Page 17 of The Forgotten

“My omega was almost born in captivity,” Gabriel says evenly, his brown eyes filled with the need for my blood. I was wrong when I said these men were all alphas, it’s clear by his thinner stature that he’s a beta. Every one of these men are dangerous, though. “Olivia doesn’t need any of your bullshit.”

“We attempted to intimidate her to get her to keep her mouth shut. Clearly, that didn’t happen,” I say with a wave of my hand as if to dispel the messiness of that situation. “The rest is private business between Olivia and my pack. It seems a little odd to air out personal business, doesn't it?”

“Our family has very few secrets,” Jasper says with a wicked flash of his teeth. “My mother-in-law and I took shots of tequila together while imagining what your blood would look like sprayed over the walls. How isthatfor personal?”

Is that true? Did I misjudge her?Fuck.It doesn’t matter now. I still don’t think she has what it takes to survive our lives. What’s done is done. She definitely can’t handle my father.

“It sounds like you have a very healthy relationship,” Cai snorts, his legs splayed wide. “Are you only here for her or did you want to discuss business?”

Cian and Hayes exchange a glance before Hayes removes his firearm. Jasper and Tommy do the same, while my brothers andI do nothing. While we’re all armed, it’s a draw on who would be able to shoot first.

“Business is my favorite subject,” Cian says with a grin. “Let’s talk reparations for offending a daughter of the mafia and the fact that you attempted to slither into Minnesota with nary a fuck you, how ya doing?”

Goddamnit. My father warned me that Cian likes to play with his food, and I can practically feel myself wiggling on the hook.

“We can discuss recompense as long as we will be allowed to remain in Minneapolis,” I say calmly. My foot desperately wants to tap, but I push my shoes into the plush carpet to keep still.

My brothers and I have all learned how to have excellent poker faces due to my father’s not so gentle ministrations. I have a scar from a hot poker in my side from when I was ten years old and unable to keep my head. I learned very quickly the importance of decorum when it’s necessary.

It’s why my brothers and I let loose in private. Boiling pots of water will always boil over and need an outlet.

“We have a lot of people who depend on us for their paycheck,” Cai adds. “The business actually is legitimate, and where we’re laundering money through.”

“So that’s your angle,” Cian muses.

It’s no use lying at this point. Fuck, all of this really was for nothing.

“My father is pretty adamant that his money be laundered as far away from California as possible,” I reply. “We have a large philanthropic branch to our business where we are donating money to help others, and that’s also legitimate.”

“Outside of that, we are an advertising, marketing, and branding company,” Aled says. “We hired the best the Midwest had to offer, offered to cover moving costs, and also have some people telecommuting. I needed an assistant, which is how Olivia came into our orbit.”

“I think she’s cured of wanting to rejoin the workforce, thanks to you,” Tommy mutters. “We‘ll be lucky if she ever leaves the house now.”

Jasper smacks him over the head hard, making Tommy wince as he realizes that he said too much. My heart cramps at the thought that we fucked Olivia up this much, and Aled rubs his chest before dropping his hand.

Whoever says that rejecting your scent match ends any kind of alpha instincts toward your omega is a fucking liar. Instead, it leaves a consistent ache behind.

“So. What’s it going to take?” I ask bluntly.

“A million dollars donated to Omega’s Haven and the acknowledgment that you’ll leave the shady shit outside of Minnesota. I don’t care how you clean your money, as long as it doesn’t impact anyone in this area. My resources state that you’ve been operating for over a year in our city as it is.”

The glares around the room make it clear that we’ve already done that.

“Done,” I say, nodding. “Aled?”

“I’ll transfer the money in the morning so it goes through the correct channels," he says. “Will that be all?”

“That’s plenty,” Cian says, standing. “Give our regards to your father.”

God, I can only imagine how that conversation will go. Cian has us all by the balls and he knows it.

GARETH

I’ve been hiding bugs in places I’m not supposed to for years inthis house. Just because the company hasn’t been established for long, doesn’t mean we haven’t been living here. Dad wanted my brothers to get the lay of the land before they launched their business.

It was no skin off my nose to go upstairs when I had just hidden several more devices today before my adopted brothers arrived home. Maddox is always finding them and destroying them, so I decided to turn it into a game.

He was too distracted to search the room for bugs before we had visitors, and now I can finally find out why they’re acting so cagey. I’m not an idiot, I know they think I’m a liability.