Page 8 of Toy No More

Jasper snorts before his face shifts into that devilish grin of his. He looks at me from up close instead of in the mirror and holds my chin with his thumb.

“Ever so demanding,” he says, clicking his tongue and shaking his head. I frown, only halfway serious. “How many times do I have to tell you? I’m no client.” Tightening his grip on me, he leans closer until our noses touch and I feel his hot breath on my lips. Something about him makes me breathless, hanging on his words like a dog eagerly expecting the next command. And he knows that. “It means nothing when they call you that…because they mean nothing. When I say it, it means everything. Everything we have. So won’t you just be my doll, darling?”

He pauses before kissing me, waiting for my response. No matter what’s going on inside me, I know he means well, so I push the discomfort aside and lean in.

“You’re right,” I whisper.

“I’m always right.”

We kiss softly, and in my alpha’s embrace, I feel at peace. That’s all that matters.

Chapter 3

Kobe

Waitingintheparkinglot like I was told, I hang my hand out of the open side window and look around the evening skyline of the city. The world seems calm. The streets are fairly quiet. Still, I can’t help but feel restless.

Tapping at the outside of the car door, I wonder how long it will be before they come out.I was supposed to wait here, right?

Things have been going fine these past few weeks. Suspiciously fine. No one’s asked me to do anything extreme. Nothing but simple orders—get in the car, take us here, take us there, wait in that street at that hour. There’s been no hazing, and I’m glad, but that doesn’t make me any less nervous.

Obviously, none of the men really trust me yet. It’s only for me to wonder if they kind of ignore me because they don’t know me, because I’m an omega, or for some other reason. Either way, I miss the familiarity of my old gang. Sure, I didn’t exactly havefriendsthere, but I was a familiar part of the machine. A cog that fits in smoothly. Now…?

I blink sharply when I hear the heavy back door slam. Jasper heads toward me, together with two of his men. Trey and…Gibbs, I think? Jasper walks as though he owns the city. Owns the world, even.

Sometimes I wonder if that’s the way only an alpha can experience life, or if all one needs is confidence and an inflated sense of self.

They all get in the car. Trey sits at the front and almost immediately takes out a cigarette, seemingly out of habit, and puts it in his mouth. He always just chews it. Never lights it. It irritates me for some reason.

“Go to 24 Rose Hill. Past the old hospital,” Jasper finally says, making me dart my eyes to the rearview mirror. He’s looking into his phone.

“Yes, boss,” I say and start the engine.

We end up beside a shoe warehouse, which I suspect isn’t a shoe warehouse at all. There’s already a second car with a few of Jasper’s guys there waiting. I’m told to stay in the car, so I do, while everybody else walks in. Once again, I don’t really know why we’re here. Some sort of deal going down with another gang? Or is Jasper just overseeing on the progress of one of the many new ventures he’s been getting into, according to the chatter I overheard in the break room?

Sitting around and thinking does me no good. Lets my mind wander too much.

I think about how Skyler’s doing and how little time I’ve been spending with him lately. He never says anything until he boils over and has a proper meltdown about it. I haven’t been checking on Marci enough, either. She, too, won’t tell me how bad she’s doing until things get too unbearable.

But they have a roof over their heads at least, right?It’s what I try to placate myself with. No one’s starving. Skyler is getting the help he needs and Marci can afford the medical care that makes her multiple sclerosis somewhat manageable. I couldn’t do that for them if I didn’t have this job.

“Hey!” I hear somewhere outside and quickly turn to see a group of men walking out of the warehouse. Jasper isn’t with them. Trey’s waving me down while the others congregate around the other car. “Freshface, come here!” he shouts.

Frowning to myself, I release the wheel I’ve been unintentionally squeezing the whole time and take the keys out. I get out and walk slowly toward them, trying to seem natural. Easygoing, but nottooeasygoing.

This need to put forth an image of someone confident and tough without seeming arrogant or unlikable is something I’ll never stop struggling with. One would think I’d become more proficient at it after so many years…

With a neutral, faint smile, I come up to them, adjusting my leather gloves.

“Boss’s talkin’ business. Probably gonna be a while,” Trey notes with an annoyed grimace. Gibbs next to us takes out a pack of cigs and opens it. The other guys surround him like bees, all taking one.

Idle standing around and chatting with these alphas. Great.

None of them have said anything about me being an omega. Is that my suppressants working well enough for them to ignore it or just them trying to be decent? The thought almost makes me chuckle—since when has this line of work been known for decency?

To my surprise, Gibbs raises his brow at me and stretches out his arm. Even though I have my own, I accept and pull out a cigarette. They’re a good brand. Expensive.

Trey nearly pushes me out of the way when reaching for one too, putting his half-soggy cig that’s been in his mouth till now into his pocket.

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