Page 47 of Their Knotty Pack (Starbrook City Omegaverse #3)

Brody

I could have told Bethany that the reason I was staying late was to make sure everything for her restraining order to be filed was put together properly, but then she would have insisted it could wait, and then I would have to tell her that if I don't do something about that pack, I'm liable to rip their throats out if they ever look at her again.

And I don't think even the best lawyers could get me out of that one.

Not to mention, now I need to look at her contract. Even if she doesn't want to work there anymore, we can still get them for wrongful termination if they just found some bullshit reason to fire her.

If she won't give me a copy of her contract, maybe I can ask Noah Beckham to pull a copy from the OMS database.

"Hey boss?" Kane knocks on my door, a worried look on his face.

"What's up, Kane?" I lean back in my chair, running a hand through my hair.

"I just…it's about Gina."

"Gina?" I raise a brow. "Are you referring to Ms. Sterling, your client ?"

"Ye s," he huffs, "and she just…she just told me something really…disturbing."

My chest tightens slightly. "What is it?"

"She…she thinks someone's following her."

I frown, tapping my fingers on the desk. "Has she gone to the police?" If Hunter knew that an omega was being followed, he'd look into it. Not just because of the trafficking ring case he's been trying to crack, but because it's the right thing to do.

"She did," he nods once, looking down nervously, "she said…she said that they told her they can't do anything until something happens or until they have proof."

My teeth clench. "If something happens…there are omegas going missing. If something happens, she'll be one of those omegas. How is she supposed to be reporting anything if nobody can find her?"

"That's what I said!" Kane says in an exasperated voice. "One of your mates is a detective, right? Why don't—"

I hold up my finger. "One of my pack brothers. Not my mate."

Kane's brows shoot up. "But he's fucking you, right? Or you know, you could fuck him, I like to switch it up every once in a while with my—”

I raise a brow to him, indicating that this is information that he does not need to be sharing with me.

"Right, anyway, one of your pack brothers is a detective? Can't you say something to him?"

Oh, I definitely will.

"Only because I know for a fact that Hunter would never have turned away an omega who came to the police station for something like this, not because we're…you know. Friends or anything."

"Of course not," Kane gives me a lazy smirk. "Thanks for lookin' out, bossman." With that he leaves my office, and I huff out a breath before calling Hunter.

"De tective Song," Hunter answers in a professional tone, making my brows rise.

"It's Brody."

"Shit, sorry. I didn't even check my caller ID. What's up?" He sounds stressed as hell.

"Is everything okay with you?"

"Everything with me is fine, I just took a break from working earlier to spend time with Bethany, and now I'm playing catch up."

I frown. "Did you… want to spend time with her?"

"Of course I did, and it was amazing and great and I even kissed her—"

He what ?

"Hold on just a second. I thought you couldn't feel that way about anyone unless you have a deep emotional attachment."

"Kissing isn't sex."

"No shit."

"What I'm saying is…" he sighs, and I can just imagine how he's running his hand over his face. "It's not just like…one day the connection reaches a certain level and then poof, an erection. It's gradual, and that's where I'm at with her."

"Well then, I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," he sighs again, "now, did you call for a reason? I'm a little swamped on this case."

"That's actually partly why I'm calling."

"What do you mean?" His tone is sharp, and I tell him all about the conversation I just had with my employee.

"What the hell do you mean she was turned away ?" His voice is angrier than I've ever heard, none of that careful control present.

"That's what Kane said," I say carefully. "It normally takes more than this to get you to lose your cool."

"That's because every officer in that building, and every other precinct in Starbrook City is under orders to come to me directly with any reports from omegas like this.

" He seethes. "So there are only t wo options here.

Either she's lying, which I don't want to believe and don't see why she would, or we have a negligent officer at best, and traitor at worst."

I swallow roughly, not really clear on which one would be better.

Hunter continues, not really talking to me at this point.

"It would make sense, the reason why ninety percent of our leads never pan out, and how they've gotten away with doing this since before I even took over the case.

They've either been leaking false information, or, more likely, know when we get a tip and make sure to change their route…

.Dammit!" The sound of something hitting the wall on the other side of the phone has me jumping and my brow furrows, pulling my phone away from my ear to look down at the screen.

Did Hunter just…lose his temper? Before I can say anything though, Hunter's voice is back in my ear, his tone more collected. "Thank you for the information, Brody. What did you say the name of the omega was?"

"Oh. Um, Gina Sterling."

"Ask her if you can send me her information, and if she's not comfortable with that, give her my phone number. I have some calls to make." Then he hangs up.

My phone rings in my hand, making me jump, but I answer it when I see it's Hunter calling me back.

"And Brody? This goes without saying, but not a word of this to anyone. Not even your employees. This is…extremely delicate. If the wrong people realize we're onto them…"

"Noted." I choke out, and he hangs up again.

Fuck. A mole? In the police department?

"Surprise!" A familiar, sweet voice calls out from my doorway, and I look up to see Bethany standing in my office, two bags of take-out on her arm. "I brought you dinner," she smiles at me, and nearly all my panic flies out the window.

Nea rly.

"Well isn't that the sweetest thing ever," I grin at her, holding open my arms for a hug before trying to stand. Before I make it out of my seat though, she's putting the bags on my desk and crawling up into my lap, nestling her head under my chin.

Well, fuck. All my panic.

Something about her feeling safe enough with me to crawl into my lap makes something settle in my chest. Something distinctly…alpha. My mate is here, and she's safe.

"I missed you today," she murmurs, and I try not to let the guilt niggle at my chest.

"I missed you too, beautiful." I wrap my arms around her, pressing a kiss to her hair. "But I heard you hung out with Hunter today, so hopefully you weren't too lonely."

She leans back, her jaw dropping. "You guys are the worst bunch of gossips I've ever met."

A laugh bursts out of me. "Ha. No, I just got off the phone with him actually. He mentioned he had a wonderful time."

That makes a sweet blush spread to her cheeks. "What else did he say?"

That there's a mole in the police department.

That we could be in danger if they find out we're onto them.

That I can't say anything…does Bethany count in that?

Instead of risking it, I pretend I didn't hear her and change the subject. "What did you bring?"

She gives me a teasing grin. "Ah, onto the real thing you care about."

I roll my eyes. "Beautiful, you could bring me burnt rubber to chew on while you eat your own meal and I'd be grateful for the opportunity to just sit next to you."

She playfully pushes my shoulder. "Flirt."

"Yes?" I answer, and her head falls back, a light laugh permeating the air.

She shakes her head, giving a fake glare, before pointing at the bags, looking so adorably excited my heart feels like it just might burst out of my chest. "Chinese food.

I wasn't sure what you liked so I got a little bit of everything.

You just have to try the Beijing beef from this place though—" it's my favorite, "the egg drop soup is to die for—" my second favorite, "and don't even get me started on the spring rolls. I brought an orange soda from home—

"Hmm…Bethany?" I ask, tilting my head at her.

"Um, yes?" she asks, looking confused.

"How the hell did you get so perfect for me?"

She gives me a wicked grin. "You know, I'm actually a level thirteen spell-caster, and I've put you under a spell."

I gently take her chin between my fingers. "Impossible. No spell could create feelings this powerful."

And then my mouth is on hers, my fingers still gripping her chin as I capture every little breathy moan and gasp.

I pull back, staring at her, words on the tip of my tongue.

"Bethany, I…" the words catch in my throat.

Is it too soon? Well yeah, it's too soon, it's only been a couple of weeks, and we've been officially courting what…

a little over twenty-four hours? I don't know how, but I'm already in love with both of them.

"I think our food's going to get cold if we wait much longer.

" I say lamely, instead of the last two words that wanted to escape.

She gives me a soft smile before pecking me on the cheek and standing up. "Let's eat, then."

"So the real reason I came here," Bethany says, a pair of chopsticks between her fingers as she sits in the chair opposite me, her feet tucked under her.

"Yo u mean you didn't come just to bring me amazing Chinese food?" I ask with a grin, taking a bite of a spring roll. "I have to tell you, beautiful girl, I'm crushed."

She shakes her head like I'm being ridiculous. "As I told you, I don't want to work for the OMS anymore, so I'm not bothered by the whole firing thing—"

"I'm still looking at your contract though," I tell her. "Even if you don't want to work there anymore, their reasoning for firing you is bull." She arches a brow at me, and I realize I've cut her off. "Sorry. Go ahead."

"I'm not bothered by the whole firing thing," she says again, giving me a pointed look, "but I do…I have a proposition for you."

"Oh? What kind of proposition?"

"I want to come work for you." She says it with such confidence, such finality that my brows raise.

"You do?"

"Think about it, Brody. You guys are an office of alpha men.

How comfortable do you think omegas are going to be coming here by themselves, which they would probably have to do if they're in a position to need a lawyer anyway.

You need an omega around to put other omegas at ease.

To assure them that you're good alphas. Or someone to attend their meetings with them if they don't have anyone and aren't comfortable by themselves. An…omega advocate…and consultant."

Pieces of a puzzle start turning in my mind. "Isn't that what Pack Hansen did to you though?" I ask, looking at her incredulously. "Paraded you around their omega clients to gain their trust?"

She frowns. "In a way. But…number one, this is my choice. All I wanted back then was for my pack to not have anything to complain about. Now though…I want to help the omegas. I should try to undo some of the damage I caused."

"Damage?" I shake my head. "Bethany, what are you talking about?"

"Th e OMS had us pushing the 'happy ending' narrative.

How do I know that none of the omegas I helped find a pack ended up in situations like mine?

What do you want to bet that at least…a third of your clients need your services because I helped them find the wrong one?

Made them believe that our scent-matching process was foolproof.

" The last word comes out bitter. "I want to help, Brody.

I don't want to sit back and do nothing. "

My mind races, putting together pieces and wondering how this will all work.

"It'll take about a week to get things sorted, but…you're hired."