“What the fuck was all of that, anyway?” Sidian asked, fidgeting with the sleeves of Roman’s shirt. “I’m assuming you’re responsible for that freaky power cut shit.”
Roman shook his head, leaning down to pick up his fallen mask to stuff into the back pocket of his jeans. He did not know when or if he would need it again, but leaving any evidence lying around was likely to get him beaten when he made his way back to the Pit. “No. Not my area. They task one of my teammates with it. Standard protocol.”
Sidian’s brows furrowed. “Standard protocol? The Vipers? Are you bullshitting me?”
Roman blinked at him, not sure how to answer that question. Why would he do that in the first place? He’d always been frank in his honesty; it was one of the many traits that Sidian had seemed to like about him when they first met. “No, of course not. I joined after… The incident.”
“Since when were you all about that mercenary squad lifestyle?” Sidian sorted as if the thought amused him, taking a shaky step forward only for his knee to buckle.
Roman caught him by the shoulders to hold him upright, unwilling to let his omega suffer the indignity of falling after the impressive distance he’d run. “I’ll carry you back. How would you prefer it?”
“You know what? Yeah. That’s what you’re gonna do since it’s your fault I’m all the way out here.” Sidian let himself lean against Roman’s chest, and Roman tried very hard not to let it show just how much he preferred that position. “Piggyback. Crouch down for me.”
Though Roman would have preferred a bridal carry himself, he nodded and turned, crouching down low enough for Sidian’s arms to snake around his neck. Sidian’s lean chest pressed upagainst his back when he stood, and his hands slipped around to find the bends of Sidian’s knees, cinching Sidian’s legs around his torso as best they could manage together. Though it wasn’t easy with someone as broad as Roman was, Sidian managed just fine, dropping his chin down on Roman’s shoulder with a relieved little sigh. His lily scent bloomed soft and sweet in the air, laced with obvious omega pleasure that had Roman’s alpha rumbling contentedly.
Sidian didn’t weigh enough for Roman’s preference, but that wasn’t something he needed to dwell on when they couldn’t do anything about it yet. “Are you comfortable?”
“Comfortable enough.” Sidian tilted his head just enough for Roman to feel the tip of a cold nose graze his ear, and his cock jumped in answer. “What made you decide to join the Vipers in the first place? Doesn’t seem like your rodeo.”
Roman pursed his lips. “The boss offered me a spot. Money can make three homicides go away.”
“Should've just been the two. You didn’t mean to kill your old man.”
No, Roman hadn’t meant to do that. The words resurrected his barely buried guilt, the sharp spines of it digging into his guts as he started back toward where he knew the charred remains of the center were likely waiting for them. Of course, the world at large did not care that his father’s death was nothing more than an accident. All he wanted to do was slow Roman’s rampage and help him get himself back under control, but Roman’s agitated hindbrain refused to see his father as anything more than yet another enemy trying to come between him and his mate.
He regretted it. Anyone would, and Goddess knew he did despite the boss’s insistence that regrets only existed to weigh them down. It was the only one Roman could never let go of, the reminder that no matter what happened, he must maintain control of himself as much as possible. That there were othersaround him, and that he needed to remember what he was capable of rather than risk losing everything because the heat of the moment sank its raking claws into his bones.
Sidian drew his cheek along Roman’s shoulder, and his alpha rumbled at the sensation of being scent-marked by his omega. “How long have you been with ‘em, then? Since they put me away? Must have been because I doubt the state was gonna let you rot in prison over the needle.”
Roman’s jaw tightened at the thought. “Yes. I’ve been with them for that long. And no one will ever lock you up again.”
“I know that.” Sidian dug his knees into Roman’s sides just enough for Roman to feel the dull pressure. “Might not know as much about you as I used to, but if you burn breeding centers down, then I can trust you to make that promise for real. And if you let it happen again, I’ll fucking gut you.”
As expected, the Bell Breeding Center was aflame when they emerged from the treeline, the fire twisting its way up toward the glittering stars overhead. The sight always instilled a peace within Roman’s soul, the fractured pieces of it soothed by the knowledge that the hands of the Vipers had split apart at least one more den of evil. While they might not have been righteous people—they did what they had to do, whatever that entailed—they at least had respect for omegas. Like proper alphas are meant to.
Sidian sighed in Roman’s ear. “Now that’s a sight for sore eyes. Doesn’t look like anyone’s around. Your guys take off that fast?”
“Someone may have reported the fire,” Roman admitted, though he didn’t know how far the smoke had traveled or if anyone lived nearby. He eyed the parking lot; none of the vehicles that had been parked when the Vipers arrived had been disturbed. That was good. “We should go, I think.”
None of the staff had escaped, not that they ever did. But at the very least, it looked as though he and Sidian could borrow a pair of wheels.
Sidian slept curled up in the passenger seat of the Nissan Ultima that Roman chose, his cheek resting against the window and his arms coiled around himself despite the heat pumping through the vents. It was too much for Roman, who had to crack a window as soon as his mate dozed off, in desperate need of escape from the overwhelming warmth. Alphas ran so much hotter than omegas did, but he would put up with as much of it as he could for Sidian’s safety and comfort.
Unable to help himself, Roman kept stealing looks at Sidian, tracing the curve of his cheek, the bow of his bottom lip, the fall of his hair. All he wanted to do was touch, to caress every inch of Sidian’s body until Roman had the lines and curves and contours of him memorized. So that he would know Sidian by touch alone even if his eyes one day failed him.
It seemed unreal to have Sidian so close once again.
Not that he deserved it. He gritted his teeth and dragged his eyes back to the road, glancing at the rearview mirror to ensure no other cars had come up behind them. Especially no pigs. If the police pulled up on them, then Roman would be forced to kill them. He was fine with doing so if need be, but that made matters so much messier than they needed to be, and he would know. He’d had to do it.
He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he pored over the last two years in his mind. The Vipers had checked every single database across the country that Silver could access,though Roman would have to comb through the records of those searches to ensure they checked Bell before he would have any peace of mind. Some of the documentation they had come across had been lacking, to say the least. Missing and nonexistent records were common in breeding centers if there was something worth hiding, though Roman wasn’t sure if that was the case.
What was there about Sidian that needed to be hidden?
The rough shape of a motel materialized in the darkness an hour after they crossed the state line into Oregon, which should keep them secure until Roman had the time to figure out a proper plan. The boss was going to have his ass for disappearing in the middle of a mission, but hopefully Ghost could give the others enough context that they could draw their own conclusions. After all, the boss especially knew how much Sidian meant to Roman, and he had to understand how important it was that Roman kept his omega safe.
A breeding center. Goddess’s sake, a fuckingbreedingcenter.
Roman parked the car in the motel parking lot, making sure the license plate was not easily visible from the road. He gave the lot a cursory glance as he climbed out of the car, then glanced down at himself. Though the scent of blood on his skin was still noticeable, there was little he could do about it. At least the patches of blood on his undershirt and pants looked to have dried enough to be unnoticeable. Nothing stood out to him, though he hadn’t been around civilians enough to know if he gave off an unsettling air like he did to the Vipers.
