Page 32 of A Knotty Road Trip

Beck smirks, and I have to bite my bottom lip to prevent myself from laughing. Seems he's up to his old tricks again.

“Ken, our driver is waiting out front. We have plenty of room, so let's go. We will stop for food after we get out of the city.”

Turning, I head for the door. I don't look behind me because I know they are following.

A shiny black limousine waits out front for us, and Belle gasps.

“A limo! We are going to drive four days in a limo?”

Ken hops out of the car to walk around and open our door, but I hold my hand up and he freezes.

“It's cold, Ken, we can handle a door.”

“Thank you, Sir,” he says, then rushes back into his seat.

The storm is over, but there is still a windchill. Angel collects our bags and puts them in the trunk as I open the door and climb inside.

Beck holds the door for Belle, then follows. I notice that she keeps a backpack, placing it on the floor near the minibar and Beck keeps his bag.

I wish he would take a break on this trip, maybe write some new songs with me, but I know he will be too busy answering emails and booking our next few events. Not to mention the damn omega search.

Maybe I can convince Belle to marry me and be our omega… the thought has merit and it would get my dad off our backs.

I guess we will have to see what this car ride reveals.

Once Angel joins us, Ken rolls down the partition window, holding a tray of hot drinks and a bag of pastries.

“Traffic here is insane. The storm knocked down a ton of trees and some main roads are closed. We will have to take the back way to get through Binghamton, to the 81, then the 40 West the rest of the way.

“I know it’s not ideal, but it’s our only option at this point. After we get out of the city, we can stop at a Target and get some supplies. You might want pillows and blankets, and some things to keep you entertained,” Ken says with a smile.

He always knows just what we need. He has been with us a long time, and we will never replace him.

“Sounds good, Ken, thank you,” I reply, and he nods.

“I’m also going to be stopping in West Virginia for the night. If you’d like to book a room, Beck,” he says, and Beck pulls out his tablet, powering it on, nodding. He reaches in his bag and grabs his wireless headphones, popping them into his ears.

Ken rolls the window back up, and I pass out the drinks and food, and he slowly begins the drive.

It’s going to be a long ass day. Ken turns the radio on and immediately one of our hit songs begins to play. Angel presses the button to speak to Ken.

“Please change the station, Ken, thank you.”

The song turns to some bop, and we all relax. Belle’s more observant than I thought, noticing our odd behavior and as she leans forward, I worry I’m going to have to come clean, but instead she says something awful.

“Oh, so you don’t like Knotty Trip either?”

BELLE

Being in this car, finally leaving the city, I feel like I can breathe again. I owe these alphas more than I will ever be able to repay. I was ready to run away. Somewhere far, far away, rather than have to deal with my father’s wrath.

Beck hums as he types on his tablet, and Angel continues to eat his food. It was sweet of the driver to include me. A rock song begins to play, and I watch as the mood in the car shifts. Angel freezes mid-bite, his eyes going wide.

Tate has almost the same reaction and Beck doesn’t seem to notice anything until he pulls out his headphone to say something. I don’t recognize the song, but I have heard of the band before.

Angel barks for Ken to change the station, and I’ll admit I’m a little shocked that he would be so assertive, ordering the man who was kind enough to get us pastries.

The guys relax, and I’m feeling unsettled.

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