Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

ADIRA

“ H ey, Adira, are you on your way to work?” Aisling chases me down the hallway as I walk toward the back door to head out, and I startle, confused by why she’s asking.

“Yeah,” I drawl, eyes wide. “Did you need something?”

It’s Friday night and she is rarely here this late, that I’m aware of. I don’t spend much time in the outreach area of Omega’s Haven, unless I specifically need something. Now that I have a computer and can connect to the internet, it’s even less often that I’ll head up there.

I can relate to Damon when he says he’s a recluse, because I have to spend so much time recharging after being around people for work and school. It’s a hard change from barely speaking to people the way I did while living at my father’s estate.

“I kind of need a huge favor,” she admits. “Can I walk with you?”

“Won’t you have to walk back?” I ask, worried.

“I’m perfectly capable of walking back alone,” she reassures me, twitching her skirt to show me the knife strapped to her thigh. “It’ll give me an excuse to bug Caleb too.”

“I can’t see why not then,” I say with a nod. Their friendship is always fun to watch in action. Caleb doesn’t have a chance at keeping his growly zen around her. “The company would be nice.”

I like Aisling and her work partner, Wren. I don’t have to force myself to talk with them, and the interaction doesn’t drain me as easily either. I think that’s true of people who are kindred spirits, I guess.

Since I’m already wearing my outerwear for the walk, Aisling grabs her coat from the rack by the front door on our way out. She often goes between the shelter and the outreach areas equally, depending on what she’s doing that day, so it’s normal for her coat to be hung up by the back door.

Walking down the alley with her after I sign out, I wait to hear what’s on her mind.

“Omega’s Haven has a charity event next week to raise money, so we can expand our operations to include kids enrichment activities while they’re with us, as well as buy out the building next door, to convert it into a greenhouse, so we can grow our own vegetables year round,” Aisling says. “It’s been on the calendar for awhile, but I kept forgetting that Wren won’t be able to attend. I do better when I have someone in my corner to help me work the room.”

“Okay,” I murmur. “Where do I come in then?” I ask.

“Our events not only have a lot of city officials, but also mafia family members as well,” she says. “The events are safe, and the Kelly brothers are also going. I was wondering if you’d be willing to come with me?”

“I’m trying to lie low,” I say, my fingers playing with my braid as I think. If there will possibly be media there, I don’t want to be in attendance if I’m not pretending to be arm candy for the Kelly brothers. That’s our ruse to keep Rock away.

“Shaw mentioned his boss said you were at the fights hosted by Jasper and Tommy, though,” she says knowingly. “The families are all talking about it. Wait, was that planned?”

“In a way,” I confirm. “It started out as a way to get me out of my room, and then it occurred to Duncan that it would also fit one of the reasons why he told Rock he wanted to buy me in the first place. Arm candy to keep other omegas away and as a broodmare.”

“I hate the term broodmare so much,” she mutters. “We aren’t fucking horses.”

“Valid, but I also learned a few things about my father, and that he may not have stolen from Rock at all,” I say.

We haven’t had this conversation yet, since we have both been missing each other lately. Whenever I am at the shelter, I have earphones in, that Duncan gifted me, to block out the sounds of my sheltermates when they’re all home.

There’s a new person at the shelter that continually stops me as I leave my room, refusing to let me go, and wastes my time.

It's been difficult to keep my cool. Losing my shit isn’t an option. She genuinely seems to be nice. Since hiding in the study rooms isn’t working, I stay in my room to work on schoolwork and projects. It hasn’t been going on for long, but I’m already over it.

“Feel comfortable telling me about it?” Aisling asks.

“There were just knowing glances, comments of being a mafia princess, and statements that I may not be completely destitute, because no one keeps their money at their home when banks exist,” I explain. “I don’t think Rock thought about that, since he seems like someone who sleeps with his money under his mattress.”

Aisling snorts, shrugging. “Maybe not quite that bad, but I imagine that man to be very paranoid from what I’ve been hearing. Caelin, my mate, is incredible on the computer. Want me to ask if there’s any way to look into it?”

“Would he?” I ask, disbelieving that people just offer that kind of help.

“You’ve been all people are talking about,” she says. “No one knows where you’re staying, since the idea is for them to believe you’re living with the Kelly brothers. I should also mention that the charity event is a masquerade. I decided that a little bit of drama would help open people’s wallets.”

“That’s really smart,” I murmur. “A mask would make me more confident in a setting like that. I guess I have to go shopping then, and I need to know when this is happening.”

“Next Wednesday,” she says. “The dress is my treat, because I’m springing this on you. I kept forgetting to bring it up. Seriously, thank you so much. It ended up getting so late, I was just going to wing it alone, but then I started getting nervous.”

“You’re great in front of people,” I remind her. “Look at everything you’ve already built with Wren.”

“Maybe, but that was only because I refused to let people underestimate me. Even then, I had help getting people to even take me seriously,” she sighs. “Youth is not on my side with this. It’s been a long dragged out battle to get here.”

“Some of the best things are,” I say with a shrug. “It tastes better when you can tell people to suck it.”

Laughing, Aisling nods. “You’re not wrong. There’s a women’s organization that I hate who bought tickets. They call themselves the Regional Omega’s Women’s Society. They’re a spiteful group that wants to control omegas.”

“How did they get tickets?” I ask. “I don’t know how they’ve been distributed.”

“I placed the link on my website, and then joined a few podcasts and radio stations, as a guest speaker, to promote the event,” she explains. “By the time they bought tickets, Caelin couldn’t block their IP addresses for their headquarters fast enough. I’m pissed I didn’t think about it.”

“It’s amusing that they’re still supporting Omega’s Haven through their ticket sales, though,” I say with a smirk.

Aisling stares at me for a moment before grinning. “You’re absolutely right,” she says. “I was so mad, I didn’t think about that. Thank you for showing me how short sighted that was. The event is at eight next Wednesday night, so I’ll pick you up at the shelter. I really wish I had asked you sooner.”

“It helps to know Callum and Duncan are going,” I say to her. “They make me feel safe. I’m getting better at defending myself, but I still worry it won’t be enough.”

“As someone who has had to defend myself and has killed, my suggestion is not to overthink it. React on instinct, do what your muscle memory tells you to,” she says. “I wish you didn’t have to work on the days Gabriel is here to teach self defense classes.”

“We met briefly,” I mumble. “Kane had me over his shoulder, but it was him.”

“Okay, we’re swinging through for something caffeinated for me. I need this story,” Aisling says.

That sounds like something I can get behind, because I’m exhausted. While I didn’t have a nightmare, my dreams wouldn’t let me sleep peacefully. I hate dragging ass at work, as it makes me feel as if I’m not pulling my weight.

Classes five days a week is a heavy load, and I’m looking forward to being able to sleep in tomorrow. My phone is getting put on silent, and I’m going to see how long it takes for the shelter to wake me up.

It’ll have to be enough to help me gain more sleep.

I explain the highlights of amateur fight night on Wednesday to Aisling, her eyes sparkling when I grazed over the details of the locker room.

“Orgasms and groveling have a nice ring to it,” she comments as we stride into Finnegan’s Bar with coffee for Aisling and a protein drink with a boost of vitamins for me.

Mr. Lars is way too good to me. He didn’t even grunt very much when he saw me today.

Taking a grateful sip of my cold beverage, I enjoy the feel of energy sinking into my bloodstream. I’m going to need it today.

“Ladies,” Caleb drawls. “Have you two been terrorizing my brother today by chance?”

I know he recognizes the cups, and all I can do is flush in guilt.

“Poor bastard,” Caleb murmurs. “How are you doing, Adira?”

“Better now that I have this,” I admit, lifting the cup. “The schedule is something to get used to.”

“You need sleep,” he says, brow raising.

I know he can probably see the circles under my eyes, since I don’t know how to hide them with makeup, so I refuse to try. The bar is dark enough to hide my secrets while I’m working, thankfully.

“I’m working on it,” I promise. “I plan to sleep in later than six tomorrow morning.”

“Things don’t get moving really at the shelter until at least eight, so that’ll be an improvement,” Aisling says.

Agreeing, I allow myself to get pulled into the hustle and bustle of setting up everything for the bar, the rest of the night flying by with the help of the constant stream of people needing drinks.

When I finally fall face down into my bed, I forget to wash my face of the alpha pheromone blockers, promising I’ll just do it when I wake up.