Page 32 of Give Me You
The same Charles who cornered Emilio after the first investor meeting, who demanded to see his Alpha. The same Charles who voted to keep Emilio on as CEO, but only with Alpha supervision. The same Charles who's been pouring money into this club for years. I only know of him, really, but I don’t like him any more than I like Zaden.
Emilio has been suspiciously absent all evening, mentioning earlier that he has some work to do in the office. Paperwork, contracts, the usual administrative tasks that come with runninga club. But now I need him up here, need him to understand what we just discovered.
Pulling out my phone, I send him a quick text.VIP. Now. Important.
A few minutes later, Emilio emerges from his office on the main floor. Even from this distance, I can see the exhaustion in his posture, the way he moves like every step takes effort. The pregnancy is taking its toll, especially combined with the stress of everything else. He climbs the stairs to the VIP section, his hand briefly touching the railing for support.
When he reaches our booth, concern and confusion flicker through his expression at a very wounded Jax sitting with us. He slides in beside me, glancing between the three of us. "What's going on?"
"How well do you know Charles?" I ask, keeping my voice low so that it doesn’t reach the other booths.
Emilio glances at the bar, spotting Charles immediately. His expression tightens. "He pours a lot of money into this place, but he wants Zaden to run everything. Or at least another Alpha. Why?"
Akira leans back in his seat, his expression darkening. "Because Jax here gave those drugs to Charles."
The color drains from Emilio's face. His hand moves instinctively to his stomach in a protective gesture. "What?"
"Tell him," Akira says to Jax, his tone making it clear this isn't a request.
Jax swallows hard, his eyes darting between all of us. "It was a cream. Just a small bottle given to Charles, not a whole shipment or anything. But it was potent enough to send an Omega into heat. Pretty instantaneous, from what he said he wanted it for. River gave it to him specifically but…"
"How did you do it?" Emilio asks, his voice strained with disgust.
Jax explains the process, how he synthesized the drug into a topical form that absorbs through the skin. How Charles contacted him through River, said he needed something special for a business situation. How Jax didn't ask questions because the money was good and he needed the cash. The whole story spills out, each detail making Emilio's expression harder.
When Jax finishes, Emilio abruptly stands up, his hands clenching into fists at his sides, trembling with barely controlled rage. Without saying a word, he stomps down the steps toward the bar. I quickly follow him, unsure of what Emilio is going to try and do.
Charles looks up as Emilio approaches, a smile spreading across his face. "Emilio! Good to see you. I was just thinking about stopping by your office."
"We need to talk," Emilio says, his voice cold. "My office. Now."
The smile falters slightly, but Charles nods. "Of course. Is everything alright?"
"Move," Emilio orders, already heading toward his office.
Something about the situation makes alarm bells ring in my head. Emilio's angry, rightfully so, but confronting Charles alone seems like a bad idea. Especially given what Charles tried to do to him. I head toward the office as well, quickening my steps since they got a headstart on me. Akira stays with Jax, probably to make sure the Alpha doesn't try to run now that he's identified the buyer.
Emilio and Charles enter the office, and I slip in just behind them before the door closes completely. Neither of them notices me at first, too focused on each other.
"I know what you did," Emilio says, his voice shaking. "You ordered those drugs. You drugged me."
Charles's expression shifts from confused to calculating. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Bullshit," Emilio spits. "Jax identified you. He told us everything. You wanted me drugged, wanted me to look incompetent in front of the other investors."
Charles's jaw tightens, and for a moment I think he might deny it again. But then his expression hardens into something cold and mean. "So what if I did? You're an Omega, Emilio. A pregnant Omega trying to run a business you have no right to. Your parents made a mistake leaving this club to you instead of Zaden."
"Get out," Emilio says, his voice dropping dangerously low. "Get out of my club and don't come back."
"I don't think so," Charles says, stepping closer. "I've invested too much money in this place to let some Omega destroy it. You're going to sell me your shares, or I'm going to make your life a living hell."
"I'm not selling you shit," Emilio growls.
Charles's hand shoots out, grabbing Emilio by the throat. The movement is so fast, so unexpected, that Emilio doesn't have time to react. His eyes go wide, his hands coming up to claw at Charles's grip as the older Alpha squeezes.
Rage explodes through me and I cross the office in two strides before grabbing Charles by the shoulder, ripping him away from Emilio. The Alpha stumbles back, surprised, and I use the momentum to slam my fist into his face. Blood spurts from his nose, and he drops to his knees.
"You don't fucking touch him," I snarl, hitting him again.
