Page 10 of Ruin Me Knot
Ronan eyes her in the rearview. "We have to get her somewhere safe. The senator wanted Leah dead, and we can’t let her think otherwise. That means no hospitals. No public places. Harrow Street is our best option."
The streetlights flick over her shiny face as Ronan peels onto a wider street.
I agree with him. Our safe house apartment is untraceable, hidden among business travelers and shift workers who never talk to neighbors. We've run extractions from there before.
"Pinnacle’s the safest clinic in the city unless someone leaks that she’s there and Hardwick gets wind of it. No, we keep her off the radar. No ambulance, no check-in, no trail to follow. Harrow Street keeps our girl hidden and gives us time to stabilize her. If she crashes, we’ll risk Pinnacle. Until then, she’s safest in our hands. No one else’s," I say.
"It’s clear Hardwick forced her into a heat and who knows what the fuck else,” Ronan continues. “Leah needs fluids, monitoring, a quiet place and us. She needs her mates more than she needs doctors."
"Agreed," Gabriel adds. "She needs to heal without strangers breathing down her neck."
Harrow Street is the only place in the city where we can give her proper care and still disappear into the crowd. We can keep her close, eyes on every entrance and exit. If it goes sideways, we’ve got two exit points and we’re just two blocks from every major artery in the city. Harrow is security and invisibility in one. The only fortress I trust now, with the senator willing to kill our Omega to keep her quiet.
When we designed the safe house, we included a dedicated nesting room, tucked away from the main living space. The walls are soundproof, the lighting adjustable, and every surface is soft or easy to clean. We stocked the place with blankets, pillows, and everything for a rescued Omega to feel safe.
I never thought we’d need it for our own.
Gabriel shifts, glancing at Ronan. "We should probably let Mira and Emma know we’ve got Leah. Adrian, too. We were hired to get her out and bring her home."
Ronan’s jaw grinds. "We owe them a call. But if anyone’s monitoring comms or messages, we’ll lead Hardwick right to us. The senator already pulled off one ambush. She’s not above trying again. We need to be damned sure it’s safe before we tip our hand. Our Omega is too precious to risk."
I rub Leah’s wrist with his thumb. "Mira and Emma deserve to know Leah is safe, but you’re right. This is about Leah. I’m sure Emma and Mira want her back safely enough to forgive a few days out of contact.”
It didn’t matter if they didn’t like it. We’d weather any storm to protect our Omega.
I brush hair from her cheek, fingers lingering just to prove she’s real. Her essence saturates the car, sweet and sharp, threaded through with the raw musk of heat.
"She wasn’t in heat at the gala," I mutter.
"No. She wasn’t. Why force it on her? Hardwick had to know she was running out of time," Gabe says.
My cock aches, hard and insistent, every instinct sharpened to ease our Omega through her heat. Her need seeps into my chest and claws under my skin, drawing my balls tight. The pull to her is brutal. Magnetic. A frantic longing anchors behind my sternum and yanks.
Leah is nothing but skin and bone wrapped in rags that barely cover the bruises painting her body. They’ve battered her so badly, I doubt a single inch of her escaped. I’ve seen traumatized Omegas before. Too many, but this is so much worse. This is systematic, unending, and designed to break her completely. I shove down the anger, holding it tight behind my teeth. There’ll be time for fury. Right now, she deserves strength, calm, and a place to heal.
She needs her scent-matched Alphas.
"The senator will pay for this. I swear it. She’ll bleed for every bruise, every cut, every drop of blood she’s ever stolen from an Omega. Especially ours." I make my promise to the universe.
Gabriel’s jaw ticks. "She took bags of her blood when she ran. Why the hell was the senator bleeding our Omega dry?"
"Whatever the reason, it wasn’t to help anyone but herself." Ronan glances at Leah in the mirror, his gaze softening just a fraction. "First, we give our girl a fighting chance. She’s our priority. Then we’ll find Hardwick and pay her a little visit. This doesn’t end here."
The promise hangs heavy between us, thrumming like iron under our skin. It’s good to know we’re on the same page with our priorities.
Leah first.
Revenge later.
Both are vows etched into my marrow.
Leah stirs and her eyes blink open. For a second, she just stares, glassy and stunned before her gaze darts frantically around the car at Gabriel holding her, Ronan’s broad shoulders at the wheel and then to me as city lights streak past in the dark. Confusion clouds her face as it morphs. Her pupils blow wide, swallowing the last traces of her irises as her body goes rigid, breath see-sawing from her lungs. Her sweet rose turns bitter with the edge of sharp dread.
"Leah. Hey. It’s all right. You’re safe. We will not hurt you. Just slow down, okay?" My heart pounds with the urge to hold her tight, to soothe, but I can only continue talking and keep my voice calm.
Gabriel bands his arms around her, gentle but firm. "Leah. Please. We rescued you. You’re not at the facility anymore. The senator can’t touch you. We’re here to help."
"She forced you into heat, Sweetheart. We’re going to help you through it. We’ll take away your pain," I say.
