Page 13 of Nest of Thieves
Atticus’s tongue tastes the air, and I sigh, gently setting my arm on my stomach.
“These alphas are after me. I stole their money.” My phone buzzes on the bedside table. “They’re going to cause problems. Mark my words, Atticus. They’re going to be trouble.”
One day to dodge these fools. That’s all I need. One day. One more job. Then I can leave them and Laurence behind.
My phone vibrates again. I release a breath and grab it. Tori texted me.
Tori: How’s the soiree?
Right. I’m supposed to be mingling. I made an appearance, which is all that matters. I hate lying to my sister, but I don’t want to worry her.
Jo: Boring and tame.
Tori: Wish I were there with you.
Jo: No one is cute. You’re not missing much.
Besides, Tori already has a mate. She’s found her happiness. She believes I can be happy too if I find a pack, but she doesn’t know about my dark dealings. She doesn’t know how proficient I’ve become. She’s not entirely wrong, though. I would be happy if I found a pack, but I’ve yet to find one that could even begin to understand who I am.
Vette and Riku, or Lark or whatever his real name is, were both hot as hell, but that pack doesn’t count. They’re in my way, and I’ll make sure they know exactly what happens to alphas who decide to stand in Jo Walsh’s way.
four
LARK
Vette enters the ballroom from the side door Jo slipped out of, face scrunched in pain. I excuse myself from a droll group of men and meet him at a high top table.
“Where is she?” I smile at an omega off to the side, making sure we don’t stand out more than we already do. We’re meant to be sizing up the omegas, finding our perfect match. Too bad the only interesting prospect fled the moment I got her alone.
“She got away.”
I curse under my breath and pull out my phone to call Mac. We left him outside the dorm rooms in the minivan we stole after Jo left us on the curb. If it wasn’t for the tracker in our SUV, we would have lost her for good. We know where she lives now, which means all we need to do is wait.
“Hello?” Mac says, voice groggy. The tranq she gave him wore off, but the aftereffects are still hitting him hard.
“Did she come back?”
He yawns. “The brunette came back. Is that her?”
“Yeah. The blonde is still here. Jo smells like the woman from the bank.” The reek of omegas that don’t smell right lingers around us. Jo didn’t smell like a full omega, but that doesn’t mean anything. There are illegal drugs that can be used to suppress one’s natural scent, concealing an omega. Just like there are clothes that can help me fit in with the rest of these alphas.
Vette and I ran into the mall and bought outfits that would help us blend in. I refused to get a jacket, but Vette went all out with the tux. We didn’t know which omega was our thief when we went in, but I’m certain Jo is Jackie. Or Jackie is Jo. One and the same.
“Jo, huh? It fits.” Mac groans. “Fuck, I’m so tired.”
I glance at Vette and tip my head toward the exit. He nods and we weave through the crowd.
“We’re heading your way. Keep an eye out.”
Jo’s not getting away this time.
* * *
Mac snores obnoxiously loud. I glare at him in the back seat, scoffing when I see a little line of drool. I get he was drugged, but trying to sleep in a car with a foghorn is impossible, though Vette is sleeping peacefully so perhaps it’s me. My fingers itch to reach out and plug his nose to wake him up. I don’t typically have trouble sleeping. Between the possibility of Jo making a midnight getaway and Mac being loud as hell, I only got a few hours in.
Omega University of Philadelphia has a basic security system, and it took about an hour to hack into it. I’ve been watching the cameras inside the dorm room hallways, but all the omegas are fast asleep like good little girls.
Why did Jo steal that money from us?
