Page 30 of Omega Tricked
Lex
The fear in Dylan’s eyes when I’d gone to open the door had been so palpable, I’d thought he might pass out. For one annoying second, I’d assumed I was going to have to abort the escape. But by some miracle, he’d trusted me. Shaking with trepidation, he’d followed me. I felt a bit guilty about fooling him, a tad flattered he’d actually listened to me, andmostly, relieved we were finally out of that cramped, vile bathroom.
Once we were out of the hotel room, I led Dylan down toward the bottom floor. We passed no one in the hallways or stairwell. From the hotel lobby, I rushed Dylan past the front desk, making sure not to make eye contact with the hotel clerks. The last thing I needed was them asking us questions that might derail my entire plan. Once outside on the sidewalk, we made our way out to the busy street. It was early morning, so there was lots of traffic as people rushed to work. I tried to think like someone running for their life. If I simply strolled along unconcerned, Dylan might begin to suspect why I was so nonchalant about escaping.
“Where should we go?” Dylan asked, glancing around uneasily.
“Should we try to get back to our cars at the Purple Pooch?”
What little color he had in his face drained away. “God, I don’t want to go anywhere near that place. Don’t you think that would be a bad idea? For all we know the kidnappers are there right now.”
He trulywasthinking like someone fleeing for their life. “So, how do we get to the compound?”
Chewing his bottom lip, he said, “I’ll call Dr. Peters. He’ll send someone.” He tucked into the doorway of the Waterford Realty office. “Mrs. Waterford knows me. She’ll let me use the phone. I’ll tell her my van broke down or something.”
“Okay.” I glanced around, as if nervous we were being followed. Truth was, Gabriele and Hank were in the hotel bar. They had strict orders not to leave the hotel until I was able to contact them and give them the all clear. So far, everything had gone like clockwork. Now I just needed to see if Dylan could get me into the compound.
I stayed outside while Dylan slipped into the Realtor’s office. I watched through the glass window on the door as he spoke to her. If she wondered why he looked so exhausted and scruffy, it wasn’t apparent on her face. Once Dylan made his call, he returned to me.
“They’ll pick us up in half an hour.” His voice wobbled, and his eyes slid nervously around the area. “Do you think it’s safe to wait here?”
“Yes. We’re quite a ways from the hotel, and there are a lot of people around.”
“I’d feel so much better if we could go to the police.”
Without thinking, I put my arm around his shoulders. “It’s okay, Dylan. I think we’ll be safe now.”
He leaned into me, and that odd protectiveness came over me again. What was it about the kid that tapped into my alpha instincts so much? He wasn’t the first person I’d ever conned, and he wouldn’t be the last. But he had a fragile vulnerability that made me yearn to comfort him. That seemed pretty twisted, considering I was the one orchestrating this whole thing.
He sank down to sit on the redbrick steps, and I joined him. His shoulder pushed into mine, and I didn’t really mind. I liked that I could comfort him. I’d never had an omega respond to me so intensely before. Male or female. It was kind of nice to tap into my alpha side and give him the reassurance he obviously needed. It was easy enough to do too. Just a pat on the back here and a kind word there, and he beamed. I’d pull back once we were inside the compound. I wouldn’t need to keep him so close to me then, not once I had my objective accomplished.
“If you hadn’t been kidnapped too, I’d still be up there in that room.” He glanced up at me, his eyes haunted.
“No. You’d have gotten out.”
He shook his head. “I was too scared. I told myself I’d wait for the right moment to escape, but the truth is, I was way too petrified to try anything.”
I patted his hand. “Well, we’re out now. No need to beat yourself up about it.”
He stared at my hand resting on his. “True.”
I half expected him to pull his hand away from mine. But he didn’t. Instead he sighed and rested his head against my shoulder. I glanced around uneasily. I hoped he wasn’t mistaking my kindness for anything else. While I enjoyed soothing him, I wasn’t interested in anything more intimate with him. But he had to know that since I’d been clear about my sexuality. He was probably just doing what anyone would do under duress: cling to the one other person who understood what you were going through.
“Did you tell Dr. Peters you had someone with you?” I asked.
“Yes.” He lifted his head. “He said he’d talk to Charles Pederson, the head of security, to get you an emergency clearance.”
“Okay.”Hot damn. That had been pretty fucking easy.
“You’ll probably be restricted to certain areas.” He grimaced.
“Really?” I frowned. “Why?”
He shrugged. “Just because.”
There it was again, that secretive vibe about the compound. What the hell did they do in there? Was it actually some sort of military base? I decided not to push for details. Once I was inside, I’d find a way to go where I needed to go. If they thought I was Dylan’s friend, odds were they wouldn’t watch me twenty-four seven. I wondered if Dylan knew anything about Dad’s disappearance. I still wasn’t sure Dad had actually made it inside the fortress.
“Do you have crime inside the compound?” I asked casually.
