Page 44 of Omega Tricked
Dylan looked flustered. “I think you should go, Charles. You’re overreacting. You can see he just woke up.”
Clenching his jaw, Charles gave me a frustrated look. “You should watch yourself, Dylan. I know people, and this guy is no good.”
“Fuck you, Charles. I haven’t done a damn thing,” I lied. I was thanking my lucky stars it had occurred to me to rinse the bottom of my shoes. Dylan might have been swayed if they’d been covered in mud and oil.
“I still expect you to come down to the security building tomorrow,” Charles said gruffly.
“I know that. I fully intend to.”
Charles turned and walked to the door of my bedroom. “Sorry about disturbing your night.” He didn’t sound the least bit sorry.
Dylan gave me an apologetic look and followed Charles out of the room.
I collapsed on the bed, heart banging my ribs. Crap, I’d barely gotten back in time. I’d known Charles would be suspicious of me, but I’d assumed he’d be subtler about his feelings. He’d come in like a sledgehammer. Well, it was probably best that I knew exactly how he felt. There was no doubt he’d be watching every single move I made. Odds were he’d even watch the cabin now. That was going to definitely cramp my ability to continue snooping. But I guess I had the proof I needed that Dad had at least been in the compound. Now I needed to decide what to do about that. Charles ran this place, and there was no way someone had disassembled my dad’s car into parts without him knowing. He was in charge, and that meant he was to blame by default.
My guys needed a scapegoat. They needed closure. The best way to give them that was to find someone to punish. While the idea of punishing Charles was welcome, doing it myself was not. I wasn’t a hugely violent person. I could do what needed doing, but that didn’t mean I looked forward to it. Hank would be perfect for the job. Problem was, there was no way in hell I was going to be able to get him inside the compound. There was also no way I could grab Charles and get himoutof the compound. Not to mention, this all would have to happen immediately because if Charles took my prints and dug deeper, he’d know the truth about me, and he’d throw me out of the compound.
I needed time. I had to avoid going to meet with Charles tomorrow. I’d feign illness and hopefully stall the interview. I hoped Charles wasn’t such a hard-ass he’d come to me and try to force the interview. I didn’t think Dylan would be cool with that. He’d looked pretty angry tonight when Charles had barged in. I’d have to hide behind Dylan a bit longer, just until I could figure out how to get the drop on Charles.
I really hoped Dylan never discovered what a monster I could be. I liked the kid. I hadn’t wanted to like him, but his vulnerability had somehow gotten through to me. It would be a shame if he knew I’d used him. He’d been through so much already, I hated the idea of contributing to him never trusting anyone ever again. But this was survival time. I had to bring someone’s head on a stick, if only so the men could relax and choose a new leader.
I’d do this for them, and Gabriele. I’d give them all closure. But there was no fucking way I’d take over the Sabine empire. Just this short stint had reminded me how much I hated the deceit and violence of this world. I clenched my jaw, steeling myself for what was to come. I’d figure out a way to get Charles all to myself. Once I knew the truth, I’d do what had to be done.
Chapter Thirteen
Dylan
Charles really hated Lex. He couldn’t even hide it, which was surprising. I’d never seen Charles take such an instant dislike to someone. The way he’d charged into my house last night, accusing Lex of breaking into the auto body shop, had been disconcerting. I had the distinct impression that if I hadn’t been there, he’d have hauled Lex off to his security building and done God knew what to him.
I looked up as Lex entered the room. He moved slowly, and he looked tired. He sat on the couch, resting his head against the back pillows. There was the gleam of sweat on his face, and he closed his eyes and shivered.
“Are you okay?” I stood and moved to him.
He didn’t respond immediately, but then he spoke with great effort. “I think I have the flu.”
“Really?” I perched on the arm of the couch, studying his pale features. “You do look a little gray.”
He opened his eyes, and they looked bloodshot. “It must be all the stress. Now that we’re safe, I guess my body just decided to shut down.”
“You should go back to bed.”
He sighed. “I don’t want to be a baby.”
“Lex, if you’re sick, you have to rest.”
“I have to go talk to Charles.” He tried to push up off the couch but then sank back down. “Shit, I’m so dizzy.”
I frowned. “You’re not going anywhere. I’ll call Charles and tell him we have to postpone the interview.”
“He won’t like that,” he said weakly.
“Tough shit. You’re sick. What will it matter if he waits a few days to talk to you?” I touched his arm. “Come on, let’s get you back in bed.”
He hesitated, but then he let me help him off the couch and into his room. He practically fell onto the bed, moaning. I started to feel his forehead to see if he had a fever, but he pushed my hand away. “Don’t get too close or you might get sick too.”
I frowned but didn’t argue. “Undress and get under the covers. I’ll handle Charles.”
“I’m not your problem, Dylan.”
