Page 80 of Knot All that Glitters: Part 1

But the Calloway pack coming to our house today must have worried him.

Or maybe Chuck told him about me seeing them, staying in the security office when I should have immediately left. Maybe he knows I fought his command.

I can’t help the sting of betrayal I feel at even the idea of Chuck telling him. But then what do I expect? My father is his employer, is the one that pays him. Not me.

Doesn’t lessen the sting, though.

I stand there for a moment with my hand on the door, and consider pounding on it, screaming, kicking up a fuss. But I know that won’t accomplish anything. For all I know my fatherisn’t even at home, the only person on the premises is likely the guard in the security room, monitoring the cameras, and that’s far enough away from my bedroom, that with the door shut and music playing or the TV on, he wouldn’t hear me.

Even if he did, I’m sure he’s under strict instructions to not engage and not let me out.

My fingers uncurl from the handle, and I sink down to the floor, my back pressed against the door. I tuck my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them, resting my cheek on the bony protrusions, staring at nothing as I talk myself down from an impending panic attack.

I can’t stay locked in here. I can’t. I can’t. But I have nowhere to go. I can’t go to the Calloways, and I refuse to go to Florence. She doesn’t deserve the wrath my father will direct at her if I escape.

Maybe she’s right, though. Maybe I should go to one of those groups that helps omegas. Maybe they can give me some kind of protection, something that would let me stay here with Florence. Maybe the bruises on my skin and my statement that my father did it to me will be enough to arrest him,ruinhim.

As soon as I have thought, I dismiss it, even if the idea of him behind bars makes my chest feel all warm and fuzzy.

He’s too well connected, too charming, too rich, to stay behind bars for something like hitting his daughter. It would be his word against mine, and he’d probably convince the judge that I did it to myself or something.

Beyond that, I can’t actually tell anyone he did this to me. Not so long as I’m under his control, under his commands. He told me not to tell anyone, and so I can’t.

A flash of movement outside the window that overlooks the porch draws my attention away from the wall. I blink. Then blink again, not sure I’m seeing this right. Creed Calloway is standing on the roof of the porch, peering through the glass.

His dark eyes move back and forth like he’s trying to find me, and I realize he can’t see into the dark corner where I’ve tucked myself. I force myself to my feet, and the movement draws his attention. His shoulders sag in relief when he sees me, only for them to tense up again when I get closer, stepping into the pool of moonlight streaming through the windows.

His expression turns from relieved to stormy, as his eyes sweep over me, taking in the bruises that still mottle my skin after a week. They’re healing, but still visible even in the barely there light of the moon.

He reaches for the window and tries to push it up, but it doesn’t move. He frowns and tries again, then looks at me when it doesn’t budge. Brows arched like he’s waiting for me to unlock it for him. Slowly I shake my head and mouth the words, “I can’t,” at him. No sound, since I was ordered to not talk to them.

“Fuck,” I hear his voice through the glass before he gives me a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, baby girl. I’ve got this.” He kneels by the window and pulls something from his pocket. A thin rectangle. He opens it and pulls out two slim pieces of metal. Lock picks. Creed Calloway is kneeling on my roof, readying to unlock a window in order to get to me.

A surge of panic threatens to swallow me whole.

He can’t do that. He’ll be caught.I’llbe caught and then my punishment will be a million times worse than what it has been. My father and Brian will pile on more commands, more orders to keep me bound up even tighter.

A knocking sound filters through the room, drawing Creed's eyes up to me. And I realize I made the noise. My fist presses against the glass and my head is shaking back and forth, frantically.

Creed pushes back to his feet, moving closer to the glass like he’s considering just breaking through to get to me. My shaking head moves faster. “No. No. No.” I mouth at him.

His big hands fist around the thin strips of metal as he forces himself to relax for my sake, I’m sure. “What’s the matter, Haven?”

My fisted hand slides over the glass, one finger uncoiling from the tight ball to come to a rest right next to the new door sensor. The one that will announce “Haven Window Open” from the alarm system in the security office downstairs. The one that will alert my father’s guards and my father himself that I’ve somehow sprung the lock and gotten out.

The alpha on the other side of the door curses and shakes his head, not as violently as I have been, but in frustration. Still, he gives me a reassuring smile. “Okay. Thank you for pointing that out, omega. We’ll handle it.”

How? I want to ask, but I can’t. No words can pass my lips, not when they’re for any member of the Calloway Pack. Holding my gaze like he can’t bear to break eye contact, Creed yanks his phone out of his pocket and presses it to his ear. “Jude, we got a problem.” My heart lurches at the mention of the other alpha, the first one of them to kiss me, to make me feel like they actually wanted me. “There’s an alarm sensor on her window.” He runs his eyes over me again. “Yes, I’ve seen her. She’s standing right on the other side of this fucking window and I can’t get to her.” His jaw tics and he drops his eyes to my feet. “She’s-she’s okay, Jude.” His voice is a growl. “Now please shut off the sensor so I can get our girl out of here.”

My brows jump. Can Jude do that? Can he hack into our security and shut off parts of it without being detected? Creed wedges the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he kneels again and starts on the window again.

A wordless sound emerges from my chest and draws his attention. He offers me another of those smiles. “Don’t worry, baby girl. I won’t open it until Jude says it’s safe, okay? I justwant to be ready for when he does. Wanna get my arms around you as soon as I can.”

I want that too so badly. But I want to be safe more. I want to not worry about my father catching me and taking even more of what makes me Haven from me. Creed must see it, the fear in my face, because a low growl rumbles from his chest. “Remember what I told you the first time we talked, baby? Remember what I said?”

I remember, but it’s not like I can say that to him, not like I can repeat it for him to hear. I touch my throat, then my lips, then I point at him and shake my head.

Creed's eyes darken with rage. “He commanded you not to speak to us?”

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