Page 54 of Nest of Thieves
“I’m not your pack,” I remind him.
“Pony doesn’t know that. When you’re with us, you’re with us. No one gets to insult you like that.” Lark leans between the front seats and switches to the Bluetooth on his phone. “Pony knew better. He had it coming.”
I chew on my cheek and stare out the window, hating myself for wishing they’d roughed Pony up on my behalf and not only to maintain appearances. It would be nice to be a part of a pack that defended someone so swiftly and brutally. It’s more than any of my parents would have done for me. I smile to myself, wondering what Mom would be thinking if she were here.
“Don’t fuck this up for our pack.”
Yeah. Mom wouldn’t have beaten Pony for talking shit. She would have scowled at me and thought the worst. Even though I’m more than happy to be out from under her thumb, a twinge of regret courses through me for leaving without telling Tori goodbye. I’ll give it a few days then reach out to her.
sixteen
LARK
Reggie’s Parlor is packed. I nod at him when we walk in, leading Jo and Mac to the end of the line. Reggie works next to a frazzled beta. Reggie has owned this shop for twenty years, and he’s only recently started hiring younger staff to help him. He used to handle it all by himself with the help of his mate, but the shop is too busy for that sort of personalized service. Jo studies the menu. The door opens and wind sweeps through the store, causing some of her hair to fall over her eyes. I reach up and push it back, securing it behind her ear.
Jo’s breath catches and I pause, brushing my thumb over the lobe of her ear. She side-eyes me but doesn’t push me away. The line moves. I drop my hand and look at the menu, even though I already know what I want. Her gaze sweeps over me in a tangible wave of curiosity, but I resist looking back. If I do, I’m afraid I won’t be able to look away.
I spent two hours researching Jo last night. Jo Walsh. She has an older sister named Tori. Aside from the nose, they look nothing alike. Mid-class family. Jo’s school records are dripping with trouble. At a social event, she got caught stealing an expensive watch. It seems being bad is in her blood. The lingering question is—why? For all intents and purposes, she’s had a normal upbringing, though the records can’t reflect how her parents treated her. The thought of anyone being cruel to her makes my chest ache. I don’t like that, not one bit, but it doesn’t lessen the feeling.
The strange, possessive lust blooming between my pack and her comes as no surprise. We’re all aching for the love of a woman. Vette’s parents died when he was young. Mac’s mom ran out on him as a baby and left him with an abusive shit until he was arrested. My mom abandoned me at a fire station. The foster homes I lived in before I met the guys at age twelve were shitty. There were foster moms I thought I loved, but I know now it was the child in me forming unhealthy attachments to women who didn’t really care about me. They wanted the money.
Every time I found my way into trouble, which was all too frequent, I’d immediately find myself abandoned again. Whenever I got sent to another family because the lastjust couldn’t handle me, a little part of my heart died. Hope dwindled. The guys are the closest I’ve come to filling the void in my life. They’re the only people I’ve ever met who wanted me for me. The only people who give a shit if I stay or go. We’re brothers through crime and chaos. That doesn’t mean the fundamental need within each of us is met. I crave love as much as they do. There’s never been an omega that could keep up. Until her.
She’s only sticking around for the ring.
I shove my clenched fists into my pockets and avoid Jo’s scrutinizing gaze and that insecure thought. Reggie greets us with a big grin, and I smile back, forgetting about the bullshit of my past and focusing on the present.
He rests his palms on the counter. “Hey, boys. What can I get you?” Only Reggie gets away with calling us boys. To him, we’re still those unruly teenagers being too loud in his corner booth.
“Hey, Reg. I’ll have the pistachio waffle cone,” I say, reaching out to shake his hand over the counter. “How’ve things been?”
“Really good, Riku. Really good.” His eyes flick to Jo. “Who’s your friend? You’re not dating these poor assholes, are you?”
Jo’s answering laugh pierces my heart. She beams at him, and I almost want to deck Reggie for earning that look, but I like the old man, so I keep my hands at my sides. Mac shifts behind her. He and I share a moment. His blue irises darken with a thirst for violence. I shake my head at him. His jaw ticks, but he nods.
I know,he says without any words.
“I’m way out of their league, Reggie.”
Reggie cackles and delight flashes over his features. “Now, there’s a woman after my own heart. If I weren’t married, I’d make sure to steal you away from these suckers before they ruin you.”
A tremble of anger courses through me.
Jo smirks at me, her eyes narrowing at the expression on my face. She turns back to Reggie and says, “I’m Jo, and it’s rather bold of you to assume I won’t be the one to ruin them, Reggie.” She leans forward and lowers her voice, pretending to whisper. “I’m going to make them wish they’d never met me.”
Mac grabs her around the waist and hauls her against his front, locking his arms around her. “Pretty little threats like that are bound to get you in trouble, Kitten,” he whispers in her ear before nipping the lobe.
She grins at Reggie, completely unaffected. “I’ll have a hot fudge sundae with extra fudge.” She doesn’t fight to get away from Mac.
“Anything for you, hun. You better treat Jo right.” Reggie pins the both of us with a stern look. “The usual, Mac?”
“A double scoop of chocolate in a bowl.” Mac smells Jo’s hair, and she growls, pushing out of his arms. He lets her go, even though he could have easily kept her there.
She stalks to the pick-up line, and I pay Reggie, unable to keep my attention from slipping back to her in the process.
“You better guard that heart of yours. Something tells me she’s not lying about destroying your lives.” He shakes his head and hands me the receipt and my card. “One of these days, you’ll have to tell me what you did to piss her off. Next!”
I tuck my card back into my wallet and move out of the way. Reggie falls back into business mode, and by the time we pick up our ice cream, he’s already forgotten about us. We find a table outside the shop and sit.
