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“The campaign?” His question held only curiosity, no judgment or suspicion, which was the only reason I answered with a steady voice.
“If I lose it, I lose everything I’ve worked for.” Playing up the career angle seemed wisest in this case.
His face dropped back into that emotionless mask, and my heart sank. Thanks to this crazy, shady world I’d landed in, I was probably about to be rejected by my mate.
“Then we keep it between us,” he said simply, and I was so surprised I almost asked him to repeat himself. “I don’t scare easily, Bailey.”
“What? Why?”
He laughed at my question then walked out, leaving me standing in stunned silence.
My hands shook as I dried my face and fixed my makeup, and by the time I stepped out, I appeared composed. Inside, I was a hot fucking mess.
After that, I had no interest in continuing with my search, so I went back to my original plan. I’d been scouring every calendar posted in the city, looking for events that could give him a step up in the eyes of his voters. Everything was on the table, from volunteering at the children’s hospital to parades and community outreach. All of it made a difference and gave the media something to showcase.
None of this would give me what I needed to take him down, but it did make me indispensable to him. The more I brought to the table, the closer I got to the senator and my goals. I’d just have to bide my time and earn his trust.
It was scary how easy it was to help his campaign.
Morally, I hated it. I was disgusted with myself for creating an even bigger following for this man. Everything he proposed to change was exactly what omegas feared. He wanted to return us to the role of relying on our alphas and letting them and the betas run the world and holding no power or wealth without our pack.
Instinctually, as an omega I wanted to be taken care of by a pack, but I also wanted the independence and respect that came with hard work. I’d put my soul into this career, started it to make my mark on the world.
Now, I was doing it, just for the wrong person.
At least it wasn’t my name, but an imaginary person, a pawn.
I couldn’t stay in this room any longer. Not wanting anyone to snoop, I locked away my files behind a password and locked my paperwork in the top drawer of my desk, putting the key in my purse before throwing my coat on.
My heels echoed ominously in the empty office as I wound my way down the hall to the lobby.
Hushed whispers stopped the moment I came closer, and I tossed a goodbye at the security team, including my mate, before practically running out of the door. I half expected Hayes to rush after me, but he stood by his team’s side.
It felt like eyes were on me, tracking every step of my rushed movements toward my car, yet when I glanced around, no one was on the dark city street beside me.
My heart was still racing, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up in some subconscious warning. What was my body sensing that my mind had missed? I started my car and locked the doors. It wasn’t until I turned to put my purse on the front seat of the rental car that I saw it—a single red envelope with my name scrawled on the front.
My fingers trembled as I opened the envelope to find a single paper inside. If anyone but me found this, it would make no sense, but I understood it perfectly. The words sparingly sprawled across the paper filled me with fear.
Remember what’s at stake.
As if I could fucking forget. Sure, I could get lost in this new Bailey, but at the end of the day, guilt bubbled up inside me whenever I let my thoughts stray.
My past never stayed in the past. It was a shadow attached to me, a darkness creeping closer to me with every breath I took. Now, I had a proverbial executioner’s axe hovering over my neck. No matter how I looked at it, I was losing.
Along with the note was a birth certificate. The dark edges and messy lines gave away that it was clearly a photocopy. The mother’s name was filled in, but not the father’s. It was for a baby girl who would be ten right now.
The names and dates meant nothing to me, but I knew someone was giving me a lead, and I couldn’t ignore that.
Who was this little girl, and why did the Underground Omega Syndicate want me to know about her?
Between this new information, the horrors I’d read online, and finding a scent match I couldn’t have, I was ready to call the Syndicate and beg for mercy.
A loud knock on the glass had me letting out an undignified scream.Great. Yet another witness to my inevitable breakdown.It was another man from the security team. The moment I rolled down the window I nearly passed out—ginger, whiskey, and cloves. The scent was spicy and masculine and strong enough I was lightheaded.
I hadn’t found one scent match today. I’d found two.
Fuck.
