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They were swiftly convincing me that I didn’t need to stick around after this was over. If they couldn’t be bothered to let me into their world, even a fraction, why should I bother?
Cyrus sighed, finally retreating.
“There’s food out there, and you have to eat. Get dressed, omega. There’s something you need to see.”
“Fine,” was all I said, waiting until he’d walked out and closed the door behind him to let the tears escape.
I was no longer dealing with my shit alone. I now had four fucking witnesses. Holding myself together was getting harder by the minute, but I wasn’t here to jump because he said so. Instead, I took my time.
My shower was painful, the spray only making my body ache more. I barely made it five minutes before giving up and drying off. Not caring how I looked, I pulled on a pair of comfy sweatpants and a hoodie, wearing it like armor that would keep them from seeing me in my vulnerable state. The broken omega inside of me wanted to go to them, give in and lay my problems at their feet, but I couldn’t.
There was that ever-present warning hanging over me, reminding me that I couldn’t give in to them.
My life—and likely theirs—depended on my silence.
All of the guys were sitting on the sectional sofa of this strange apartment we were in, which was yet another mystery. They said it was an apartment they’d found through their job, but it felt like a safehouse to me. The place was fully stocked and furnished, ready for us to move in with a moment’s notice. I’d watched enough crime shows to see through their explanations.
There was still that lingering feeling that they were in the mafia or some kind of criminal Family. I’d wager my fancy coffee maker that somewhere within this apartment was a hidden cache of weapons, ammo, and money. Honestly, it didn’t matter. Maybe being well equipped could have saved me yesterday.
Weston was the first to move when I walked in. He hurried over to me and pulled me into a hug. I squeezed my eyes shut, ignoring the pain and refusing to let the tears fall. He held me even as I stood there, stiff and refusing to hug him back, then he took my hand and led me over to take a seat. Weston was also the one who went and got my food, putting a sandwich and fries in my lap.
I started to eat, though I barely tasted it. The TV was playing some mundane show that I didn’t recognize, and it gave me a reason to stare off into space as I ate. When I ate about half, I put it on the coffee table and curled into the couch, ignoring the protests from the alphas.
Once again, Weston was the one to act, picking up my leftovers and brushing a kiss on my forehead. He was such a contradiction. One minute, he was soft and sweet, then the next, he was flirty and spicy, and in another blink, he was dangerous and ready to protect.
“Show her,” Sterling ordered. The fact that he was talking around me didn’t help the anger I already had built up for him. I stared at the TV, waiting for someone else to keep the conversation going. I could feel their frustration rising, but I couldn’t find it in me to care.
Hayes grabbed the remote and changed the channel. A picture of myself caught my attention immediately, though I kept my face neutral. It was the photo I’d taken at the office when I took the job. If I wasn’t tapped out on emotions, I might have been annoyed or defeated to see that I was the top local news.
I watched on, unfeeling, as they outlined the attack in horrifying detail, calling it brutal. Every word painted me as the helpless omega victim, a girl who barely survived. Someone had even gotten images of the aftermath, including our apartment and my bruises. They’d angled it so only a small wisp of black hair could be seen so it could be anyone.
How the hell were they even showing this on television? Not to mention, how had they found these?
“The doctor released all this?”
“No,” Cyrus said with more confidence than I could manage. “I’m guessing it was the same person who ordered the attack. They’re angled away. That isn’t you.”
The footage switched away from me to the senator. He was standing at a podium, furiously staring out at the crowd, waiting for them to quiet down before speaking.
“There’s no denying that someone is now targeting my people. We’ve come here to do our best to help this city, to help this state, yet at every turn, someone,” he paused and glanced around dramatically so that no one could question exactlywhohe was speaking about,” is targeting and hurting omegas.”
The crowd erupted into angry protests, and he stood straighter, keeping his face hard. “Is that not what they accusemeof, saying that I care nothing about the omegas in our world, yet this is thesecondtime an omega has been attacked, and it is not by my campaign.”
“Who’s behind it?” someone in the press yelled out.
The senator gave him an indulgent smile before he took back the attention of the crowd. “This, my friends, is exactly what we worry about during elections. The monsters come out to play, and they are never who you expect. There are those that want to use this platform to cause harm and destruction, to beat their opinions into the masses. Yet look who is standing here, defending his team and proving that I care about my people! This is why I do what I do, to give voice to those who need one. We will persevere!”
“Turn that shit off,” Cyrus demanded as the senator started launching even deeper into his speech. Now, it was all political. I had been forgotten, a simple means to an end.
The room descended into silence, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the senator’s running mates were truly at fault. Was it an attempt to bring him down? If so, it was backfiring.
Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past the senator to orchestrate this. It had worked the first time, after all. What good was a trophy if he couldn’t use me?
One look at the polls would likely confirm my fears.
“No reaction?” Sterling asked. Finally, I looked at the alpha. He was a mess, with a black eye that was accentuated by the dark circles. His stubble had grown out to the point it was almost a full beard, and there was very little emotion behind his tired eyes.
“Nope,” I offered. “What do you want me to say? I work for the man, so of course he’s going to use this. I have no delusions about how politics work, Sterling.”
