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Seducing an omega when she’s in an artificial heat like this…it’s not fair.
Gunnar shifts beside me, while Aisling’s hands curl into fists at her sides. We’re all thinking the same thing. Where can Cassie go?
And why does it have to be our apartment?
“Can’t stay here,” Nero breaks in, his voice low. “Caius is already coming for me. This was supposed to be a holdover, but now Vance has dropped off the radar and…”
“You have to help her,” Roman says to Aisling. “You’re the Stargazer—it’s why I looped you in. Because you’re helping omegas and with the two of you marked, she won’t try anything.”
“I’m not a hero,” Aisling says. “But…”
She looks at the two of us—me and Gunnar—and I know she’s asking without words to help her. Even before Gunnar says anything, I know what the answer is.
“We’ll take her,” Gunnar says. “But fuck, Nero…did you have to bring us out here? Could have delivered her to us—“
“I haven’t left this island in over a month,” Nero says. “Not since the assassination attempt. This is the only place I’m safe right now.”
“We need to hurry,” Roman cuts in. “Let’s get back to the boat, and I have a van waiting. You can take it from there.”
“Please,” Cassie begs. “Fuck me, Roman. Please take me.”
Aisling wrenches her away from him, and I lunge forward to protect her when Roman snarls. He’s getting out of control. I don’t know how Nero is keeping it together.
“Back to the boat then,” Roman says. “Before I lose my fucking mind.”
The door swings open with a silent promise of the night’s cold bite, and the stench of brine assaults my nostrils. Roman is a shadow against the backdrop, Cassie a weight in my arms, her head lolling against my chest. We managed to get her a sedative, but it barely did anything—just made her sluggish—and I’m worried that she’ll be helpless if we run into trouble in the city.
We didn’t have a choice, though.
Roman is hanging by a thread.
We move, a silent convoy threading through Nero’s maze of a house, each step a beat in the tense rhythm of our escape. Before, I almost got distracted by the sheer decadence of Roman’s party, but now I’m fully focused on getting this girl safe. It feels like redemption—to be able to help her when I wasn’t able to do the same for Aisling.
I saved her life, but I wasn’t able to help her escape…and now, I get to do that for somebody else.
We step through the front door, leaving Nero behind, no one paying attention as we carry a near-unconscious girl out to the docks. It makes me worry that things like this happen here often…and it makes me fucking sick.
“Boat’s this way,” Roman whispers, and even his hushed tones sound like thunder in the quiet of the night as the party noise fades into the background. I nod, my gaze sweeping the area for signs of trouble. Aisling follows close, her breaths measured, while Gunnar keeps his eyes trained on our back.
The boat rocks gently as we board, a cradle amidst chaos, and Roman watches as I lay Cassie down on a cot in the cabin. He retreats to the pilot’s cabin as quick as he can, shutting the door behind him. Aisling immediately moves to her side, a protective stance that needs no explanation.
But I have questions.
I follow Roman inside the pilot’s cabin, shutting the door once again. His grip is tight on the steering wheel, getting the boat started as Gunnar unties it.
“We all set?” he asks.
“Yeah…but what the fuck, man?”
He looks over at me. “What’s the problem?”
“Yesterday, you said you wanted our help,” I say. “Ais said that Cassie was detoxing, obviously in withdrawal. And look…I know how bad Eros withdrawal is, I went through it myself. But did you give her more?”
“Fuck no,” he says. “These fucking guys showed up at the club right after we left, I guess…dosed her again. They act like it’s a fucking test. And when I came back, she was crazy.”
“The cult Nero was talking about,” I murmur.
“That’s when I knew I had to get her out now,” Roman says. “She didn’t have time…she doesn’t have time. I wasn’t supposed to bring her to Nero yet, but I couldn’t…”
