Page 19 of Omega Tricked

“Maybe you could convince him that going to the cops isn’t a good idea.” Hank rubbed his jaw.

I grimaced. “But why wouldn’t we go to the cops? If we were kidnapped, that would be the normal reaction. Maybe it’s just easier to drop him off at his van after all. It’s less complicated.”

Gabriele shook his head. “I don’t agree. Think about it, Lex. Jesus, you would be close to him instantly. Otherwise, like you said, he’s going to wake up in his van ten times more guarded than before.”

I sat on the end of the bed, feeling unsure of what to do. “Okay, but I need a good reason not to go to the cops.”

“You could say you heard the bad guys talking about how they have the cops in their pocket?” Hank said. “There are plenty of dirty cops. He’d probably believe you.”

Excitement rippled through me. “Shit, he might even take me straight to the compound.” I met Gabriele’s gaze. “If this works, I owe you a fucking big bonus.”

Gabriele grinned. “I won’t turn that down.”

“Hey, what about me?” Hank grumbled.

I gave him a disgusted look. “You almost derailed our whole trip. Are you serious?”

“The kid was asking for it,” Hank muttered, giving me a surly glance. “Your dad wasn’t so uptight.”

Anger boiled in my gut. “Watch it, Hank.”

He pressed his lips together, his skin mottled. “I’m just saying, the Sabines break the law all the time. What’s the big deal with that kid?”

“We don’trapepeople.”

He chuffed. “Your dad has killed plenty of people. Don’t start acting like the Sabines are innocent.”

“That was Dad. Not me.”

Sneering, Hank said, “Keep this up and I’m gonna start thinking you’re soft like your dad always said.”

“You want me to show you how not weak I am, just keep talking,” I growled.

He clenched his jaw but didn’t speak.

I straightened and moved away from him before I did something I might regret. I blew out a tired breath. “Okay, we need to be sure housekeeping doesn’t come in this room. Also, we should gag the kid and tie his hands and legs ASAP. We don’t need him calling for help or making a run for it.”

“I’m on it,” Gabriele said. “I have rope in my room. Be right back.”

Hank stood. “What should I do?”

I studied him. “Stay out of my sight for the night.”

His mouth hardened. “Yes, sir.” He moved to the door and shot me a resentful glance over his shoulder as he left my room.

My stomach churned because I knew he was going to be a problem. I couldn’t have a man like him around. My family did plenty of bad shit, but rape was a line I wasn’t crossing. Illogically, it almost felt worse than murder. I couldn’t believe Hank’s behavior would have been cool with Dad. But something had made Hank think his behavior was acceptable. I was beginning to think maybe I’d known my dad even less than I’d realized.

Chapter Seven

Dylan

I opened my eyes, bewildered to find I was lying in a tub. My temples pounded and I was nauseated. My hands and ankles were bound, and there was a gag in my mouth. I started to panic, feeling as if I couldn’t breathe. Sweat ran down my face as I struggled against the tie wraps cutting into my wrists and ankles.

What the hell was happening?

The last thing I remembered was picking up the supplies at the Yellow Spring Medical Company. Had I gone somewhere after that? Had someone jumped me? Terror jolted through me as I realized I couldn’t break free from the tie wraps. I was trapped and close to hyperventilating from fear. I tried to slow my breathing because I was on the verge of passing out again. I pressed my face against the cool fiberglass of the tub, willing myself to relax.

It took a while, but eventually my pulse slowed, and the nausea started to subside. I looked nervously around the bathroom where I was being held. There was a pedestal sink, toilet, and the tub I was in. The floor was a tan ceramic tile, and there were no personal items of any kind on the counter. I trained my eyes on the small bottles of shampoo and body scrub in a basket on the sink. They had the bright yellow logo of a local hotel on them. So, I was in a hotel and not someone’s house? Was that better or worse? How had I ended up here? No matter how many times I searched my memory, I couldn’t remember what had brought me here. If someone had kidnapped me, I couldn’t imagine why. I had no money. No connections. I was the last person anyone would bother with.