“True.” Alison smiles. “Right out of here. I’ve got work to do.”
“Yes, Boss,” Ryan chimes.
On the way out the door, he grabs Ruby’s arm. “Hey, hang on a moment will you. There was something else I had to talk to you about.”
She waves the others off and follows Ryan to his desk, one he has decked out with framed photos of himself with various celebs, several small cactus plants that all have names, and a computer screen ringed by coloured post-it notes.
“Soooo,” he says, a wry smile on his face. “I got one especially interesting message for you.”
“Hmmm, you did, did you?”
“Yep, any idea who from?”
She stares at him. Her stomach drops. This isn’t to do with West, is it? “None at all.”
“Layla Smith. Do you know who that is?”
The name sounds familiar but she can’t place it. “No.”
“Ash Canon’s mate. The one that was all over the papers with him a few months back.”
“Oh,” she says, feeling her cheeks warm but trying to keep her face neutral. Does Layla know something she shouldn’t? And if she does, why the hell is she messaging her? She swallows, regaining her game face. “Is it a death threat?”
“Ha! I thought that too. But it’s not,” Ryan says, twisting his computer screen around so Ruby can see it. “She wants to meet up.”
Ruby blinks. “What?”
“Well, read it and you’ll see. Something about wanting to connect with more Omegas, especially those in the public eye.”
“She wants to talk to me about being an Omega?”
“That’s what the message says.”
“More likely she wants to meet me so she can claw my eyes out.”
Ruby runs her eye down the note, tapping her fingers against her thigh as she does. There’s several bruises right there, still sore from where the Alpha gripped her.
Ryan watches her face with amusement. “So you gonna go meet up with her?”
“Hmmm.”
“Do it, Ruby, for me.”
“For you?” Ruby frowns.
“Come on, you’re not a little curious about her — andThe Pack.” He drops his voice down to a whisper, drawing closer. “I know it’s like a cardinal sin that could get you whipped around here, but they’re fucking rock legends — the hottest band on the planet — apart from yours of course, sweetie. Imagine all the goss you’ll get.”
Ruby leans toward Ryan and pinches his arm. “If I go and have a heart to heart with her about being a Goddamn Omega, I’m not going to come back here and spill all the beans to you.”
“Spoilsport.” Ryan pouts and Ruby raises an eyebrow. “So you want me to set something up?”
She rolls back her chair and stands up, stretching. “Sure, why not.”
“Fabulous. I’ll find you somewhere nice.”
“Somewhere private.”
“Yeah, yeah, obviously.” He pulls his screen back around towards him, and starts scrolling with his mouse.