounces down the runway before it does a turn and sits, waiting for clearance. A few minutes pass, and as soon as the sound of its engines pick up, I take it as a sign they really are leaving. I turn around and go to stand up, but sink back onto my butt, unable to move, rocked by sheer relief as an Escalade chews up the distance.
The headlights flash, the horn blares, but my pack doesn't need to raise my attention; I feel their presence like a battering ram. A gentle battering ram.
I think that’s the part where the whole day and everything that happened all becomes a little bit too much. I manage a feeble wave as the Escalade screams to a stop next to me before Bella and Edward burst out of the door, my pack following straight after.
40
Matteo
Layne is looking at me, but I’m pretty sure she’s not registering anything.
“Are you hurt, baby?” Dante demands her attention with the terse tone he uses.
He wants an answer and wants it now.
I go to tell him to lay off, but she blinks like an owl at him before closing her eyes and shaking her head.
Her whole face lights up when she realizes it’s him. “Holy shit, am I glad to see you, Dante. You would not believe…”
“Layne!” he barks again, more abruptly, making the dogs circle between her and him. “Are you hurt?”
Shock clouds her features but doesn’t dampen her beauty. “I don’t think so. Only, maybe? Not bad, anyway, so I guess that means no.”
Her words are all over the place, and her movements are jittery, but the way she wants to calm his storm is so easy to interpret. Our Omega is sensing his needs over hers, and I knowshe’s a survivor, but I’m concerned she might plunge into a state of shock.
Stripping out of my suit jacket, I push the dogs out of the way and wrap her in my warmth. “Arms up,” I demand, but there’s no bite to my voice, despite the fury coursing through my system. The only reason I don’t come across as a pathological asshole is because it’s her.
I’ve always seen Layne as part of our pack, but it’s moments like this when I get rocked by the fact that we found her and how necessary she is to our pack. And how much I need her in my life.
A smile dances over her face as I squat down in front of her to scoop her into my arms. One second in her presence, and I already start to feel better.
“Matteo.” She breathes my name, as relieved as I am. And then she wastes no time snuggling and brushing her face over my chest, in a very Omega-inspired move. I’m not sure she’s even aware of what she’s doing. It’s incredibly intimate and makes me feel invincible.
“We got you,” I say softly, surprising myself when I don’t squeeze her harder.
