“No, but he’s blaming himself. If he’d been there, you wouldn’t have taken out the trash. He’s cutting his trip short and heading back today.”
“No, I hate that. Please tell him not to feel bad. If this guy really was hired, he would have tracked me down eventually.” AsI said the words, I realized how true they were, and it sent a chill down my spine.
Josie reached out to grab my hand and I held onto it like a lifeline.
“Josie, are you sure about this bodyguard thing? I won’t be able to pay you back,” I almost whispered. This morning, I hadn’t thought about how much this would cost Pack Ashwood.
Josie scowled. “You’re my friend and my guys are loaded. It’s not a big deal.”
I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “I thought this was a business decision.”
Josie blinked and a smile tugged at her lips. “It is, which means this is a write-off.”
I snorted.
“We should set up a fund to help omegas who need protection and stuff,” Josie mused. “Maybe you could mention it to Henry as something the government could do with the Omega Center.”
My chest ached at the mention of his name. “We haven’t talked lately.”He’d texted me a picture of his family’s property this morning, and I’d almost spilled everything that happened. I thought of how he’d defended me in the restaurant and wished I could feel his arms around me again.
Josie didn’t push the subject, which I was grateful for. Her idea of a fund for omegas was a good one, though. I’d be in a horrible spot without Pack Ashwood’s support.
Theo popped into the living room. “Sampson isn’t available, Westin. But he recommended another bodyguard for you, and he’s available to start tomorrow afternoon. So if you spend another night with us, you can go home tomorrow.”
“I wish you would stay.” Josie leaned her head on my shoulder.
“I think it’s better this way,” I said. “What’s the guard’s name?”
“Atticus Gray, but I think he goes by Gray,” Theo said.
“With a name like that, you know he’s going to be hot,” Josie said, winking at me. Theo scowled, but she just blew him a kiss.
I sank lower into the couch, playing with the fringe on one of the blankets and doing my best to stuff all my feelings into the tiny, locked box deep inside me.
23
GRAY
Iparked my car in Pack Ashwood’s driveway and just sat for a moment, my fingers tapping against the steering wheel.
I shouldn’t have taken this job. It wasn’t like I needed the money. I could stop working today and still be set for life thanks to the inheritance I got from my parents a few years back. But sitting home alone with nothing to do might be worse than dying. I was bored out of my mind and so desperate for any kind of excitement that I’d let Sampson talk me into this job babysitting an omega.
I had a strict no-omega policy for guarding. They were whiney, manipulative, and way too fucking tempting for my inner alpha. Unwelcome memories of Megan flashed before my eyes, making my chest tight. A decade may have passed, but I refused to let myself be drawn in by an omega again. Unfortunately, my alpha hadn’t gotten the memo. The rare times I was around omegas, that instinctual longing for a pack overtook me.
So why the fuck was I here? Sampson had been strangely insistent about me taking this job as a favor to him. He guarded her last year when she was under threat from the previousgovernment. Now she’d been attacked again, and the police weren’t doing anything. It didn’t surprise me. In my experience, the police did fuck-all to help anyone, especially omegas. I might not want to be around omegas, but they didn’t deserve to be attacked and treated like shit.
I sighed heavily, getting out of the car. I committed to this job, and I always followed through on my promises.
I knocked on the door and an alpha answered.
“Gray, I presume?” He held out his hand.
“That’s right.” I gave his hand a firm shake.
“I’m Theo Ashwood. We spoke over the phone. Westin is in the living room with my omega, Josie, and my packmate, Cam.”
He invited me into the house, which even I had to admit was really nice. My apartment was sparse as fuck. I’d never seen the point in decorating.
Theo led me into the living room where three people were seated on the couch. They stood as we entered. There was a massive alpha with his hair tied into a bun, his arm around a curvy brown-haired omega.
