Page 30 of Knot All is Crystal
A sinking feeling twists in my gut. “Yes?”
“If she’s who I think she is, she rejected you for your own good. The Queen, or Queenie, belongs to Kieran. She came on our radar about four years ago, with only vague mentions of her being Kieran’s Omega from our informants.” He rubs his hand down his face. “I don’t know if she’s there willingly or not-”
“Not. There’s no way she chose that life.”
“Son,” my mom says gently, “you don’t know her. She could be happy where she is.”
I shake my head emphatically. “No. Absolutely not. I don’t believe that.” I refuse to.
“Regardless,” Pops says, “no one has the access to Kieran Cobb that the Queen does. For better or worse, she’s as big a part of it as he is.”
TEN
I imagine holdingyour sibling’s kid is a lot different than having your own, but no less impactful. I don’t know if I ever want kids – honestly, I’m leaning towards no – but this little girl is my whole world.
“Crissy, are you going to be at my party?”
“Of course, peanut, I wouldn’t dream of missing it.” Hannah is about to turn four. Her birthday is always bittersweet for me. My tiny, sweet, unicorn-obsessed niece is why I am Kieran’s employee.
Something my sister still doesn’t know.
The threat of him getting to Hannah is enough to make me agree to the most terrible things.
As long as she’s safe, I’ll put up with just about anything.
“It’s going to be a princess party!” She jumps out of my lap and spins around before clumsily curtseying. “I’ve been practicing every day. Like the princesses at the Omega Academy.”
Of course, every year, the graduation from the Academy is televised, so little girls everywhere dream of being one of the pretty little Omegas strutting across the stage like livestock.
It’s an uncharitable view for me to have, but I’m still bitter about my time there.
They were furious when I walked away from the Academy without a pack to go to secondary school. I went from being the top student to being persona non grata.
Their most disappointing failure.
“I wanted to have a unicorn come,” Hannah continues, “but Mommy said we don’t have the money. Mila had one at her party!”
Immediately, I pull my phone from my pocket and log in to my banking app. “Eve!” I shout over my shoulder.
My sister comes into the living room from the kitchen, holding a stirring spoon and a dish rag. “What’s up?”
“How much is the unicorn?”
“Hannah!” she admonishes. “I told you not to ask Crissy.”
“She didn’t.” I adjust my position on the couch to look at her directly. “I want to do this. It’s my present to her. How much?”
I’m still going to get her more presents.
Eve chews on her lip. “Three hundred.”
My eyes threaten to bulge out of my head, but I quickly flatten my expression. “Done.” A few taps of my finger and I’ve transferred my cell phone and car insurance payments to her.
I’ll just have to hustle a little harder for tips at Prism.
“How can you just transfer money that easily?” She shakes her head in wonder. “I had no idea the Design Clinic paid that well.”
I suck on my teeth, unable to look her in the eye as I shove my phone back in my pocket. “Oh yeah, they’re very generous.”
