Page 80 of Nest of Thieves
I don’t dare look away. I continue talking to Orion until he falls into a drug-induced sleep. Carefully setting his hand at his side, I step away from the desk, watching his chest rise and fall. Staring at the blood. Witnessing Death slowly drag Orion from the land of the living, drag the air from his lungs. No one in the room speaks. We all wait. We stay for him.
No one deserves to die alone.
When he finally takes his last breath, my cheeks are damp. I force a sob away and swipe at the tears, scowling despite knowing it’s a natural response to what’s happened. The room buzzes with unease. Doc’s sigh is sad and long.
“I tried,” he begins but chokes off.
“Está bien,” Vette says.It’s okay.
But it isn’t. Not really. Orion died because some idiots wanted what he was taking. There is no honor in theft, I know that, but killing? That crosses a line even I’m not willing to cross, not after what Laurence forced me to do all those years ago. Anger simmers inside of me.
People start moving around, talking in soft voices, but I stare at Orion’s lifeless form, letting that ire fill me up until all I can think of is teaching those stupid kids a lesson they won’t forget. I don’t want to kill them. They deserve worse than that. For their ignorance, they deserve a life filled with regret.
“Jo?” Lark steps in front of me, blocking Orion from my view.
Not bothering to conceal what I’m thinking, I look him dead in the eyes. Lark studies me, and understanding and acceptance is the only thing I see reflected on his face. He nods without me even needing to say a word.
“They won’t get away with it.”
A promise. And even though I hardly know him, even though I question his motives for wanting to be with me, I trust him to make good on his word. Orion meant nothing to me, but witnessing his brutal death cemented my desire to make things right. To right the injustice.
“I want to help.” Four words I can’t take back. Four words that make the room fall silent again. Four words that, if fulfilled, will tie me to these men forever. Four words that would make Laurence mad because those words mean aligning with the enemy. For once, I don’t care what he might think. This was done in cold blood.
This wasn’t right.
“Whatever you want.” Those three words are said with such conviction, I have to look away from Lark. A connection forges, though, one born of bloodlust and anger.
For better or worse, we’re going to make sure Orion’s killers pay.
* * *
We head back to the house a while later. Doc called his assistant to help handle the aftermath of Orion’s death. What little was discussed told me there will be no hospital or funeral home. A.C.K. has their own process for dealing with their dead. To the rest of the world, Orion will simply cease to exist. A flame of a candle extinguished on a cold, rainy night.
Lark parks the Aston Martin in the garage and cuts the engine. We sit in silence, but it’s not awkward. It’s...comforting. The moment shatters when Vette and Mac arrive. Lark slides his gaze in my direction.
“I forgot to say happy birthday.”
My mouth pops open. “How did you know?”
“I know a lot about you,” he admits with zero shame. He climbs out of the car, and I follow after him. “What do you want to eat?”
There’s no question. “Deep dish, all meat.”
A sad smile graces his face. “Your wish is my command.”
Funny words coming from an alpha with the power to make me do whatever he wants. They haven’t used their alpha command like I thought they might. It’s almost like they’re going out of their way to give me choices.
He could have easily demanded I not take the suppressants. He could have forced me to throw them away. He didn’t. He simply asked if I was going to and asked me not to. It isn’t lost on me what he’s giving me. What they’re giving me. A choice. In my world, there’s always the threat of having that taken away, and while asking for my full consent is the bare minimum, it still means the world to me. It dawns on me how fucked-up I am for appreciating that.
Or rather, how fucked-up the world is.
Why is it okay for omegas to live in fear?
We enter the house, and the guys are all quiet as we gather in the kitchen. Lark places an order for pizza and calls a bakery.
“Why are you getting cake?” Vette asks.
“It’s my birthday.” I get off of the barstool I’d been sitting in and grab us all a beer from the fridge. “I don’t really feel like celebrating, though.”
