Page 22 of Unhinged
Our mom, Bettie, is leaning against the kitchen door frame, her arms crossed, a storm brewing in her blue eyes. She’s mad, and when Mom’s mad, everyone feels it.
“Where is she?” I ask, desperately.
Mom shrugs. “Couldn’t tell ya. All your sister and I had planned was to get her out of here. Where she has your sister take them is on her.”
Gears charges toward our mom, stopping just inches from her, his temper flaring. “You betrayed the club. Helped a prisoner escape—that’s treason.”
Like a flash of lightning, Mom whips a wooden spoon from behind her back and smacks Gears upside the head with it. The crack echoes through the room, sharp and unforgiving.
“You betrayed this club,” she snaps. “Everything your father wanted it to stand for.”
“Mom—”
Whap!
“We don’t touch women and children. Ever. I know there are exceptions for bad women, but this girl? You brought her in here, separated her from her child, and then treated her like she was less than human.”
Whap!
Gears tries to dodge this one, but the spoon catches him on the nose. Blood drips down his face—again. At this rate, his nose might never recover.
“I saw her when she came up here, Raiden Briggs.” She trembles with anger.
“You—” she points the spoon at him and he winces. “Actually, it was probably you, Titus Beck.” She turns to Acid, who’s staring at the floor, shame written all over his face. “You put your hands on her. And don’t you dare think I didn’t smell that she was an omega.”
She smacks Acid hard on the forehead with the spoon. “You three should be absolutely ashamed.”
“Sorry, Bettie,” Acid murmurs.
Then it’s my turn. Mom steps over to me, her glare cutting deep. I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing for the hit. I deserve it. But it never comes.
“What did you mean? She’s your omega?” she asks, her words soft but commanding.
I blink, caught off guard. “What?”
“As you came in, you said she’s your omega.”
I glance at Gears and Acid before meeting Mom’s eyes. “She’s our Kismet,” I mumble.
Her face pales, her blue eyes widening with shock. “You kidnapped, tied up, and tortured your Kismet omega? Fuckinghell. You three really stepped in it this time.” She shakes her head, disbelief etched in every line of her face. “You better find her and get on your hands and knees, begging her to hear you out.”
The spoon collides with the top of my head. “I expected better from you, Orion. Him?” She jabs a finger at Gears. “He’s always trying to be the baddest alpha in the room. But you? You’re supposed to have more sense.”
I swallow hard. “We fucked up, Mom. We need to make it right.”
“I agree, Bettie,” Acid says, his voice small. “We need to find her and fix this. Especially me.”
“No,” Gears growls, his hands trembling, his green eyes conflicted. He’s trying to fight it, but he knows, deep down, how badly we’ve messed this up.
This was our chance at happiness, at true love, at a family. And we hurt her.
We might’ve just lost everything.
ACID
The scent of jasmine and orange fills the air, but it’s the sharp, metallic tang of blood that grips me the hardest. It’s all I can focus on. My omega.
I have an omega.
