Page 101 of Knot The Only Onee
Lucas stayed in bed with Bridget after she finally drifted off to sleep. I sank into one of the chairs at the dining room table and scrubbed a hand over my face. Simon and Elias sat at the table across from me, their faces grim.
This was a delicate situation for many reasons.
The risk was high, but I knew we'd come out on top.
I wasn't going to let the worst happen, not while there was still breath left in my body.
"What are we going to do?" James asked as he leaned against the wall by the door.
Simon peered down at his phone, eyes scanning over the screen as he read something over. "Jonathan had made contact with his friends in Chicago. They have eyes on the Rossi house, but there aren't any signs of life. They're working on getting phone records and doing a trace."
A growl rumbled to life in my chest. "We need to find them and take Mike out. Now."
Elias exchanged a glance with Simon, but nodded. "I agree, but we have to be cautious."
"What about what Bridget said?" James was intense as he stared down the two alphas opposite us. "About Mike being responsible for an omega trafficking ring?"
"We've had our suspicions about that, but nothing confirming it until now." Simon tapped his fingers on the table, the only outward sign of his agitation. "Jonathan is the detective involved in an operation that identifies and brings in suspected omega traffickers. He's been tracking Mike and his father before him for years, but hasn't been able to gather any proof."
"Fuck." I sucked in a harsh breath. The thought of any omega being captured by traffickers made me sick, and my blood boil in my veins. "I want to catch this son of a bitch and put him down. He doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as Bridget after all he's done."
"Agreed." Elias nodded. "We just need to put together a plan that involves us taking him down."
"While we're waiting to hear back from Jonathan, why don't you two go be with your mate." Simon gave James and me a knowing look. "She needs you all right now.”
I felt so utterly helpless as my hands clenched into fists at my sides. How could I go back upstairs and tell Bridget we just had to wait and see?
“Noah, Bridget just wants you right now,” Simon began. “Trust me. Yes, she wants the situation resolved, but more importantly, she needs your love and support.”
James strode across the kitchen and laid a hand on my shoulder. “He’s right, Noah. I feel helpless right now, too, but we need to get the whole situation before we go in, their guns blazing.”
Fuck. I knew he was right, but seeing the fear in Bridget’s eyes was slowly killing me. If it remained, I would wilt away.
“The second Jonathan calls, we'll come over.” Elias rose to his feet, with Simon following his lead. "We need to give him time to do what he does best. He's even more invested in this than Bridget, so he'll get to the bottom of it quickly."
I was too focused on my worries to have him expand on what he meant.
They disappeared, and James and I trudged up the stairs to our room.
Just before I entered, I stopped and took a deep breath to compose myself. Despite what Elias and Simon said, I still dreaded walking back into that room without any news.
"Bridget's going to be happy just to have us holding her," James whispered and wrapped his arms around me from behind. I clutched one of his forearms and leaned back into him. "Simon and Elias have faith in this Jonathan, so we will too."
I nodded and reached for the doorknob. James released me as I stepped forward into the room, tiptoeing to not disturb Bridget if she were still sleeping.
"Hey," Lucas spoke softly as his head popped up.
Bridget was buried beneath the mountain of blankets, only her brown curls on the top of her head visible. She was snuggled up against Lucas, or I guessed she was. It was difficult to tell where she began, and the blankets ended.
"How's she doing?" I asked as I sank onto the edge of the bed and pulled my shoes off. James followed my lead on the bottom foot of the bed.
“Sleeping deeply now.” Lucas looked down at her blanket-covered form. “I wrapped her up really good, and that helped, kinda like a weighted blanket.”
“Good.” I nodded and let out a heavy sigh. “Before you ask, we don’t have anything yet. Elias and the guys have their resources on it. The detective they know is personally working on it with Chicago PD."
"I wasn't going to ask." Lucas' lips twisted into a wry smile. "But thanks for the info. I trusted that Simon would pretty much burn the Earth for Bridget, just like we would. They're family. Family means you protect each other, and, if needed, destroy the bad guys who've hurt your family members."
Sometimes, Lucas had a very black-and-white view of things, and this was no different.
