Chapter 17

“Given the circumstances, we’re not comfortable with that.”

Devin wrestled with the urge to snort. It felt like hours had passed since Rey and Beau began the meeting, though she imagined it hadn’t been as long as all that. Listening to men refer to helpless women in the same breath as tech and guns, drugs and various other illegal enterprises, made time sticky. A tangible thing she could grasp in her hands and stretch on into the infinite abyss.

This one, though, Bosco, was an idiot. Even Devin could understand the profits and expanded reach Rey’s boss proposed. They only referred to the man as Kahler, but he seemed to be in charge of every dealing within Alderbrook and a few outlying towns. Gleaning that he controlled the bay, and from that position of power, far beyond the reach of a single city, she grasped what this Kahler was doing.

If he funneled everything through Alderbrook, his power and profits would soar. He never had to step foot outside of the city to rake in a ridiculous amount of money.

He was offering the same thing to these men. A chance to expand, though at a much less significant rate, and all with minimal upfront risk and cost. All the steps were in place. They just had to get their goods from one point to another. Kahler would take care of the rest. For a percentage, of course.

Rey and Beau handled the docks, the shipments like the one she’d seen that horrible night. They were reassuring these Alphas who controlled their own far smaller territories that working with them would be to their ultimate benefit. Most had agreed, a few wanted conditions that would need further consultation, but this guy Bosco was the only one to say no outright.

“And what circumstances are those,” Rey asked in a voice gone cold and quiet. He’d been in his element moments before, the powerful breadth of his body relaxed and calm as he laid it all out for them with as few details as possible.

No sense telling them how they did it and have anyone trying to usurp Kahler’s power, Devin guessed.

“We all know what’s been going on,” Bosco snarled, slapping a beefy palm against his chair arm. “He’s lost his shit over that bitch of his. How many territory Alphas has he pissed off, paid off, or made promises to? Seems to me like he’s grasping at straws to make good on his word.”

A preternatural stillness crashed through the room. Even the thumping bass from downstairs seemed to quiet itself under the heavy weight of it. Devin was afraid to even take a breath as Rey shifted forward, elbows to knees, with his hands clasped loosely before him.

“That’s his private business.”

“Not if he’s wanting us to get in bed with him. What happens when they come to collect? They’re going to take our goods for his fuck up.”

Now the group of Alphas moved, their uneasy shifting building to a muffled roar, before silence settled over them once more.

“And that’s another thing. Why isn’t he here for this?” Bosco stood with fists bunched at his hips. “You low life shits aren’t the ones we should be dealing with. You okay with that, Volkov? How about you Santini? I’m sure Tyrell’s happy to keep his head up Caivano’s ass, but I know you can’t think this is right, Castillo.”

The Russian, Volkov, lifted his lip in a silent snarl when Bosco called him out, the far smaller Tyrell voicing a growl though he squirmed in his seat. The rest showed no outward sign as Bosco listed off their names.

Volkov glanced at the other Russian, Morozov, before leaning back in his seat. Massive compared to the others, the chair groaned under his weight as he steepled his fingers before his thick accent rolled through space, aimed straight for Bosco. “Sit down, you pathetic piece of shit.”

The force of his command was enough to have Devin’s spine curling, the inexorable force shoving at her shoulders until she cowered against Rey. Shock sizzled through her veins as an added growl from the stranger made her tremble. An Alpha with that sort of power shouldn’t be there, not with the likes of the others. They were weak, insignificant as flies. Even her brief meeting of Kahler hadn’t left her so cowed.

This one held an authority the rest could never manage.

“He’s allowed his opinion, as are the rest of you,” Beau said as he came to stand in Devin’s line of sight. He blocked their view of her as well, so they couldn’t see Rey’s hand closing over her wrist and squeezing hard enough that brilliant red sparks swept through her vision.

The pain snagged the runaway train of her thoughts and left her seeking whatever shelter she could find in the bond. Wrapped in the rich decadence of espresso, she cocooned herself in Rey’s strength. The Russian might be more powerful, but she had Rey. He would keep her safe.

Beau’s gaze slid over his shoulder, a subtle deepening of the fine lines around his eyes as he scrutinized her, gauging Devin’s response before he completed the turn and ambled to the small bar set at the back of the room. Pouring a measure of amber whiskey, he drawled, “Anyone who doesn’t want a piece of the action is free to go. Their loss. Those who stay…”

“Will have all the potential to grow and reap all the rewards,” Rey finished, standing and almost toppling Devin into his seat. Towering before her, he continued, “And be in the good graces of Mr. Kahler, as well as having his respect in your combined endeavors.”

“You haven’t answered any of my questions—”

“They’re not mine to answer, Bosco.” Rey rolled his shoulders, a blatant dismissal given to the Alpha as Rey gave his back to the man and helped Devin to her feet. “If any of you wish to bring these paltry complaints to Kahler’s door, feel free. I’m sure he’d be happy to answer them. Thoroughly.”

Guiding Devin to the door, Rey paused as he gestured for her to precede him. He didn’t turn back to face the Alphas, but kept Devin in his sights as he said, “Have no doubt he will make good on his word, gentleman. Enjoy your evening.”

Devin’s breath left her on a ragged sigh as Rey closed the door behind him. The curtain had yet to drop on the scene, though. Scantily clad women milled about the long hall, the click of their heels stabbing into Devin’s brain and clawing down her neck into her shoulders. Following Rey at the single pace behind and to his right was murderous as he kept his steps slow and even. He paused to murmur instructions to one female after the next, dragging it out until Devin was ready to scream. She scurried the last few steps, brushing past his arm to enter the elevator and stab the button for the second floor.

Rey waited for the doors to hiss shut before he was on her. Grabbing her backside, he hauled her up, shifting his cruel grip to the backs of her thighs to guide her legs around him. Devin grunted as her back met the side panel, but her arms wound around his neck all the same.

“Never again,” Rey rasped as he struggled with his belt and hurried fingers.

“What?” Drowning in the sudden explosion of the bond as Rey loosened the strangling grip upon it, she had no idea what he meant. Devin arched and curled her fingers in his hair, his urgent need slipping through her veins until all she wanted was his touch.

“You don’t belong here, sweetheart,” Rey snarled against her neck, ripping at the short hem of her skirt as the doors opened. Ignoring the muffled gasp of someone behind them, Rey pulled Devin closer. Storming down the hall past a tight knot of bodies, he slammed through the door into his office, the wood vibrating with the force of him closing it. “Too good. You’re too good for all of this.”

She couldn’t respond, not while he muffled his roar in her breasts when he touched the proof of her willingness, delving between slick folds to grind at her clit. Two cruel, thick fingers thrust inside her, their savage rhythm giving Devin no time to adjust. Rational thought abandoned her. Pure, unadulterated lust flared through her chest, radiating down her limbs, until Devin was sure she glowed. Her small hand gripped his wrist with a needy whine, tugging at him for more. She clenched her other hand close to his scalp, angling his mouth to hers for a passionate kiss.

They both snarled at the perfunctory knock at the door, Devin voicing a growl as Beau opened the door just enough to allow his immense body to slip inside.

“Up, up, up,” he hissed, three swift strides bringing him to where Rey bent Devin backwards over the desk. “The Russians are two seconds behind me. Come on, get up!”

“They’ll smell—”

“No time,” Beau ground out, grabbing Devin’s wrist and hauling her behind the desk. Palm against her nape, the weight of it pushed her to kneel. “Mess that lipstick up, baby.”

Devin blinked fast, everything a maddening whirl inside the confines of her skull, ricocheting around with too much stimuli. When she took too long, Beau leaned down as Rey rushed to right his clothes. She bit his thumb as he swiped it against her lips. Hard.

“You’re going to pay for that later.” Beau sucked his thumb clean, lips pulling into a grimace at the taste of waxy pigment.

Rey fell into the rolling chair, angling it so Devin was between his knees. Grabbing her hair, he tousled the artful fall of her curls and urged her forward in a single move.

Not a moment too soon.

It wasn’t just the Russians Beau greeted, but Caivano and another. Not the Anthony Caivano she’d seen at the house briefly, but another one. Giacomo, the Alpha that held a small, but productive territory. Devin didn’t care after one of them made an appreciative rumble. Her only goal was to fling herself against Rey, arms locked tight around his hips as she buried her face in the cool recesses beneath his jacket.

The smell of her slick was thick in the air, the sugary tang unmistakable. Strange males were far too close to her, the interrupted pleasure still searing through her. Body hot and cold by turns, she just wanted to get the hell out of there.

“We are sorry to interrupt,” Volkov said, one of the chairs moaning its grievances as the massive male sat. “I know we agreed to speak on this further, but I wish to do so now. It is inconvenient for me to be here, you understand.”

“We’ve heard of your troubles,” Rey agreed with a dismissive pat to Devin’s head. “I hope we can come to an agreement so that all this spectacle isn’t necessary again.”

Morozov grunted, the second chair bearing up better against his weight as he, too, sat. “Not troubles. Annoyance.”

“We’ve all dealt with an upstart or three, haven’t we, gentleman,” Caivano murmured, the steady fall of his footsteps bringing him too close for Devin’s comfort.

“We’d prefer to do this in private…”

“I have a feeling this is of interest to the Caivano territory. I’ll stay, if it’s all the same.”

Volkov shifted in his chair, the tortured thing moaning. “So be it. You, Santini, have a purpose here?”

“Actually, I need to speak with you and Morozov, but now I’m thinking it’s for the same purpose Caivano wants in on this,” Santini mused.

There was no way she would sit there on her knees between Rey’s thighs as they continued that Gods awful meeting. She couldn’t stand it. Gathering her courage to her breast, Devin sat up on her knees only to be shoved back down by Rey’s implacable grip on her neck. Pushing at her until he smashed Devin’s face against his lap.

“You can continue if you so wish,” Morozov murmured into the strained quiet that fell over them after Devin whined low in her throat.

“She’s his mate, idiot,” Volkov muttered with a slap of his hand against heavy wool.

“What is so important you need to speak now,” Rey asked, a dangerous growl threading through his words. Controlling his next exhale, he twitched a shoulder in a shrug. “I’d like to get all of your concerns resolved so we can move forward.”

“Of course, we have intruded upon your time. I will be brief. We are not so close as the others. We need reassurances.”

“Mr. Kahler can’t guarantee the safety of your shipments until they reach his borders.”

“Da, of course. But if he was willing to take part in the transportation of our product, we would be… pleased to impart a portion of our profits,” Volkov said, tone and accent gruff as he requested aid in the most subtle way he could.

It didn’t go unnoticed. Caivano scoffed. Devin knew it was him by how near it was, the sigh of a suit a mere foot away from her. Turning her head, she saw a glimpse of shiny wingtips in the gap between desk and floor. The bastard was leaning against it, facing the other three as if his lot was in with Rey and Beau’s.

“If you’re not going to add anything useful to the conversation, Caivano, there’s the door.” Beau set a glass of whiskey within Rey’s reach, handing out more to the others.

“Just surprised, is all. Didn’t think I’d see the day Volkov asked for help.” A haughty sniff pierced the chilled quiet. “Especially after we so graciously offered them assistance.”

“Perhaps this would be best dealt with at a later date,” Morozov said through a lumbering growl, rising from the chair to face Caivano head on.

Volkov said something in Russian, the two falling into a savage debate that lasted mere seconds before Morozov sat back down.

“This has nothing to do with the concerns the Caivano family brought to our—”

“So, this isn’t about your bitch running off with some Beta?”

“That is not your business,” Volkov roared.

Devin ducked beneath the counter of the desk, wedging her body into the kneehole as Rey rushed around the other side. She didn’t want to see what was happening. Not as the meaty sounds of flesh connecting beat against her ears. Covering her head with her arms as if she was in the middle of the fray and not safely tucked away, she flinched with every hard blow that found its mark.

The feral sounds they made were no better. Wild noises of animals ready to tear one another apart. Worse was when she recognized Rey and Beau among them.

Devin screamed as the desk slid and jerked, hitting her head against the edge before toppling her from her hiding space. Everything seemed to stop. A span of seconds where her heart refused to beat, lungs failing to take in air. An icy tendril of terror crackling down her spine paralyzed her.

“See to her,” Volkov ground out, much further away than he had been when it started. A faint scuffle resolved with a body slamming against the paneled wall in the corner furthest from the desk.

Words became lost in the vicious sounds Rey made, but the heavy fall of his feet came to her. Pawing at Devin to check her for damage, his split lip curled at the knot forming on the back of her head from where she’d struck it.

“I’m fine,” Devin assured him in a broken whisper, though she didn’t quite have the courage to bring her gaze further than his nose. Trembling fingers skimmed his arm, his skin scalding to the touch as she stroked the fingers bruising her arm.

Rey hoisted her up into his arms to settle Devin in the big office chair, the wheels rumbling over the floor as he pushed it back to the wall before facing the waiting Alphas. Now that she had a front row seat to it all, Devin wanted nothing so much as to be back under the desk. Volkov had Morozov against the wall, holding the other man high enough his feet skimmed the floor as he strained towards the others on the opposite side of the room where Beau did much the same with Caivano. Santini sprawled against the wall beside the door, legs akimbo as he dabbed at the bloodied corner of his mouth.

“I think it’s time for you to call it a night, Caivano,” Rey growled, weight balanced on his fists as he leaned over the desk.

“You want to start something with us, boy? So be it. Kahler won’t be so appreciative of his lap dogs for it.” Caivano snarled, spittle flying from his lips.

“Bringing other business into my club won’t be tolerated. Mr. Kahler will not thank you for citing a feud within his borders. If you want to air your grievances with the Volkov family, then do so in your own territory… or theirs.”

“You’re a nothing,” Caivano seethed, fighting free of Beau’s hold to pull at his rumpled suit. “I control a town, and I’ll not be disrespected like this.”

“Show him out, Beau.”

Devin cringed as the door creaked open to reveal the weathered, drawn face of Anthony Caivano. Bushy brows crashing down to shadow his gaze, he took in the room and only entered as far as his head and shoulders.

“I’ll have Mikey bring the car around, boss,” Anthony offered quietly into the shimmering tension, opening the door more as he stepped back to admit Giacomo’s exit.

Beau’s hands were rougher than they needed to be, shoving the other Alpha out of the office before slamming it shut in his red face when Caivano turned back to sputter something lost behind the thick panel.

“Our apologies,” Morozov said on a grinding breath that strained to remain a sigh. “This is not what we wished. We shall go and—”

“We can make arrangements,” Rey cut in, hand slicing through the stiff disquiet as he waved them back to the upturned chairs. “I’ll have to run things by Kahler, but I foresee no problems in our network being able to handle your transports.”

“We would appreciate this, and of course understand there will be recompense necessary for it.”

“If I may,” Santini put in with a limping step forward. “Being at Morozov’s northern border, perhaps it would benefit us all if, in exchange for passage through my territory, you would be able to provide the means of transport for my goods. Freight trains are easier to access from there than other options… And would avoid certain conflicts.”

“This could work.” Morozov nodded.

“Work out those details amongst yourselves and get word to me,” Rey said, standing to his full height. Shoulders stiff, tension twisting through his back, he was cool and aloof. No longer the salesman, he knew they were in. “I’ll set the rest up.”

“Da, good.” Volkov rose, holding his hand out to Rey. A brief squeeze of accord, and they began filing out.

Volkov paused at the entryway, waving someone on as he leaned back through the partially opened door. Dark eyes dared to take Devin in, perusing her huddled form before he turned his gaze to Rey.

“You have changed since the last time we spoke,” he said, brow pinching together. “Mated life suits you, Rey.”

“If we can be of help with other matters, let us know.” Rey gave a last nod to the sardonic twist of Volkov’s lips before the Russian disappeared.

Beau let out a gusty sigh, strides stiff as he went to the bar cart to pour himself another whiskey. Pausing for a heartbeat, he splashed a measure more of the deep amber liquid into the glass. “That was intense.”

“He’s right,” Rey murmured, turning to face Devin. He stroked her cheek then cupped her jaw in his palm, tipping her face up to meet the dark shadows storming through his gaze.

“What,” Beau and Devin asked in unison.

She knew. Understood why Volkov had been so keen on her for those brief moments. There’d been an inkling even before the fight, all the way up in the lush conference room. The power and authority Rey wielded in his speech as effective as any snarled command. His roar had rung out the loudest during the brawl, and Devin wasn’t certain it was just because she knew it best. He’d always been strong to her, from the first moment she’d stepped foot before the bright lights to dance for them, but now…

Something had changed, and the only thing different between then and now was Devin herself. Oh, she was sure Rey had grown stronger on his own merit, but not by those sorts of leaps and bounds.

Not enough for another Alpha to notice it that way.

“Take care of the others, make sure they get out of here without everyone seeing them.” Gathering Devin to him, Rey cradled her against his chest and left the office, leaving Beau behind with a disgruntled snort to trail after them. Rey ignored it, exiting the building and handling Devin with the utmost care. She slid her hand under the torn edge of his shirt, feeling the steady pounding of his heart.

As if she were a fragile doll, he placed her in the passenger seat and buckled her in. Fingers traversing the length of the restraint, settling the belt between her breasts, the growing darkness in his deep umber gaze held her rapt.

She’d never seen him like this. Not in all his raging glory, in the quiet of her nest. His eyes were always alive, determined, sometimes too intense for her to bear.

This was too new.

Hiding behind the fall of her hair, Devin suppressed a shiver. It was impossible to tell his thoughts through the bond. He’d strangled it down to a single shimmering thread. Climbing in behind the wheel, Rey flipped switches and turned dials, warming the car just for her. The procrastination sweet, though it only delayed the inevitable.

He still didn’t speak as he turned out of the parking lot. Neither said a word as the sleek car made its way through the dark streets and flashing signs of downtown, towards the slice of suburbia they now called home. She was good with that. Staring out of the darkened window, Devin watched the nightlife of Alderbrook fly past them, their untold lives continuing on as her entire world was upended for the millionth time.

He”d thought letting her mark him was a simple thing. A way to ease her jealousy, to let her find strength in the bond. Devin had thought it, too. It explained so much, though. Her easy acceptance of Beau’s sudden change, now welcoming him to her bed. Inviting Rey to her nest with open arms no less dramatic a change.

She’d failed to notice the switch. Wondered when, exactly, the precise moment she’d lost herself so completely had occurred. Ticking back through her memories, she thumbed through all the many times she stopped caring about something important. Not with a fight or a savage argument, but with gentle kisses and tender touches. She’d stopped demanding suppressants, hadn’t brought up birth control in ages.

At one point, she’d been willing to waste away under the blanket of nothingness, but he’d brought her back time and again without her even realizing it.

Turning to face the male radiating strength and warmth from the other side of the car, Devin looked at him. Really looked. Perused the lines of his face, the coarse strands of his short beard, the noble slope of his aquiline nose.

When had she begun to associate him with safety? She wanted to say it had always been that way, but she couldn’t pinpoint when she’d overcome her fear of him.

“We’ll be home soon.” His voice was a barely there whisper, though his hands flexed over the wheel, making it shudder as he tugged it into a turn.

“I want to take a drive. There’s a park…”

Rey glanced at her, and she could see the nuance of emotion behind the darkling shadows if she concentrated hard enough. Concern and possessiveness warring with the real need to give her something. Not the baubles and flowers Beau showered her with, nothing so trite. Rey wanted it to mean something.

“That’s why…” Devin murmured as it all became clear.

He looked at her this time as they idled at a red light. Bathed in its bloody glow, his brow furrowed, then smoothed. The corner of his lips twitched as he flipped the blinker on and executed the turn that would take them to the dark park.

It wasn’t just the instinctual need to breed her. A baby was the one thing no one else could give her in his mind.