“Silas is the best. He’ll get Charlie back. And less than the purchase price that Lockswell asks for all that. Just give him time.”
I huffed out a snort. I didn’t want time. I wanted Charles to be right here beside me.
“I’ll send my boy out to get Charlie new bedding and clothes. Let me know when you get him in your care.”
“That’s not needed. I have money.” And I was more than willing to spend it on the Omega, if I got him that is.
“Believe me, Adrian is going to be driving me crazy if he can’t see his friend. Shopping is one way to keep him distracted. So it’s a favor to both of us.”
“Fine. But don’t let him come here until I say so.”
“Of course not,” I could see Moore’s eye roll. Of course he knew better than to let his Omega come stop by without his say so. But I also knew Adrian would do just about anything to see his friend, and if he knew where Charles was….yeah. He’d hate my guts for allowing it to happen.
Moore ended the call shortly after, and I finished changing the bed sheets on the borrowed bed.
Tucked under the pillow was the leather bound book. The one thing of my mother’s I had left. A piece of paper was about a quarter way through, right where I assumed Charles left off. Setting it on the night table, I finished putting on new sheets and making up the bed.
***
Two days.
Forty-eight hours.
It felt longer.
Like time had stretched itself just to punish me.
I checked my phone more times than I could count. I listened for tires on gravel. I paced the length of the house until the floor remembered my footsteps.
I waited.
And hated myself for every second of it. For letting him walk away. For not stopping it.
I doubted my decision. Doubted Silas, too—though I knew better. He’d done this before. Pulled Omegas out of worse places, fought harder battles.
If anyone could bring Charles back, it would be him. But knowing that didn’t make the silence easier.
And it didn’t make the ache in my chest any less real.
I jerked, nearly dropping my phone that was in a loose grip in my hand, as it buzzed.
A text message from Silas.
Meet me at Lockswell in an hour. Don’t talk to Vale
I sent back a thumbs up, already halfway to the door.
It took seconds—hair fixed, clothes smoothed, shoes on. I didn’t care if I beat Silas there. I wasn’t waiting anymore. Charles was mine, and I was done letting anyone else decide when I got to see him.
The road stretched out smoothly beneath the tires, sun casting long shadows across the pavement.
It should’ve been a beautiful day. But my gut wouldn’t shut up. Something was off. And I wasn’t going to ignore that feeling. Not again. Not when it could mean losing him for good.
On a normal drive, I’d have taken exactly an hour to reach Lockswells Boarding House. But today, I pushed my car as fast as I dared. The road was nearly empty, letting me speed.
II pulled into the Lockswell property exactly forty minutes after Silas’s message. I slowed at the entrance, just enough to avoid drawing attention.
The paved paths were mostly empty, save for a few figures moving between buildings. None of them looked up.
