Page 3

Mine

Ellie was exhausted, so I gave her a heavy blanket and a pillow along with the remote to the TV so she could focus on something other than her situation and possibly take a nap if her mind let her. I sat in the oversized recliner next to her, tapping my fingers on my thigh and debating what our next moves were.

She had sent her dad a text, telling him to call her and that Lucinda had something bad planned, but we hadn’t heard anything from him. The entire street had been silent as the day went on, and the sun slowly lowered in the sky. Dusk was coming, and if what Ellie heard was correct, Lucinda would be home soon to collect her for whatever buyer she had in mind.

The clock on the wall ticked away as my nerves grew. I had gotten myself far too involved again. There were an array of reasons why I was a recluse, but the incessant need to meddle was a big one because it always ended with it blowing up in my face.

Help a cat out of a tree? End up with worms and a face full of scratches. Help an old lady across the street? Entire outfit covered in sewage water.

Those were just the small ones. One time, I helped my high school friend set up his prom-posal. The girl assumed it was for me, and I ended up getting hit by her car, leaving me with a broken leg.

I wanted to help. I always did, but karma was never on my side.

This was the biggest one yet, and I knew something bad was headed my way. I didn’t know what and refused to play the what-if game. Besides, only time would tell.

The adrenaline had finally worn off, leaving me with exhaustion in its place, so I dozed off without realizing it. Sometime later, loud banging woke me with a start, and Ellie shot up like a rocket from her place on the couch.

I placed my finger over my lips, telling her to shush while I go take a look. I pressed the footrest in and stood up. Before I made it five steps, the door busted in, and Ellie screamed. Men in black military-style garb rushed in, pointing their guns at me, while a couple went and grabbed Ellie.

I tried to get to her as she reached out for me, elbowing the men the best she could. She was an Omega, so I thought there was more she could do, but maybe my facts were wrong about that.

“We got her, sir,” one of the men holding Ellie said into a walkie-talkie on his vest. “The kidnapper is surrounded.”

I scoffed and ground my teeth before signing at them. You fuckheads, I didn’t kidnap anyone.

They ignored me, and I wasn’t sure if it was due to them not caring what I had to say or if they simply didn’t understand.

“She didn’t! Lucinda was going to sell me. Mine saved me!” Ellie cried out as they dragged her across the room and out the front door that was now broken and lying in pieces. “Let go!” She kept fighting and screaming at them the entire time, then a car door slammed, cutting her off.

Someone came up behind me and pulled my arms behind my back, cuffing my wrists together. I wiggled and attempted to pull out of their grasp, but they were both stronger and faster than I was.

Finally, everything hushed as a well-dressed man who was the near spitting image of Ellie walked in and stared me down. He was barely taller than me, so I knew if this were a one-on-one fight, I’d win without a doubt. My knowledge wasn’t always right, but I knew Omegas were fairly weak, especially against Humans since their pheromones didn’t work on us, which was why they had the Alphas be their military force.

With my hands secured, I had no way to communicate with him and explain, but given he ignored Ellie’s calls, texts, and fit as she was dragged away, it didn’t matter.

“Hello, Carmine. I’m Gerard Lorey. Under statute sixty-three and the agreement between Humans and Primarchs, I will be detaining you until a trial can be set.” The posh exterior he exuded dropped as he stepped closer and got in my face, hissing and spitting. “How dare you steal my daughter. You will pay for this.”

No one paid him any mind, giving no reaction to the facade fading away. The next second, he was adjusting his suit jacket and looking every bit the council’s bitch, as Ellie put it.

“Nothing to say?” He quirked a brow at me, and I rolled my eyes.

I tried mouthing, “I’m mute,” but he looked at me like I was ridiculous and wasting his time with lies, even though that’s exactly what he and Lucinda were doing. No one gave a shit what the truth was as long as their image was intact.

Even if he believed what Ellie had to say, would he do anything, risking the backlash of his sister’s wrong doings, or would he actually protect his daughter?

“I have the perfect place to keep her, gentlemen. Follow me.” Gerard stepped outside, avoiding the wooden splinters, and made his way to one of the black SUVs.

A lean man who I thought might be a Beta opened the door for him, revealing Ellie who was still shrieking and trying to get someone to listen to her. It made me smile, and I hoped she popped one of his eardrums on the way to wherever we were going.

I was hauled into a second black SUV that looked exactly like the first, except the backseat was blocked off by cages to ensure the prisoners couldn’t hop into the front or the trunk. The handsy man behind me shoved me inside and slammed the door shut in my face.

All these men looked the same, so I wasn’t sure if it was the same one who got into the driver’s seat or the passenger’s seat, or maybe it was neither. Either way, the men in front ignored me as instructions popped up onto the screen in front of them, directing them where to go. I couldn’t fully make it out, but the area had little roads and was surrounded by a patch of green.

Wherever this was, it was in the middle of nowhere, and that was never a good sign.

I sat back, annoyed that I still had the cuffs on and no one bothered to buckle me in. To them, it wouldn’t be a big deal if we crashed and I lost my life. Honestly, to most people in this world, it wouldn’t be a big deal. At least it would be a quicker death than whatever they had planned. I didn’t really feel like rotting away in a Primarchy prison cell.

I got as comfortable as I could with my cuffed hands between myself and the seat and leaned my head back. My eyes tried closing again, but I forced them open, watching every turn we made, especially once we made it out of town. I didn’t know if it would be of any use, but I had to do something.