Page 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Omen

N ot only are we faced with a pouty, confused omega, she’s bloody well combative when we have to shuffle her from the makeshift nest.

“Where is Shaw? What is happening? It was just starting to smell right in there,” she sobs as Valor carries her out wrapped in a blanket.

Upon telling the two sleeping beauties that we would be leaving in ten minutes, Leo dressed quickly, but Saylor fought me the entire time I helped her into sweats and a T-shirt.

Ridge kept her suitcases from the hotel she was kidnapped from. So, she has her own clothing, but with her in the middle of her heat, it’s easier to go with soft, simple options.

Valor stomps out into the hallway with Saylor in tow, but his words are easy enough to pick up. He calmly lets her know we’re leaving, and the sound of his boots hitting the stairs comes next.

Leo’s eyes meet mine as he pulls his boots on, working on getting them laced up. “What happened?”

“Best guess?” I shrug. “The facility. All their gear seemed familiar. Shaw is fine. He’s getting cleaned up before Saylor has the chance to get a look at him.”

He nods. “Where are we headed?”

“Ridge mentioned our papers are supposed to be done later today. Rather than waiting for a courier, we’ll be heading to grab them directly from the forger.”

“Jesus,” he murmurs. “What are we going to do if Saylor has a wave of heat on the plane?”

I sigh, shaking my head. “Not a bloody clue.”

* * *

Ridge once again chauffeurs us about. This time, Leo ends up in the front passenger seat, Valor and Shaw take the middle row, and I end up with the cranky omega.

She’s wrapped up in the comforter Valor bought, and she rests against my chest. I sneak my hand under the blanket and find the bottom of her shirt. It seems important that I physically monitor her temperature to know when we need to whip out the thermometer.

Saylor is fine for now.

We filled her in on what happened.

She’s been pretty quiet since then. She might not be verbalizing her concerns, but she’s worried. It spills through the bond, despite her attempts to block her feelings.

I’ve already verbally assured her that everything will be fine, and for now, I think it’s best to provide physical comfort and allow her to process her thoughts.

“Do you think they’ll keep coming after us?” she asks after a half an hour or more has passed.

“I don’t see them putting in the effort to cross the Atlantic just to get retribution for a few employees they don’t give a shit about.” I squeeze her hip. “I’m more worried about how you’ll tolerate being on an airplane.”

The post-heat cramps haven’t started, meaning she’s either been experiencing backlash from the suppressants or the heat isn’t fully over yet. Without a doctor and blood tests, it’s impossible to guess which it is.

“Yeah, that could be bad, but I’ll manage. I think we’ll be a lot safer back in the States.” Her nose dances from my pec to my armpit, and she buries her face between my chest and arm.

I would normally laugh.

She’s fucking adorable, and watching her instincts play out is unreal. At the same time, I know how unsettled she is. If hiding in my armpit will help, I’m not going to say a word.

* * *

We visit the forger, collect our new documents, and drive another hour to the town Leo and Shaw’s boss sends us to.

It’s not one of the big cities either. It’s one I’ve never heard of before, but the tech guy specifically said we would only have a ten-minute drive to the airport tomorrow.

They’ve been on top of everything up to this point, so I don’t let myself stress about whether Valor and I will be detained at security.

The five of us settle into one small-ass hotel room while Ridge gets his own. He’s supposed to be dropping off all the weapons and gear to his contact here in Germany. It’s not like we can fly with any of it, anyway.

It’s a bit like Christmas as I examine my new documents. Apparently, they’ve given me an American driver’s license—which I will not be using for its intended purpose. They drive on the opposite side of the road in America. That’s bloody terrifying, but I’ve also got a birth certificate that makes me a year and a day older than I actually am. As well as a brand-new shiny passport.

“Seriously?” I ask, holding up my passport. “Oscar Miller, really?”

Valor snorts. “I’m Caleb Valenti, so…” He shrugs. “I guess we should thank the guy for keeping it close enough we can say we go by our nicknames?”

“Oscar is a fine name to go on your marriage certificate,” Saylor says, patting my back. She’s stretched out behind me on the bed, rolled up in the same blanket she’s been in all day. “Caleb is cute too. It won’t matter for long. You can change your last names when we do the pack commitment paperwork or the marriage certificate.”

“I would be shocked if Easton hasn’t already got that in motion,” Shaw says, pulling off his boots one by one. He tosses them next to the table and meanders over, climbing onto the bed behind me.

“That’s probably a good thing. We’re going to need access to my trust to pay back whatever penalties he’ll owe from the house being destroyed,” Saylor says. “It’ll be convenient to not have to wait ages for them to approve our pack paperwork.”

“As shitty as it sounds, there’s no way Easton rented that house in a way that legally ties it to him or Shadow Security,” Leo says, grimacing.

“You ain’t kidding.” Shaw snorts. “Sorry, princess. You’re getting a front-row view of the ugly side of being bonded to criminals.”

“That sucks for whoever owns the house,” Saylor says, humming. “Maybe we can send them an anonymous box of cash or something once my trust pays out.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Shaw says, but even I know how unlikely that is.

It would give a searchable mailing history that could be followed back to the US. Depending on which post office it was mailed from, they all have cameras nowadays.

That idea is something we’ll have to gently guide her away from. Or possibly they’ll find some sneaky way to make it happen. She really is too good at her core to be saddled with fuckers like us.

“By the way,” Leo says, drawing me out of my musings. “My contact in London was able to retrieve everything from your apartment.”

“No shit?” Valor asks with wide eyes.

Leo nods. “It required him to call in a few favors, but he made it happen. He’s going to mail everything but the cash to our apartment in Vermont. He’s asking for fifteen percent to wash the cash because that will need to be done by wire transfer. It’ll also take some time to deposit it in a way that won’t draw attention.”

That sounds rational to me, and I check in with Valor, who nods. It also speaks to why it’s ill-advised to mail massive amounts of cash. It can get stuck in customs, and that would initiate a full-scale investigation.

Only criminals mail tens of thousands of dollars in cash.

“The other option would be for him to purchase gold through a supplier and have it mailed to us. Then we would just need to liquidate it, but I think the wire transfer is simpler,” Leo says, glancing between me and Valor. “I can probably talk him down to ten percent.”

Valor shakes his head. “No, it’s only right. Tell him to keep the fifteen percent, but ask him to get insurance and tracking on the package with Clara’s ring and my photo albums.”

“That won’t be a problem,” Leo says, but I’m barely listening at this point.

Saylor’s perfume floods the small hotel room.

Bloody hell.

What will we do if that happens while we’re in the air?

* * *

All our nerves are shot the next morning. Saylor ran a fever all night, and it’s still high as we pack up to head to the airport. She swears she’ll be fine, and that she can tough it out if she has to, but I don’t think any of us have high aspirations for flying ever again. We’ll probably end up on a watch list somewhere.

This is why omegas are told to stay home and nest leading up to and during their heats. Indecent exposure laws still exist, even for omegas. I might not have a knot, but I won’t just let her suffer.

She’s been in sweats and T-shirts the entire time I’ve known her, but she dressed in a soft dress from her belongings this morning. At least it’ll give us easy access if it comes down to it.

Hmm, I wonder if anyone has ever had a train run on them in an airplane bathroom above the Atlantic.

I’m sure it’s gone down at some point, but this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us.

The airport Ridge pulls up to is tiny.

“Are we sure this is the right place?” Leo asks, leaning forward in his seat.

Ridge chuckles darkly. “The boss didn’t tell you?”

“Tell us what?” Shaw growls.

“Easton sprung for a private flight. We’re flying back to the States in style.” Ridge continues chuckling. “He said to tell you it’s your wedding present.” The big fucker pulls into a parking spot and cuts off the SUV before turning to face the back of the vehicle. “I’m betting it’s because of the perfuming omega, but let him call it a wedding gift.”

“Thank fucking God,” Shaw mutters, turning toward Ridge from where he sits in the passenger seat. “Private airlines never give any trouble about documents. Why the hell did you wait until now to tell us?”

Leo nods. “You know how anxious we’ve been.”

“Stop your bitching.” Ridge snorts. “Come on. I cannot wait to be back on American soil.”

“Does this mean we’ll have the whole plane to ourselves?” Saylor asks.

“Yup, but no fucking mid-flight if it can be helped,” Ridge says, tossing open his door. “I’ve got plans to catch up on my sleep, and my earplugs didn’t stand a chance last night.”

She was quite loud. The walls at the hotel were also thin. I bet he did have a terrible time trying to sleep.

My head falls back, and a relieved laugh escapes.

Thank fuck.

Maybe now my hands will stop shaking.