Page 85 of Omega Tricked

As I finished speaking, Charles gave an anguished groan from downstairs. Dylan immediately tried to push past me, and I stopped him. He struggled, swearing and trying to punch me, but I held him tight. “Calm down, you can’t help him,” I hissed.

“Fuck you,” he yelled, still fighting me.

I didn’t have time to be distracted by Dylan. I needed to get downstairs. The entire point of letting Hank at Charles was so I could get answers. I dragged Dylan to the bed, and I shoved him down on it. Gabriele had been kind enough to leave extra tie wraps on the nightstand, and I grabbed one for Dylan’s wrists and one for his feet. He fought hard, but I was way stronger than him. Eventually he gave in, and breathing hard, allowed me to bind his hands and feet.

“If you hurt him, I swear,” he shouted, his frustration obvious. He knew there was nothing he could do to help Charles.

“I have a right to avenge my dad.” I glared at him.

“Charles is no murderer. You know he’s taking the bullet for someone else.” His voice was urgent. “I’m sure it’s the Ancients who killed your dad. It’s not Charles.”

“The Ancients.” I sneered. “I can’t believe you buy that weak-ass story.”

“They’re real. There are a lot of things you don’t know, Lex. I’m telling you, there are amazing things you don’t know about.” His eyes glittered, and he definitely believed what he said.

“Like what?”

He frowned. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

“No. Not yet.” He looked away. “God knows what an alpha like you would do with that information.”

“An alpha like me?” I scowled. “What do you really even know about who I am?”

“I think I’ve seen enough in the last twenty-four hours to tell me all I need to know.”

I jabbed my finger at his face. “I didn’t ask foranyof this. What am I supposed to do, let someone murder my dad and just say, ‘oh well’?”

He had no answer to that. He scowled and rolled onto his side, facing away from me. “Go away. You make me sick just looking at you.”

I moved to the door, angry and frustrated. I slammed out of the room and took the stairs two at a time. I arrived in the living room in time to see Hank slicing a knife down Charles’s bare stomach. Blood dribbled from the wound, and Charles cried out, but his expression was still obstinate.

I stood over him. “Who killed my dad?” I demanded, still shaking from my encounter with Dylan.

Pressing his lips tight, Charles avoided my gaze.

Gabriele stood off to the side, his expression muddled. I got the distinct impression he wasn’t enjoying Hank torturing Charles. He was no more into this side of things than I was, but he had a more hardened attitude than me usually. He respected Charles, I could tell. Maybe that was why he found this so unpleasant.

“Why would you take the fall for something you didn’t do?” I tried to sound reasonable.

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“If I can’t punish whoever did this, why not tell me?” I leaned toward him. “Are you still trying to pretend the Ancients killed Dad? Why would they?”

He clamped his mouth closed again.

Hank had switched out his knife for a cattle prod. When Charles refused to speak, Hank jabbed the tip against the other alpha’s ribs, and Charles jerked and shouted in agony. Breathing hard, he gave Hank a look that said he’d kill him if he could just get his hands on him. Hank laughed and went again, and Charles yelled and swore, sweat slicking his body as he struggled against his restraints.

“Fucking asshole,” Charles screamed, standing, taking the chair with him. He advanced on Hank, only to get another jolt in the stomach. Charles fell on the ground, still strapped to the chair.

“That’s enough,” Gabriele shouted, moving to kneel beside Charles. He studied the moaning alpha, a strange look on his face.

“Get the hell away, Gabriele. What are you doing?” Hank looked pissed.

Gabriele’s expression was confused, and he stood. I wasn’t sure exactly what was going on with him, but it seemed obvious he was hating watching Charles being tortured. “Just tell them what they want, you moron,” Gabriele said to Charles, his voice harsh. “What’s the point of letting Hank do this to you?”

Charles held Gabriele’s gaze, his body trembling. “There are those who need protecting.”