Eyes bulging, he shakes his head slowly, and I release him.
Really, I debate the merit of killing him on the spot, but covering up a murder is a lot more difficult than just threatening him into silence.
Brennan comes back into the house and into the kitchen—presumably to make sure Jasper Caruso isn’t dead and the omega isn’t guilty of murder.
“Now,” I grind out, glancing at the unconscious body of Victor on the ground. “I’m going to walk out of here. I’m going to take the omega, and you arenotgoing to look for her. You are going to keep to yourselves, and you will never buy another omega again. If you do, every recording, every little crumb of evidence is going straight to the police.”
“I could just delete it all,” he blurts out as I take a step back.
“You could.” I shrug. “But it wouldn’t do you any good. My guy, the one watching us right now, has already cloned every single minute of footage you’ve collected since you set the cameras up.”
Ethan had started copying everything over as soon as we left his apartment.
Kellan’s eyes flash with defeat, and I turn around. But, the asshole has to get one last word in.
“Fine. I didn’t want her anymore anyway. The little bitch was more trouble than she was—ugh!” He groans as my fist meets his gut.
How dare he talk about her like that. This time, my vision really does go red as I let my fist drive into his face, again, and again, and again.
My knuckles are coated in red by the time Brennan comes back, shaking my shoulder. “We gotta go. An ambulance is coming.”
Just like that, my rage is replaced by worry, and I nod, letting Kellan fall to the ground. “What’s the story?”
“Ethan cloned their voices, putting in a nine-one-one call that they had a pack dispute that turned violent—but that everything is resolved for the time being—they just need some medical care. As soon as we leave the building, he’s going to wipe every recording off their drive so we have the only copies. Jasper is stable for now, I did some quick first aid that should hold until the paramedics get here.”
“Hear that, you piece of shit?” I crouch down, tilting the fucker’s face up by gripping his hair and pulling. He groans as he looks up at me through a swollen eye socket. “You better make sure they know this wasall you, got it?”
He only groans again, and I grunt, standing and wiping the blood from my knuckles on my shirt.
“How’s the omega?” I ask as we walk to the front door, Brennan “accidentally” stepping on Victor’s fingers on the way past.
“We got the FMS in her system, and now she’s knocked out. But, Mav…”
“What?” The tone of his voice has my footsteps coming to a halt, and I look over at Brennan, who runs his hand through his hair.
“Teddy…she’s his match too.”
Chapter 9
Teddy
My arms tighten around my dove in the back seat of the car, holding her close to me.
The scent she had left on the sticky note in my pocket pales in comparison to the real thing. Spiced apple cider, warm and decadent.
She’s mine.
Always has been.
Could this…could this be why I suddenly presented? Because my mate was in danger? My designation was just lying in wait until she needed me?
Or could it be because it was the scariest moment of my life, not knowing where she was or what was happening to her?
I scan her features as she rests against me, eyes closed and breathing shallow. She looks pale and sickly, with bruises forming around her neck—nothing like the woman who stole my breath with her kisses only two days ago.
“How is she doing?” Brennan asks from the front seat, turning around and looking at her with a worried expression. It should bother me, having him this close to my scent match after she’s been in the situation we just rescued her from, but…it doesn’t.
Huh.
