Page 3 of Knight With Benefits

“Are you new to Hell?”

I gave him a questioning look over the rim as I swallowed and he laughed, taking another mouthful of beer before shaking his head.

“It’s what this area is called. You’ve got Downtown Penford where all the high-rises and such are, Uptown is the nicer area on the East side, and the Warehouse District is on the West along the river. Rolling Glen is farther to the North, and the Slums are all around the outer edges of the city. Hell covers most of the Southeast, between Uptown and the Slums.”

“Ah.”

I wasn’t sure what else to say. According to him I was from the Slums, and I couldn’t argue with the name. There was nothing I missed about my former neighborhood. If I’d have been able to get out of Penford completely, I would have, but I was tied here if I ever wanted to see my boys.

“I guess I’m new to this area, but I’ve lived in Penford for more than twenty years.”

Carl nodded, glancing over his shoulder as the front door opened and two more alphas walked in. He raised a hand toward them in greeting, and it was then I noticed he wore the same vest as the new arrivals. After learning the neighborhood was called Hell, the name stitched on the vests made more sense.

“So, you ride one of those noisy things that are parked outside every night?”

I’d grown used to the sound of the motorcycles passing by, but it had been startling at first. Some were quieter than others, but there were times when they all came by in a group and it sounded like the roar of some mythical beast.

I probably shouldn’t have poked at him since he was an alpha and I knew they had tempers, but he only laughed again as he turned back to the bar.

“Guilty. And mine is probably one of the louder ones.”

He shrugged and took another drink, not apologizing, not that I expected it of an alpha. I’d drop dead of shock if one ever admitted doing something wrong and took responsibility instead of blaming something else for their failure.

“I could take you on a ride, if you’d like.”

My horrification must have been plain on my face, because Carl’s just about split in half, his grin was so big.

“It’s not as scary as it seems, but it’s not for everyone. If you ever change your mind, let me know. It can be a lot of fun to have so much power between your thighs.”

I huffed into my glass as I finished the rest of the liquid it held, ignoring the inuendo. My stomach was pleasantly warm, the world taking on a light layer of fuzz, and the tension in my shoulders was finally melting away, but realizing I was relaxing was all it took to bring the memories back.

David was in front of me before I set my glass down.

“Another?”

His expression was critical even as he held up the bottle. I usually only had one or two when I was looking to relax so I could fall asleep fast, but tonight was going to be harder than usual. I’d managed to keep myself distracted during the day, but going home to the silence of an empty house would only invite the foolish mistakes of the past to keep me occupied instead.

“Yeah, go ahead and make it a double. I don’t plan to stop anytime soon.”

He frowned but poured the liquor anyway, topping off the glass with my pickle juice. At the rate I was going there was a chance it would run out before I was too drunk for the ghosts to remind me how much I hated this day each year it came around.

Bonding was supposed to be a beautiful thing. The anniversary of it was usually celebrated.

But not when it had been unwilling, nor when you’d been bonded by an uncaring alpha who took out his frustrations on you and your children.

Not anymore. I’m free.

I sucked in a deep breath and straightened my shoulders, ignoring the equally concerned look Carl was giving me.

One of the other reasons I’d chosen The Hangout was because the patrons seemed to be mostly shifters, who had a higher alcohol tolerance than a human. One of the bars where I was from wouldn’t have served me more than two glasses since I was not only female, but also an omega. Here, they were used to serving more.

“Do you have a way home tonight?”

I knew David was only doing his job, but the old irritation over being told what I could and couldn’t do still made me scowl.

“I’ll walk, like I always do. It’s not far.”

I didn’t miss the way David glanced at Carl and some kind of silent communication seemed to pass between them. Alphas always thought they had the right to control others, and even betas tried to pull the same shit on omegas since we were considered the weaker dynamic.

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