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“As long as nobody smoke bombs the event, I’ll be happy,” I said. I could run in heels if necessary, but I definitely did not prefer to.
“I’ll carry you, my damsel in distress,” Weston said as he bowed formally. It was just the right amount of levity to crack the others’ intensity.
I couldn’t help but laugh and return the bow before taking his offered hand. He pulled me forward, brushing a kiss across my temple. “You look amazing, my dear, and I can’t wait to ravish you later,” he purred in my ear.
“Maybe this time I’ll actually let you,” I teased as he led me out the door. As long as they all kept our relationship under wraps, I didn’t care how fast or slow they progressed. The only reason I gave in was because they knew their jobs were just as on the line as mine—equal collateral.
Sterling let out an annoyed noise and rushed ahead of us, nearly knocking Weston down.
I knew it was jealousy. The way I acted with Cyrus, Hayes, and Weston was different than with him. He’d caused arguments then made a weak attempt at being nice this morning. That was on him. I knew they’d keep me safe, or at least I was pretty certain of that, but it was a whole other matter to invest in them emotionally. Right now, Sterling wasn’t proving worthy of an investment of that sort, but that didn’t mean I should distance myself from those who’d shown much more potential than him.
Instead of the usual SUVs, a limo was waiting for us outside. I half expected the senator to be inside when we climbed in, but it was empty. I wasn’t too shy to share my sigh of relief.
“You look like you could use this,” Cyrus said. He pulled a flask from his inside pocket and handed it to me. I didn’t even ask what it held before uncapping it and slamming back a shot. The fiery heat burned its way down my throat, and I embraced it wholeheartedly.
It was a damn miracle that I hadn’t turned into an alcoholic trying to keep my sanity through this whole charade.
At least with these guys by my side and the drama that was sure to ensue, it would prove to be an interesting evening.
ChapterNine
Cyrus
The only reason I was going to this godforsaken event was because Bailey was going. The senator had assigned us as her personal guards to keep her out of the danger now surrounding his campaign.
He thought we were safeguarding one of his bestassets, but we were guarding our mate. We couldn’t have worked it out better ourselves, honestly.
We’d be happy to work him out too if needed. The omega was ours to the point that if he touched her in any way she didn’t approve of, I would cut his hands off without hesitation… and that would be if I was in a forgiving mood.
I’d have to be fucking blind not to see the way he looked at her. He watched her when she was working, oblivious to his staring, and it was downright disturbing how he licked his lips and adjusted himself—especially as a married man who should have been more concerned about his campaign than anything else. His opponents were trying to tear him down, and the city wasn’t on his side like he’d deluded himself into believing, only the rich. Sometimes that was enough, though I wasn’t convinced that was the case this time.
Politics weren’t something I followed or cared about unless it benefited our Family. Generally speaking, politicians and crime families didn’t mix for a reason. They were too unreliable and easily swayed. We used them and tossed them with the same care as a used condom. Once they served their purpose, why would you keep them around?
It was my job to know everything about our mark, to find his connections and gather information. He might not be the only man on our list, but he was definitely near the top. Figuring out the senator’s secrets could help us infiltrate the omega trafficking ring in North Harbor and take down everyone involved.
Unfortunately, every new lead was increasingly worse. We never seemed to get closer to real answers since this ring was careful. But nothing was truly impenetrable. We’d find a crack in their foundation.
And now it wasn’t only about the ring. The senator was a terrible man, and I wanted to take him down simply based on principle.
I honestly just hated everything about him, which was a huge problem since I had to pretend to give a fuck. But I was a professional and would play whatever role was necessary. That was more important now than ever since we had an additional complication that none of us could have expected.
Bailey.
My sons and I had talked about her and come to the same conclusions. The omega was harboring some secrets of her own. I didn’t think she was from a rival Family or any of our allies. If she were, we’d have seen her face before.
Hayes had made it his job to uncover whatever she was hiding, but it seemed our girl was a ghost. Her resume was about all that existed, a sure sign to the trained eye that Bailey’s paper trail wasn’t natural. The average person was a timeline that could be tracked and traced so that others could identify the milestones in their history. For Bailey, if it didn’t pertain to a background in politics or the barest surface level details—a recent address, phone number, and a spotless driving record—it was undiscoverable.
Hayes was the best I knew, but he hadn’t found a scrap of information they didn’t want found. Whoever she was working for knew what they were doing and had some damn good hackers on their side.
“Cyrus?” Bailey’s voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I realized the car had stopped.
“Sorry,” I said with a tight smile. “Thinking.”
“Watch it, or you’ll hurt yourself,” she teased, but her expressive brown eyes showed her anxiety. That, and the way she fidgeted until Hayes hit his limit and took her hand in his.
The event was in full swing when our limo joined the queue, slowly inching forward. Reporters were outside on the small red carpet, their flashing cameras trained on each person that stepped out, making them feel like a celebrity for one night.
“Put on your game faces, boys,” I said once we finally reached the front. With these types of situations, it was best to rip off the band-aid, so I stepped out and reached a hand in to help Bailey. She gracefully maneuvered out of the vehicle, and I shifted so that I could block any unwanted peek at her legs… or anything else.
