Page 50 of Pretty When She Breaks

“Was,” Finch said, “until you decided to have some fun with him. Was it because he was your scent match? You think it’s funny to stick him in the Sink and watch him get torn to pieces?”

They must have heard the conversation, because there was no way they’d know otherwise. I narrowed my eyes, calculating how to respond. I could tell them the truth, that my father had signalled for Ocean to be killed. But that was risky. Right now, they didn’t know my father had wanted him dead, which gave me a minor advantage. I needed to try and get more information,

“Yes. I also could have outed him as a rat to my father,” I said.

Finch growled. “He wasn’t a rat. And there was nothingstopping you from just letting him go,” he spat. “No one suspected anything.”

“And yet, here we are,” I said. “Him in the cages and me dark bonded.”

“Now you’re going to get him out,” Kaos said, with a grin. “You’re going to go back to life as normal, except you’re going to tell us everything we want to know and do everything we want you to do.”

“Then what?” I asked. “When the time’s right, you blackmail my father?”

“That’s none of your concern,” Finch snapped, and I gave a brief nod before leaving.

If they were too dumb to figure out that plan was a death sentence, I certainly wasn’t going to tell them. I was just going to do what I always did.

Buckle in, grit my teeth, and endure.

Although…I didn’t want Ocean to die.

I stopped and leaned against the wall, biting my lip.

Seemed fitting that I’d shackled him, and his pack had shackled me right back.

“Come on,” Finch said. “We have some things to do now we’re staying here.”

TWENTY-EIGHT

FINCH

“What do you mean, you’re staying here?” Laurel asked, trotting after me as I moved back into her office. She had the audacity to sound affronted, and I looked at her in annoyance. Her scent was potent, swirling around me in a cloud of temptation. It was saturated in her sweet, floral scent, potent enough to wake up my body and send blood rushing south. She was our scent match; it was inevitable that we would feel attracted to her.

Still, I may have underestimated the intensity of the pull. She had changed into a light, airy pantsuit that clung to her hips, and the silky shirt that paired with it hugged the shape of her breasts in a distracting way. I’d bitten her on her side so the bite could be easily hidden, but now I couldn’t push from my mind the sight of the creamy, smooth skin of her waist, or how her hips had felt as I’d held her still.

It wasn’t a moment I was proud of, and the sinful thoughts of her only added to my shame.

Just biology, I reminded myself as I glared down at her.She was still complaining, and for a moment, I considered ordering her to shut up.

But despite how much I hated her, she was pack now. I’d chosen to bond her to us, and that meant I was now responsible for her. I didn’t have to like her, but I also wasn’t going to abuse the dark bond with petty commands.

“We need to be close,” I said as I started to set up a spare monitor she’d had stored away.

Her villa was way nicer than our shoddy apartment. I doubted we’d have to worry about power failures here.

Kaos was leaning against the wall, silent, tracking her with his eyes. She was smart enough to keep well away from him.

“I only have one bedroom,” she said, glancing at the living room.

Whirling around, I crowded into her space, and she flinched back. I paused, taken aback as she stumbled back a step and lowered her head in submission, her breaths coming in short, terrified pants.

I regretted turning to look at her again; she was triggering every one of my protective instincts. She was undeniably pretty, with wide, bright eyes, a cute upturned nose, and hair falling like a golden river down to her waist. It had been easier to ignore when she’d had that hard, haughty expression, but right now, she looked scared and small.

I shifted on my feet, my alpha side distressed at watching an omega so clearly terrified. Her scent was curling in the air, slightly soured and bitter. I wanted it to go back to normal, to that wild, earthy, alive scent that I’d smelled at first.

I bit back the apology my alpha was screaming at me to make. I hadn’t hurt her, and I didn’t have to make sure she was happy.

Turning, I walked away, leaving her to collect herself. Inodded to Kaos, and he sat down to unpack his equipment properly. I yanked out the cords of her monitor, and she let out a little outraged gasp. I glared at her, and her face flushed as she lifted her chin. She gave a little stomp of frustration before she marched off to her room. So she did have a bit of defiance in her, despite her fear.