Chapter 30

CHAPTER 30

ADIRA

Jed:

Will you be a good omega and text me or will you be a brat?

My lips twitch at the alpha’s words. Pack Dresmond is beginning to live rent free in my head, and I don’t have time to moon over them. Not only do they not deserve it, I enjoy doing the opposite of whatever they want me to do.

Me:

Wouldn’t you like to know?

I’m in the car Cian sent for me, his driver glancing back at me periodically as he drives. He introduced himself as Evan and he's one of Aisling’s mates as well. It seems they all work for her father, and Evan is the family’s personal driver.

I got dressed this morning, knowing I wanted to be prepared for this dinner. It’s approaching four in the afternoon with the traffic in the city, and my stomach is uncomfortably hungry.

I grabbed a quick snack earlier, but long days with few breaks often mean that my stomach grumbles.

I'm very nervous about this meeting, but it helps to know I’m not a damsel in distress, waiting for someone to save me. My knife is tightly tied to my thigh, I know how to use it, and I don’t believe someone related to Aisling actually wants to cause me harm.

Waiting on the sidelines hasn’t done me any favors, I need some answers.

“We’re here, Adira,” Evan says, pulling up at a restaurant. Putting my phone away in my cross-over purse, I glance hesitantly at my backpack.

There are few cars here, and I glance in confusion in his direction. “Mr. Sullivan had the owners close their doors to the public. He figured it would be safer that way for the three of you. There will be fewer eyes and ears as you discuss things. Also, to be clear, anything you choose to leave in my car will also be completely safe.”

“Of course. Thank you,” I breathe, stretching my neck from side to side to relax it. My face is telegraphing too much, and I need to get a grip.

Evan gets out of the car to open my door, and I let him. There are certain protocols that have to be followed, even if I have been separated from this life for a while.

Dad was paranoid, rarely leaving the house in the last two weeks of his life.

I have no idea what pulled him away the day Rock kidnapped him. I’m in the dark about way too much, and I hate it.

Evan also opens the door to the restaurant, walking me back to where two older men sit in a rear booth.

The restaurant appears to serve Italian food, which may mean heavy sauces I won’t be able to eat. Duncan’s lasagna took that into account and was delicious.

Anxiety prickles my brain due to my continued food aversions, but if worst comes to worst, I’ll eat bread as we talk. It’ll be fine.

“Adira, hello! I’m Cian and this is my father, Cecil,” a man with dark hair and a stocky build says as he stands. Cian doesn’t appear to be old enough to have a daughter in her twenties, but I hold my tongue.

Alphas tend to age gracefully.

“Hello,” I repeat, my fingers rubbing together to ground myself. Friction, pinching myself, squishing my toes until they cramp in my boots, these are all ways I fight my way through anxiety ridden situations recently.

I can’t afford to lose my shit.

“Please sit,” Cian says, his eyes warm and inviting. “We wanted to talk to you, and know you’re keeping a low profile. That’s why the restaurant is empty. Your safety is very important to us, Adira.”

Hearing Cian tell me I’m safe helps, since his driver could tell me anything on his orders. Cian is careful to maintain eye contact as he speaks to me, making it easier to believe he’s telling the truth.

People often lie for their employers all the time, something I’m well aware of. There’s only so much trust I’m willing to give Evan because he’s Aisling’s mate.

I’ll always be on edge around people I don’t know, even after Rock’s death. The world is inherently cruel, and nothing will ever change my mind about it.

I’m jaded after my experience with the auction house and having been shot before that.

Sitting down slowly across from them, I keep my gaze on the three of them, watching as Evan leaves the restaurant. Good, one less person to keep track of.

“I can feel your distrust, Adira,” Cian says, appearing amused.

“I don’t trust many people,” I reply. The words ‘ not anymore’ hang between us, and he nods.

“Are you hungry?” he asks.

“I’ll be fine with bread,” I murmur, my eyes skimming the menu. I can’t eat any of this, my stomach will definitely rebel.

Cecil leans forward, forehead crinkling. “Absolutely not,” he says. “You’re speaking to two men who have raised children and want to feed you. If there’s something wrong with Italian food, please tell us.”

“My appetite hasn’t been great recently,” I admit. “Heavy sauces tend to upset my stomach.”

“How does a light soup sound?” Cecil asks. “The chef here is wonderful, and makes my wife things that aren’t on the menu often. He would rather know you’re eating and happy.”

Cian stares at me for a moment, assessing what I’m not saying. “Does this have anything to do with your kidnapping with the Dresmond boys?” he asks.

“It does,” I say, taking a breath. “I was shot a few days after Christmas when I attempted to run away. They kept me sedated afterward.”

Cecil’s lips part for a moment before he snarls. “I have a lot of choice words that aren’t polite. Why are we helping these dickheads again?” he asks.

“They’re the lesser of two evils,” I mutter. “Without having to go into a lot of detail that’ll probably want to make you kill people, Rock wants to torture me by continually auctioning my body, until he gets tired of it and eventually kills me. In his mind, doing things to ensure my father is ‘rolling in his grave’ is the best use of his time.”

“The alpha is out of his mind,” Cian says. “Let’s get our food order in because I swear I can hear your stomach growling.”

Signaling the waiter, we order, and he reassures me it won’t be an issue to make me a simple soup. Feeling better once the waiter places glasses of water and bread on the table, I pick up a slice to begin this discussion.

“If Dad had as much money as Caelin told me last night that he did, then I don’t understand why Rock is insisting he stole from him,” I begin. “He had his sons blow up my childhood home, kidnap me, and deliver me at an auction house to be sold.”

“There’s more, isn’t there?” Cecil asks, eyes narrowing when he hears the sharp stopping point in my words.

“There’s only so much distance I can manage when speaking about this,” I tell him. “I’m still having panic attacks and the details aren’t really important for deciding if you’ll help Pack Dresmond in their bid to overthrow Pack Rock.”

“You’re very determined for your age,” Cian says. “Stubborn as hell as well. This pack hurt you in ways that are unimaginable for alphas. Why are they a better option than Rock?”

“Rock pulls their strings,” I explain. “I don’t endorse their actions, because I’m not a masochist, but they are showing me they no longer wish to blindly follow their father. The issue lies in the fact that once Rock figures that out, he won’t have any use for Pack Dresmond.”

“He’d kill his own sons,” Cecil grunts, connecting the dots.

“Yes, he would. I don’t know their entire story, but I believe Rock did things to create the perfect soldiers in his sons,” I say. “They never asked questions. It feels like too little too late in many ways, but they realize they can’t continue to do their father’s bidding.”

“And they’re also connected to you, aren’t they?” Cian asks. “They have to be for them to be this driven in double crossing and killing their own father.”

“Yes. I’m scent matched and bonded to Damon. We found that out while I was being kidnapped, but things were already in motion,” I sigh.

“In motion to monumentally fucking up everything,” Cian says. “Scent matches don’t just happen every day.”

“Hush, son. You’re getting all worked up. Let’s table this for a moment and discuss your father, Adira. There will be more than enough time to discuss Pack Dresmond, and you know you’re going to help them, Cian. Don’t pretend otherwise. Now, on to other matters. Jeremiah wasn’t always a recluse, Adira,” Cecil says. “We were friendly, and he’d talk about his wife and daughter often. His sister, Cassia, was typically at his side when I would see him at functions.”

“I barely remember my mother,” I tell them. “She died when I was eight, I think my father said she fell down the stairs, but all I remember is the way he yelled at me that night. He told me to stay in my room and not come out.”

The memory unfolds in my mind, and I shiver as I think about it. It’s been buried for a long time.

“I think Dad was out that night, and I was playing on the floor in the living room. I had more of a free range of the house when I was younger, but after that night, Dad made me wary of his moods,” I say softly.

“Mom let me stay up late, and he came in with another woman. I can’t remember now who she was, but she had dark, almost black, hair. They all went upstairs and a short while later I heard my mother scream. I haven’t thought about that in a long time.”

“You don’t remember your aunt at all?” Cecil asks, interested.

Pulling apart my bread as I think, I shake my head. “My memory isn’t great from when I was a kid,” I say. “Things tend to feel almost out of reach in ways. Something else I remember is that when I turned sixteen and it was clear I would be an omega, he told me I needed to begin taking vitamin supplements, and exercise regularly for my health. When he was tortured and killed, he wasn’t there to give me the vitamins, which triggered my heat when I was in the presence of my scent match and Pack Dresmond.”

“Are you sure you need them alive?” Cian growls. “Jeremiah had you on fucking hormone suppressants?!”

“Yes, it’s the only thing that makes sense. I would ask my dad about why I hadn’t had a heat, and he told me good things come to those who wait. Dad would tell me nothing was wrong, and I was simply a late bloomer. He reminded me it was a good thing, since I didn’t have a pack,” I mutter. “Given how awful heats are, I suppose he was right in a way.”

“They can be wonderful too,” Cecil says gently. “Alphas have a very important role in taking care of their omega and easing them through their heat. It doesn’t have to be awful.”

“That reminds me that I need to get a suppressant for this month,” I sigh. “Right now, heats are nature’s way of forcing me to do things I don’t want to do. I don’t want to be vulnerable with people I don’t trust, and half the time I don’t even like them.”

“Yet, you're willing to help them?” Cian asks. “I don’t understand why.”

“It’s mutually beneficial,” I explain. “It’s been almost two months since the auction. My concern is that Rock won’t be happy to wait years for Pack Kelly to decide they’re tired of trying to knock me up?—”

“I beg your finest pardon!” Cecil roars. “What did those boys do?”

“They bought me as a favor to Pack Dresmond,” I reply, wincing. “They’re really good boys, I promise.”

Cian snickers as the food comes, shaking his head. “My father is getting ready to ride into battle for you, Adira. You may want to explain a little more,” he says.

Blowing out a breath, I explain things during our meal as we eat. The soup is delicious, a type of broth my stomach is extremely excited about. I keep the details as light as possible, while still being sure they’re both up to date.

“The Kelly brothers are involved while remaining aloof from our community,” Cecil says. “They’ll offer their home for a meeting when it’s feasible, attend events, but rarely stick their neck out for others. Pack Dresmond must have been very persuasive.”

“They have a soft spot for omegas,” Cian reminds his father. “I was at the amateur night fight for a small amount of time, Adira. I left after the first fight, but I saw how protective the Kelly brothers were toward you.”

“We’re friends now,” I admit. “They kept showing up and helped anchor me to the present when I thought I would simply float away.”

Cecil and Cian gaze at me for a moment that is almost uncomfortably long before glancing at each other.

“My father is right, I’ll help Pack Dresmond, but I’m going to give them hell for it,” Cian growls.

“I’m typically right,” Cecil smirks. “What did Caelin tell you about your father exactly? Jeremiah refused to speak to Cassia as far as I know after your mother died, so I don’t understand why he would transfer all of his money to her.”

“Caelin said the money was transferred into her name shortly before he died,” I answer. “We don’t know why Dad would have done that either. If they didn’t talk, could she have forced him to?”

Cecil nods slowly, his lips curling in disgust. “Jeremiah threw Cassia out of his life completely from my understanding, cutting her off financially as well. He wouldn’t tell me why, and I vaguely recall hearing that Cassia moved outside of Missouri to start over,” Cecil says. “This is simply conjecture, but what if Cassia began working with Rock?”

“For money? That’s the only reason I can imagine that she’d want to be in bed with that man,” I mutter. “So maybe his revenge plan is centered around Cassia. It still seems like a pretty big leap to use his sons to murder my father.”

“It’s possible,” Cian murmurs. “I’m going to have Caelin look into finding Cassia, figure out what she’s been doing since your mother died, Adira. I have a very bad feeling your mother didn’t simply fall down the stairs.”

“I’m getting the same feeling,” I mutter. “I hate that I can’t remember more. When Pack Dresmond kidnapped me, they’d say things about my father’s death that seemed odd. In their minds, they were taunting me, but it simply poked holes in their reasoning for taking me.”

“Go on,” Cian grunts, gesturing for me to continue.

“They said he didn’t beg for himself, but for me,” I remember. “Dad asked them to leave me alone, saying I was completely innocent. Why would Dad steal from Rock when they didn’t work together, that I know of, and still beg for my safety? Dad didn’t like to work with people who had no sense of honor. He told me once those people will flip on a dime and kill you without blinking. It was a random comment as he was muttering to himself. I really wanted to ask him about it, but he was angry at the time.”

“Did he ever hurt you?” Cian asks. “There’s this odd look on your face.”

“I’m very sensitive to moods,” I sigh. “Anger feels like it’s crawling over my skin and hurts. He said this four years ago, and after that, I learned how to block what I’m now realizing is empathic instinct.”

“A lot of omegas have this,” Cian says. “It keeps them safe, helps them figure out who to trust or not. Some people describe it as a gut instinct. Don’t ignore those feelings.”

“I don’t anymore,” I promise. “I feel as if I've stuck my head in the sand a lot. Now, it’s coming back to bite me in the butt.”

“Do you remember anything else? Your father wasn’t an angel, but he loved you. If he began worrying that Pack Dresmond and Rock were going to kill him, I can see him worrying about you. Rock’s work with the auctions are well known, and Jeremiah would have known it as well,” Cecil says. “I’m not sure what the circumstances were though.”

“When they broke into my house, I jumped out the back window and ran,” I tell them. “The entire time, I remember how abandoned the grounds were. Everyone Dad employed to protect the house were gone, and that’s how I knew he was dead. I never went further than the back porch of the house because I didn’t feel comfortable around the guards.”

The memory of how he’d tell me the walls of our house were to protect me and not the guards was also why I didn’t feel comfortable, but I hold back those words. I don’t understand why he’d say that, unless he didn’t trust his own men either.

“The first thing Rock would have done is either kill the guards or ensure they knew the money well was dry,” Cian says. “It’s the darker side of our world, and why we work so hard to ensure things never devolve into a power struggle.”

“Being on this end of things sucks,” I say. “A part of me wants to step completely away from the mafia families. I want to go to school, figure out my life, and walk away.”

“I don’t think you can,” Cian says gently. “I’m going to bring this to the heads of a few of the families, but I have a feeling they’re going to want you to promise to hold Pack Dresmond’s leash.”

“Your father died with your name on his lips, which means no matter how badly he fucked things up, he loved you,” Cecil says. The words make me gulp in air. Fuck, I really was doing so well.

“You have the ability to make a difference, Adira. There’s a fire in you that needs attention. Fan it, find a way to keep yourself protected and help others too.”

“Omegas are a commodity to be trafficked according to people who funnel them into the auctions,” Cian says. “ROWS has propaganda about how they should be demure and follow their alphas. Fuck that. Emilia Richardson is an underhanded bitch who tried to have Aisling kidnapped earlier this year. I am waiting for the day I can kill her.”

“There are auction houses all over the country,” Cecil says. “It’s too large of an operation to completely shut down. There’s an alpha I heard who runs an auction house near Chicago, but doesn’t have the kind of protection Ophelia has. She almost bought an omega who has deep connections with the mafia families. If she had, she’d undoubtedly be dead. As it is, Tommy Madden made a point to visit her to discuss her poor decisions.”

My lips twist at his words, and I sigh. “No one is safe in or out of the mafia. It feels like this insurmountable hurdle to just get out of bed sometimes, knowing I could be picked off on the street on my way home from work,” I grunt.

“I have this strange feeling that it would be a bad decision for whoever tried,” Cecil murmurs.

My hand finds my knife on my thigh, and I remove it to place it on the table.

“Morris follows me home from work each night, Pack Dresmond’s beta,” I confirm. “I don’t forgive them. I honestly don’t know how much I can ever understand about their options either, but we are in a beneficial understanding to remove Rock and his pack, so they can’t hurt anyone ever again.”

“Life has a way of changing things,” Cecil says. “I’ve lived a long time, Adira. I’ve lost pack members, helped my wife grieve, and I can say that life is too damn short. I’m not saying don’t give them hell. Make sure you also wind them so tightly around your finger they’ll be scared to death to breathe the wrong way around you.”

“They ought to worship the ground you fucking walk on,” Cian growls. “Royalty means you’re in this forever, Adira. Even penniless, your name carries weight, something Rock probably fucking hates. Your father had more money than Rock, more property, while the other alpha is a nomad with safe houses all over the country.”

“It’s difficult to fully relax when you’re constantly looking over your shoulder, yet your father managed it fine,” Cecil says. “The more I think about it, the more I believe Rock was jealous.”

“I can see it,” I agree. “Jed’s given me his leash. If you need to tell the other families that, you may.”

“You sound frustrated,” Cian observes.

“I am, but not about this,” I tell him. “The world feels like an awful place right now, and I feel displaced because my life is a mess.”

“Giving yourself grace is important,” Cian says, and the tears finally win as I nod. “You just started classes, right? What did you do the most when you were home?”

“I wanted a connection to the outside world, so I read news stories and blogs online,” I tell him, taking a box of tissues from the waiter. He noticed my tears and immediately chose to help.

The rest of our dishes are cleared, and the waiter disappears discreetly.

“Were any of them general information about omegas, or relate to life for people your age?” Cecil asks, picking up the threat of his son’s conversation.

“They did,” I reply. “I wanted confirmation I wasn’t a freak because I hadn’t had my heat yet.”

Cecil snorts, rolling his eyes. “Our biology isn’t an exact science, Adira,” he says with a smile.

“I also looked up how many omegas weren’t influenced by an alpha bark,” I say slowly, deciding to trust them with this part of me. It’s a dangerous piece, but I’m taking a chance.

“Not many,” Cecil says easily. “Are you able to shake it off or does it not affect you at all?”

“It doesn’t affect me,” I answer. “That’s how I got shot funny enough.”

“There’s nothing funny about that,” Cian says. “Those boys are imbeciles. You have a very unique point of view on life, Adira. You’ve been isolated, seen how much it affects your view of the world, and you’ve been sold at auction. ROWS just started a podcast to teach omegas how to properly navigate life. Did you know that?”

“There’s no way I would know that, old man,” I deadpan. Cecil hides a laugh, and I gasp. “Oh my god, that was so rude. I’m so sorry?—”

“Everyone is scared of me, it’s honestly refreshing,” Cian says, his lips wide in a grin. “You don’t need to be afraid of me, ever, alright? Take a listen when you get home and tell me what you think.”

“What my son means is, ask yourself if you think they should be considered the authority on how omegas should behave,” Cecil adds. “Those women are vile. If you don’t think the way they do, they find a way to get rid of you.”

“I will,” I murmur. “I looked up medical articles to figure out what was right or wrong about biology, and Omega Link was a good blog site.”

“ROWS is attempting to get Omega Link banned,” Cian says, “on the grounds that they’re distributing dangerous content.”

“What kind of content are they worried about? It’s short posts that discuss what’s going on in people’s lives, videos, or business posts. They act like it’s porn!” I groan, throwing up my hands. “It’s not that kind of platform. I don’t understand what they’d be talking about.”

“It’s so odd to hear you say the word porn,” Cian breathes, shaking his head. “Focus Cian, okay. Aisling and Wren have been posting more on Omega Link about the different services they provide, and one of them is the heat clinic. This service really grinds Emilia’s gears. It’s one of the reasons she wants to take Omega’s Haven away from Aisling and Wren.”

“What? She can’t do that!” I yell, brushing away any lingering tears. “I’ve been staying there long enough to know how important the shelter is. I don’t have enough time to participate in all of the activities, but I can’t imagine what it would be like being run by anyone else.”

“You don’t even have all the facts yet and you’re still angry,” Cian says. “Listen to one of ROWS podcasts and then call me to yell about it. Maybe your future lies in modern journalism and digital media.”

“Cian,” Cecil mutters, but I’m already making sure I have his number saved.

Cian throws money on the table, standing. Scrambling, I follow after grabbing my knife from the table, eyes wide. I guess we’re done. Cecil gets out of the booth, his cane by his side in case he needs it as we amble out of the restaurant together. Evan is already opening doors for everyone, and Cecil and Cian turn to me before getting into the vehicle parked next to Evan’s.

“It was lovely to have dinner with you, Adira,” Cian says. “I will hopefully have some information for you soon. Evan will take you home. He knows where to go.”

“I’ll have to rope my son into bringing me with him again,” Cecil says. “Evelyn will chew me out for not inviting her.”

“God, Mom is going to run us through,” Cian groans, making me smile at the thought that he respects his parents so much. “Bye, Adira.”

Waving at them as them continue to grumble at each other, I nod at Evan as he opens the back door to the sedan for me to climb in. Taking a breath as I sit back and put my seatbelt on, then text Jed.

Me:

Cian is going to help you with the families, Jed.

Jed:

What did you promise in return, Adira?

Me:

I promised that you’d give me your leash.

It’s not exactly what I said to Cian and Cecil, but it was discussed. I want Jed to walk with the knowledge that he needs to be on his best behavior.

Jed:

That’s all? It’s been yours, little omega. Take good care of it.

As Evan drives me home, I stare at Jed’s text for longer than I should, my body feeling tingly at his words.