Chapter 17

Acommotion outside the room has me looking over at the guys. Their brows furrow as they look toward the door. "What the hell?" Griffin mutters, looking down at me. "You stay here. I'm going to see what's going on."

Griffin gets up, walking halfway across the living room before the door bursts open, and in stumbles Zane.

"What the fuck happened to you?" Griffin rushes over to Zane. Everett and I are off the couch and over to them in a second.

"Oh my God," I gasp, my hand going to my mouth as my eyes widen when I see the way his eye is swelling and his lip is bloody.

"Just got into a fight with my big brother. Nothing to worry about," he scoffs, walking over to the couch.

"Nothing to worry about?" Gianna steps into the hotel room, and I'm instantly on edge. "You just got your ass kicked by the owner of the record label."

"Co-owner," Zane mutters. "And he didn't kick my ass," he sneers at her. "It was an evenly-matched fight."

"Why would you do that?" I ask in a frustrated huff. "I told you to leave it alone."

"You"re fucking kidding me, right?" Zane growls, jumping to his feet. "He fucked you! I'm not going to just pretend he didn't touch what"s mine."

I glare at him. "I told you, it was for work. I didn't know who he was to you."

"No." He lets out a humorless laugh. "But he knew who you were."

My face drops. "What?"

"Oh, yeah. Calvin knew exactly who you were and the fact that I was looking for you for years. And he still fucked you and kept going back."

A hint of betrayal fills me. Why would he do that to me? Why would he do that to his brother? Why sleep with the girl he knew Zane wanted?

"Still." I swallow hard. "You can't go around beating up everyone I've slept with."

"Like hell, I can't," Zane snarls. "Who else? How many more? I'll find them all."

"Well... there's no one else. But that"s not the point. You can't act like this. Just because you say I'm yours doesn't make it so."

Zane's face drops, and I realize what I've admitted to. "He's the only guy you've slept with?"

My eyes flick around the room as I shift from foot to foot, nerves filling me. My eyes stop on Gianna and my lip almost peels back in a snarl. She doesn't need to be hearing my personal details. "Can we not talk about this right now?" I ask him.

"He was your first?" Zane asks in a very low, dangerous tone that has me very worried.

"Zane. Stop," Everett warns.

"I'm going to kill him," Zane snarls, ready to storm back out of here, but the guys stop him.

"No!" Gianna steps forward. "You are done with this for the night. Get some sleep. You have a show tomorrow, and thousands of fans are relying on you to be there." She turns to look at me. "Why are you here? If you"re only going to cause issues and distract them, then I think it's best you leave."

The guys go to say something, but I can stick up for myself. "I'm here because they want me here," I tell her, crossing my arms. "Therefore, unless they want me gone, I'm staying." I look over at the guys. "Do you want me to go?"

"Fuck no," Griffin curses.

"No way," Everett answers next.

"If you try to fucking leave, I'll track your ass down and drag you back here," Zane growls, and I can't help the shiver that runs through me.

"There you go. I'm staying. Because, like they said, you work for them. I don't know you, and I'm not some omega you can push around. If anything, I think you might want to watch how you talk to not only me but them." I step up to her.

"You are their manager. Managers can be replaced. But me?" I give her a smug as fuck smile. "I'm their best friend. The girl they grew up with. The girl they spent years looking for. Their omega. There"s no replacing me."

Gianna's eyes shine with hatred, and I may have just made things worse for myself, but I'm not going to roll over and let her talk to me like I'm the trash that needs to be taken out.

Her nostrils flare, and she looks over at the guys. "I thought you guys were better than this." She shakes her head. "I thought we were friends."

"Gianna, I say this with no disrespect; you"re an amazing manager and we owe so much of our success to you, but Jade is our omega, and we will not allow anyone to be disrespectful towards her. So I'm asking you nicely, please be respectful and understand she's here to stay. Or we will have to find someone who can. This is your last warning," Everett says.

Gianna's face turns red as she stands up straight. "Fine. I apologize," she says to them, not me. "I understand Jade is your guest, and I will treat her as such."

"Omega," Griffin corrects.

"What?" Her face screws up.

"Jade isn't our guest. She's our omega."

A flash of hurt crosses Gianna's face, and I have to swallow down a growl of my own, surprising the hell out of me. Do the guys not see this? She wants them, the evidence is clear. The possessive omega in me wants to grin smugly and drag her out by her hair. But I have more class than that... at least for now.

"Right." She clears her throat. "Omega." She says the word as if it's shit under her shoe. Girl better get the fuck out of here before I do something that gets me put in jail. "But please, no more causing scenes. Ice your hand so you"re able to play tomorrow. Do the same with your eye. Makeup can cover the rest."

Without another word, she turns around and heads out of the hotel room.

I sigh, leaning against the wall. I've been with these guys for almost twenty-four hours and the only time I've had to relax was when I was sleeping. I'm not used to all this drama or having everyone's attention on me.

"Where are you going?" Zane asks as I head toward the door.

"I'm going to find a phone and call my workplace. I'm supposed to be showing up for my shift in a few hours. Kind of can't do that since I've been kidnapped and all."

"You"re being dramatic." Zane rolls his eyes.

"Says the alpha who just got into a fistfight with my one and only client," I retort, raising a brow.

Zane growls, not liking the reminder of who Calvin is to me.

"Here." Everett digs into his pocket and pulls out his phone. He dials High Rollers and hands it to me. All I need to do is press send. "You can use mine. The passcode is your birthday if you need to get back in."

My eyes snap up to his as emotions slam into my heart. "Thanks," I whisper.

"You can go into the other room. We'll give you privacy," Zane offers. "You don't need to leave the hotel room."

"First off," I point to him. "Bite my ass," I snark. "Second, you don't get to tell me what to do. So fuck off. You're in no position."

"Would you stop being so damn stubborn, woman!"

"Would you stop waving your dick around like you"re some big bad alpha?" I shoot back.

"I'm going to spank your ass," he growls.

I give him a challenging grin. "I'd like to see you try."

I manage to get out of the hotel room without Zane trying to drag me back in when I tell them I won't leave the hotel.

"Jade, wait." I turn to find Everett jogging over to me as I reach the elevator. "I'm guessing you have a lot of things you want to talk to Calvin about?"

"Maybe. Why?"

He lets out a heavy sigh. "His room is on the floor below us, number 901."

"Thanks." I smile. "Look, I know this is a lot for you and the guys. It is for me, too. I have a feeling as time goes on, we're going to learn a lot about each other. We've been apart for six years and things change, people grow, and life goes on. We had lives of our own, and not all that's happened may be things you want to hear. Everything isn't going to be revealed in one sitting, there's just too much for that to happen."

"I know." He smiles back. "And Zane... he will get better with time. He's just overly possessive because he's afraid to lose you again."

"No, he won"t." I laugh. "But it's fine. That"s who he is, and I can handle him."

"I know you can." He grins. "And it's fucking hot."

I can't help but smile and laugh. "Thanks again for this. I'll bring it back when I'm done."

"Don"t worry about it, keep it as long as you need."

"Aren"t you afraid of me going through your phone and snooping?" I ask with a playful grin.

He gives me one of his heart-stopping smiles. "Go for it. Look all you want. I have nothing to hide." His smile turns into a mischievous grin. "But I should warn you, there are a lot of photos and videos of me and the guys, if you know what I mean. Zane likes to be videotaped."

Holy fucking shit. My belly tightens, and my thighs clamp together. Thank God for the scent-blocking panties, or Everett would know just how much that idea has me turned on.

But by the way, his lip twitches as he grins, I have a feeling he knows.

"Thanks," I squeak, then clear my throat. "Ah, for the heads up. Don't worry, I won't snoop."

"No. Please do." He winks. "And let me know later what you think about them."

He leaves me standing here, needy and hot. I'm half tempted to ask him to come back and take care of what he started, but I shake my head to clear out the dirty thoughts. No time for sex, real life is calling.

I END UP IN THE HOTELlounge to make my call. So much for blending in, seeing how I'm dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt, sans bra. Yeah, I didn't think about this before leaving the hotel room. I just needed some space to breathe.

Curling up on a chair in the back corner of the room, I give Travis a call, letting him know I'm taking some last minute time off. He doesn't seem all that surprised by the fact that I mention I'll be gone for two whole months.

He just tells me to come back when I'm ready; my job—and my apartment—will be waiting for me.

Hanging up, I chew on my lower lip, looking at Everett's phone. "No. I can't," I chastise myself as I stare at the lock screen. The lock screen is a photo of the three of them, laughing and smiling up on stage at what I'm assuming was one of their concerts.

"Fuck it." What could it hurt? He said I could search his phone. When I went to make the call, I didn't have to go into the main part of his phone, because I was able to do it from his lock screen.

So after I punch in the code, a small sob slips free when I see the background of his phone. "Oh my God," I whisper, tears forming in my eyes as a small smile graces my lips.

It's the four of us. Griffin just got his first paycheck from his first job, and he bought himself a phone. It wasn't anything fancy, just enough to do what he wanted it for.

We were all excited, sitting in our treehouse, exploring all the apps with him. He opened the camera and said he wanted a family photo.

The angle was all weird, so he told us to all lay down on the ground. We laughed, called him crazy, but did it anyway.

Our heads formed a circle, and he lifted the camera up above our heads. We all gave our biggest and brightest smiles, actually feeling happy in that moment.

"What am I going to do?" I whisper to myself, clicking the screen off with a heavy sigh. I close my eyes, leaning my head against the chair.

So much has happened, and just when I seem to have a moment to process everything, something new gets thrown my way.

I agreed to two months and in that moment, I was so convinced that I'd be heading back to The High Roller.

But being cuddled up between Griffin and Everett while we watched that movie... I don't know. It was the most relaxed I've felt in a very long time.

What if this could work? What if we could really be a pack?I might be pissed off at Zane, but he seems very sure of the fact that he wants me. That he's in love with me.

The more I let that thought sink in, the more it scares me, but it also makes me so damn happy.

This is what I've always wanted, for the guys to confess their love for me, to make me theirs.

But it's not that easy, at least not for me. I've been convinced for years that they hated me, replaced me, and played me for a fool. I've convinced myself that I hated them too and pushed my feelings down deep. What if I let them in, and they break my heart for real this time?

What if they finally have what they've been looking for, only to realize that having an omega isn't actually what works for them?

Will they pick their fame and money over me?

I guess for now, I'll enjoy the time while I have it and see where things go. I'm not normally one who assumes the worst and doesn't bother trying, so why start that now?

All I want to do is go back upstairs with Everett and Griffin, maybe even check on Zane. But first, I need to have a talk with Calvin. Fucking hell, I still can"t believe he's Zane's brother. Of all the clients I could have given in to, why him?

Feeling like someone"s watching me, I open my eyes and look towards the bar. My heart stutters when I find Zane watching me, his eyes dark and possessive.

For a moment, I wonder if he's here to keep an eye on me, but then I see him take a drink of the amber liquid in his cup and sigh.

Drinking.

Boy, do I wish I could do that to forget my problems right about now. Zane is not someone I want to have a conversation with at the moment, so I get up and leave him sitting there, making my way back to the elevator.

With each floor upward, my heart picks up speed until it's racing in my chest. Nerves fill me and I shake out my hands, trying to calm down.

What do I say to him?

God, I don't know. I just don't know. Maybe I should just head back up to the guys' room.

Just as that thought slips into my head, the elevator stops at Calvin's floor. Before I lose my nerve, I step out.

"Stop being a pussy, Jade," I growl to myself. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. I'm so overwhelmed, and I'm not used to being under this much stress. The omega in me is itching for one of the guys to warm me up in their arms and comfort me. It's been so damn long since I had an alpha purr for me—today was a first in years—but that shit Zane was doing on the plane? Yeah, I could use more of that.

Knocking at his door, I wait. With each passing second, my pulse pounds harder. The door opens, and I stop breathing as Calvin is revealed in the doorway. "Jade?" His bright blue eyes widen in surprise. "I wasn't expecting you."

I go to open my mouth, asking if it'd be okay to come in, when I see his bloody and split lip. "Oh my God, your lip," I gasp.

"Oh, this?" he chuckles. "It's not as bad as it looks. You should see the other guy." He winks.

I glare at him and push him into his hotel room. "Alphas," I grumble, grabbing his hand and pulling him deeper into the room. I quickly realize, it's just a regular suite. Nicer than most, but not as luxurious as the guys' presidential suite.

It's not hard to find the bathroom. "Sit." I point to the toilet seat as I grab one of the white plush washcloths and get it wet with warm water.

"Bossy as ever," he chuckles, and my cheeks heat.

"Sorry," I mumble as I bring the cloth over to him.

"I'm not." He grins. And damn it, it does something to me. My heart is racing for a whole new reason and other organs seem to have a pulse too. I shake my head to get rid of my dirty thoughts, but Calvin gives me a knowing look.

He's so damn handsome. For a man in his late thirties, he doesn"t look his age. He looks more like he's in his late twenties.

"You didn't even clean it," I mutter, gripping his chin to hold his face still as I start to carefully dab at his lip.

He hisses slightly. "It wasn't that bad. I was busier trying to clean up the hotel room."

I bite the inside of my cheek. "Was it that bad?"

"Like a bull in a china shop," he chuckles.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" His brows furrow. "You didn't do anything."

"You two got into a fight because of me. Because we... you know."

He grins. "Because we have a sexual relationship together. You can say it, Jade. We're both consenting adults. We've had sex."

It's like reality is just finding me again. He's right, we've had sex. And the more I think about all the downright dirty things we've done together, the hotter my cheeks burn, along with other parts of my body.

"That is in the past." I clear my throat as I wipe the rest of the dried blood away. "Everything's changed."

I turn to leave, but he grabs my wrist. He looks up at me, emotion swimming in his eyes that I don't quite understand. "It doesn't have to be." His voice is deep, husky, and ignites the fire in my belly.

Just a few night nights ago, his knot was locked inside me, pumping me full as I screamed his name, begging for more.

And right now, I want to feel that all over again.

"No." I shake my head. "I don't work at The High Roller anymore... at least, not right now."

"Jade," he huffs out a laugh. "You know damn well I don't want you just when we're at the club. I invited you to LA for a reason. I want to get to know you better, outside of the club."

He grabs the cloth from my hand and tosses it in the sink without breaking eye contact. My heart pounds and my body breaks out in a nervous sweat as a needy feeling takes over me. I swallow down my whimper as he pulls me onto his lap, making me straddle his thighs. Fuck, I can feel him, hard and wanting under me.

"I want far more with you, Jade." His voice is thick, husky, and full of need. I suck in a gasp when he grips my hips, grinding me down on his thick cock. Slick gushes out of me as my nipples pebble, pressing against my shirt. "I like you, Jade. So damn much I can't even think straight."

"Why?" I whisper. "You hardly know me. I'm just some omega you pay to have sex with at a club." The words feel wrong as soon as they leave my mouth. Because as much as I have convinced myself Calvin was nothing more than a client I used to get off, I have always felt something more, something stronger with him. And it scares the shit out of me.

He cups my face between his two massive hands. "Don't you ever say that again, Jade," he tells me in a low, grumbling growl. "To me, you are far more than that. You are funny, sweet, kind, and incredibly sexy." He grins, and I bite my lip, loving the feeling of his hands on me. "You've had me hooked since the moment I met you."

That has me remembering something, and panic fills me. "Did you know? Who I was, I mean, when you first met me."

His face drops a little, and his hands move to my hips again, gripping me as if he's afraid I'll leave when he tells me the truth.

"I didn't know you worked there when I went in there. I only realized who you were when I saw you in the club. Nothing between you and I was ever meant to be a jab at my brother."

"Then why didn't you leave?" I ask him, my eyes flicking between his. "When you realized who I was, why didn't you leave and go back to tell the guys? Why keep it to yourself and keep coming back?"

"Because, Jade... when I saw you, I knew I wanted you to be mine. If I told Zane and the others, I knew I would have lost any chance I ever had with you. I was selfish and wanted you all to myself. My plan was to spend some time with you and get my fill of you before telling my brother; that way, when you left, it wouldn't hurt so much. The only thing is, Jade." He pulls me closer, wrapping his arm around my lower back. "There's no way I could ever have enough of you."

"But he's your brother," I insist.

"And you"re my—" He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, stopping himself before he says something he might regret.

"No. No, you were going to say something. Calvin, tell me."

His eyes open, and he sighs. "I don't think this is a good time. You"re already so overwhelmed with everything else, Darling. I don't want to add to your stress."

"Don't give me that shit. Please, Calvin, don't keep things from me. No more lies."

"Fuck," he breathes out. "Please don't freak out. Please don't hate me," he pleads.

"Hate you? Why would I hate you?" My eyes narrow. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. Nothing bad, I promise." He sighs. "I'm going to assume you"re still on your alpha-blocking spray?"

"Yes." I nod slowly.

"I figured as much." He nods.

"Calvin!" I snap.

"The reason I didn't want Zane to know I found you, to bring you back into his life, was because you"re mine, Jade. And I don't mean I saw you and felt the need to take you as my omega. Because Jade... you're literally my omega."

"I don't understand." My brows furrow.

"You can't smell me, but I can smell you. Jade, Darling, you"re my scent match."

My eyes widen, lips parting. "W—what?" I whisper and shake my head. "No. No, it can't be."

"Would it be so bad being fated to be mine?" he asks with a sad half-smile.

I shake my head. "No. I don't mean it like that. I—I..." My brows furrow. "Are you sure?"

"Everything inside me changed the moment I smelled you. You became my whole world, and every time I had to leave you behind, it felt like I was ripping out a piece of my soul. So, yeah, I'd say I'm sure," he chuckles, but there's no humor in it.

Tears fill my eyes. Not from anger or sadness. I'm just so overwhelmed and confused.

"Shhh," he soothes, pulling me into his arms. I go willingly because I really need an alpha's touch right now, his touch. "It's okay. Shh, baby, don't cry. I know this is a lot. And I know your life was complicated before. It's why I didn't say anything. I was hoping you would let me into your heart over time, and I'd tell you when you were ready. But, Darling, you are one hard shell to crack." He kisses the side of my head as the silent tears fall. I bury my face into his chest, gripping his shirt.

"I'm sorry," I whimper.

"Don't be. You have nothing to be sorry about."

"Everything is so messed up in my life right now. I'm so confused. Having the guys come back... it changed everything."

"I know." He runs his hands down my back. "I'm surprised they got you to come here, honestly."

I huff out a laugh. "Didn't really have a choice. Your brother kind of kidnapped me."

"What?" he growls.

"It's fine." Maybe? I mean, what can I do? It's already done, and I haven't killed him... yet. So I guess it's fine. For now. "They asked me to come on tour, and I agreed. Seeing the world... it's a lifelong dream I didn't think I'd ever get to experience. I didn't know how to say no to that."

"I understand," he murmurs.

"And we have history. A lot of it. I'm sure you know enough about it from the guys' perspectives."

"I do, and I hope to hear more about it from you when you"re ready."

Scent match.Wow. Like I said, life keeps throwing shit at me. And when I come to terms with one thing, three new ones get tossed at me.

"Keep taking the alpha-blockers," he tells me.

"What? Why?"

He lets me go enough so that I can look at him. He cups my face again, brushing the tears from my cheeks with his thumbs. "Because I don't want to take the choice from you. I don't want to pressure you into something you"re not ready for. I'm coming on tour with you and the guys. I want you to be able to choose this for yourself. If you never smell me, it won't kick in for you. If you decide that I'm not the person you want to be with and they are, then I'll step back and walk away."

"Why would you do that?" My heart twists as tears begin to flow again. "What about you? Wouldn't that hurt you?"

"Because in this case, I don't matter. I know how much you've suffered, Jade. I don't want to be one of those people who causes you pain, in any kind of way. You have history with the others; you love them, and they sure as hell love you. I don't want to get in the way of that. The choice is yours and only yours. Just don't knock me out of the running completely... at least, not yet. "

"Calvin." A sob slips free as he pulls me back into his arms.

He picks me up, and I wrap my arms and legs around him, clinging to him as he carries me to the couch. We sit there in each other"s embrace, saying nothing for a long time. My heart hurts, my head is a mess, and I don't know what"s up or down anymore.

All I know is that I have some sort of feelings for each of these alphas, but I don't want to have to choose. I'm not ready to accept something so life changing. So, I'll do as he says, take everything day by day and go from there.

Because I don't think I could handle anything else on my plate right now. I'm barely hanging on. They might be the reason I'm teetering on the edge, but they're also the thing that's keeping me from falling over.