Shouting erupted all around.
She was tackled, and seconds later, I was too. The air exploded from my lungs, and the plate went skidding as I fell to the ground with such force, it pushed the air out of my lungs.
A knee pressed into my spine, shooting agony that spiked to the point of dizziness. It took a while of lying pinned on the ground before everything calmed and the hollering of others abated. I was finally dragged up. My temple throbbed with agony. I met the eyes of the Alpha who had done my invasive body search. The older woman I’d been attacking was gone, but a line of blood trailed out of one of the exits.
Mustache guard barked more orders, and finally, it was my turn. “Lock her in the pit.” I was handed over to Sergei. He had my elbow in a painful grip. I winced but had no choice but to go where he led.
“What’s the pit?” I croaked. I had an idea, but I hoped I was wrong.
Sergei tsked. “You’re going into solitary.”
“I didn’t start it,” I croaked to him. His eyebrow twitched, and it was clear he didn’t believe me.
He took me through some more halls that looked exactly the same. He waited at a door that finally buzzed open. Meanwhile, I was trying not to let panic overwhelm me.
He leaned closer to me and sniffed. “It really is a shame you’re in here. Omegas shouldn’t be locked up like this.” He clicked his tongue.
He guided me into a slim hall with doors on both sides. He stopped mid-way and unlocked one of them. I entered at his gentle prodding.
A cell no bigger than eight by nine, no windows, and a toilet in the corner.
“How long do I have to be here?” I blurted. A thin sleep mat near the toilet, but the stain on it was enough to keep me away.
“Don’t know yet,” Sergei answered. “Sleep tight.” His muffled voice barely reached me. As soon as he closed the door, I was left in total darkness.
My heart dropped, and I backed into the wall to slide down onto my ass.
I exhaled in a slow drag.
I couldhearthe silence. To ground myself, I rubbed my finger over my sore palm. The puncture wounds no longer bled, but it was still achy.
Then the moaning started.Someone else locked down here is moonlighting as a fucking ghost, I guess.
I groaned and dropped my forehead onto my knees.
Chapter 34
Islammed the cell phone on top of my desk, shaking the surface, and making pens skitter across it.
We returned to The Bordello because Candace contacted me about one of the people on my list being here. Elias and Sinclair were already out there with him while I’d taken the call about Briar. I leaned on the desk, letting my head hang down.
It was all such a shit-show, but I didn’t have the luxury of wallowing.
I straightened, turning on my heel, and left the office.
Elias and Sinclair were with Leo Vin, the presiding judge over Briar’s case. More than anything, we needed him to approve her bail. I crossed the main floor, toward the back of the stage, to the private room. The velvet rope blocked the entrance with no bouncer in sight. Sinclair must have ordered him to leave. I pushed aside the inky curtain.
Sinclair already had his hand around the man’s throat, while Elias stood a few feet back. Both looked at me and then returned to the man.
“I swear,” he wheedled. “I’m not in charge of her case. It was switched over to a different jurisdiction this morning. To Judge Jonas.”
My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. I pressed my palms to my eye sockets, rubbing hard. If that were the case, this would be three times harder.
Based on the bottles littering the side table and the discarded lingerie on the platform, Leo had been given all the perks in the book to keep him entertained until we arrived.
I’d make sure Candace had a decent severance package once I’d made all the final payments to the workers. There was no possible way we would keep any of the businesses open.
It made Briar distrust us. And not only that, but it would also take time away from being with her.
