Page 120 of Knot All is Crystal
We don’t know who the head of the trafficking division is.
We’re not set up to take it over yet because we don’t know who’s fucking running it!
We had hoped to figure it out before Atlas got entangled in this.
Bile rises in my throat.
I don’t have a choice.
This is it. I won’t get a chance to save her if I don’t do this now.
“Boss, we don’t need her anymore,” I say in measured tones. “I got us a male Omega. He’s getting delivered in a few hours.”
Kieran drops her foot and spins on me, eyes narrowed in doubt. “And you’re just now telling me?”
“I wasn’t going to say anything until it worked out, but I figured you wouldn’t want to break your toy if you don’t have to.”
“Call your contact. Now.” Kieran looks down at a panting, sobbing Crystal as he tries to crawl away from him and lands a kick on her stomach. My teeth ache as I clench them together.
I have to remind myself that intervening right now does me no good when we have a plan. If I cut off the head of the snake right now, without everything in place so we can dismantle the empire, Ricky could take off with the drug business, and whoever is handling the trafficking could disappear with all the Omegas.
Crystal agreed that we wouldn’t kill Kieran without having everything set up to ensure no one but the Hawks could seize control of the Conglomerate. When I catch her eyes, I can see the resolve in them.
She knows what has to happen next.
I pull out my phone, dial Wyatt’s burner number, and then hit the speakerphone button.
He’ll know what this call means.
“What?”The Alph’s southern accent is exaggerated like something out of a parody show.“This better be good.”
I clear my throat and look at Kieran as I speak. “Just confirming the drop-off location tonight for the goods.”
“What if my price has gone up?”Code for ‘Can I speak freely?’
Kieran snarls and lunges for my phone. “Then you’ll have to come get it from my flesh.”
I can practically hear Wyatt roll his eyes over the phone line.“Fine. Meet me at the old suppressant factory.”
“Got it. Can you do this now?”
“If I fucking gotta,”he says with a snarl.“I’ll see you soon.”
I shove my phone in my pocket, eyes locked on Kieran’s. “I’ll go collect, then.”
“No, I’m coming with.” He taps Crystal with his foot more gently than he’s touched her all night. “Go get cleaned up, Queenie. You’re coming too. Wear something nice.”
* * *
Crystal shakesin her red leather jacket as she stares unblinkingly at the old factory door.
Soon, Wyatt Lupine should enter with Atlas in tow for a handoff. Hopefully, with Atlas on the inside, we can find out where the trafficked Omegas are being stored. I don’t even know that. Let’s hope we can get them out.
All these years, I’ve been attending drops like this, killing the handlers, and letting the Lupine Alphas pick up the Omegas and relocate them. I’ve even managed to sneak a few out of Prism from under Kieran’s nose.
But I’ve never been involved in their storage or training.
I may be his right-hand man, but Kieran is smart. No one person knows all of his business dealings, and I don’t know who handles that part.
