Page 7 of Lying Lainey

There’s no way I screwed up badly enough to warrant this reaction. Shit, was Pharmigo trying to get rid of all the evidence? Motherfuckers. If I came out of this alive, I’m going to hunt down whoever was behind attacking me, and they were going to pay. Whatever it took, I was going to make it fucking hurt.

Never had my head throbbed this bad after a night of drinking. I was always so careful. Hangovers made you careless, easily irritated, and that’s when people slipped up. One drink too many and the con you’d been planning would be gone in an instant. So why the fuck did my head feel like someone used it to hammer nails into concrete?

Rolling over, I groaned at the stiffness of my body, making me wonder if I’d been in an accident. I took a deep breath and waited for the sharp pain across my chest where the seat belt had been, but there was nothing. Okay, not a car accident—thank God. I took a moment to take stock of my body and didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. So I gathered my courage as I rubbed my eyes to see where the hell I ended up last night. Cracking open one eye, just in case I needed to shut it again, a bedroom came into view.

My eyes snapped open as I shoved myself up, taking in the strange room. The room itself hadn’t bothered me all that much. What had me panicking was the picture of me and three other kids at a park smiling at the camera. I was around thirteen in that picture with rosy cheeks, bright hazel eyes that still believed my world could get better, and rich golden-brown hair.

The other children had been orphans like me who he’d allegedly adopted with his various identities. We’d been told to play and have a good time at this park in a super fancy neighborhood. Of course, it had been for one of his cons, and the second he got the pictures he needed, we were shoved back in the car and brought back to reality. That day had been wonderful, and it was one of the few happy moments of my childhood.

What was scaring the shit out of me as I looked at the photograph was how the fuck they connected it to me. Since the moment I walked away at the age of eighteen, I’ve never once used my legal name on or for anything. Typically, I went by Angelina when I wasn’t on a job, which was nothing close to Lainey. How someone managed to figure out who I was had my stomach revolting. Looking around wildly, I spotted the bathroom door half open and stumbled my way over, falling to my knees as I threw up. There wasn’t much in my stomach telling me that I’d been passed out longer than I thought.

Once my stomach accepted the fact I had nothing left to give, I used the sink’s counter as leverage to get back on my feet. Not daring to look in the mirror, I kept my eyes on my shaking hands as I turned on the water. Rinsing out my mouth, I grimaced at the acidic taste from vomiting. I really fucking hated throwing up. My biggest fear when getting sick was that it would be a stomach bug. Being sick made you weak already, but being forced to stay near a bathroom was a level of vulnerability I didn’t want to commit to.

My skin still feeling clammy, I splashed water on my face, scrubbing it vigorously, trying to pull my shit together. Giving in, I faced myself in the mirror, not flinching from the mess that looked back at me.

“Get it together, woman,” I scolded myself. “This is no time to have a panic attack over a fucking photo. You need to figure out where the hell you are, then you might get some clues. Remember, your next job isn’t for another two weeks, so there’s time to fix this.”

Those same hazel eyes looked back at me with makeup I’d slept in smeared all over my face. There was no wanderlust found in them any longer. Instead, they reflected the reality of the life I’ve lived fending for myself. The baby fat was gone from my cheeks, allowing the elegant slope of my bone structure to show through. Natural full lips were made just a touch more pillowy with some filler, giving the barest pout to them. I took great pride in how well I looked after my skin, investing in the greatest asset I had in a con—myself.

It was the same for maintaining a good weight, not too skinny taking away my curves, but not too much. I worked out every other day and watched my diet, owning up to the fact I had a terrible addiction to sweets. Moose Tracks ice cream was my drug of choice. I could slam a pint like it was nothing if I wasn’t careful. That was a piece of Lainey I couldn’t seem to shake, no matter how hard I tried. Guess some things are so ingrained it doesn’t matter how deep you try to bury them, they still pop up.

Seeing my hair, I actually flinched as I absorbed the fact someone ripped the fucking wig off my head. The wig cap was barely holding on, and my natural hair was sticking out all over the place like I had no idea what I was doing. That wig had been glued down tight, knowing it needed to last the two weeks I was going to be Emmalina. Whoever brought me here wanted to prove they knew I was hiding who I was. Then I realized they’d removed my contacts as well. Whatever drug they used, they weren’t fucking around if I stayed passed out through all that.

While I would kill for a shower, I couldn’t be that exposed until I knew what the hell was happening. Walking back into the bedroom, I scanned the space looking for anything that would give me a clue as to why I was here. Instead, all I found was that this room is exactly what I would have designed for myself. The walls were white, but with the artwork on them, you didn’t really notice. Everything had a modern feel with vintage touches that were so my style—the advantages of the current era with the elegance of the past blended together.

Taking in the bed again, I couldn’t help but be surprised at how nest-like it was. Tons of fluffy pillows in creams, light pinks, and robin’s-egg blue sat on top of a pure white comforter that had an ivy pattern stitched into it with white thread. There were even soft gauzy curtains to pull from the head of the bed to give it that cozy feel as you snuggled in, a must-have for most Omegas. Seeing these rather specific features of the room told me that not only did they know who I was but also what I was.

With each second that passed, I got thrown from one emotion to another as I tried to process what the hell was happening. Clearly, I wasn’t going to learn much from this charming yet frustrating bedroom, so it was time to explore the rest of this place. Half expecting the door to be locked, I paused when the handle turned easily. Stepping out into the tiny hall that took me to the living room, I couldn’t help but gasp at how beautiful it was.

A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling casting little prism rainbows over the cream-tufted furniture below. More pillows filled the loveseat in pinks, gray, and white, making me want to run and jump into the pile. A glass coffee table sat in the middle with a fresh floral arrangement of roselilies, a rather unique flower and my favorite. Right below them was a tented card with Lainey scrawled across it in elegant handwriting. Picking it up, I found a simple black smartphone underneath. Reading the card, it had one sentence and a four-digit code to unlock the phone.

Use this code to read message.

I flipped the card over, but no more information was found. Picking up the phone, I tapped the screen, which prompted the request for the four numbers I’d been given. Entering them, I set the phone down, backing up as far as I could before hitting the enter button. It’s not like it would do much if the damn thing was going to blow up, but it made me feel better. Closing my eyes, I hit enter and hunched over, waiting for something to happen. Peeking at the phone after a minute to make sure I really hit the right button, I was sucker punched with a picture of Trent in an orange prison jumpsuit looking at whoever was taking the image.

My legs gave out, and I crumbled to the floor as the feelings I’d hidden away for twelve years came rushing back. Overwhelmed, a single tear rolled down my cheek as I fought to regain control. He was locked away where he couldn’t hurt me or the others again. I’d made fucking sure of it. Quickly, I brushed away the tear, refusing to acknowledge it had happened. That bastard didn’t deserve any more tears than the ones he robbed of me as an innocent. I was far from the Lainey who sought that man’s approval and believed he might have a shred of affection for me. The woman I was now could make men crawl on their hands and knees if I chose to. I had nothing to fear from a picture.

Reaching out with a shaky hand, I fisted it, took a deep breath, and tried again without a hint of fear. Grasping the phone, I steeled myself to see his picture, but now that I was over the initial shock, he didn’t look like the personal demon I always pictured in my nightmares. He’d gotten fat which was hard to believe since he’d been such a stickler about his appearance, knowing as I did how important it was. Although I suppose since he wasn’t ever getting out, he had no one to impress. His jaw was covered in salt and pepper stubble while his hair had gone all gray, and it wasn’t a good look for him. Everything about him now looked like he was defeated until you got to his eyes.

Those amber orbs were full of the intelligence I knew that conniving bastard had. It wouldn’t surprise me one fucking bit if he were using this appearance to throw people off. He probably ruled that prison without anyone the wiser. Having recovered from the shock, I remembered the note said to read the message, so I swiped his photograph away to see what the hell was going on.

Hello, Lainey Caddel, and welcome to the Underground Omega Syndicate.

You have been chosen for a very important project based on your particular set of unique skills and/or connections. We’ve taken the liberty of relocating you to your apartment in Corzina. This location will serve as the starting point for your new role within our organization.

There are three rules you must abide by:

Keep this phone with you at all times. It is your sole source of funding and anything else you may require to be successful in your mission.

Follow any and all orders given within the time frame provided. If an issue arises, reach out to the number provided immediately.

Never discuss the Syndicate or your affiliation with the Syndicate.

Follow these instructions, and you will be considered to earn your freedom.

Should you choose to ignore or deviate from these guidelines, the penalties will be swift and severe. Any attempt to expose our organization will immediately activate Termination Protocol, which includes but is not limited to: the release of damaging evidence relating to your role in putting this man in jail, as well as sending your identity to all the targets you’ve conned. Immediate termination of funding and available resources will also occur. In some cases, loss of life might be called for to protect the Syndicate.

For now, please make use of the home and items provided. They are for you to use in completing this mission. We’re glad to have your skills at our disposal, helping to further our cause—putting Omegas in positions of power globally. Together, we will strive for equality and a better, safer, and more prosperous tomorrow for all designations.