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“What did I miss?” Tallon asked, his head bouncing between the two alphas as they spoke. Graham gave him a quick recap, and for once, Tallon was speechless.
“If the tapes are changed, then we’ll sue Omega Services as well,” Graham said like he wasn’t threatening to take on one of the biggest organizations in the world. “Though we’ll need more evidence to make our case open and shut.”
“The shooter, if we can get to him?” Beckham wondered out loud. “If his aim was intentional, he might speak out.”
“Wishful thinking at best,” I said bitterly. “Sorry, Beck, but most people let money buy their silence.”
“We may need the mayor to confess on audio or video,” Graham admitted. “That won’t be easy.”
“I disagree,” I countered. “It’ll be easy if we don’t wave a recording device in his face. Men with an ego like his will do anything to brag. I guarantee this isn’t our last encounter.”
“The ball!” Beckham gasped. “We bring her with us and stay in a group at all times. Let him come to us. He won’t be able to resist when he sees she’s alive.”
Graham and Ellis looked at each other like they could telepathically compare notes before the former answered. “If she’s on board, that just might work. I’m having our lawyer check into laws regarding custody in regards to our situation. I wanted answers before we continued with this,” he admitted.
“I don’t like the idea of using her as bait,” Ellis said. “He’s already proven he’s bold and reckless. That’s a dangerous combination. But if it can keep him from a chance of getting custody, Briar wouldn’t hesitate. I don’t think we all have much say in it.”
Reality sunk in. This man, the one who’d nearly taken her from us, wouldn’t get any rights to the baby… Could he? There was no judge that would support that, or at least I hoped there wouldn't be. I wanted to be optimistic, but knowing how our world worked didn’t leave me with much hope.
“She’d do anything to protect the baby, including defying our wishes,” Tallon added. “When we say stick together, it has to be in bigger groups, not only one or two of us as her back-up. I just really don’t like this.”
“I watched Briar confront him,” Ellis bit out. “You think I fucking like this?”
“What other choice do we have?” Beckham asked quietly. “This is the only way he’d give us that confession. The man is egotistical, so you know he won’t resist running his mouth. He’ll brag or mouth off, whatever he thinks will establish him as being in control of the situation.”
“I don’t like this,” Tallon repeated.
“What other option do we have?” I added in. “We go in, get the confession, and get the fuck out. Stay together. Maybe even hire some security for the event?”
“They’d need tickets to get in,” Ellis pointed out. “We could have them in the parking lot to ensure he can’t take her and leave.”
“That’s not a bad plan,” Graham mused. “I’ll happily pay off the security they do have.”
Beckham let out a small chuckle at that. “Of course you will.” Graham gave him a playful glare that fell away just as quickly as it came. The mood was somber now, each of us in our own personal hell, as we considered what would happen to our pack. That man did not need to be in any child’s life, and I truly hoped that Graham’s influence went further than any of us could imagine. He had friends in high places.
“I’m going to sit with Wells,” I announced. “I need a second.”
“You sure?” Graham asked, his fingers brushing along my arm as I stood. I gave him a smile, not wanting to speak, as I walked from the room.
True fear had struck through my core. The possibility of losing custody of the baby had never occurred to any of us, and I had a strong feeling it hadn’t to Briar either. She could accuse him of sexual assault, but they’d likely accept him at his word without proof. No, Graham was right. We needed to build a case, fast. Thankfully, we were mere months from the charity ball, and if all else failed, we’d find a way to get him to admit to his crimes. All of them.
“Miles?” The familiar voice had my steps faltering, and I looked up into the face of the doctor I’d known a bit too intimately in my lifetime.
“Dr. Garner,” I said. It was an attempt at a friendly tone, but it sounded more like a strangled bullfrog. He was kind enough to not call me on it.
“I hope you’re not here for something too serious?” he asked, concerned. His wrinkled hand reached out and settled on my arm. That was all it took for me to be back in that hospital room, staring at my mother’s failing body. My father had tried to kill her before himself, but he’d failed. The cut hadn’t been deep enough, but she wasn’t free of consequences. She’d fought for months, all of them under Dr. Garner’s care. I could still see her now—the sedatives just enough to keep her calm, her cheeks sunken in, and her head shaved where they’d had to do emergency surgery to calm the swelling of her brain. “Miles?”
His voice brought me out of the memory, and his eyes were full of concern. I swiped my hand over my cheek when I felt something there, a bit surprised to find tears had leaked free.
“My omega mate and my alpha mate,” I whispered. The look on his face was one of horror.
“I saw them come in. They’re in good hands, son. This won’t end the same,” he said gently. “I hear your alpha pulled out of it and was giving those nurses hell. He’s a feisty one.”
I laughed at that. “He is, and she’s out of surgery and being brought out of the sedation. They’re monitoring her and the baby.” His face lit up at the mention of a baby.
“I knew you’d grow up to have a hell of a pack, kid,” he said confidently. “Now, you get yourself together and get in there to give that omega some love. She’ll need it.”
“I will, Dr. Garner. Thank you… for then and now.” His smile softened, and he gently patted my shoulder.
“That’s why I do what I do. I don’t win them all, but I sure as hell try,” he said before walking off. It was an odd moment, one I hadn’t expected, but it settled something in me. That inner child who was continuously holding in his pain was now realizing that the past was done. I didn’t have to put on a show of being the happy, sassy omega; I could be that omega.
“Hey, Miles. Wait up!” Tallon called out as he jogged up, falling into step beside me. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I said, sounding a bit surprised. “I am. Let’s go see if she’s awake.”
“That’s the plan. I don’t hear Wells hulking out on the office staff or the sound of security beating him down, so it might just be a win.”
We both chuckled as we continued to the waiting room, relieved to see Wells wasn’t even here. He had to be with Briar already, or so I hoped.
“Is she awake?” Tallon asked as he approached the nurses’ station. The woman glanced up and smiled.
“She is, and the doc is in there. Hurry back!” she told us, hitting the button to unlock the door. We rushed on without even remembering to thank her, Tallon leading the way.
Suddenly, he stopped. “She didn’t tell us where to go,” he said out loud, letting out a frustrated growl.
“Get in here, you idiot,” Wells’ voice responded from a few doors down. I heard footsteps before he poked his head out and gave us an exasperated but happy look.
“Well, that’s a good sign,” Tallon said over his shoulder. I moved past him and into the room, intent on seeing our omega. Briar was a bit pale… but she looked like herself, and that was everything I fucking needed to see. She was in a hospital gown that was pushed up above her rounded stomach, a blanket covering just below, and there was some sort of monitor strapped to her. The gentle whooshing sound was strong and steady.
The doctor was checking her chart and jotting in a few notes, but he glanced up at us when we entered.
