Page 34 of Omega's Vengeance

The bike sputters, and fear slams through me. Is the engine dying on us? Has something else gone wrong? I feel Dario tense too, and his arms tighten around me almost protectively. But then the bike keeps going, and I let out a sigh of relief. I expect Dario to loosen his hold, but he doesn’t. He rests his chin on the nape of my neck, and his warm breaths puff against my skin.

It goes through my head to shake Dario off of me, or to head butt him. But I don’t give into those peevish feelings. I tell myself I don’t do those things because I might cause the bike to tip, but really I don’t think that’s why I hesitate. All I know is the idea of breaking his nose, or hurting him doesn’t appeal at the moment. I still plan on killing Valentino, which most likely means I’ll have to kill Dario too. But for now, we have our truce in place.

After another ten minutes on the dirt road, we reach where the road we’re on intersects the main highway. A few miles down is where the gas station is located. I gun the engine because it’s running really rough. I yell over my shoulder, “Should I just go for it?”

“Yeah. We need to get to that phone ASAP,” he shouts back.

Anxiety eats at me as we leave the safety of the side road and pull out onto the main road. I travel down the road until I see the gas station on the right hand side. I feel like I have a bullseye on my back as we slowly pull into the gas station.

“Pull around the side,” Dario yells.

I do as he says, noticing a skinny alpha wearing a ball cap. The guy is sitting on the curb in front of the phone booth, smoking a cigarette. The guy clocks us as we zip past him to the side of the building.

“I think that guy is with Carlo and he spotted us,” I say.

“I know.” Dario slides off the bike before I even have it stopped.

I park the bike and get off of it as quickly as possible. Dario has already slipped around the back of the building and disappeared from my sight. I’m worried the alpha smoking the cigarette will have already contacted his people to say he’s spotted us. I follow the path Dario took and when I peer around the side of the building, I see the alpha slumped against the wall beside the booth, his cap pulled down over his face.

I’m glad Dario handled the guy, but pissed when I see Dario slip into the phone booth. We never discussed who’d go first to make a call. I guess Dario made a command decision. Is that why he got off the bike so fast? So he could make his call first and bring Valentino down on me?

I scowl at Dario through the glass of the phone booth, but he turns his back on me. I try to push the door open, but he blocks it with his foot. He picks up the receiver and then promptly hangs up again.

He opens the door, looking irritable. “I need change,” he says gruffly.

“Don’t look at me.”

He scowls. “You took my wallet when you kidnapped me. Loan me some money, Alessio.”

“No.” I laugh humorlessly. “Not unless you let me make my call first.”

He narrows his eyes. “How about I just take the money from you? I’m being nice by asking.”

“Just try it,” I mutter.

He smirks. “You don’t think I could take you easily?”

“I think you could die trying.”

Through gritted teeth, he says, “You’re the most mouthy, pig headed omega I’ve ever met. I could snap you in two without breaking a sweat, kid.”

I know he’s right, but I don’t think he’ll actually attack me in public. So I shrug. “Threaten me all you want, but I’m the one with the money.”

“Alessio,” he rumbles, “Ineedthat change.”

I sigh impatiently. “What do I look like, a fucking vending machine? I don’t have any change on me. All I have are credit cards.”

He glances back at the phone. “That works. This phone takes cards.” He holds out his hand like he’s entitled to my cooperation. “Loan me your credit card.”

“Like I said, I’ll do that if you let me make my callfirst.”

He mutters under his breath, “Jesus, you’re a pain in the ass,”

“And you’re Prince Charming? Not likely.” I hold his obstinate gaze. “We don’t have all day. Will you let me go first, or not?”

He grits his teeth. “I don’t trust you.”

“Pfft. Is that supposed to be news to me? I don’t trust you either.” I tug my wallet out and wave it in front of his nose. “Make up your mind, dumbass. Time is ticking.”

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