Page 3 of Omega Untamed
“We’re not supposed to talk about that,” said Marc.
“I know a few cops. Had ‘em in my bed. Maybe I can put in a good word.”
“Shut the fuck up,” said Stiv. “You have a big mouth, you know that?” He never talked to me like that. I’d never seen him so furious.
“Hey, no harm, no foul.” I put my hands up.
I took the steam and handed out a few small packs to my friends before pocketing the rest.
I turned to leave and felt a hand on my shoulder. Stiv was staring at me. In a low voice, he said, “You get around a lot and you talk a lot. Maybe you’re the reason Cho and Rebel got snagged.”
I frowned. “I don’t talk about you guys. Not ever. Not to anyone.”
“Keep it that way.” Stiv squeezed my shoulder a little too hard, then let go.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
In the hall, I said aloud, “Creep!”
Maybe he heard me. Maybe not. The music blared. Everyone had their own agendas.
When I got back to the main area, past the stripper stage and the bar, I glanced around for old wrinkly-face. Myre. But he wasn’t to be seen anywhere.
Before my eyes, I saw my dream of thousand dollar bills falling away to ash.
“Damn!”
I scanned the room for the Alpha in the long coat—my second choice—and he was gone as well.
My phone buzzed. It was a text from Tarin, one of at least a dozen from him in the past two weeks. He was one of the few Alphas I’d spent more than one Burn with. I hadn’t seen him in many weeks, and had no plans to, but I wasn’t sure how to tell him that.
Of all my partners, I truly believed Tarin when he told me he loved me. He’d offered me everything, yet never tried to change who I was. Never tried to make me stay against my will. He always let me go, his face drawn and needy, but not quite as greedy as all the others.
Tarin was a good guy and deserved better. Better than me. I ignored the text.
Tobi touched me on my back. “Thanks for the steam.”
“Everything’s so boring tonight,” I said, raising my voice and leaning into him. I grabbed his gold vest. “Let’s go somewhere else.”
He nodded and turned toward the exit. I knew Tobi had a car. I could never keep one myself. It wasn’t for lack of money. I could never remember to pay my bills. Ever.
In Tobi’s car we could do my steam in privacy and prepare for the next club.
We came out of the bar and into cool air and the gaudy, neon lights of the Trenches. The smell of gasoline, dew-damp asphalt and rotting garbage made up the ever-persistent perfume of the streets.
“Where’s your car?” I nudged Tobi with my shoulder.
“Down this way.” He started walking toward a little lot in an alley alongside the bar. As we turned the corner, something slammed into my face, hard.
I started to fall when everything went dark.
Chapter Two
Bast
“Grab him! Grab him!”
I didn’t think. I acted. I did as I was told. My Alpha boss usually left all organization to me unless I totally fucked up. That was the way I liked it. But tonight he was sticking his nose into this little drama as if he personally wanted hands on, something he never did.
