Omegaverseisanalternateuniversewheresimilartowolvesoranimalbiologythereisahierarchy.Alphasareatthetop. They're generallybigger, more aggressive, or dominantand theyhave a few extra features like a knot(thinkwolves butno shifting) Betas are the regular humans Omegas are the opposite side of the spectrum from alphas They tend to be less aggressive,smaller,andtheymatewithalphas(andsometimesbetastoo,butomegasneedthealphatohelpthemthroughtheir heat) Alphasandomegashavescentswhichattractcompatiblemates Omegascalmanalpha’smoreaggressivenature Inmycontemporaryomegaversebookstheworldisveryclosetoourswithjustafewbiologicaldrivesthataredifferent& some extra features like alphas have knots & purr to comfort omegas, omegas and alphas have pheromones that attract compatiblemates,andomegashaveaheatcyclewherethey'resuper fertile.Duringthistimeitsendscompatiblealphasinto rut.(Lotsofpracticingmakingbabies.)
Thereareafewthingsthatmaycausesomediscomfort Valehasastalker,whichthemenprotectherfrom Itisdeemeda possibilitythathemayhaveassaultedherwhilesheslept.Thisisnotconfirmednorisitshownonpage,butthepossibilityis discussed onpage. There are minor mentions of complications duringpregnancy. The menof Assurance Securityuse their personal protectioncompanyas a cover tohuntomega traffickers.There are briefmentions ofthe sextrade andkidnapping. Thesearen’tshownonpage.Alsoverybriefmentionsofabortion.
“Watchout” Andrew’s voice shocks me, and myhead flies up He grabs a guythatI’ve never seenbefore, yankinghis elbowawayfrommakingcontactwithmystomach.“She’spregnant,asshole.”
No matter how muchIneed the money, I’d chuckmypurse and runina heartbeatifthe need arose NotthatI’mall that swift,consideringtheextrapregnancyweight,butthatwouldn’tstopmefromtrying.
MyheadswivelsasIpeekovermyshoulder
Theareaisprettywell-lit,consideringthelatehour.Ipickupmypace,andthesoundofmyflatshittingtheconcretefills the air. There’s a dogbarkingsomewhere to myleftand car noises fromone ofthe busier streets to myright, butnothingto indicateanyoneisfollowingme
So,whythehellaremyimpulsesgoingcompletelyhaywire?
The hair onthe backof myneckactuallystands up I kinda thought that was a mythfromscarymovies withghosts or poltergeists.
“Youscaredthehelloutofme,”IsayinashakytoneasItrytoclimbtomyfeet “Here, letme help.” He extends anarm, and Igrab it. Ineed to getoffthe sidewalkand into mybuilding immediately. “Thatwasn’tmyintention.Youknowthat.Icouldn’tbelieveitwhenIsawyouwalkingawayfromtheclub.”HefrownsasI makeitbacktomyfeet.“It’sthemiddleofthenight.”
“I’ll make sure the guys and Istart leavingbetter tips You’ve got to be more careful” His tone is kind, but something insidemesaysnottotrusthimorhisgoodintentions.
Wehittheexteriordoortomyapartmentbuilding.
Thelockhasbeenbrokenformonths,butourlandlorddoesn’tcare I still shove my key into the lock, pretending to unlock it. My insides scream that this situation is dangerous. Letting Andrewknowaboutanobviousflawinthebuildingsecuritywouldbeahugemistake Igetthedoor“unlocked”andopenitbeforeturningback.“Thankyouforgettingmetomydoorsafely.”Iforceafriendly smilethatfeelslikeagrimace
I’m twenty-two years old and about to be a single mom with no support system I’m doing the best I can, under the circumstances.It’snotideal,butI’lldowhateverittakestoprovideformykid.
It’s beena slow process, butonce Iopened the higher tiers ofsubscriptions, itallows for chattinginprivate and video calls There’salwaysalevelofguiltformebecausehepaysmoneytolistentometalkaboutmydayorcomplainabouthow thetipsatworkwerecrap.
We don’tdo full faces, butI’ve caughtglimpses ofhimover the years. Iusuallykeep mycamera focused fromthe neck down Imean,I’msurehe’sseenmyfaceovertheyearswhileI’mwalkingaroundmyroomorwhenI’minbed,sleeping,but whenwechatlikethis,it’salwayswithalayerofanonymity.Andheneverpushestheissue.
MysexyshowshavealwaysbeenchindownbecauseI’veneverbeenabletostomachthethoughtofsomeonerecognizing me
“Uh-oh Iknowthatvoice Tellmeaboutit,”hesaysinasoothingtonethatmakesmeyearntobetherewithhim “No,myshiftwasfine.Busy,butokay.”Mymindraces.It’snotlikehecanhelpmefromwhereverheis.Isitevenworthit to bringup Andrew? Whatifitworries him? Maybe that’s the whole point. Kate isn’thome. Ididn’twantto texther what happened IfIdisappearrandomly,itwouldn’thurttohaveatleastonepersonknowwhathappenedtome “How’swork?” Hechuckles.“Asboringasever,butIwanttohearaboutwhateverhasyousoundingespeciallyanxious.”
“It’sprobablynothing,”Isay,hedgingmywords “ButoneoftheguyswhocomesintotheclubIworkat ”Isigh,burying myfaceinbothhandsasmyelbowsdigintomydesk.“Iguesshesawmeleavingtonightanddecidedtofollowmehome.He saiditwastomakesureIgotheresafely,but ” “It rightfullymade youuncomfortable,” Bishop growls, cursingunder his breath. “I hate that youwalkhome so late at night.”
“Iknow”
“Letmesendyou ”
“No”Ialreadyknow wherethis is going Hetries tosendmemoremoneyonpracticallyaweeklybasis Sincetips are taxedthroughthewebsitebeforetheyevergettome,Iknowhe’salreadyspendingevenmorethanIreceive.Buttherulessay wecouldbothbekickedoffforcommunicatingoutsideofthesite.
“I’mokay.Really.”Ishouldn’thavebroughtitup.It’snotlikehecanfixmyproblems,andallit’lldoismakehimworry more.
If he even does Ifeellikehecares,butIalsogetwhatKateandmycoworkersaresayingwhentheypointoutthatIreallydon’tknowhim atall Sure,we’vebeenchattingforclosetotwoyears,butthere’salevelofdisconnect,duetothesite Bishopstartlesmeoutofmythoughts,saying,“Canyoudomeafavorand,attheveryleast,trytoleaveatthesametimeas acoworker for thenextfew nights?Hell,asksomeonefor aridefor anightor two Idon’twanttoscareyou,butyou’rean omega,sweetgirl.Youalwayshavetobeonalert.”
“Iwill,”Iassurehim,eventhoughitmeansI’llhavetostickaroundanextrahour Mostofmyfriendsatworkaredancers Theydon’tgetoffattwo,likeIdo.It’snotabadplan,atleastonnightswhenIseeAndrew.“I’mkindofexhausted.IthinkI’m goingtoheadtobed” Ibite myliptokeepfromaskingifhe wants me tokeepmyfeedon It’s a terrible cycle ofguiltand regret.Hepaysforeveryminutehe’swatchingmesleep,butitwouldmakemefeelalotsaferafterwhathappenedtonight. It’s not like he’d be able to save you through the computer screen,Iremindmyself.
“Well, you’re alive,” Kate says as I walk into our apartment. “I waited up just to be sure.” She laughs, but she looks as exhaustedasIfeel.“I’vegottobeupattheasscrackofdawnforclass.”
“Yeah,well,hetoldmethetwoofyouare dating.Hesaidtoletyousleepandleftlikeitwasnormalforhimtobeinside ourplace Itreallyfreakedmeout!I’msupposedtobeatclassintenminutes,butI’malittleafraidtoleaveyoualone” Iceslidesthroughmyveins.There’snouniverseinwhichIwoulddateAndrew.He’s creepy. Iglance around the roomas mymind files throughthe necessities thatIabsolutelycan’tleave without Beinganomega meansmyfirstinstinctalwaysleanstowardboltingfromanysituation.“Hewasinsideourapartment?”
“Yeah, I really appreciate it” I’m still baffled This feels like one of those situations when missing class might be acceptable,butshe’supandheadingoutbeforeIcansaythat.
“Hey,gorgeous,”Bishopsays,appearingonthecomputerscreen.AllIcanseeisfromhismouthtohisneck,butIreallywishI could look into his eyes for a change “Shit, I messaged you probably twenty times this morning” He scratches his thick blondish-brownbeard.
“Iknow.” Isaw the multitude ofmessages. Theyjustasked me to touchbase withhimas soonas Icould. “Ineed your adviceonsomething”
“Getthethingsyouabsolutelycan’tlivewithoutandleavewhileit’sstilldaylight Promiseme?” “Ipromise,”Isay,butmyvoiceisweirdandshaky. Heclearlydoesn’tunderstandtherulesofwhereIlive Inmyneighborhood,peoplemindtheirownbusiness Dayornight, itdoesn’tmatter.Noonewouldintervenebecausetheyallhavetheirownbullshitthatthey’rebusytryingtosurvive. “Warnyour roommate too. Once yougetsettled somewhere, video call me, and we’ll go fromthere. Idon’tcare ifI’m working Ifsomethinggoeswrongoryouseehim ”
Itsays Sebastian Bishop, Personal Security Specialist. Okay,sohedidn’tgivemeafakename
That’sahugerelief.Iknowatleastsomeofmyviewersaremarried.It’sastatisticalprobability,evenifIhatetheideaof it
“Grab a penand write fast. Youknow whatthe rules say.” He gives me a nod, and Iscramble to grab a pen. The Slick website has verystrictrules aboutsharingpersonal information. It’s a violationthatcould getus bothbanned permanently. Theycouldbescreeningthisrightnow.“Ifwegetcutoff,youcalltheofficenumberonthatcardandaskforme.But,here,I’m goingtogiveyoumyaddress.Cometome,gorgeous,andIswearonmylife,I’llkeepyousafe…”Herattlesoffhisaddress, andIscrawlitoutasfastasIcan “Here’smypersonalnumber Takeitdowntoo ”Thecallcompletelydisconnectsasthe screengoesblack.
“Ohno,”Iwhisper,blinkingatthebigredboxthatpopsup
Privileges revoked. Terms of service violation. Contact Slick customer care for further assistance. Shit.
WhatthehellamIsupposedtodonow?
Fear pulses in my chest as my hands shake. My stomach aches like I might vomit. My camclients are how I’ve been keepingmyheadabovewater
Pushingmyselfoutofmydeskchair,Iglancearound,searchingforthenecessities.I’mgoingtocallKateassoonasI’min mycar and askher to come withme Butfor now, Ihave to do whatIpromised and getmyselfoutofhere duringdaylight hours.
They point me up the long driveway and tell me to take a left to head to the main house. The house is huge, almost obnoxiouslyso
As soonas I parkmycar onthe circular drivewaybehind the fancymansion, myface falls to rest against the steering wheel Idon’tknowwhatthehelltodo Ishouldprobablyjustleave,right? Whatifthisisatrap?
Only, he was gone when I woke up. I mistakenly thought we’d exchange contact information the next morning. Or, you know,thatmaybehe’dpopbackinatTheKittyCatLoungethenextdaywithareallygoodexcuseastowhyhehadtoleavein thefirstplace.
Myheadshakesviolentlyasmyforeheadrollsaroundthesteeringwheel I got played. It happens.
I’ve gaslitmyselfinto believingthatImade somethingoutofnothing, butI’mstill so confused. Whywould he come in weekafter weekandsitinmysection?Whyspendsomuchtimetalkingandtryingtogettoknow meifhewasjustgoingto disappear?
Not to mention, it’s a completely unfamiliar environment. Putting my trust in the wrong person could have devastating consequences
Aloud,echoingbangingonmywindow makesmejolt.Myheadpopsup,andtherearetwomenstandingjustnexttomy car Igrab mypurse and openthe door Dammit, I’ve had to pee for the lasthour Scaringa pregnantladyis a greatwayto causeanaccident.
I’mprettysure it’s a militarycompound or something These guys lookaround myage or maybe a few years older, but they’vegotavibethatscreamsthey’vebeenintheservice.
Maybe he was rushing so quickly, he accidentally rattled off the wrong address It’sthebestguessIcancomeupwith.
“Whatthe fuckis this?” Amanapproaches fromthe opengarage. He has broad shoulders and a trimwaist. Tattoos line everyinchofskinshowingaroundthelongsleeveT-shirtfromhisnecktohishands.Hehasonabackwardbaseballcap,but medium-browncurlyhairspillsoutaroundhisforehead.ThesidesseemshorterfromwhatIcansee.He’salsorockingafull beardafewshadesdarkerthanthehaironhishead Hisbluish-grayeyesassesseverythingashecomescloser
DidIjustwalkmyselfintoanevenworsesituationthantheoneIranfrom? Thatwouldbemyluck Ibackawayagainandtrytokeepmyvoicestrong.“Ithinkthere’sbeenamistake ” “Hey, it’s okay Ignore those two idiots I’mHoltonHayes” He stretches out a hand as the curls escapinghis ball cap bounceinthewind.“Tellmewhoyou’reheretosee.”Iblinkathishandbutraisemineafterseverallongseconds.Weshake ashetiltshishead,givingmeanencouragingsmile.“Goon.”
“Bishop,butIthinkhe gave me his workaddress byaccident Itwas kindofa quickemergencything I’msorry Idon’t wanttogethiminanytrouble,andIgetthefeelingI’mreally notsupposedtobehere.”
“You’reheretoseeBishop”Holtonturns,glaringatthetwooriginalmen “Youhearthat?”Hetakesastepforward “You betterberealfuckinggladshedidn’tleavebecauseofyourbullshit.Learntoreadtheroomorfindnewemployment.Youcan discusswhichoneofyouwillbetellingthebigguythatyoualmostscaredawayhisguestduringyour three laps around the property!”Hisbarkmakesmejolt.MybodysnapsintoactionasItakeoff,buthegentlygrabsmyhand.“Notyou,sweetheart.”
“But sir,” the guyonthe right says. The manonthe left is alreadyjoggingoff, whichI was about to do before Holton
stoppedme.Mybodyseemedtothinkthealphacommandwasdirectedatme. “Go!” Holtonbarks again. He looks atme. “Sorryaboutthem. Good help is hard to find and all that.” He lets go ofmy wristandmoveshishandtomylowerback “Let’sgetyouinside It’sfreezingouthere” Myflatsdragagainsttheconcrete.“Ishouldjustgo.Really,Ididn’tmean ” “Hellno”Hechuckles “I’mnottellingBishophehadaguestthatdisappeared Nofuckingthankyou” “Mr.Hayes?”
Iglancebackinthedirectionofmycar,butIcan’treallyseeitpastthewallofthegarage.“Icouldjustwaitinmycar.” Hesighs,comingbackdownthesteps “Iwillensurethosefoolsnevertreatanotherguestthewaytheyjustactedwithyou We have some high-profile clients, and we’re always onthe lookoutfor threats, butyou’d thinkevennew hires would have enoughbraincellstonotinterrogatetheobviouslyterrifiedwomanshowinguponourdoorstep”
I’veneededtherestroomsincebeforeIevenarrived,butAurorarollsaroundinmystomach,landingrightonmybladder, andthebathroomsituationbecomesanemergency.Myhandfliestocupmylowerbelly.She’sgettingstrongenoughthatithurts sometimes “Comein.YoucanwaitinthelivingroomorevenBishop’sroom,ifthat’llmakeyoumorecomfortable.Let’sgetyouoff yourfeet,sweetheart”Heholdsoutahand,wavingmeforwardagain
“Oh yeah, of course.” He guides us down the hallway, past a huge laundry roomon the right. Farther down, there’s a massivekitchenthatopensintoalivingroom.“Hereyouare.”Hestopsatthelastdoorontheleft.
The onlythingthatkeeps me fromescapingbackoutthe door Icame inis thatwhenIsearch Assurance and the words personal security,awholeslew ofwebsitesandarticlespopup.I’msureafancywebsitecouldbefaked,butsomeof thepresstalkingaboutthecompanyseemstocomefromlegitimatesources.
“Onehundredthousanddollarsforsixmonths,”hesays,givingmeastrangelookasItrytocovertlysniffhim “Withthe optionofanadditional hundred thousand ifthe contractneeds to be extended fromsixmonths to a year.” He frowns at my stomachasmyjawfalls “I’mtrulyhopingit’llbewrappedupmoreswiftlythanthat,butmyfamilyisstubborn”
“It’s truly lovely to put a face to everything my son has told me about you,” she says, eyeing me with what I think is suspicion.Notthatshedoesn’thaveeveryrighttobe.“Tellme,dear.Isn’titdifficulttoleaveeverythingbehindtomovetoan entirelydifferentstate?”
I paste ona plastic smile Her condescendingtone has officiallyrubbed me the wrongway “No, I mean, yes, a little However,itfeltlikeitwastime.Onedoorclosesandanotheropens.”Ilaughawkwardly,andthesoundispainfultomyown ears
One of our clients was convinced his daughter was being exploited via the camsite. Unfortunately for him, we found everythingwasontheupandup,butduringtheassignment,Bishopmetawomanhe’sbeencommunicatingwitheversince.He hasn’tbeenonadateinthelasttwoyears,buthedidrecentlymentionthatshe’spregnant
Igesturetothecouchshevacatedafewminutesago.“Haveaseat.I’msureBishopisonhiswayaswespeak.”Whichisa disasterinitsownright.He’sbeenheadinguponeofourmostsensitivecases.Ineedhisheadinthegameandhimonsite,but evenI know there’s no wayhe stayed put I’mexpectinghimanytime, but I have somethingto handle before he makes an appearance.“Ihaveapropositionforyou.”
AmItakingadvantageofthesituation?
Probably,butalso, she spoke to my mother theonepersonwhoterrifiesmeevenmorefullythanmyfathers.
“Listen, Iunderstand things are complicated and you’re likelyfeelingsome anxiety” Which, now thatI’ve said italoud, mightqualifyastheunderstatementofthecentury.“Bishopsentyouhereforareason.Youdon’tneedtoworry.He’soneofmy bestfriendsandacloseconfidant.Wehaveastafffull ofex-militaryandmercenaries.Icanassureyouthatyouwill besafe withus”
Iclearmythroatandgoon “Ineedafakefiancée,asyou’velikelysurmised You’vealreadybeenintroducedtothemost suspiciousfamilymember,andnowI’mstuck.Ifyoufillthatroleformeforthenextsixmonths” Istaredirectlyintohereyes “you’ll have a place to live, meals, necessities, and clothing will be provided. Not to mention, the generous financial package I’llbeincreasingthattotwohundredthousandpersixmonths It’sonlyfair”Igesturetoherstomach “Therearetwo ofyou,sotwicethecompensationseemsappropriate.”
Her jaw falls as she leans forward “What would I do after the sixmonths are up? There’s no guarantee Andrew will disappear.”
IcouldtellherIownoneofthemostsought-afterpersonalprotectioncompaniesinthecountryorthatweemploytop-tier mercenaries who have no moral qualms abouttakingoutthe trash. Thenagain, mostwill never know the differentlevels of servicesweprovide,butthosewhodowouldattestthatwecompleteeverycontractwithruthlessefficiency Although,wedo havecertainoperationsthatevenwewon’ttouch.
“IownAssurance” Istand, looseningmytie because it’s still botheringme “Youmayrecognize the name?” The blank stareshegivesmeprovesthatisnotthecase.
Rightthen,it’s time togive her the spiel “We provide personal protectioncontracts for high-profile clients The type of dangerstheyfacearenextlevel,comparedtoyourproblem.Whydon’tyoutellmeexactlywhathappenedtoscareyou?”
Shesighs,shakingher head Ittakes several longmoments beforeshespeaks “I’maserver Oneoftheguys whocomes intotheclubIworkathasbeenweirdlately.It’sgottenworsethelastcoupleofweeks.Iactuallysawhimfollowmehomeone night Thenhewas inside myapartmentthismorning Bishoptoldmetoleave,butIdidn’thaveanyfamilytostaywith,sohe toldmetocomehere.”
Myhead tilts. “Thatwas the bestcourse ofaction.” Her situationseems fairlycutand dry. “Inmanystalkingcases, the perpetrator will disregardlogical senseiftheyfeel slighted He’s likelyoffendedthatyouranbeforehewas donewithyou Stalkers often act irrationally in situations such as this. I’msure he’s searching for you now, if he didn’t follow you here directly”
Ifrown.
Thelookonherfacemakesmyindigestionworse “O-OhGod,”shesaysinawobblytoneIinstantly hate.Hereyessqueezeshut.“Itriedtogetmyroommatetoleavewith me,butshewasn’twillingtocomebecauseshe’sinschool.It’smyfault.He’safterme.Ijustleftherbehind.Ifitwasonlyme, that would be one thing, but I’mpregnant I felt like I had to run, and I really did try to convince her to come, but she’s definitelyatrisk ”
“Of course not. We’re in the business of protecting people, and sadly, stalkers are often the most unpredictable of all perpetrators.”Well,outsideofprofessionallyhiredkillers,butshecertainlydoesn’tneedtoknowthat.Ipullmysuittrousers
“Thankyou,”Iwhisper,staringupintohisdeepblueeyes “Ireallyamsorryfortheconfusion ” “Ihaven’tgivenup hope justyet. Give itsome thought.” Mercer pulls me up and releases myhand. “And please, don’t forgettogetmetheinformationonyourroommate”
“Iwon’t,”IsayasBishopcomestoastopafew feetaway.He’sevenmoresubstantiallysizedthanIcouldtellfromour videochats I was right He does have cornflower blue eyes I’veonlyevercaughtrareglimpsesofthemduringourcalls Iraiseahand,givingalittlewave.
Onsome level,Igetthatit’s irrational because we don’thave anylabels or exclusivity,butifmyheartfeels guilty,then chancesare,Ididsomethingwrong,nomatterwhatanyoneelsehastosayaboutit.
“Ohno,” Bishopsays “Can’tdoit Notears,gorgeous” He wedges a knee betweenmine andwraps anarmaroundmy ass.
I’mnearlythirty-five pounds heavier thanIwas whenIstarted this pregnancyadventure, but he lifts me withease My swollenstomachpressesagainsthis,makingmycheeksheat.
“Ican’tbelieve you’ve beenso close this entire time.” Bishop stares straightinto myeyes as his hand teases downmy back
“MynameisVale,bytheway.”
“Princess Vee is a fitting screen name, but I prefer gorgeous I’ve dreamed about this day for so long” He chuckles, shakinghishead.“Ihatethecircumstances,but ”
“Metoo,”Iagreeasmycheeksburn.“Imean,Igetwhatyou’resaying,butI’mworriedaboutKate.She’sstubborn.She wouldn’tcome withme, and she wouldn’tmiss class so thatwe could call the police.” Ibite mylip to keep fromrambling everythingelseonmymind.It’sanervoushabit,andmyanxietyisthroughtheroof.
His hand drags up and downmyspine over the too-small jacket Combined withthe warmthofhis bodyheat radiating againstmyfront,IfeelalittlelikeI’moverheating.
His low, gravellychuckle fills the air. “I’mnotgoingto complain. It’s helpingsoothe myimpulses too. I’msurprised I didn’tgetpulledover I’veneverdisregardedsomanytrafficlawsinmylife”
Myhand falls to runover his pec as his heartthumps under myear. “I’mglad you’re here, butthatsounds dangerous. I would’vebeenokayalittlelonger Ijustneedyoutobesafe”
“You’reaverysweetlittleomega.”
“God,Bishop,I’msorelievedtosee you Iwas inpanic mode all day,andnow thatmyadrenaline has crashed,Idon’t knowwhattodowithmyself.”
GettingValesettledintooneoftheguestroomsdoesn’ttakelong Unloadingherdeathtrapofacartakesevenlesstime She brought almost nothing. Mysystemdoesn’tgiveafuckthatwejustmetinperson.It’sunnaturallydifficulttowalkawayfromherroomonce I’vedroppedoffherbelongings
“It’sanunfortunatemisunderstanding,butI’msurehe’llunderstand”Mercyyanksthecuffonhisbutton-down “I’ll understand what?” Igrowl, takinga step forward. “Iswear to fuck, ifeither ofyoudid a single goddamnthingto upset ” Mercyturnstofaceme “TherewassomeminorconfusionaboutwhyValeishere” “That’sanunderstatement.”Holtlaughs,glancingatme.“Issheallsettled?Shewasalloutofwhackwhenshegothere.” “She’stakingashower Iordereddelivery,butthetwoofyoucanstarve,unlesssomeonetellsmewhatthefuckisgoing on!”Igrowl,tryingtofigureoutwhythehellmyvisionisgoinghazy.
I’ve been riled since I saw that motherfucker in her bedroomearly this morning. If I could have crawled through the computerscreen,Iwouldhavestrangledhimtodeathwithmybarehands.
“I’mgoingto send himthe pictures Igrabbed this morning. They’re blurry, and there’s no chance he’ll be able to clean themup,butit’sbetterthannothing,”Imutter,moretomyselfthantothem Ipullmyphoneoutandemaileverysingleoneto him.“Thewebsitehasablock.Icouldn’tgrabscreenshots,butIdidtakepictureswithmyphone.”
“MayI?” Mercyasks, suddenlyat myside. I send the email to Merrickand pull up one of the cleaner pictures before handingMercymyphone Histhumbflicksacrossthescreen,andI’massuminghe’sscrollingthroughthepictures
“Doessheknowyouhavethese?”Holtasks.
“Ehh,sheknowsIwaswatching,butnotaboutthepictures Iwilltellher,though”I’mnotbigonkeepingsecrets,butthis morning wasn’t the time. “I was afraid she’d ask to see them. I needed her out of there and somewhere safe, in case she panicked”
“Yeah,”Holtagrees,shakinghishead.Hecursesunderhisbreath,andIcantell withoutseeingthephonethattheygotto the ones that almost sent me over the edge. “Okay, so this is clearly a stalking case. Have we checked her vehicle and belongingsfortrackers?”
“It’s unlikely he’d proceed once he got a look at the place, but it certainly would wrap this up quickly,” Mercy says, shuttingoffmyphoneandhandingitover.
“I’llteachthetoddlershow we doafullsweepofvehicles.”Holtspinsaroundandheadsoffwithoutanotherword. “Bishop?”Vale’svoicestartlesmeintoaction.
IshovemyphoneintomypocketasIstrideoutofthekitchenandtowherethestairsspillintothedownstairsarea.It’snot quite the kitchen,the formal diningroom,or the livingroom It’s a weirdarea thatconnects all three There are a couple of clubchairsandasmalltablealongthewall,butpastthattotherightisadoortooneofthepatios.Totheleftisthestairwell.
“Youokay?”Iask,joggingupthestepstwoatatime
Vale’s longblonde hair cascades aroundher shoulders anddownher backinwetwaves,butit’s the factshe’s onlyina towel thathas me nearlymissinga step. She moves backfromthe landing, slidingaround to the banister thatlooks over the lowerlevel.
“Yeah, butIthinkthere’s a possibilityyoumissed the two bags onthe frontfloorboard. Iwasn’treallypayingattention earlier,andwhenIcheckedthecloset ”Sheshrugs “That,orIforgotallmyclothes”
Herwideblueeyessparkleasshelaughs,holdingontotheknotofhertowel.“Youknow,we’vetalkedaboutthisbefore. I’mprettysurethat’s still nothowgermswork,butthankyou.”
“It’s such a crazy feeling being here with you. I’ve imagined it a lot over the years,” she says. “Which is probably inappropriatetoadmit”
“Hardly,”Igrunt,diggingoutapairofsweats.
“IhavemydoubtsI’llevenfitinyourclothes.”
Iturntofaceher,quirkinganeyebrow I’vegotthebetterpartofafootinheightonherandatleastahundredpounds It doesn’tmatterthatshe’scarryingaroundextrababyweight.I’mbuiltlikeatank.
Inno universe did Isee her comingwitha bonus humanbeing. Butafter Igotover the urge to trackdownthe guywho ghostedher,IrealizedprettyquicklythatIreallydon’tcarethatthebabyisn’tbiologicallymine.
Ifigure,ninety-ninepercentofbeingaparentisshowingupandputtinginthework,anyway.Ifanything,I’mgrateful she doesn’thavetobirthoneofmygiganticbabiesonthefirsttry.Seriously,Iwasnearlytwenty-threeinchesandelevenpoundsat birth
“Whenever youget the chance, do youthinkyoucould grab myclothes? It feels weird walkingaround someone else’s housewithoutabra,”shewhispers,blinkingupatmewithherbigblueeyes
“I’mgood withanything, but especiallyactionor thrillers” I climb onthe bed and stackup the pillows onmyside I alreadyknowit’sgoingtobeastruggletositupwithoutmypregnancypillow.Mylowerbackalwayshurts.Sodomyhips,but thatpartisn’tsobadwhenI’msittingorlyingdown
Yeah, Iused to be a bigfanofromance and romantic comedymovies. Maybe a little too invested, consideringIthought Cooperwaspossiblymymovieherobroughttolife.WhichwassoextremelygulliblethatIdon’tlikeadmittingittomyself. “Actionisgood.”Iforceasmile.
Ibitemylip,noddingmyagreementasmyheartraces.Heisincredible.Nooneelsesetsmeateasethewayhedoes. And itmightnotbe entirelypractical, butI’manomega. IfIdon’twantto have a complete meltdownthatinvolves me hidinginanestoratleastamakeshiftone,thenIneedtogivemysystemalittletimetorestandreset
IwakeupwithaveryfullbladderandintenseconfusionaboutwhereIam.Thetelevisionison,castingambientlighting,but the sound must be muted. Warmbreathfans over myneckas Bishop’s smokycampfire scent floods mynose. Myeyes fall closedasIsnugglebackintohim
I’dgivejustaboutanythingtobeabletoignoremybodilyfunctionsatthismoment.Unfortunately,that’snothappening. Iopenmyeyes and wiggle toward the edge Bishop’s armfalls to the mattress The entire bed shakes as Itoss mylegs downandforcemyselftositup.
Istandupandheadoff,lamentingthefactthatIknowI’mgoingtohavetoheadtomyownroomafterusingtherestroom I use the toilet, washmyhands, and force myself to go into the roomI was given. Myentire bodyaches worse thanit normallydoes Thebedroomislitbythelamponthebedsidetable,buttheroomfeelsexceptionallycoldandempty It’sathousandtimesworsethanbeingaloneinmyapartment,becausethespacedoesn’tsmellright.
