Page 44 of The Omega’s Nest

“Addie!” Leo shouts and I wince. “Don’t you dare … How could you …”

He takes a deep breath, and I’ve never heard or felt anything like this from him—he’s enraged, sure, but he’s shattering apart. I feel every nuance. He’s splintering, and each piece that breaks off tears through him with agony.

“Don’t you ever do something because you think it’d be better for me, you hear me? I want to be in this with you, no matter what this is. Surfing at ass o’clock in the morning in the dead of winter or breaking you out of a brothel, I don’t care. If you’re there, I’m in. Don’t ever question that again. And don’t … don’t you ever fucking leave me,” he finishes, his voice breaking.

“I won’t,” I whisper. “I’m sorry.”

“No, Addie, no, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for, just please … hang in there, okay? Talk to Terry. We’ll make a plan. Okay?”

“Okay.” I nod, even though he can’t see me.

“Okay,” he breathes out shakily. “I miss you so fucking much. How are you?”

So I tell him, downplaying the horror of the shakes, the sweating, the headache, the symptoms of a bond that hasn’t been properly taken care of post-mating.

He makes a noise like he’s in pain. “You’re worse than that.” But before I can correct him, he says, “Talk to Terry. If he leaves you the phone, can you hide it?”

“Yes.” A phone. A line to Leo.

“Good. And Addie?”

“Yeah?”

“I fucking love you so much, you know that? Always have, always will. I’ll get you out of there.”

“I love you too,” I say quickly. “So much.”

“I know,” he says, and I both hear and feel the smile in his voice. “I can feel it.”

“Me too,” I say and smile. “I can feel it everywhere. You’re like, obsessed with me, dude.”

He laughs, and it feels like I can breathe for the first time since Benji had Leo pinned against the wall with a gun at his throat.

Chapter 16

Leo

Istorm through my house and head straight for the low music and hum of voices in the backyard. Monday evening, my dad’s poker night. The back screen door slams against the wall as I barrel through it. Four sets of eyes swing to me, the coloured lights giving the patio a warm glow. I zone in on one set.

Marching over, I haul my father out of his chair by the scruff of his shirt and swing, cracking my fist across his cheek and following through to break his nose. He doesn’t even get a chance to bring his hands up. I shove him to the ground and hit him on repeat, my fist coating in his blood as I punch him over and over again.

Arms pull me off him, hauling me back by the armpits. Voices, men’s voices, rise with anger, alarm, but my gaze is fixed on my father’s. He’s blinking, panting, trying to regain his sense of reality. His eyes find mine and stay there. I’m heaving in the hold, staring the old man down.

“Come near him again and I’ll fucking kill you!”

He wipes at his face and sits up. Arms tug me back as if they think I’m going to go at him again. And I probably would too. But if he agrees, I’ll let this go. Oh, I’ll never speak to him again, but I’ll do him the courtesy of not killing him. Threatening my mate like that, telling him to kill himself—Terry told me what my father had left for Addie to use.

The goddamn fucking son of a bitch.

“I did it for you,” my father says, turning his face to spit blood. “He was always going to drag you down. You’re ruining your life, bonding that whore.”

I lunge, thrashing in their hold. Arms drag me back, the glow of the patio fading as I’m tugged inside.

“You’re a dead man! A fucking dead man!” I scream as I’m dragged into the kitchen, past my omega mother, who’s staring at me like I’m some deranged stranger. “You don’t get to speak about him! You hear me?! I’ll kill you. I’m going to fucking kill you!”

It’s Frank and Marshall holding me, the second and third in charge from the factory. Both betas, I’ve known them all my life. They shove me out the front door.

“Go walk it off,” Marshall says. “We don’t wanna get the cops involved.”