Sidian, who had retrieved a menu tucked behind the small rack housing the salt and pepper shakers, glanced up at her. “You guys serving lunch, or is it still too early in the day for that?”
“Don’t even worry about the time, sweetheart. Anything on the menu is available whenever you want it.” She flashed him a pretty smile, her nose scrunching up just a bit before her sapphire blue eyes softened. “Anything you want, it’s yours any way you want it.”
Sidian seemed to pause before he sat up and slid the menu to Roman, who peered down at it. “Three cheeseburgers with everything on them. Fries, uh, but maybe hold the salt on those. Wouldn’t wanna have high blood pressure, right?”
Fable giggled and nodded as she scribbled away on her notepad. “Of course not. And what would you like to drink?”
“Tea, I guess. Sweet tea.” Sidian leaned back in his seat, looking very pleased with himself.
When Fable turned her attention to Roman, he kept his expression as neutral as possible. Though he knew Sidian had no reason to doubt him at all, there was no reason for him to offer any fuel for a potential fire. He could control himself. “Just a breakfast platter and some black coffee. We’ve been on the road for a while this morning.”
“I’ll have that right out to you two.” Fable headed for the counter, giving them a moment alone.
“So, what do we do now?” Sidian asked as soon as he deemed her out of earshot, though Roman wasn’t so sure if she was. “How do you look up Pack Kincaid? I’ve seen your phone, Roman. You can’t have actual fucking data on it.”
The phone had no data. Every phone owned by a Viper existed only to make and accept calls to one another, the captain, and the boss as needed. “I need to call my captain. One of our members is good at collecting information. He may help us.”
“You sure about that?” The fervent glow in Sidian’s violet eyes would have unnerved someone else, but it never disturbed Roman.
He wondered if that was what Sidian thought about in the center. What he would do when he escaped, plotting ways to slip out of those barred windows, secured doors, security cameras. How to survive in the countryside just long enough to find someone who might indulge in his lust for revenge. Two years was more than enough time to lose hope under the crushing system designed to break omegas down at the core of their beings.
Sidian could never break, though. Roman was certain of that.
“That depends,” Roman said, keeping his voice low and soft. “But I will make the call. Silver should be willing to help us.”
Sidian grinned, all bright white teeth. “Fuck yeah.”
With that settled, Roman turned his attention to the window next to them, studying the still-green trees and the miles offorest that stretched as far as the eye could see. When he’d been younger and his mother was still alive, they’d gone on a few family camping trips that allowed his parents to have some alone time while he explored as far away from the tent as possible, using his nose to lead him back. If he stepped out of the perimeter where he could pick up their scents, he would backtrack until he was somewhere he deemed safe once again. Dad never worried about him because he knew Roman would always find his way back to them as long as his nose still worked.
He tried to imagine that for Sidian, for himself. A cute little tent, a bonfire, Sidian tucked away in Roman’s lap while a child dug through the underbrush for snakes and beetles and Goddess knew what else. It was hard to imagine normalcy given how far from that path Roman had strayed over the years.
Snapping someone’s neck for the first time had given him a different perspective on life.
Fable returned to their booth with two steaming plates, a mug of coffee for Roman, and a tall glass of iced sweet tea for Sidian. “You two let me know if there’s anything else you need, and I’ll bring it to you. Eat up. And there’s plenty more where that came from.”
Sidian stared after her for a moment before tucking into his first burger, muffling a moan after the first bite that nearly made Roman drop his fork. The sound traveled straight to his cock, which was only slightly mortifying given they were in public, but he did his best to ignore it as he dug into the half-cooked yolks of his fried eggs. Given that he’d only gotten Sidian off this morning and asked for nothing himself, it wasn’t surprising to learn his body was still far more responsive than usual. When Sidian was interested in reciprocating, Roman would be thrilled. But he’d wait until then.
Sidian met his eyes over the table, licking a smear of ketchup from the corner of his mouth; for a moment, Roman imagined it was blood, and his dick throbbed. “You good over there, Roe?”
“I’m fine.” His self-control was better than that. He could sit in public, enjoy a meal with his mate, and not sink into the most pathetic displays of animal instinct possible.
“Oh, are you?” Sidian licked his lips for real, then turned back to his burger.
It was a relief to see him acting this way. Roman couldn’t imagine what Sidian had suffered at the hands of whoever Pack Kincaid was, and as soon as they found them, Roman would visit as much brutality on them as possible. But at least they had not fractured Sidian’s soul.
That would be unforgivable. Roman would let go of himself, and he wasn’t one hundred percent certain he would come back in one piece when all was said and done.
Sidian ate with gusto while Roman took his time with breakfast, continuing to eye the rest of the diner and spare occasional glances toward the door. No one paid them any mind, but he was paranoid from force of habit and would not drop his guard in a strange place. Only when they were alone would the sensation of someone watching them fade from his shoulders.
“How do you feel about staying here overnight?” he asked. “In Angel Ridge, I mean.”
Sidian seemed to think about it for a moment. “It’s fine with me. Find a nice place like last time.”
Roman would ask the omega waitress on the way out. He could use a nap before they hit the road again.
Chapter Nine
“Excuse me,” Roman said when the waitress returned to give them the check, “what accommodations does your town have for visitors, if any?”
