Page 15 of Nothing is Free

Dez and his team will travel three states over to Colorado. While Avion and I will travel to Freeya’s childhood home in California to subtly interrogate her more than guilty parents. The bright side of all this is we get to see where our girl grew up. Even though I know the conditions of her upbringing weren’t the greatest, I know this will make me feel closer to her. God, I miss her.All the plans are in place, and whatever Avi and I find, our duty is to report it all to Dez. Any clues or crumbs to lead us to our ultimate goal.

We are coming for you, Cariña. This is it. I can feel it, we will find her. Them, we will find them. I don’t think any of us have really wrapped our head around the fact we are going to be fathers. We’re not just rescuing our girl, but our baby as well. We were still in the planning phase before Freeya was taken from us but the house we are having Nate build will be perfect for our growing family. We have our own little secrets we’ve been keeping. I can’t wait for her to see what we’ve been working on. Note to self: once this is over, schedule a meeting with Nate Smooth. We have a home to finish. I’m holding onto hope, to our future, and the life after all the obstacles ahead of us are cleared away. Freeya will have her happily ever after and I know Omari, my brothers, and I will give it to her.

A few hours later, we are all standing in the private aircraft hangar with two private jets waiting to take off. Dez, his team, and Omari are all on ‘operation find Freeya’, while Avi and I are taking his private plane to the west coast. There is a quiet stillness in the air as everyone moves efficientlyaround the large space. Equipment is being loaded on palettes; weapons, and everything else Dez and his team will need for getting around, for however long it will take to find her. Even with a rough location, there’s no guarantee how long it will take to lock down anything concrete with regards to where this maniac is keeping her. Honestly, if Avion can get the parents to spill the beans, give us anything to go by, it will mean all the difference. The sooner Omari and Dez can get to her, the better.

Leaning against one of the black SUVs, I wait beside Avion, Omari, and Dez as the pilots ready the jets. When Quincy, Beckett, and Malcolm pull up beside us, I am surprised to see that Faith is with them. Beckett helps her out of the car, taking her hand in his. She smiles shyly, gazing up at him as though he’s hung the moon and all the stars in the sky. He looks just as smitten. I swear there are hearts in his eyes as he immediately tucks her under his arm. Malcolm and Quincy flank them both protectively, ever the soldiers, their eyes dart around looking for an unknown enemy as they hurry her along. Faith glances around nervously before her eyes land on the four us. Omari waves a greeting; she smiles warmly back at him. It’s an interesting dynamic, male and female Omegas seem to get along better than two female Omegas. Mercy and her sisters, although related, seem tense around each other when they are in the same room. It’s obvious they love one another, but by nature they tend to be wary of one another. It’s not the case with Omari, and I guess that’s a good thing, considering they will be in such close proximity.

“I thought it would be a good idea to have a female on board just in case.” Dez leans in to whisper as we watch the four of them usher Faith up the stairs to the plane. He doesn’texpand on his reasoning, but I don’t think he needs to. We won’t know the state our Beta will be in when she comes back to us. It pains me to even think about the trauma both mentally and physically, she might have been subjected to. I close my eyes against those thoughts as Dez continues. “I know Mercy was adamant about being with us when we found her. But by the time we got the word from Malcolm, Mercy, Knight, and Nat had just boarded their jet to New York for a big conference that Mercy is the keynote speaker for. She suggested I take Faith, and honestly, I think she is the better choice, considering. Plus, I knew Quincy, Beckett, and Malcolm wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving her behind. Even if she stayed in her house on her parents’ pack estate.

“They’ve really grown attached to her,” Avion says, nodding his head in their direction. All of us grunt our agreement in unison. I can’t help but laugh. I am sure we look rather obvious to anyone watching us; we were whispering conspiratorially, like cackling hens. Well, that’s the way Cariña describes us when we are all conversing and finishing each other’s sentences. We’ve been together for so long, the four of us, we got the whole Vulcan mind meld going on. Freeya would have a field day if she was here to observe us. I think about my girl and smile. She would also put her hand on those delicious curves of hers and tell us all to mind our business.

“She’s been through a lot but she’s not letting her trauma get in the way of living her life. She’s working with other Omegas at the new center, going to therapy, and doing really well after everything that happened to her. She could have just as easily been afraid of them, despite them rescuing her. She’s drawn to them and they to her. Malcolm, Beckett, and Quincy are a great pack, they are good for her. I wouldn’t be surprised?—”

“Dez, the captain is ready for wheels up.” Quincy peeks his head out of the plane and calls down to Dez, interrupting what we already know he’s about to say. That he wouldn’t be surprised if they asked Faith to join their pack. Quincy, Beckett and Malcolm have welcomed her into their lives with open arms, and after all the shit that woman has gone through, she deserves a second chance at happiness.

“Listen to Dez, Mon Cœur. Be safe.” Avion pulls a smirking Omari into his chest, scent marking him, like anyone would question who he belongs to. Avi rubs his face in the crook of Omari’s neck, inhaling his scent, nipping at his mate mark. I roll my eyes at the show of possessiveness.

Omari shudders and pulls away. “Avi, don’t get all sentimental on me now. I will be fine.” He backs away from us both, Dez on the other hand hasn’t given us a backward glance. Ass. I hold out my arms to Omari, but he blows me a kiss instead.

“If I hug you, then you’ll get all emotional like Avion over there.” Omari smirks and we both laugh at Avion’s huff of agitation.

“I’m not emotional,” he says, stomping off to his private jet like a petulant child who had his candy stolen from him. Avion thrives on control, but with this entire ordeal, he has been far outside of his comfort zone. I am not surprised by his reaction to Omari going out on a job with Dez. Even though we all agreed it is something he should do, it is still unsettling.

“Be safe,” Omari calls out to me, and I wink in response. My instincts are screaming at me to run to him, to wrap him up in my arms and take him home. The need to protect our Omega, to make sure he’s safe and away from danger is asconstant as the beating of my heart. But I know if anyone can find Freeya, it’s him.

“You just bring our girl home,” I tell him knowingly, and we both sober at my words. We all know what’s at stake here. Without her we stand to lose everything, even ourselves.

CHAPTER 10

VIC

“This is not what I expected.” I peer out of the window as the driver pulls the black sedan to a stop in a circular drive.

After a three-hour flight to a small private runway in Northern California, Avion arranged for a car to drive us to and from the location. For two hours we drove the scenic route along the California coast. The view of the Pacific Ocean clashing aggressively against the shore close to the highway was incredible. Black sands, rocky cliffs, and the occasional sightings of surfers out on the water had me thinking about my Cariña. She grew up here, and yet, when forced to leave, she didn’t stay in the state. Freeya chose to run as far away from her family as she could. She made Chicago her home, changed the spelling of her last name in an attempt to hide under the radar. It’s as if she instinctively knew they wouldn’t let her go scot-free. In the end, she was justified in her actions.

Thinking of her parents and what they did to her makes me so angry I want to seek retribution on her behalf. For the first time in my life I want to use my family ties and make hermother and fathers disappear. Who disowns their child for something they had no control over? Assholes, that’s who. Freeya’s life was parallel to my own in a way. Another reason I believe she was fated to be with our pack, destined to be with us. I think about my own parents, how I too escaped the life my fathers had planned for me as the eldest son. No, they didn’t reject me, but the life I would have endured if I had stayed. . .perilous and bloody. The things they would have subjected me to, especially with the mafia ties, could have easily killed me by now. Ultimately, I think we both dodged a bullet.

“What did you expect?” Avion asks as the car door opens and he steps out onto the graveled drive. In a black Brioni three-piece suit with a powder blue silk pocket square, Avion drips his wealth with every step he takes. Like me he opted to forgo a tie, leaving his white button-down open at the neck, his highly polished loafers gleaming in the midday sun. The driver rushes around to my side of the car but no matter how long I’ve lived this lifestyle alongside my brothers, I can’t have people waiting on me. I step out in my midnight blue Tom Ford suit before the poor man can get his hand on the door handle.

The driver opens his mouth to apologize but I beat him to it. Waving him off, I say, “No worries, not everyone you escort around is a privileged asshole. I can open my own door.” I gesture toward Avion, and the man’s lips turn up in an imperceptible smirk.

“He’s been paid to do a job, Victor. Let him,” Avion replies as I stop next to him. Avion turns and tells the driver to remain close by. “We won’t be more than a few hours, maybe less. I will text you when we are ready for you to return.”

The driver nods before getting back behind the wheel ofthe car to drive away, leaving us alone in the beautifully manicured drive. Black and gray chipped stones make up the gravel of the driveway. In the center of the drive is a circular garden of wildflowers—bright vibrant purples, oranges, pinks, and blue colors with meadow grass growing throughout.

“Victor, huh. I guess we’re all business now.” I nudge him playfully at the use of my actual name. My pack has always called me Vic; skip the formalities, I don’t need them. Victor is for no bullshit conversations and bad memories of family.

“Yes, game faces on, brother. We are about to meet the in-laws.” Avion brushes off the lapels of his suit jacket and keeps his eyes trained on the massive home before us.

“This place is almost too tranquil. I expected a bleak, cold fortress with grizzly gargoyles looming overhead and dark gothic windows.” I tsk. “Maybe a hunchbacked man, hanging from the ropes of a high belltower screamingSanctuary!” I whisper, making Avion huff out a laugh.

“You watch too much fucking television, Vic,” he muses, shaking his head.

“I own a tattoo parlor.” I shrug. “Movies are a great distraction for my clients,” I continue, unashamed of my movie-loving self. “For real, Avi, I was thinking dark and stormy,Handmaid’s Taletype shit.” I chuckle. “But this,” I spread my arms wide as we take in the sprawling groves and vineyards climbing up into the hills behind a colossal ranch style home. The home is all on one level, with a white and black stone façade spread out wide against the green landscape. It appears to go on forever. I bet the place is like a maze. I hate to admit it, but the house is beautiful, a sight to behold. The thought of my Cariña growing up here, running along the fields of green brings a smile to my face. It quicklyvanishes as the front door swings open and a short, older woman in a black dress awaits our approach.

“Medieval this place is not, but it’s not the outside of the home that tells the story. It’s the inside, and it’s what goes on within these walls I’m worried about,” Avion whispers, sucking all the comedy out of the air, before he plasters a charming smile on his face and waves to the woman at the door. “Let’s get this over with.”

I nod, suddenly wary as I follow Avion up the stone steps. He’s right, we are about to enter our Beta’s version of hell, and I, for one, want to burn this place to the ground.

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