Page 9 of Knot Letting Go (Knotty Streak Omegaverse #4)

Sick and tired of one video meeting after another, I stared at the bottles in the wine rack in the kitchen. Just one little drink to take the edge off. That’s all I needed.

It had been a while since I had any alcohol. I had total control over myself. No one could expect me to go through life and never have one glass of wine or a leisurely beer now and then. After a day of mind numbing business shit, I deserved it.

Enid banged something on the counter as she prepared dinner. She had her back to me, but every loud clang and clank seemed directed at me. The old woman knew what I was about, and I loved and hated her for it at the same time.

Heaving a sigh, I rolled my shoulders. Fucking hell. Damn addict urges. I would not be ruled by them. I just needed to direct my energy elsewhere. Like go workout or swim some laps or play a video game online.

Fuck, no. No more online crap.

The sound of a car pulling up in the drive perked me up. Now there was a distraction. It had to be Aubrielle back with Lillianna from their beach day.

Having that beautiful Omega in the house was a gift.

She was something I’d been missing for a long time.

Yeah, my asshole of a father was dead and I’d made amends with my brother.

I got to spend more time with my sister and nieces, but I still felt hollow.

This last year had been one of the worst of my life, but hearing Aubrielle’s pure laughter and the sweet soprano of her singing brought back some light to my life.

Her nurturing feminine energy wasn’t directed at me, but just having it there filled that emptiness inside of me.

Of course it was a bonus that Aubrielle was drop dead gorgeous. Her sparkling blue eyes, her sensual mouth, and those fucking marvelous tits! I’d been fantasizing about watching her big breasts bounce as I fucked her all week.

Konstantin had sent me to New York for a few days, but now that I was back, I was going to double my efforts to get that tasty Omega alone. All I needed was an outlet for my stress. I wouldn’t jeopardize her job or anything. One night would do me.

The kitchen door opened and Lillianna bolted inside carrying an inflated beach ball. Once she saw me, she dropped it and ran into my arms. “Uncle Quill! You’re home!”

“Lilli! How’s my favorite niece?” I scooped her up and kissed her cute little face all over, making her giggle.

“You forgot not to say that. You have two nieces now.” She scolded me and it only made me love her all the more.

“Hello, Miss Lillianna. I have ravioli boiling to go with dinner tonight. Extra ricotta, just how you like your food pillows.” Enid winked at Lillianna and went back to seasoning the sauce.

Then Lillianna launched into a fast-paced and detailed explanation of everything that she did while I was gone, focusing on being a mermaid at the beach. The whole thing became an epic tale of two mermaids swimming to the bottom of the ocean and the creatures they met.

A minute after she came in, the door swung open and my breath hitched as Aubrielle entered carrying the picnic basket and a large beach bag stuffed with thick towels.

I expected a smile, maybe some cute freckles and a light tan from a day in the sun, but her pretty face was pale and she looked on the verge of tears.

The instinct to comfort her and vanquish whatever had made her upset drove to the surface, and I barely contained a growl. Lillianna chattered on, but I was barely hearing what she was saying. My heavy heartbeat thundered in my ears.

Enid greeted Aubrielle and took the basket from her. Aubrielle attempted a smile as she thanked her, but it trembled.

No. She was the damn light, an angel. I would not let her be sad.

“And then Nonno came to the beach and said hello. But he stayed on the beach. He didn’t go in the water.

He didn’t have a tail to swim. The jellyfish was pink and as big as the car!

” Lillianna spread her arms as wide as she could.

“It was soft as a marshmallow and glowed when it went down to the dark water.”

What the fuck? “Hold on, honey. Did you say your grandfather was there?”

“Yup. Nonno had Matteo and some man I didn’t know with him. They didn’t like the sun because they had on the biggest sunglasses ever. Mermaids don’t have to wear sunglasses because they’re underwater most of the time.”

Shit. My stomach clenched. Lorenzo was in town and he had talked to Lillianna. The bastard might have kidnapped… My thoughts slammed into that possibility. Aubrielle. Was that why she was so shaken? What did that motherfucker say to her? Did he threaten her? Hurt her?

I wanted to wring Lorenzo’s neck and bury him in a shallow grave.

Gavin entered quietly and put a few more bags and a cooler down on the floor before closing the door. His expression was drawn too.

Why did Kon have to marry into that fucking family?

Dammit. I knew our father pressured him, but the Pacettis were bad news.

We were trying to cut all business ties with them, and they were being dicks about it.

Yet because of Lillianna being their blood, we were tied to those fuckers for the rest of our lives.

I needed to find out what happened, but I wasn’t going to scare Lillianna. “Hey, Lilli, you really must be a mermaid because you smell like the ocean. Maybe you should go wash up before dinner. Be sure to check your belly button for seashells.”

Lillianna laughed brightly. “Shells can’t fit in my belly button, silly.”

Aubrielle set down the bag she was carrying and held out her hand to my niece. She had barely looked at me, trying to hide how distressed she was, and that only infuriated me more. “Come on, Lillianna. Let’s get you cleaned up and changed for dinner.”

“I’ve got her, Aubrielle. I’ll run her a quick bath while you go wash up and have a moment to yourself.

I’ve heard mermaid adventures can be quite tiring.

” I gave her an encouraging smile and a bit of relief softened her features.

That tiny change in her mood was worth more than any gem, but it hadn’t lessened the instinct to rage against Lorenzo and his goons.

“Thank you. It’s much appreciated.” Aubrielle slipped away up the stairs.

“I’m not tired from my mermaid adventure.” Lillianna declared, looking me right in the eyes as she said so.

“Aren’t you?” I raised my brows knowing she would fall asleep hard tonight.

The poor kid rarely got a chance to run and play like other children.

Aubrielle was so good for her. “How about this then: You run upstairs and get your bath going, and I’m going to count to thirty.

Well, maybe fifty, and then I’ll come up and see if you’re really still that full of energy or if you’ll be snoring in your bed. ”

“I don’t snore!” Lillianna gasped with exaggerated offense as I set her on her feet. “I’m the fastest mermaid in the ocean. You won’t even get to fifty and I’ll be done!”

“I bet you’ll be sleeping.” I teased and booped her on the nose. She stuck her tongue out at me and I held up a finger. “One… two… three…”

Lillianna whooped as she raced up the stairs and disappeared out of sight. I kept counting until ten, because I knew she’d hear me, and then stepped over to Gavin. “What happened? Did Pacetti do anything?”

Gavin shook his head, but he was gritting his teeth. “No, he just came over and said hello to Lillianna. But no way was he there by coincidence.”

“I didn’t think he was. The fucker.” Anyone would be a fool to believe that. “What happened to Aubrielle?”

“Pacetti scared her. He minded his manners in front of Lillianna, but the way he was looking at that poor young Omega…” Gavin hissed out through his teeth.

“He had two big guys with him. I carry a pistol, as your brother insisted, but I don’t know how much I would have been able to do if they tried something. ”

Kon had Gavin carrying? Now that was news. What did Kon know that I didn’t? My father left this mess for us, and fuck him if he believed we were going to walk in his footsteps.

I turned to head toward Kon’s office, but I stopped, remembering I promised to help Lillianna wash up. I growled under my breath.

“Stella’s still here, Quill. I’ll send her up to help Lillianna.

” Enid motioned to the interior door with her wooden spoon.

“You go talk to Konstantin and do something about the Pacettis. I don’t want any of them around our sweet girl.

” She then nodded to Gavin. “You, come here and taste this for me.”

“Thank you.” I gave our cook a one-armed hug before hurrying out of the room. Enid had been with our family a long time, and she took good care of us.

I sped out of the kitchen and down the hall.

Not even knocking, I thrust open the office door and caught Kon just ending a call.

He scowled at me as he said his goodbye.

Sometimes he looked a lot like our dad when he did that and I wanted to punch him in the face.

Yet despite the fact he resembled our father way more than I did, he somehow turned out not to be like the bastard.

Under his starched suit and rigid manner, he was a good man.

No doubt it was Lillianna’s doing. She was like magic.

Kon set down his phone. “What do you want? I’m due to make another call.”

“Lorenzo.” I spat out the name and Kon stiffened even further. “The bastard’s in town and said hello to Lilli on the beach today. How can you let that fucker come near her?”

Fury flashed through my brother’s eyes, bright enough to match my own, but he snatched a hold of it. “Is she okay? She’s home?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. He was just a happy distraction from her mermaid adventure. Aubrielle was scared shitless though.” I wanted to blast a pair of holes in that fucker’s head. For all the shit Lorenzo had done, but especially for terrorizing Aubrielle.

Kon stood, surging around the desk. “Did he hurt her? Where is she?”

There was anger in his eyes before, but now it was full blown and unhidden. His chest heaved and his jaw clenched. I pointed upward. “She’s home, washing up from the beach. But she was near tears when she came in. Gavin said Lorenzo and two guys. Lilli mentioned Matteo.”

“That motherfucker.” Kon snarled. Matteo was Lorenzo’s nephew and the most cruel of his enforcers.

Worse than Lorenzo’s two sons, and they were real assholes.

“Lorenzo is supposed to go through me whenever he wants to see Lillianna. He knows if he’s seen with her, he could be putting her life in danger. ”

If anything happened to Lillianna because of that fucker…

I’d met Kon’s wife on a few occasions, and Giovanna had been alright.

She had no strength in her. Her brothers and father made sure all the Pacetti women were submissive to them.

Yet when a rival gunned down all the women while they were out to brunch, Lorenzo barely batted an eye.

Oh, he swore vengeance, but more to the insult to him than the loss of his wife, daughter, granddaughter, and daughter-in-laws.

We were lucky Lillianna hadn’t been with them when it happened.

Kon had whisked Lillianna away from the Pacettis and lived in secret with her until our father died.

“What did he do to Aubrielle?” Kon asked in a low voice.

“As far as I know, nothing but be his own creepy self.” I shrugged. “That would be enough to unnerve anyone.”

“He’s a risk to her as well.” A muscle twitched in his cheek. “We have to up our security. We need guards at the house, and at least a pair for Aubrielle and Lillianna. I’ll have to make a call to Callista’s mates and see what can be done.”

“You have Gavin carrying.” I paced, unable to rid myself of the urge to cause some violence upon the Pacettis.

Kon rounded his desk and sent a quick text.

“I didn’t know Lorenzo or any of the family would be here on the coast. It was only because Lillianna and Aubrielle are Omegas.

A general threat rather than the specific threat we have now.

” He gripped the edge of his desk. “Gavin isn’t trained to deal with the Pacettis. We need professionals.”

“Calli’s mates would be here in a heartbeat if you called them. Maybe you can even hire them for a little extra job… do away with Lorenzo once and for all.”

He shook his head. “We’re not killers, Quill. We’re nothing like those bastards.”

I knew he’d say that, and Callista’s husbands wouldn’t do something like that either.

But rage was fueling my thoughts at the moment.

No one would expect me to arrange a hit.

Lorenzo thought Kon was the brains in our business and handled everything.

He always looked at me like I was an idiot, and well, I’d been an alcoholic for a number of years.

Let Lorenzo think that of me. I would use it to my advantage.

“No.” Kon snapped, seeming to read my mind. “Don’t you fuck with the Pacettis. They have their fingers in everything. We’ll cut our ties with them the right way, through legal means.”

“Which they’re fucking with,” I shot back with a snarl. “They’ll keep running us in circles forever.”

“Our lawyers are better, and with the new tariff laws, we have a hand up on them.” Kon leaned forward on his desk with both palms flat on the top. He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t do anything stupid, Quill. You have no idea what you’re dealing with when it comes to the Pacettis.”

“And you do?” I matched his hard gaze. If something ‘stupid’ got rid of the Pacettis, I didn’t care what I had to do. Lillianna would be safe then. And no one would terrorize Aubrielle ever again.

“I know way more than you do.” His lip curled as if he just ate something rancid.

I wasn’t certain of anything when it came to the Pacettis, but I’d imagined the worst. Money laundering and murder were two of the things I was pretty sure about. What could be worse than murder?

There was no way I was going to let Lorenzo’s shadow hang over us forever. I turned and headed to the door. “Go make your call, Kon. I won’t bother you about this anymore.”

“Quill.” His voice contained a warning, but fuck him.

Kon had to behave as the CEO of our Birk family business and as a father.

I was no one’s father. Everyone expected me to act like an idiot, but my head was clearer than it had been in years.

My brother couldn’t take the action he wanted, but I could, and I didn’t care what happened to me because of it.

Just as long as my family was safe, and Aubrielle never shed another tear in her life.