Page 69 of Cost of Courting

I wait, the keys curled tightly in my hand.

“He lend it to you?”

I bare my teeth but don’t answer him.

“Let her go.”

The bikies reluctantly back off, muttering as I climb into the car and drive home.

Everything in me screams not to go. I watch the building in my rear-view mirror, but I drive away because there are people waiting who need me.

Everyone needs me.

I get home to the empty house. There’s a terse note from Luna saying she’s staying with a friend. I sit down at the kitchen table and put my head in my hands. I’m so tired, my body is trembling, and I’m still covered in blood.

That was close. Far too close.

I push to my feet and go get in the shower. When I come out, I pull on a pair of loose shorts and an oversized t-shirt.

I miss the signs because I’m too tired. Or because I’m home. But the body slams into mine, sending me into the kitchen table. I fight, I fight hard, but I’m overpowered and brought to my knees. In the dark gloom of my kitchen, Benson walks in, his smirk already in place.

I struggle harder, but Hammer just holds me down with one fist in my hair, drawing tears from my eyes.

“Selene, you look different like this. Almost fuckable.”

I snarl, but he ignores me, instead pulling out a chair and sitting down in front of me.

“It’s a good look on you.” He laughs at himself and scratches his chin with a bejeweled middle finger. “Now, we need to have a little talk because your sister was telling me some things, and she-”

“She doesn’t know shit.”

“Was telling me about a male omega.”

I don’t let anything show on my face. “A male omega? Never seen one.”

It’s not a lie.

He hits me hard. “What have I told you about interrupting me?”

I snarl, but he just sits back, smiling.

“I’ve got a job for you, Selene. If you want to save your whole neighbourhood and all the people in it, then I want you to bring me that male omega. Bonus points if you give me the names of the people who made Anchor and my team disappear.”

“What?” I’m stunned.

“I’m saying, you dumb bitch, that if you bring me the omega that your sister was telling me about, I will stop reparation, I will stop the fights, the punishment beatings, I will leave you all alone. You can live here for free.”

I stare at him, my head whirling. It’s an incredible offer but one I cannot take.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

He stands up, his smile still wide. “Oh, if you fail to bring him to me, then things will only get worse from here on out.”

Hammer throws me to the floor, and the two of them walk out of my house. I lay there, shaking, breathing hard. Scared for the first time in forever.

I roll onto my back as the back door opens. I listen for the footsteps as she creeps in and finds me lying on the floor. It’s the closest I’ve been to tears since they left. I don’t even have the energy to stand up.

Dot crouches beside me and looks me over.

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