Page 23 of Omega's Refuge

“You did?” Rex’s tone made me uneasy.

His expression was apologetic. “I didn’t think much of it, to be honest. I thought they were both just letting off steam.”

“What did they say?”

“Well, from what I could gather, they were both unhappy with ranch life.”

My gut churned. “You think they were making a plan to leave together?”

“I didn’t hear anything like that.” His cheek twitched. “It’s still possible Steve just gave Tony a ride into town. He might come back even if Tony doesn’t.”

I appreciated he was trying to comfort me, but his body language was stiff, and I knew instinctively he didn’t think Steve would returnany more than Tony would. “You don’t really believe that,” I said flatly.

He shrugged. “It’spossible.”

“Jesus, this is humiliating,” I mumbled, giving a wary glance toward the main house. Any minute now, everyone would come out and start asking questions. I couldn’t face the idea of all the pitying glances that would come my way when they discovered what Steve had done. “I… I need to get out of here. Can you call me a cab or something?”

Rex grimaced. “We’re too far from the city of Livingston, no taxis come out this far. The closest town to us is Red Mine, but it’s so small, I’m afraid there’s no real need for taxis.”

“Can you drive me into Red Mine? Or maybe one of your guys could?” I shot another uneasy look toward the main house. “I really don’t want to talk to anyone right now.”

He hesitated, but then nodded. “Sure. Let’s do that. We can see if Steve and Tony are there.”

“Thank you, Rex,” I mumbled. “I hate to put you out, but I can’t stay here right now.”

“It’s okay.” His voice was gentle. “I get it. Follow me.” He turned and headed toward an old red Ford pickup parked a few feet away.

I followed, feeling like a zombie. I was in shock and trying to think of any good reason why Steve might have taken my car. But I came up short every time. The way he’d snuck off was verytelling. If his trip into town had been innocent, he’d have talked to me before leaving. At the very least he’d have left me a note.

I climbed into the truck, and Rex started the engine. He made a U-turn, and we were momentarily engulfed in a cloud of dust. He gunned the motor and we took off down the road, just as Joe and Martha came out of the main house. I watched them shrink in the side mirror until the ranch was out of sight.

Red Mine was definitely a small town, just as Rex had said, but it had more shops and restaurants than I’d expected. Some of the storefronts had weathered facades, including a general store and an old-fashioned diner named Momma’s Home Cooking. But mingled in among the older buildings were more modern eating establishments and clothing stores. The sidewalks were wide and pristine, with quaint hanging flower baskets adding splashes of color.

Rex texted Mrs. Rodwell so she’d know where he was, and then we slowly drove through the streets, searching for any sign of my car. We spent about forty minutes checking alleys and parking lots of various businesses. Red Mine had a small bus station, but there was no sign of my car in the lot out back.

I felt sick as I forced myself to say, “We should check the motel parking lots too.”

Rex winced. “You sure?”

“I’m sure,” I rasped. “Steve hasn’t always been… faithful. If him and Tony are at a motel together, I’d rather know that now.”

He grunted, his face painted with disgust. Without a word Rex proceeded to drive to the two motels in town. My heart raced as we visited each one, and when we didn’t find my car parked at either of them, I wasn’t sure if I should be glad he wasn’t holed up in a local motel room with Tony, or pissed off that he’d truly ditched me.

“He really just left me here, didn’t he?” I said hoarsely.

“It’s starting to look that way,” Rex grated as he parked in front of a rustic-looking building that housed The Whistling Pine Bar and Grill. A neon sign boasted of Ice-cold beer and hot chicken wings. Rex shut off the truck, and glanced over. “I could use a drink. How about you?”

I took a quick peek at my watch. “But, it’s not even noon yet.”

“And your point is?”

I met his gaze, face hot and feeling foolish. “I can’t believe he’d just abandon me like this. What kind of alpha does that to their omega?”

Rex reached over and squeezed my shoulder. “I’m really sorry, Tanner.”

He was being so nice, it almost made it worse. “What do I do now? Do I take a bus back to Billings? Do I hire a fucking car? Do I hitch a ride with someone? I can’t believe I’m in this position.I can’t believe Steve wouldputme in this position.”

He shifted toward me. “You know, you don’t have to leave. You could stay the week and think over your options. The trip is already paid for.”

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