Page 45

Chapter 45

Garrett

I pace in the living room, my hands clenched into fists at my sides.

Ethan’s pacing too. We keep crossing back and forth from each other, moving across the length of the room. We’ve turned it into a sort of command center as we work around the clock to get Ava free.

She said that she wanted us to get rest and take care of ourselves, but I know that none of us can do that. It’s practically unthinkable. Taking care of ourselves means getting her free. Then we’ll be able to sleep again.

Dante’s been trying to enforce some kind of rest on us, but when I tried, I slept fitfully and couldn’t really manage anything past a doze. My body knows that Ava’s not safe, and it won’t let me relax until she’s back here with us.

We might not have officially finished mating with her. We might not have bitten her. But in every way that matters, she is our mate, our Omega, and our instincts know that.

My mind can’t stop coming up with every single horror story I’ve ever read or heard about Omegas or women in prison, about corrupt officials and guards, about brutal fights and hazing among the inmates.

Even without Marcus, I don’t feel that Ava’s safe in prison, and I can’t stop thinking about it.

Dante and Caleb work the computers we’ve set up, trying to find out information on what Marcus did and the people he has in his pocket. We all look like messes. We’ve barely eaten. But it’ll all be worth it when we have Ava safe in our arms again.

“I think we should consider releasing our evidence about the watch,” Ethan says as he paces. “It’s proof that Marcus was stealing our ideas. He’ll be disgraced.”

“And then what?” Dante asks. “He’ll just keep hitting Ava harder to retaliate.”

“So we play softball?” Ethan snaps. “We need to hit the man where it hurts!”

I’m all for hitting Marcus. In fact I’m all for hitting him with my fist. But I also don’t want Ava to suffer or be punished because of what we do.

“I can’t find evidence that the judge is corrupt,” Caleb says from his computer. “But that doesn’t mean that he didn’t take some kind of bribe.”

“I think at this stage it’s more likely that he believed whatever evidence Marcus brought him,” Dante replies. “He knows that this charge can’t stick.”

“That doesn’t make sense to me,” I admit, continuing to pace. “If he knows the charges won’t stick then why not go through with a bribe to make sure that Ava’s put away for a good few years?”

“We caught him last time he tried something. Maybe he’s not trying to put Ava behind bars for good. Maybe he’s just trying to scare us and distract us. Remind us of how much power he supposedly has.”

I snort derisively. I can’t see Marcus settling for anything less than total victory. But guys like him do enjoy playing mind games. He could be toying with us like a cat with a mouse.

I’m not a mouse. I’m a goddamn Alpha. And that man is going to know it before this whole thing is over.

Caleb scrubs a hand across his face and then runs his fingers through his hair. It makes the blond strands stick up every which way, like he stuck his finger in a light socket. “Well…”

The phone rings.

We all dive for it, but Dante’s closest and picks it up first, hitting the speaker button. “Hello?”

“Dante, hi.” It’s one of our lawyers that we put on the case. I’m sure our legal team is pretty sick of us bugging them for updates on Ava’s case, but I don’t care. We pay them the big bucks to go above and beyond and we need them to deliver on this more than we’ve ever needed them to deliver on anything else for us before.

“You have news?” I ask, bracing my hand on Dante’s shoulder to hover over him and the phone.

“Yes. Surprisingly good news. Ava’s been released.”

We all blink at that. My brow furrows. “What?”

“She was released this morning. The charges against her were dropped.”

“They were—what do you mean, dropped?” Ethan asks.

“I mean that Mr. Travers dropped the charges. If he’s dropped them, then unless the DA’s office wants to go ahead with prosecuting anyway, there’s no reason for her to stay in prison. The DA declined to prosecute. An Omega supposedly stealing a hundred grand years ago isn’t exactly the big political case that makes the DA look good.”

The noise of papers rustling filters in from the background. “Besides, I think the DA knew that there was something odd about this case. It took Mr. Travers years to file a report about the stolen money.”

“ Thank you,” Caleb mutters under his breath. “If the money was really stolen then why the hell didn’t he report it back then? Why wait until now? There’s no damn reason for it. You don’t decide to forgive and forget and then change your mind years later.”

“Especially now,” Dante adds. “He’s even richer now than he was when she theoretically took the money, so it’s not like he’s down on his luck and needs that cash.”

“All good points,” our lawyer replies. “My point is that you should be all right now. I can’t say that Mr. Travers might not decide to harass you in some other manner, but he’s dropped the charges and Ava is free.”

A suspicion makes my gut tighten, but before I can say anything, Ethan adds, “What if he tries to bring this up again at a later date? Can you keep looking into the case anyway, just so that if he tries, we have evidence that he faked it?”

“I can do that,” our lawyer promises. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Thank you,” Dante says, and hangs up.

“She was freed hours ago?” Caleb asks. “That doesn’t sound right.”

“No, it doesn’t,” I agree. “Call the prison.”

If Ava was freed, then surely we would’ve heard from her by now asking us to pick her up. Or even showing up on our doorstep having been dropped off by a taxi or the police, or someone .

The phone rings, and rings, and rings, and finally someone picks up. The person sounds like a very bored guard, lazily reciting the prison and ending with a ‘how can I help you’ that sounds so fake it might as well be sarcasm.

“Hi,” Dante says, putting on his most calm and charming voice, the kind he uses to convince skittish shareholders. “I’m looking for information on an inmate who was released today. Ava Charleston?”

I pick up the sound of typing on an old, clunky computer keyboard, and then the guard says, “What about her? She was released hours ago, so if you want to talk to her, she isn’t here anymore.”

“Hours ago?” I demand. “How many hours ago?”

“I don’t know.” More typing comes from his end. “Four.”

And we haven’t heard anything from her. “Why didn’t you notify us that she was being released? We’re listed as her contact information.”

“All contact is up to the prisoner. It’s on them to secure a ride and other necessities out of prison unless they are registered with our halfway home rehabilitation program.”

Oh for fuck’s sake, are you fucking kidding me? “So you just let her walk out of there,” I say. “And you don’t care what happens after that.”

“She’s no longer in our custody. She’s a free woman. She can do what she wants.”

I’m going to strangle this man to death. “So you have no idea where she is.”

“No.”

“And no one’s seen her.”

“Not since she walked out four hours ago.”

“Thanks for nothing.” I hang up the phone, wishing I could throw it against the wall or slam it against something.

We all look at each other. The suspicion in my gut is now deep, sick fear.

Caleb speaks up. “Marcus. Marcus tricked us.”

I look over at him.

Caleb stands up, running his hand through his hair again. “He never planned to actually take Ava to court. This wasn’t to intimidate us into dropping the watch business, or to just scare us. It was to separate her from us.”

Holy fuck. It all clicks in my head. He’s absolutely right.

“Think about it,” Caleb goes on. “We would never let Ava out of our sight or presence long enough for him to get to her. So he has to force us to be separated. Accusing her of theft and providing some trumped up evidence…”

“He knew it wouldn’t stick,” Ethan says. “But he didn’t care.”

Caleb nods. “He only needed it to create chaos and convince the police long enough to get her locked up in jail for a day or two. That way she’d be away from us. Then he drops the charges, she’s set free, and he alone knows that’s happened. He knows she’ll be released the moment he drops the charges. So he’s already there when he makes the call. Ava walks out…”

“And he takes her,” I growl, fury choking me.

Caleb nods, looking the most distraught I’ve ever seen him. “He wanted to get her away from us so we couldn’t protect her.”

He’s right. I know he’s right. Fuck. I feel sick.

“Then there’s no time to waste.” Dante stands. “I’m calling the police.”

“I’ll grab the car,” Ethan says, rushing out of the room.

I crack my knuckles. “I’m driving.”

Dante and Caleb exchange a look. I’m what’s been called an ‘aggressive driver’ so usually they don’t let me drive, which ordinarily, I don’t mind. But I think some damn aggressive driving is called for right now.

“All right,” Dante agrees. “You’re driving.”

Caleb’s already on his phone as we head out the door. “Okay, so Marcus has two places. One’s a penthouse here in the city but the other is a family estate somewhere upstate.”

“That’s where he’ll take her,” Dante agrees. “Plenty of quiet and privacy. And it’s far away from us. Can you get the address?”

“You bet your ass I can.”

Ethan brings the car around, and I go over to the driver’s side. “Out. I’m driving.”

Ethan gets out and moves into the back seat. Caleb takes the front passenger so he can give me directions, so Dante slides into the back with Ethan.

I gun the engine and tear out of the driveway. If any police end up on our trail, then let them chase us. I’ll lead them right to Marcus, and they’ll help us fucking arrest the guy before I do something incredibly stupid like kill him with my bare hands.

My mind is filled with images of Ava being hurt and in danger. I can barely see the road in front of me through my rage, operating on autopilot.

I can’t bear the thought of losing her. She’s too important to me. She’s in our lives, in our hearts, in our blood.

I’m going to do whatever it takes to save her.