Page 31

Chapter Thirty-One

Leo

S aylor’s heat never fully hits. There were days of thick waves in Germany and two more once we settled into our apartment in Vermont, but she continues to have random heat spikes that don’t seem like they’re going to stop.

She’s had a fever and been unable to keep food down for so long that we have to take action. We do some research and get her in to see an omega specialist.

The doctor swears her system will settle down in its own time. Apparently, long-term suppressant use can cause side effects that last from days to weeks to even months in some cases.

He recommends lots of nesting, cuddles, and constant access to our pheromones to lessen her symptoms.

We follow his instructions to a T, and just over a week after her appointment, the post-heat cramps start. Once they do, she feels a lot better. The fevers stop, she slowly regains her appetite, and her instincts settle enough that she can let us out of her sight without having a panic attack.

She still has leftover trauma to process from the kidnapping and everything that happened after. We all try to gently guide her toward the possibility of therapy, but so far, she’s shut that idea down.

Shaw and Valor hover and worry to the point I have to remind them that she’s still recovering from the world’s longest, most erratic heat. She’s also bleeding and dealing with the post-heat cramps.

Omegas don’t just hunker down during their heat, they’re given time off to recover at home after. Once all of that comes to an end, her instincts will lessen. Right now, she wants her alphas close so she knows we’re safe, and she doesn’t want to leave the apartment. It’s a biological response.

Unless she does virtual counseling, she would have to leave what she considers her nest. So I’ve been pushing them to back off, at least for now. We’ll revisit it again when she’s had time to process everything that happened and decide for herself if it’s necessary.

It still blows my mind how much she seems to love our tiny-ass apartment. At first, I thought she was fibbing to protect our feelings, but the bond says she really does like it here.

It kills me.

I know how she grew up.

Shaw and I only kept this place to have somewhere to land between jobs. In no way is it built to house five adults, but I think she’s happy just knowing we’re all together.

That still doesn’t mean we aren’t going to buy her a decent place as soon as we can, because we definitely are. We’re just stuck in a holding pattern at the moment since Saylor has made it clear she wants to contribute money toward any house we buy.

We had no problem getting Omen and Valor through customs at the airport in New York, and our pack marriage paperwork has been approved in the electronic system. We just need to wait for the paper copies with the seal to come in. Once that’s done, Saylor can start the process of accessing her trust fund.

Shaw and I haven’t been back to work, and Easton knows we don’t plan to. At least, not in the same capacity we were before. If he needs us for a job here or there, I’m happy to work on a case-by-case basis, but I’m not doing full-time security for anyone but Saylor.

That’s why my stomach is currently in knots.

Easton called me and Shaw into the office, and he wasn’t in the mood to take no for an answer.

Saylor lies on the couch with her head against Valor’s chest and her feet resting in Omen’s lap. She’s got a brave face on, but she’s still just as terrible at blocking her emotions in the bond.

Truthfully, I hope she never gets the hang of it. Being able to tell when something is bothering her is a gift because she’s not always in the right headspace to verbalize what the problem is.

Shaw bends down, marking her cheeks with his pheromones. He runs his thumb over her jaw and gives her a quick kiss before standing. “We won’t be gone more than two hours, even if it pisses Easton off. If he won’t shut up, we’ll just get up and walk out.”

“No,” she says, shaking her head. “Don’t do that. We owe him for all his help getting Valor and Omen papers.”

I sigh and squat down in front of her. “I love you, sweet girl. We’ll be home soon.” Rather than giving her the chance to say it back, I push my lips to hers and send her a glimpse of my emotions in the bond.

“For the love of God,” Omen says, laughing. “You’re all so dramatic. They’re headed into the office. Not going on a one-way trip to another planet.”

Saylor smacks his arm as I pull back to breathe.

“I love you too,” she whispers, nodding frantically.

My chest gets warm and fuzzy.

That’s exactly what I needed before getting my ass handed to me by my boss.

* * *

Shaw and I lean against the wall in Easton’s office. Easton sits on one side of the desk and the senator is on the other.

Saylor’s father officially understands we bonded his daughter, and he’s tossed every vile accusation in the book at us over the last ten minutes.

We’ve defended our character, but the man won’t hear anything we have to say.

“I welcomed you into my home ,” he snarls, jabbing a finger toward us. “Trusted you with my daughter .”

“As we’ve already explained,” I say, struggling against the urge to stomp across the room and slam my fist into his face repeatedly . “Before we went to Europe, we hadn’t seen Saylor in three years. She’s an adult and fully capable of making her own choices.”

“Like that makes it any better. You’ve known her since she was a teenager ,” the senator growls back.

“Yeah, remind me again how many years age difference there are between you and that fucking snake you call a wife…” Shaw chuckles darkly. “Because our records seem to indicate the two of you are fourteen years apart. That’s a hell of a lot more of an age difference than we have with Saylor.”

“I’m going to destroy this company. You’ll never work with another high-profile client again once I’m done with you,” the senator growls. “Is this really how you want people to think you do business?”

“Enough,” Easton says, pushing to his feet and jabbing a finger across his desk at the senator. “You’ve had a chance to voice your concerns, and they don’t owe you any further explanations.” His hand curves toward his chest. “What you won’t do is threaten my business or my employees.”

“You’re going to choose to protect them over keeping me as a client?” The senator sounds shocked, but his demeanor gives away how surprised he is as he leans back in his chair. “You know how much business I’ve referred to you over the years.”

“You have,” Easton admits. “But I’m the only one who gets to rake them over the coals on a regular basis. Do you know why I get to talk to them however I damn well please, Logan?”

The senator hits his feet. “I never gave you permission to call me that.”

Easton pulls his hand back, adjusting his shirt sleeve. “I pay well, and my employees know I’ll go to war to protect them. Are you prepared to start a war with me?” Easton chuckles a cold, dead sound. “Remember, Logan , I have a signed contract giving me access to all the audio and video recordings of your home. That’s a lot of years to dig through. I’m sure, if I try hard enough, I can find a secret or two that you don’t want released to the world.”

“You mean, outside of the fact he’s a shit parent?” Shaw scoffs.

Senator Callahan sputters. “You wouldn’t dare. There are non-disclosure agreements in place.”

“You know as well as I do—confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements do not extend to protection against crimes committed.” Easton shrugs, a cutting smile crossing his face. “You’re aware of what kind of business I run. Try me .”

A shiver runs down my spine. I never want to be on the other side of that cold, dead smile.

“You’ve gotten what you felt you needed to say off your chest,” Easton says calmly. “And they’ve listened, but this ends here and now. I protect my people no matter what .”

The senator rolls his shoulders back and moves toward the door. “I won’t be continuing my services with your company.”

Easton laughs. “Legal is already in the process of handling the dissolution paperwork. We will, of course, hand over everything to your new company with the utmost professionalism.”

Callahan scoffs and makes a mad grab for the door handle.

“Logan,” Shaw says as the senator walks out the door. “Don’t contact Saylor again. She’s made her feelings clear. If she wants a relationship with you, she’ll be the one to initiate contact.”

“She’s my daughter!” the senator hisses.

“You lost the right to call her that when you chose your wife over her,” I say, tossing up my arm to block Shaw. He’s teetering dangerously close to pouncing.

“Keep her name out of your fucking mouth,” Shaw growls, shoving my arm away. “Don’t use her or your dead wife for sympathy. Not anymore, or we will find you, no matter who you hire to secure your safety.”

The door slams loudly behind Callahan, and I exhale in pure relief. He might be stubborn, but he’s not stupid. Easton was our ace in the hole to guarantee Saylor’s father stays in line.

Our boss turns to face us. “I think that went well.”

I snort, shaking my head.

That man lives in his own universe, but I agree. I don’t see Callahan risking his political standing just for revenge.

* * *

Shaw and I grab food on the way back to the apartment.

Saylor has finally started eating again, and seeing her appetite return was a huge relief after weeks of her barely nibbling. There are certain situations where suppressants make sense, but the doctor we saw here in Vermont explained that they shouldn’t be prescribed for more than twenty-four months in a row without at least a twelve-month off period.

Saylor had no idea, and I didn’t either.

Education around suppressants, heats, and omega care in general is severely lacking. Luckily, she won’t ever have to take them again.

Seeing her back to the vibrant, healthy version of herself helps alleviate a lot of my lingering stress.

She sits in my lap as we eat the burgers and fries we picked up on the way home, and I’m grateful to see her demolish all her fries and half of her burger.

“I’m stuffed,” she groans, dropping her takeout container on the coffee table and snuggling back against my chest.

“Me too.” I stretch a hand down, putting my box on the floor next to the arm of the couch. Once I’m done, I run my fingers over her stomach. “Are the cramps any better?”

She shrugs. “They’re manageable.”

“Manageable? Christ,” Omen scoffs. He sat on the floor to have access to the coffee table, and it highlights how badly we’re going to have to get our asses in gear to buy new furniture once we find a house. Even if we went shopping, this place doesn’t have the room to fit enough furniture for five people. “The spillover from the bond alone says they’re miserable.”

Saylor shrugs. “Cramps suck. At least they aren’t monthly anymore. Before a female omega presents, they come every month like a female beta would experience. Anyway, thinking about them only makes it worse. How was your meeting?”

Shaw takes over, filling them in on our conversation with her father. “I’m still not sold on letting Samantha off the hook.”

Our omega sighs. Her hurt floods the bond, and this time, it’s not physical discomfort. We’ve had this talk several times over the last few weeks, and I cut my eyes at Shaw.

He means well, but I don’t see Saylor changing her mind. Also, if she did want Samantha dead, that would be something we would need to tackle at least a few months down the line. If we did it now, we’d be the prime suspects.

“It’s complicated,” Saylor finally says. “I hate her. I want nothing to do with her. At the same time, she’s my little brothers’ mom. I personally don’t think the world would miss anything if she were dead, but they’re so young.” Her head shakes violently. “I know how much it hurt me to lose my mom. I won’t cause them that kind of agony.”

“We completely understand,” I assure her. It takes a little concentration, but with focus, my chest begins to vibrate with my purr. “It’s your decision. None of us wants to pressure you into making a choice you’ll regret.”

Saylor spins around, places her feet toward Valor on the other end of the couch, and rests her cheek against my chest. “That’s good because, while I love all of you, I don’t see my stance on this changing.”

“Sorry, princess,” Shaw says, shaking his head and staring at his boots. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just hate knowing what she got away with.”

“Me too.” Valor grabs Saylor’s foot and begins to massage her arch. “But she’s got to live with knowing what she did for the rest of her life. And she understands what kind of work Shadow Security does. I bet she’ll be looking over her shoulder for quite a long time.”

Saylor snorts, running her fingers over my purring chest. “Now, that’s the kind of payback I can live with.”

Omen’s eyes meet Shaw’s and something passes between them.

I sigh.

I’m sure they’ll mostly honor Saylor’s wishes, but I don’t think Mrs. Callahan is getting off completely free and clear.