Page 47 of Vallaverse: Noir
I watch him knock on the door and check his phone while he waits for someone to answer. The door opens and a man steps outside, pulling the door closed behind him.
“That counts,” Pierce says lowly. He's every single bit as protective over Beckett as I am. That's one of the things I love most about the bond I have with him. Beckett is his because Beckett is mine. “He has thirty seconds to send a text or wave.”
“We said ninety seconds,” I say without looking at him.
“We lied,” he says, shifting in the seat.
I'd laugh if I wasn't so happy to be on the same page.
Beckett continues speaking with the man at the door. The man cautiously nods while constantly scanning the street.
“Fifteen seconds,” Pierce says.
Ten long seconds later my phone chimes with a text asking me to send a picture of Celia. I send it while Pierce restarts his thirty-second timer.
I watch the facial expressions of the door man change from cautious to confused to anger and the right back to cautious. He turns to open the door for Beckett to follow him inside.
I thought I was going to be fine with it.
I thought it would be okay.
I was wrong. The second the door shuts Beckett inside the house my hand is on the door handle.
Pierce is no better. We're both out of the car and rushing across the front lawn, gun in hand, before we're anywhere close to the thirty-second mark. To my credit, I pound on the door politely.
The same man opens the door, glaring holes through Pierce and me. “Who the fuck are you?” he growls.
“You have my Omega,” Pierce snarls.
Another man comes up behind him. “Celia isn't your Omega. Get the fuck off our porch.”
“Not her.” Pierce's snarl is a full and terrifying growl now. The Betas barring the door both look down in submission. “The male.”
“I'm here!” Beckett calls from inside. “I'm okay. No incidents!”
Pierce closes his eyes and I watch him regain his composure, piece by piece until the brutality written on his face smooths into something less threatening. I take a breath to calm my nerves. I'll never need to act on my anger if Pierce is around. He'll have the world burned down before I ever light a match.
“She's here,” Beckett calls again. “She's okay.”
“Bring her out,” I call back. “I just need to confirm her safety.”
“No offense, Alpha,” one of the Betas says without meeting my eyes, “but she can't come outside. We're under strict orders to keep her out of sight for the foreseeable future. You're welcome to come in, though, since your Omega is inside.”
“Fine.” I move to step around him, but he stops me.
“Not the Valla.”
“Are you going to stop him?” I ask, smirking. “Move aside.” He turns to allow me entrance, but I pause again. “Where is your Alpha?”
“The mayor is at his office in the city until this afternoon.”
“Get him on the phone. Video if possible. He needs to be aware of what's happening.”
“I'm already here,” the mayor's voice sounds from the phone the other Beta is holding up. “Dana? What happened to you?”
“Hello, Frankie.”
“Oh god. Frank, please. Celia isn't a fan of other women calling me Frankie.”
