Page 98 of Forget-Me-Nots and Apricots

I nodded, trying to process everything they were telling me. "But you still don't know who's behind all this? Who hired him?"

"Not yet," Theo replied, setting down his fork. "But Warren provided us with information about the communication platform used to contact him. I'm analyzing the metadata now, looking for patterns or identifying markers."

"The good news," Lucas interjected, his tone lightening slightly, "is that with Warren in custody, there's one less pair of eyes watching you."

"But not the only pair," I said quietly, the reality of my situation settling heavy in my chest. "

"The person who hired Warren is still out there," Gabriel confirmed, his voice gentle but honest. "Which is why you need to remain here where we can protect you."

I nodded, a lump forming in my throat. The thought of going back to my apartment, of being alone there knowing someone had been watching me, made my skin crawl. But the alternative—staying here indefinitely with four Alphas I was developing increasingly complicated feelings for—came with its own set of challenges.

"We believe Warren's arrest may force the actual perpetrator to change tactics," Theo explained, his analytical mind clearly working through scenarios. "Which could make them more dangerous, but also more likely to make mistakes."

"Like a cornered animal," Dakota added, his dark eyes intense. "More desperate, more volatile."

I pushed my plate away, appetite completely gone. "So what do I do? Just... wait here while you hunt them down ?" The question came out more bitter than I intended, frustration and fear tangling in my chest.

Gabriel's expression softened, understanding in his blue eyes. "You continue living your life as normally as possible within the safety parameters we've established. You finish your backlog of orders. You stay in contact with your friend. You take care of yourself." His voice gentled further. "And you let us do our jobs."

"I feel so useless," I admitted, my hands clenching in my lap. "Like I'm just waiting for something to happen—either for you to catch whoever's doing this, or for them to get to me despite everything."

"You're not useless," Dakota said, his deep voice drawing my attention. His dark eyes held mine with surprising gentleness despite his usual intensity. "You're surviving. That takes strength."

"And you're providing valuable information just by being you," Theo added, "adjusting his glasses. "Your professional accomplishments, your independence as an Omega—these are precisely what drew the perpetrator's attention. Understanding you helps us understand their motives."

"You're also doing exactly what they don't want," Lucas added, his hand finding mine under the table again. "You're refusing to be intimidated. Continuing your work despite everything."

I hadn't thought of it that way—that simply continuing to live my life, to create my flower arrangements, could be its own form of resistance. The realization didn't entirely ease my frustration, but it helped.

"I just want this to be over," I said quietly, looking around at the four Alphas who had somehow become so important to me in such a short time. "I want to feel safe again."

"You will," Gabriel promised, his voice carrying absolute conviction. "We will find whoever's behind this."

"Thank you," I said quietly, looking around at each of them in turn. "I know this isn't what any of you signed up for either."

"We signed up to protect," Gabriel replied, his blue eyes steady on mine. "That hasn't changed."

"What's changed," Dakota added, his voice lower, "is how much we care about you specifically. Not just as someone to protect."

The admission hung in the air between us, heavy with meaning. I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of all four gazes on me.

"I care about all of you too," I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. "More than I expected to. More than I thought I could."

The tension in the room shifted, warming to something different—something charged with possibility rather than danger. Gabriel's eyes darkened slightly, while Theo's analytical gaze softened with something almost vulnerable. Dakota's expression remained intense but with an undercurrent of tenderness I was beginning to recognize. Lucas's hand tightened around mine, his thumb tracing gentle circles against my skin.

"We should finish dinner," Gabriel said finally, though his voice had roughened slightly. "There's still the case to focus on, and you need to eat." His tone carried a note of finality that somehow managed to be gentle at the same time.

I nodded, picking up my fork again though food was the last thing on my mind, but knew they wouldn’t let me not eat. The conversation shifted to more practical matters—security protocols, upcoming leads they planned to follow, and arrangements for the Sullivan wedding flowers. I contributed where I could, but found myself distracted by the weight of everything that had been discussed, both about the case and about our evolving relationship.

Chapter Forty-Two

Dinnerwasdoneandas I was about to help clean up, Gabriel motioned for me to follow him.

"I'd like to speak with you privately, if that's alright," he said, his voice low enough that only I could hear. I nodded, curiosity and a flutter of nerves mingling in my stomach as I followed him from the dining room.

He led me to his study—a warmly lit room with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a large mahogany desk. The space smelled of leather, old books, and Gabriel's distinctive scent. He closed the door behind us, and the next thing I knew I was pinned to the door.

Gabriel's body pressed against mine, his blue eyes dark with an intensity that made my breath catch. His hands braced on either side of my head, not touching me but effectively caging me between his arms.

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