DOMINIC
I should've gone home when the other guy did.
The target was dead and the job was done. The fact that someone else pulled the trigger didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. Derek Webb was off the streets, and the Ferrinis would be happy. The objective had been met. What did I care if I hadn’t been the one to complete the job?
But I couldn't stop thinking about that omega.
His scent lingered in my nose like smoke after a fire. It was distinct and strong enough that I could follow it if I wanted to.
I casually walked back to my car and slid behind the wheel, as if my world hadn’t been tilted on its axis. My phone was out with Cord’s number pulled up, but I didn't call him. Not yet. First, I needed to know who the hell that omega was and what he was doing in our territory.
His scent was easy to track through side streets and residential areas, now that I had it and was able to focus. I drove slowly and followed the invisible thread that pulled me forward. I'dspent years honing my senses for exactly this kind of work, but following a cold trail from a car was usually impossible. But his scent was strong. Stronger than I’d ever encountered in an omega before.
Twenty minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot of a cheap motel on the outskirts of town. The omega's scent was stronger there, so I scanned the row of rooms until I spotted a car parked in front of number twelve. The light was on inside, and the curtains were drawn.
That was him. He was in there. I could feel it.
I parked across the street where I had a clear view of the door and killed the engine. The smart thing would be to let Andro and Cord know what I was doing and they could decide my next move, but something stopped me from reaching for my phone.
I wanted to know who he was first. I had to know.
The minutes ticked by, and I kept my eyes on that door. A few people came and went from other rooms, but none of them looked in my direction at all.
The light in room twelve finally went out around midnight as the omega was settling in for the night. Maybe that meant he wasn't planning to run. Not yet, anyway.
I pulled out my phone and texted Cord.Someone else got to Webb first, but it’s done.
I could only imagine he was as confused as I’d been.What? Who?
That was indeed the question of the hour.Don't know yet. Professional. Clean.
I didn’t tell him that the assassin had been an omega. That would have opened up more questions that I wasn’t prepared to answer.
The three dots appeared and disappeared a few times before his next message came through.
You still on site?
Nearby. Tracking the killer.Calling him a killer felt hypocritical considering I’d been there to do the exact same thing he did. He was just faster, which kinda pissed me off. It didn’t bother me that I had been bested by an omega. No assassin should best me, regardless of their designation.
My phone vibrated with an incoming call from Cord. I should answer. He was my boss, and my time belonged to him. My finger hovered over the answer key, but I slid it over to the ignore.
Can’t talk.
It wasn’t a lie. I didn’t know what I would say, and I didn’t want to hear the command to come home. I could ignore a text easier than I could a verbal command. If he told me to come back to headquarters, I would have to. It was my job, and there was no reason for me to be tracking this omega.
Head on a swivel until you know who he is and why he was there.
I texted back.Copy.
I released a long breath, letting my shoulders relax. Then I put my phone away and settled in to wait.
At least now I had permission, however tenuous, to stay and watch. Would I really have disobeyed a direct order from my boss all because I was curious about this omega?
Damn right I would have.
Two hours passed. Then three. My back ached from sitting in the same position, and I needed to take a piss, but I didn't move. The motel was quiet except for the occasional car pulling in or out.
Around three in the morning, I started to question what the hell I was doing. The omega was obviously asleep, and I was sitting in a parking lot like some kind of stalker.
