Page 106 of Heat & Deceit
“You started it,” he says, shooting a glare at Rome. “And you don’t have to talk to him.”
“It’s fine. I don’t mind.”
Lycus looks at me, seeing the truth of my words, and relents. “Fine.”
“Can we have a moment?” Rome asks, glaring at his friend.
“Like hell,” Lycus says at the same time I say, “Yes.”
Lycus’s mouth snaps closed and his face darkens. “I’ll be outside.” He leaves the room, snapping the door shut behind him.
Rome glances around, taking in the tiny apartment and my threadbare belongings. I’m suddenly aware of how little I have compared to them.
“So?” I hedge, moving into the kitchen to grab a drink of water.
Rome follows me but stops at the counter, resting his hands on it. “I wanted to explain why I didn’t sell you suppressants.”
“Because you wanted me to go into heat.” I shrug. “I already figured it out.”
“That’s not why.”
I give him my back and fill up a glass, drinking it down and refilling it before I find enough spine to turn around and ask, “Really? Then, why?”
“Do you know who my parents are?”
“I don’t know much about any of you.”
He presses his lips together and releases a hard breath. “Right. Well, they own Pierce Pharmaceutical. It’s—”
“The largest drug manufacturer in the country.” And one of the worst, when it comes to price gouging. There’ve been more than a few articles condemning the company for their tactics, but people need their medicine, and with no judge brave enough to cross a multi-billion dollar company, they get away with their shitty behavior.
“Yeah.” He grimaces. “Have you seen the stories?”
I nod. “I’m waiting for the part where I won’t be mad at you anymore.”
Running his hand over the back of his neck, he says, “I was a low-level manager, being groomed to eventually take over the company. Anyway, I never wanted that life, and I definitely didn’t want to own a company that put making money above helping people. So, I started taking inventory and selling it on the side, cutting the price enough that people could afford it.”
“Why not give it away for free?” I hold the glass of water to my chest and study his face, lined with frustration and shame.
“I tried. No one would buy from me. They thought I was a cop. So, I sold the drugs, but kept them cheap.”
“You expect me to believe a bunch of low-pack people came to you, a rich and royal alpha, to fill their prescriptions?”
“You did.”
He has me there. When I met him, I didn’t think he was a royal alpha. I only thought he was a dealer who made a killing on sales.
“They found out what I was doing, and I got fired. That’s why I couldn’t give you suppressants. I didn’t do it on purpose to make you suffer.” His eyes search my face. “I especially didn’t do it to out you as an omega.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this when I came to you?”
“I wasn’t about to tell people I was running out of medicine. They depend on me, and I have a plan to get their prescriptions for them.” He drops his gaze to the counter. “But I should have told you I was out. I’m sorry I let you down, and I’m sorry I didn’t communicate.”
His cheeks are red with shame. If everything he says is true, he wasn’t being an asshole like I thought. I spent days thinking he’d purposefully denied them because he wanted me to go into heat, and I’m struggling to let that anger go. When his eyes lift to meet mine, filled with pleading, I take a breath.
“Listen,” he says, voice thick with emotion. “Lycus and Javier really like you. We’ve been looking for an omega for years.” He pauses and runs his gaze over me. “You’re perfect, Carmine. No one likes Lycus—”
“—Ilike Lycus,” I cut in.
