Page 89 of Omega Tricked
“Then why wouldhepay?” I gave him an impatient glance.
“Because he’s protecting the real murderer.”
I shook my head. “This is all very clear-cut for you, isn’t it?”
He didn’t respond immediately, but when he did, he seemed to pick his words with care. “Parts of it are; the parts with you are not.”
“Why are the parts with me not clear?” I turned to study him.
He didn’t look at me. “Because what I felt… feel… for you, Dylan, was never an act.”
Against my will, my pulse sped up with excitement, but I squashed it. “What you feel is lust.”
He grimaced. “Oh, yes. That is most definitely true.” He met my gaze finally. “But that’s not all I feel. You think because I had to still follow through with my plan that my feelings for you weren’t legitimate. But they were. To be honest, I’ve never experienced what I did with you. I don’t even know what to call it. But it wasn’t just lust.”
My heart wanted to respond to his heartfelt words, but my pride refused. “You used me to get into the compound. You never really cared about me. It was an act.”
“No.” His voice was firm. “The first time I met you, I felt something. Mostly I thought you were an unfriendly punk, but there was something about you that drew me in. The more I was around you, the more I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say to that.”
“Nothing. I don’t expect you to say anything. I know that you hate me. I can see it on your face every time you look at me. I’m just trying to tell you that the reason you didn’t figure out I was fake was because my feelingsweren’tfake.”
“Lies. It’s all fucking lies.”
He grunted. “Maybe it’s best you feel that way. Because the hard stuff is still to come. It’s best if you hate me.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “What if I can convince Charles to tell you who murdered your dad? Will you let us live?”
“I’d like to. My fear is Charles wouldn’t let it lie. He’d want to come after me, and that doesn’t work for me.”
“So, whether he talks or not, we die?”
He wrinkled his brow. “Tell me how I can release you and not become hunted myself?”
“Charles is a fair alpha.”
“He might not feel so magnanimous after his balls have been zapped with a cattle prod.” He studied me. “Besides, I don’t think he’ll talk.”
“Then why aren’t we dead already?”
He chewed his bottom lip, his eyes impossible to read. “You must know the answer to that.”
“No, I don’t.”
He looked disbelieving. “Dylan, you’re the reason.”
“Me?” I frowned.
He reached out and brushed my cheek with his fingers. I flinched but didn’t pull away. His mouth turned down slightly. “I would do anything to have you look at me the way you did before.” His voice was husky.
“Anything?” I gave a harsh laugh. “Then let us go, unharmed.”
His expression was melancholy. “Then you’d like me again? No. I don’t think so. It’s too late.”
“Then just get it over with,” I snapped. “You’re talking in circles. You know Charles won’t talk, and yet you plan on torturing him. Why, if you know he won’t talk? You don’t want to kill me, and yet you think you might have to. Jesus, Lex, make up your fucking mind.” I stood and moved to go back in the house, but he grabbed my wrist and tugged me back down.
His fingers were hard and his eyes bright. He leaned in to me, eyes pinned on my mouth. “I didn’t plan on falling for you. Don’t you get it?” he whispered. “You’ve got me all muddled.”
