Page 46 of No Escape

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The Present

I’m not asleep, but not fully awake either.

I’ve spent hours recalling all the times I could have put more effort into helping Saylor feel less alone. My mind is the enemy as it replays the times I copped out when I could have helped build her self-confidence, but it was like walking a tightrope. Even more time goes into imagining all the things I’d say to Logan Callahan if I could go back in time.

The door lock clicking rouses me, and half a second later, the hotel room door slams against the wall.

Light streams over my face as I sit up, growling a warning to back the fuck off. My heart rate picks up as I spot the rifles pointed my way.

Several masked men file through the door, screaming in a variety of languages for me and Shaw to…

“Stay down!”

“Don’t move!”

It’s a relief.

Don’t worry, Saylor. We’ll be there soon.

ChapterFourteen

Omen

Saylor has no poker face. She can’t even fake being stoic long enough to beat me at a single round of rummy. Having her here does make passing the time a hell of a lot more enjoyable.

Valor and I go entire evenings barely saying a word. There’s nothing that needs to be said. We have a bond, and on top of that, nothing ever changes in here.

Tossing my discard onto the pile, I can instantly tell it was a mistake by the way Saylor lights up, making a grab for the card.

Valor’s shoulders rise and fall as he silently laughs.

The omega has been quite content in his lap since dinner, and it’s not that I’m jealous.

Valor quite literally can’t leave me out. Our bond will ensure I’m added to any link he may one day form with an omega, but I’ll never be an alpha, meaning I’ll never be able to forge a connection of my own.

The fact she’s sat with Valor consistently through all the games might be rubbing against a few of my insecurities.

Which is ridiculous.

I know how attractive I am.

It’s never a problem to find an interested party when I’d like to blow off steam, and yet, I’ll never be able to offer the physical features an alpha has.

It’s often made me wonder if I’ll lose my best mate when an omega finds their way into our mix.

Omegas are fiercely protective of their chosen alphas, and they’re bad at sharing. If Valor was willing to deal with the agony of a severed bond, he could simply murder me. That would eliminate the problem if the omega wasn’t interested in having a beta in their pack.

I frown.

I’ve had these passing thoughts before, but never before has a pit formed in my gut.

Saylor tosses a run of four cards down and adds her remaining card to the discard pile. “Ha! I finally beat you.”

My hair falls into my eyes as I nod, and I shove it back before dropping my own cards face down. “It appears you did. Congratulations.”

I could have been out two turns ago, but ruthlessly slaughtering her seven hands in a row seemed a bit much for even me.

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