Page 137

But finding it proves to be easier said than done. We turn up dead end after dead end, and time is running out.
A day passes and then another, and we still have nothing, Nothing to go on that will help with getting them away from Penelope and off our backs.
On the last day before we have to give Isaac and his pack an answer, Xavier sits up with a start, holding his phone.
“Holy shit, I think I’ve got something,” he says.
We’re all immediately zeroed in on him. “What is it?” I demand.
“Okay, so I pulled some strings with someone I know who used to work for the ORD. Apparently Penelope is not the first Omega that these assholes were associated with.”
Penelope blinks, looking surprised. “I wasn’t?”
He shakes his head. “They had another Omega before you, and according to some records that were later buried, they treated her like shit too.”
Penelope’s eyes are wide as she takes that in. “Can we talk to her?”
“Already on it.” He has her contact information, and we reach out to her over the phone.
She sounds shaken up once we explain why we’re calling, and as soon as I use Isaac’s name, she interrupts me. “I don’t want to talk about him,” she says.
“You don’t have to talk to me about him. But you’re not the only Omega he and his pack have abused. And he’s trying to ruin someone’s life. If you were to come forward and speak out against them, it would help us to stop them from doing this to anyone else.”
There’s a long stretch of silence, interrupted only by the girl’s heavy breathing.
“I… I can’t,” she finally whispers. “I’m sorry, I know this kind of thing is important, but I don’t want to get involved with them.”
“I understand that you’re afraid,” Xavier says, trying be soothing. “But if you come forward, we can protect you. Coming forward means they can’t hurt you either.”
“No. I just—you don’t understand. I got away from them. I got away, and I closed the door on that part of my life forever. If I open it back up, even for this, they’ll have a hold on me again, and I can’t… I can’t do that. I’m so sorry, but I just can’t.”
She hangs up before we can get another word out.
“Fuck,” I growl, raking my hands through my hair. “That was our best fucking chance.”
Penelope was mostly quiet during that conversation, and now she looks wide eyed with fear all over again. The urge to protect her is even stronger now than it was, if that’s possible.
“It’s going to be okay,” I promise her. “We’re going to figure this out.”
But she knows like we do that we’re running out of options. And when the phone rings from an unfamiliar number, I know we’re also out of time.
As soon as I answer the call, Isaac’s voice is smug and self-assured. “Time’s up,” he says. “What’s your choice? Are you going to pay up, or am I going to make your little wife regret the day she decided to run from us?”
“You’re a piece of shit,” I snarl, letting my anger get the better of me. “And we’re not giving you anything. No matter what it takes, I’m going to expose you and your pack for the fucking assholes you are. I don’t care if we have to spend the rest of our lives and all of our resources bringing you down.”
Isaac chuckles, the threat bouncing off him. “You talk a big game, but your threats won’t mean shit if your company is ruined.”
That catches me off guard. “What are you talking about?” I demand.
“Remember you made your choice,” Isaac says and then hangs up.
“I’m guessing he didn’t want to be reasonable,” Xavier murmurs, looking pained.
“No,” I mutter back. “He didn’t.” I give them all a quick rundown on what was said.
Penelope gets to her feet, pacing frantically. “This is bad. They’re not going to let this go. I don’t want you guys to getdragged into this. And your company! You’ve worked so hard, and this is just—” She breaks off, putting her head in her hands.
“Pen, take a breath,” I say, trying to reassure her. “We’re going to figure a way out of this.”