Page 11 of Mafia's Broken Omega

"Worried?" My lips curled into a sneer. "I don't need anyone’s worry. Worry about the business and how we're gonna keep?—"

"Cord." Rosco's voice was a warning. I was going too far. Lashing out at the wrong people, and I knew it.

"I'm fine." Why did I have to keep repeating myself?

"I want to know if this is about Velvet. The timing lines up."

"Yes, it also lines up with the explosion. This has nothing to do with Velvet. He was just a fuck. Nothing more." Even saying his name felt like a punch to the gut, and my chest tightened painfully. "It was a fling. Nothing more. A paid exchange that meant nothing to either of us."

"It doesn't seem like nothing," Felik said.

I clenched my jaw. He might’ve been my younger brother, but he was part of Andro's family now, and I couldn't shut him up just because I wanted to. I forced down the frustration that boiled within me and sighed. "I don't need this pity party."

Rosco leaned forward. The worry etched on his brow spoke volumes. He might’ve been my bodyguard by profession, but he was a friend. "This isn't a pity party. This isn't about the business. This is your family telling you we're here for you."

"I can handle this," I said through clenched teeth.

"Joey was taken from me once. I would have burned the world down to get to him. Having feelings for an omega isn't a weakness, Cord. In fact, having Joey in my life has made me a better leader. Just like it has for my brothers and yours."

"Yeah, well. That's great. But it only works if the omega wants to be there. Clearly mine didn't or else he wouldn't have disappeared." I didn't even know if Velvet was alive, and that was what hurt the most. I could survive this if I knew he was safe and happy. I still thought of him as mine. Still dreamed of him each night and reached for him on the nights when my resolve was at its weakest.

"You don't know why he disappeared, and I don't think this will be resolved until you find out."

"I tried to find him. I couldn't."

"Yeah, well, you didn't try very hard, and with both our resources combined, we can find him."

"Connor can find him. He has connections everywhere," Joey said.

"Maybe he doesn't want to be found." The bitterness rolled off my tongue before I could filter it.

They wanted this intervention, so they would just have to deal with my emotions as they came. Raw and unedited.

"He should have thought about that before getting involved with you," Andro said. He picked up Joey like he weighed nothing and set him on his feet. Then he stood. "I'll talk with Louie and Connor and he'll start his search. I'll have information for you by the end of the week."

I hated that I let myself hope. The iced-over heart in my chest thawed slightly. "You shouldn't waste resources on this, not when we're trying to sus out a mole."

"Fuck that," Andro said. "You're my friend, Cord. An ally I trust—that's rare in our world. And if this is a way I can help, then I'm going to do it. Do not question me."

I swallowed back the emotion that clogged my throat and nodded.

8

AVERY

Livin' the dream.

That's what I was doing since I quit dancing.

Big belly and all.

The belly wasn't actually that big yet, but it stuck out from my small frame. According to the little old ladies that stopped me on the street sometimes, I was carrying “all in the front.” Whatever that meant. All I knew was my balance was off and I felt like a whale. I couldn’t even imagine how I’d feel once I got into the final weeks.

I was just over five months along, and the little guy was a big mover. Some nights, when I finally relaxed with a glass of juice—my only vice now that cocktails were out of the question—I would use my phone to record my belly movements. I’d read about doing that in a pregnancy book and figured it was one of the things I could do for my child…since I couldn’t give him an alpha father.

When I placed my hand on my belly, the baby was quick to kick it like we were playing some sort of shadow game. And it was oddly reassuring. I liked knowing one part of my life was strong and healthy. It was more than I could say about any other aspect.

I had a simple existence, and I enjoyed it. Time passed quickly, so I couldn’t complain.

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