Page 6 of Quietly Hux's
Milo rested a hand against my chest and gave me a tight smile. He didn’t have to write anything down for me to hear him.I know.
MILO
Hux had been tense all morning. Which wasn’t a surprise. He really wasn’t happy about me going to Trent’s with them today, but I’d held firm last night when we’d decided. It wasn’t that I didn’t agree with him—it was dangerous—but I also knew that I needed to be there. Trent was a slimy bastard of a man, but he wasn’t entirely stupid. He wouldn’t bring Dormaunt into this unless we made him and unless he had proof that I was actually where Shep and Hux said I was.
And it was like Shep said, Trent wouldn’t try anything in broad daylight. With the way Hux couldn’t quite contain his growls as we pulled into the pawn shop parking lot, Trent would have to have a death wish to even twitch wrong.
“Are you going to be able to keep it together?” Shep asked, putting the truck in park but leaving the engine running.
Hux let out one more growl, hand tightening on my thigh. “Yes.”
Shep raised an eyebrow in his direction, but didn’t say anything else. “Okay. Let’s get this done. You ready, Milo?”
I swallowed, looking at the door. Trent was in there. It wasn’t that I was afraid of him hurting me once we were in there. Hux and Shep would never let that happen, but just the thought of seeing him again. Being in the same room with him made mystomach twist. I laid my hand over Hux’s on my thigh and met Shep’s gaze. I nodded.
He nodded back, turned the truck off, and opened the door.
After he got out, Hux still hadn’t moved. I angled my body toward his and touched the side of his face.
He sighed. “I don’t like this.”
I nodded and leaned up, pressing a kiss against his lips. He kissed me back hard, then pulled back and opened the door. The air outside was perfect—a cool breeze and autumn sunshine. There was a time when this was my favorite season of the year. I squeezed Hux’s hand in mine and thought that maybe it could be again.
Shep was standing in front of the truck with his back to us, giving us a moment of privacy. When we reached him, we all moved in unison toward the door. Shep pulled it open and stepped back, holding it for me and Hux.
Hux went through first, still holding my hand and moving so that I doubted anyone could see me behind his bulk.
The air inside was musty, and a thin layer of dust covered the cluttered shelves to our left and right. The shelving units were only about shoulder high and created an aisle that led to the long counter running along the back wall.
I peeked around Hux just in time to see Trent walk out of the back room. His customer service smile disappeared the moment he locked eyes with me.
He growled and looked up at Hux. “I knew you bastards were lying.”
Shep stepped around us and walked the short distance down the aisle to stand directly in front of Trent with only the counter between them. “You’re going to arrange for us to speak with Dormaunt, and you’re going to stop trafficking Omegas.”
Trent let out a harsh laugh. “Why the hell would I do that?”
“Because if you don’t, I’m going to the police, and I’ll do everything in my power to see you locked up for the rest of your life.” Shep sounded so calm. So in control. I’d only known him a short time, but behind that control I could tell how tense he was just from the sound of his voice.
With another laugh, Trent pointed over at me. “And you really think the police are going to believe a group of sniveling Omegas? That one can’t even talk!”
The low, menacing growl Hux let out made every hair on my body stand up.
Trent actually went pale. I’d never seen him look afraid before.
“I’d watch it if I were you,” Shep said. He reached into pocket and pulled out the digital recorder he’d stashed there before we left the house. “And I think between this and the Omega’s statements, the police won’t have any trouble connecting the dots.”
The look of fear on Trent’s face switched to rage in a heartbeat. That look—red faced and seething—I’d seen a hundred times or more. “My lawyers will tear it to shreds!”
“Maybe, maybe not.” Shep shrugged. “Either way, I imagine your clientele won’t appreciate that type of scrutiny on their supplier.”
Trent was nearly purple now. I could tell he wanted to lash out, but was holding himself in check, gaze darting between Shep and Hux. Through gritted teeth, he asked, “What do you want me to do?”
Chapter
Five
HUX
