Chapter 5

Chapter Five

AUGUSTINE

I 'm losing my fucking mind. My chest is heaving as I stand in front of Tommy Madden, supposed leader of the mafia outfit here in Chicago. His dispassionate eyes move over me in disdain as he crosses his tattooed arms over his chest. I don't understand why he's looking at me as if I'm the bug underneath his combat boot right now.

He fucking knows who my girl is. Why is he playing games right now?

"I haven't seen a girl that fits that description and I haven't seen Arthur since he came in yelling that some titty bar owner beat the shit out of him for touching one of the girls," Tommy says with a shrug.

The second I got into Chicago, I met Gabriel at the gym he trains at to meet the mob boss, but I can't say I'm very impressed with him at the moment. I haven't had a lot of interaction with Tommy previous to this, since I mostly worked with Jasper Rivers during a fundraiser fight event over the summer.

The dick fungus' information isn't even correct.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as if you have a great leash on your men. Are you sure you're not too old for this job?" I ask him, ignoring the way Gabriel chokes on his own spit.

My scent match is fucking missing and hurt if I'm to judge from the blood at the car wreck site, so I'm short on patience at the moment. Tommy has to be in his late thirties if that, but I'm not above being petty right now, regardless of how bad for my health it may be. My hand fists in frustration, though the mob boss in front of me has muscles on his muscles.

I just hate everyone and everything right now, which is dangerous for me. When I throw away caution, run my mouth, and say fuck it all, I know shit is going to get wild.

Jasper, who I spoke to various times on the phone to organize for the fundraiser for Omega's Haven, leans against the wall of the office quietly listening to us. Or, he may be bored, I don't know enough about him to know. The point is, no one is upset enough about this. It's time to make them pay attention.

"Arthur came into Club Serene a few days ago and was all over one of our cage dancers," I growl. "We are most definitely not a titty bar. We are a safe place for our employees and club patrons. Cerenity had him banned from the place, as is her right as a business owner. He talked a lot of shit about how he was going to fuck up my girl. Our place is neutral ground and under protection by several groups, including yours. Are you breaking that agreement? Should I speak to Pack Mohan about this instead?"

I throw out Wren's pack name because I'm desperate, and I'm not getting any traction under my own steam. I'm a club manager, a nobody, but Cerenity has powerful fucking friends. I'm not against using their names.

Tommy straightens as he listens, eyebrow raising as his arms lean on his desk.

"A chick fucked up Arthur? Club Serene sounds familiar, but I don't know why. Also, don't think I didn't hear the threat in your tone, boy. I'm not too old to break your bones and feed them to the pigs," he grunts as he glances over at Jasper.

"No one needs to threaten anyone," Jasper mutters. "Aisling and Wren had their fundraiser there. We were there, old man."

It doesn't sound mean when he says it, and Tommy smirks as he rolls his eyes.

"Cerenity was the omega who introduced my sister and Aisling during the event to speak before Wren had to leave," Jasper continues. I heard after the fact that Wren had her heat during the event and that's why she left early.

The girl is made of steel to have been able to endure the fundraiser in that kind of condition. She has my respect, because she smiled as if nothing was bothering her.

Fuck, that reminds me that Cerenity goes into heat in the next two weeks. I have to find her.

"I'm just trying to make sure I understand all the facts, since as you pointed out, I'm missing some," Tommy drawls. I think he's being purposely obtuse right now. "Arthur came in here with a completely different story, so I told him to do what he had to."

Even Jasper's eyes widen as he straightens, and Gabriel gasps.

"Boss, tell me you didn't," Gabriel groans. "I've heard stories about how much of an asshole he is. My sister says he goes into the restaurant she works at and enjoys terrorizing whatever waitress serves his table."

"Why haven't you told me that?" Tommy asks, frowning.

"Letty refuses to take his order and the manager makes her work late washing dishes. Trust me, it's better than serving him. He's a wild card, and you have no idea what he's capable of when someone says ‘no'," Gabriel says, shaking his head.

Damnit. He didn't tell me about that either. Glaring at Gabriel, he simply shrugs. Right, none of my business. I'll table that for another day. We all have our shit that we don't like to talk about.

"Fuck, okay. Look, I really haven't heard from Arthur since he was last here," Tommy says apologetically. "Is she really your girl? You should know where she is if she is."

He's talking about the bond, but even if we were bonded, there are cases where that wouldn't work. "Cere is my best friend, and practically family. We've worked together and have been roommates as well. She's as mine as anyone can be," I explain.

"Her car is upended in an intersection because someone crashed into it with her in it. There's glass and blood all over the place, and I have a right to be this agitated. Don't fucking push me."

"It's, what, almost four in the morning now," Tommy says, checking his wrist watch for the time. "I'll have some of my people track Arthur down in case he doesn't take my call, but there's nothing we can do right now. Everyone is in bed, so there's no one I can shake for information. I'll look into this because the club and Cerenity are under our protection. Arthur shouldn't have even been in the club that night."

Glaring at him because he's just ad libbing the obvious right now, I huff in frustration. "I'm crawling out of my skin just thinking about what could be happening to her. You don't know what the auctions are like for an omega?—"

"I actually do," Jasper says, raising a finger. "If she's at one of those places, no one will talk, so it's a moot point. I'm going to hope she's not, and see what we can find in the morning. I get this is a shit answer, because my sister disappeared when she was ten and I just got her back, but it's the only thing we can do."

Tommy still doesn't have any emotion in his eyes as he watches the exchange, making me want to punch him just for shits and giggles. Knowing I can't, I force myself to take a steadying breath.

Cerenity has to fucking be alive. I won't accept any other option.

"Yeah," I grunt with a nod. "I'll be staying in the city tonight, so I'll be around."

"What about the club?" Jasper asks as if it matters.

"Without Cere, we won't open again," I explain. "I'll pay my employees and call around to let them know, but we'll remain closed."

"Bold statement to make, don't you think?" Tommy asks. "Even being paid, won't your staff walk?"

"Cerenity is the safe person you go to when you need help," I growl, taking a step forward. "She'll give you a job, help you find a place to live, and rebuild your entire Goddamned life. Every person who works for her is loyal. They'll wait for forever if they need to. My covering their bills is just the icing on the cake, and the right thing to do. Something you clearly don't understand about loyalty."

Done with him, I turn and stalk out of the office, with Gabriel tight on my heels.

"He doesn't understand, because most people aren't that loyal," he hisses.

"Maybe people who work in the cesspit of humanity," I grunt. "I've found that most people just need someone to believe in them."

Shoving the door open to stomp out to my car, I rub my face tiredly.

"I have to toss all the food in my cooler. Is there a dumpster where I can do that?" I ask, blowing out a breath. "I'm fucking exhausted and worried."

"I know you are, but you can't go around pissing off every mobster in Chicago, Auggie," Gabriel says, rolling his eyes. "There's a dumpster around the back of the building. We can throw it out there. I assume you're staying with me while you're blowing fire out your nostrils like an angry, possessive dragon?"

The image makes me chuckle, even in the midst of everything. I need Cere, but I also need Gabriel. They manage to balance me out.

"Yeah, I'm staying with you. I'm not going to ask if that's okay, because you have a wicked right hook, so if it's not, speak now or hold your peace, asshole," I say as I open my truck. Gabriel is parked next to me, and rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, you know it is. I have to go for a run with Jasper in the morning, and then I'm training, but there's food in the fridge and shit," he says. "Follow me out to the dumpster so we can get some sleep."

The end is said with a jaw cracking yawn, making me sigh. It is really late. Jumping in the truck, I follow Gabriel's SUV to the alley to throw out the contents of the cooler. Letting him help me, I walk it down with him, because the alley is too narrow for us to drive down. There are rats skittering past us as we walk, their red eyes staring at us before moving by.

My nose wrinkles in disgust at the sight of them and the smell of trash.

"They're supposed to be picking this up tomorrow. It's pretty full," Gabriel explains as he opens the bin. Together, we toss out everything in the cooler, though I know I'll have to scrub it with bleach before I can use it again.

Once done, we walk back out. There's nothing out of the ordinary back here, just the scent of trash and an empty alley. I feel as if I'm missing something as I return my cooler into the bed of the truck, stopping as I begin to back away.

"What's wrong?" Gabriel asks as he rolls down the window to his vehicle.

"I don't know. I just feel like I'm missing something," I tell him. It's the feeling of someone walking over your grave or a word being on the tip of your tongue but won't come to you. Shaking out my hands, I shake my head. "Fuck, I guess I really do need sleep."

Closing up the tailgate of the truck, I walk to the driver's side door to climb in. Staring at the dark alley, I still can't shake the feeling.

Settling into the seat as I close the door and start the vehicle, I shove it into drive to follow Gabriel to my new home until I find Cere.

"Where are you, Sweetheart?" I whisper as I pass through the streets of Chicago. She could be fucking anywhere, most of them terrible places for an omega.

I swear, I'm shackling myself to you as soon as I find you. Be ready to wear me like an accessory, because you're never losing me again.

TOMMY

"We're fucking assholes," I mutter under my breath as I hear the front door slam shut.

"At least we know her name," Jasper says with a shrug.

My sister met me at my house at one forty-five in the morning to sponge bathe the omega, dress her in one of my shirts, and give her fluids. Unfortunately, the scent of garbage still lingers, but I won't be able to do anything about that until she wakes up.

The girl was really out of it, and neither of us could get her to wake up before I had to leave with Jasper for this meeting. My sister said it's due to the concussion and would try to wake her up intermittently.

She looked suspicious at why I have the girl in my home, but I don't give her too much information, while she just gives me her middle finger. My sister loves me… deep down. I'm almost positive.

"Cerenity," I muse. "So what do we do? Augustine is clearly head over heels over her, but they're not bonded. Do we have any thoughts on this?"

"I'm not a fucking therapist, Tommy," Jasper snorts. "I don't know. People are complicated. Maybe the girl has a shit past."

"I don't know about the past, but I'll never forget the way she screamed in the dumpster," I grunt. "Cerenity sounded like she was being murdered."

"The rats are feral," Jasper sighs. "They were climbing all over her, and since she smells like blood, if she was left alone they may have gone for her."

Shaking my head, I glance at my phone. I have to make a call, and I'm dreading it. He may not even pick up.

"I didn't realize Arthur was such an issue. I'm gonna have to put him down," I mutter as I pick up my phone.

"If he's responsible, I'll dirty my hands and help," Jasper says. "Fuck, I meant to ask. Is your sister going to do a rape kit on the girl? She was so banged up, and then there were the human teeth marks on her…"

Neither of us really want to say her name, not when we're snarling at the sight of her. Something inside of me says she's mine. Augustine was acting the same way, even called her his.

How could they be scent matches and not bonded? I've heard your entire body chemistry shifts when you meet your scent match.

I don't understand a lot of what's happening in front of me, because Augustine is correct. I'm missing a lot of information, and it's pissing me off. After we got the girl settled and David called me that Gabriel had called about a situation, I changed my clothes and fixed my hair before heading back out.

Now, I yank my hair tie out, scrubbing at my scalp as Jasper watches me in bemusement.

"Fuck, I'm going to have to kill this asshole, I can feel it," I complain, calling Arthur even though it's closer to five in the morning right now.

The phone rings so long I wonder if he really is sleeping when my hopes are dashed. Arthur was my father's man before I took over. My father ran the skin trade in Chicago, so Arthur knows where all the auctions would be, though he forgets that I remember this.

I'm not a snot nosed kid anymore, and it looks like he may need a reminder.

" Hey, boss. Bit late, don't you think for a chat ?" Arthur asks. I can hear the air from an open window, and he sounds really awake.

I wouldn't be surprised if the man was higher than a damn kite. He doesn't do blow when he's working a job, but I've heard that he does on his down time. Having it at his disposal makes it really hard to say no to when we sell it all over the city.

"Yeah, I'm working late tonight. Haven't been to bed, but had a job come across my desk," I say. Arthur giggles at my words, solidifying my concerns about his drug use.

I pretend to be a legitimate business man with a gym that happens to make really good money, so I'll use phrases he thinks are hysterical for a mobster.

I regularly get my hands dirty, but I know the phone lines sometimes have ears, so I rarely will say anything incriminating on it. Call me paranoid?

You'd be correct.

"Anyway, you're the perfect person to help me with this. Think you can come by around one in the afternoon tomorrow?" I ask him.

If he's been up all night, I doubt I'll see him any sooner than that. One of the managers at the gym is opening up in the morning for business, so I'll be able to catch some shut eye and check on the girl sleeping in my bed.

"Yeah, boss. That'll give me enough time to find a hooker," Arthur says with a smirk. "My plans didn't work out quite the way I expected."

"Did you take care of the guy who disrespected you?" I ask, the saliva drying from my mouth. Jasper's lips pull away from his gums in a snarl, knowing that I'm talking about the little omega who ran afoul of Arthur.

I may be missing some information, but I'm not incompetent. I'll fix the mess I made by not asking more questions the other day. I feel responsible for the terror the omega went through tonight, ending at my back door. Fuck, why can't I say her name?

"Oh fuck, yeah, I almost forgot I came to you about that," Arthur says, laughing like a hyena. The phone has been on speaker since I connected, but it's so quiet in my office, he never noticed. "My truck is gonna need some body work done, but I fucked, er, him up and taught him a lesson. Beat the hell out of him, then left him for dead. If he survives, then great. If not, I don't really care."

Taking a breath, I pretend to respond to this as if this could blow back on us. "Arthur, I don't want the cops at my doorstep, is that understood? We have some high pressure jobs coming up. I don't need any heat around us."

"No, no, boss," he says hurriedly. "I promise, the little cunt won't be back."

I don't think he realized his slip up, and I shake my head.

"You're higher than a kite right now," I grunt. "Please tell me you're not driving."

"Nah, Dad," he teases me, because he's in his late fifties. Fucker doesn't act like it though. "I've got one of my men driving me around."

My lips press together because his statement reminds me that when I kill Arthur, I'll have to measure who is loyal enough to avenge him, and who isn't. To be honest, anyone who hangs around Arthur probably is unhinged, and not in the ‘let's chase an asshole down the road in a truck and see if he outruns me' way.

Hmm, that may be fun to do. Glancing at Jasper, I wonder if he'd be into it. True bromance questions right there. Shaking my head at him when he appears confused, I force myself to focus. Fuck, I'm tired.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get cocky. I won't pull your ass out of jail if you get pulled over. I'll see you tomorrow," I say as I hang up. My eyes flick to meet Jasper's gaze as I frown.

"You're too young for wrinkles," he teases me, stretching. His tattoos crawl up his neck as he moves it from side to side, making them look as if they're moving. "We can't do fuck all until he comes in. You going home?"

"Yeah, I have a guest it seems," I murmur as I stand to go.

"Two," he corrects. "There's something about that girl, and I don't know what it is. I'm coming home with you. I have shit in the back of my car to change into so I can go for my run with the guys tomorrow. As we get closer to the fights, I stick to their asses like glue."

"Or a fucking barnacle," I correct with a smirk. He was one of the best fighters I've ever seen. Fuck, he still is, even though he coaches instead of getting into the ring.

Part of being really excellent as a fighter is knowing when it's time to step back.

"I think it's perception."

"What the fuck ever," Jasper growls, rolling his eyes as he drops his arms. "Do you feel like there's just something odd about this girl?"

"I think she has a name," I tease him. I'm going to needle the fuck out of Jasper now that I'm seeing that we are both refusing to say her name.

"Yeah, yeah," he grunts. "I saw her at the fundraiser and couldn't take my damn eyes off her. The little omega is gorgeous, and everyone seemed to respect her. She's carved out herself a space in Minnesota."

"She's been protected there since my father was the head of this outfit," I admit as we begin walking out of my office. "Corbin and my dad met with her when she first opened, and she was given protection to run her club as she saw fit. You remember how Nathan was Dad's right hand and went out to Minnesota for that meeting. She charmed them somehow. Even though my father was involved in shady shit, he said her club could be a safe place for people."

Nathan worked as an intermediary for my now deceased father as he began to step back from things, training me until I was ready to take over three years ago. I'm still clawing loyalty from the old guard, while Nathan moved away to start something new.

"That isn't going to look good if it gets back to Corbin," Jasper mutters as we walk out of the facility. "Are you planning to just hold her against her will?"

"Are you trying to pretend as if we're choir boys?" I ask with a snort. "My hands aren't clean, and neither are yours. As you said there's something about her, and I want to figure out what it is. There's state of the art security in my house?—"

"Because you're a paranoid fucker," he finishes. "So are we holding the girl prisoner?"

Fuck, this is getting ridiculous.

"Yes," I confirm. "We're going to keep Cerenity at my home so we can figure out why we're drawn to her."

"There's only one reason why we would be biologically pulled to her," Jasper drawls. "Are we going to play dumb about this?"

"Until I'm in the same room with her and can completely confirm that she's my scent match? Fuck yes I am," I growl, bearing my teeth at him. "There's been no way to really tell with all the dirt and blood on her. I need to know for certain."

"So you're going to make the girl shower and wait?" Jasper asks, bemused. There's a little frown between his brows, and I know he's going to hit me with another grenade of trouble. "What if there's something between Augustine and the girl? How much trouble are we willing to borrow, boss?"

"I don't know many alphas who would be able to keep themselves from their scent match," I remind him. "It goes both ways when they both scent each other, unless…"

"One of the matches hasn't scented the other," Jasper finishes. "But why would that happen?"

"Too many questions that can only be answered by going to see a little omega with a dumpster full of trouble," I murmur, not at all amused.

Jasper groans at my words. "I never want to be reminded of tonight," he complains. "Fuck, I need some sleep. I'll follow you home. Don't be a dickwad and lock me out. Just because I can't break in, doesn't mean I won't be completely annoying outside your window all night."

"I sleep like a baby on the second floor," I banter as I unlock my vehicle door. The windows of my home are made of bullet proof glass, and only I can get in and out of it with the codes for the locks. "Good luck with that."

"I'll find a way. Don't fucking do it!" he yells as I climb into the driver's seat and close the door. Flicking him off to enrage him further, I turn on the SUV and slam it into drive as I squeal the tires out of the parking lot.

Smirking as I watch him run for his SUV, I shake my head as I drive. I don't share my home with many people, even though I get along pretty well with Jasper. He lets me process things, feel them out, but will call me on my shit as needed.

I can think of a lot worse people to pack up with if Cerenity is who I think she is. Something tells me it won't be as easy as, "Hey honey, we're home."

Nope, I'm going to have to hide the knives and lock up my guns, because this little omega is going to shake shit up.