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What the fuck? I’d heard rumours about shit like that, but I didn’t think it was real, let alone that fast acting. If this was what they’d been doing to the omegas Emerson was representing in court, Harris knew it worked. Even a dumbass couldn’t fuck up a little injection like that.

I swallowed at the gravity of the situation, desperately trying to subtly pull at the tape around my wrists with the key, whilst keeping my eyes away from Pearl so Harris wouldn’t suspect she was awake. If she didn’t get out now, we likely wouldn’t get another chance. Once we were in heat, it would be over for us.

“People pay good money for dark web livestreams of omegas being denied, you know.” Harris chuckled, sending a chill down my spine that had nothing to do with the concrete floor. “But don’t worry. Once you’re begging just right, we’ll have plenty of cocks ready to replace your precious alpha. How long is your average heat? Three days, maybe four? How many dicks do you think you could take in four days? And with the numberof ardour vials that are stashed upstairs, you’ll be in heat a lot longer than that.”

Sweat beaded at my hairline as I focused on maintaining eye contact with Harris, even through his threats. The longer he focused on me, the better Pearl’s chances of escape. Except for one problem. She wasn’t creeping up the stairs. Instead, she carefully picked up one of the rickety chairs and approached the maniac planning to drug us.

Don’t be a hero, Pearl. Just get out while you can!

Harris grinned at me, nothing but mania in his grey eyes. “Miranda might be gone, but you and Pearl are gonna earn me the money I need to get her out of there. And you’re gonna fucking beg to do it, like a good little omega.”

Pearl raised the chair above her head and swung it down hard, slamming it on Harris’s back and knocking him to the floor.

He yelled as he hit the concrete but stayed conscious and rolled to his back. Reaching behind him, he pulled a gun from his waistband and aimed it straight at Pearl. “You really shouldn’t have done that, you stupid little whore.”

I struggled harder against the tape, pushing to my feet as I cried out, “Pearl, run!”

Chapter Eighteen

Emerson

“Slowdown,oryou’llget us killed!” Norah shrieked from the passenger seat.

It took a disappointingly short amount of time for Leo to tell us where he’d left Trystan. A few clicks from Bee confirmed the property’s owner was my colleague—and the longtime lover of Miranda Fisher—Harris Eaves. What a tragically small world we lived in.

Rhodes arrived to arrest Leo as we were on our way out, requesting we remain available for statements while his people searched for Trystan. While I had faith in him, it would take them too much time to formally question Leo and mobilise a squad to search the property. And I wasn’t about to wait around while my omega was in danger.

Bee leaned forward from the back seat. “It’s a good thing you guys are lawyers, because that was the third speed camera to catch you just now.”

My knuckles whitened around the steering wheel. They still had a few flecks of Leo’s blood on them that I was reluctant to wash away just yet. The reminder that I’d at least got a small slice of revenge for my omega helped me stay somewhat calm.

“Doesn’t matter. We’re out of the city now. It won’t be long until we get there.”

The car fell into an uncomfortable silence as I exited the motorway, swerved around a roundabout, and headed down an unfamiliar country road. According to the satnav, the address was an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. Harris had once mentioned growing up on a farm, but he had no living family to speak of, and he’d lived in the city as long as I’d known him. How long had he been going back there for Miranda?

“Emerson, I don’t want to doubt you,” Norah said thoughtfully. “But are you absolutely sure it’s Harris who has him?”

“You saw the photograph,” I growled, not taking my eyes off the road.

Norah pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh. “I just don’t understand how we missed it. He was always asking you for updates on Fisher’s case. Not to mention how strange he acted around omega colleagues, especially Pearl. I’d convinced myself he was just a curious beta.”

I’d been the same, convincing myself he was just a nosy colleague with a crush on my assistant. Even Pearl herself had said he was harmless.

As I thought of Pearl, I realised that with all the commotion today, I still hadn’t seen her. And she hadn’t messaged to say she was going to be out of office today, either.

Anxiety clawed at my chest, so I tapped the car’s screen to call her. Straight to voicemail. She never turned her work phone off. Even when she was sick, she always made sure it had a full battery in case of some kind of emergency. I somehow doubtedthat today was the one time she found a healthy work-life balance.

“Fuck!” I slammed my hand against the steering wheel. “Pearl was working late with him last night, and she didn’t come in today.”

Norah bristled in her seat, her voice turning into a low growl I’d never heard from her before. “You think he’s taken her as well?”

“I’ll bet you anything that when we find Trystan, we’ll find her, too.”

We parked at the edge of the property and approached the house on foot, wading through the unkempt fields of waist-high grass. The house itself wasn’t faring much better. The wooden window frames and front door were rotten and though the brickwork looked intact, ivy climbed an entire side of the building. There weren’t any lights on inside, it may not have even had electricity anymore, but I saw several windows were missing glass. At least we had a way inside.

Bee panted as they struggled to keep up with a pair of determined alphas. “This is his house? And you thought this guy wasn’t a criminal for how long?”

“His childhood home, I think,” Norah explained as we ducked beside a stone wall, checking again for any signs of people inside. “He must’ve started coming back here after Fisher’s network dissolved. A lot of properties in the city were raided, along with several warehouses, but none like this one.”