Page 45 of Toxic Revenge, Part Two (Mafia Omegas #2)

Chapter

Forty

VIOLET

Audrey Alfieri’s garden was unmatched, even in the burgeoning winter, and I was desperate to see it in the glory of spring. The winding pathways, fountains, and lightly landscaped foliage gave it a look almost as natural as a walk through the forest, but with the charm of the English countryside.

She cared for it like she cared for her children: wholeheartedly.

I’d only spent a few days here, and she cared for me the same. It was overwhelming when I’d grown up with a mother who may not have even had a heart.

Escaping out here was a necessity, and possibly an opportunity. I wouldn’t dare make this call in the mansion with the ever-present security teams and cameras. I’d been told that out here the camera footage was only accessed if there was an incident, and never watched live.

Sheltered from the cold breeze in a gazebo surrounded by trees and bushes, I stared at my phone, finger hovering over the call button.

“West always told me not to trust them too much,” I said. “Only for small favours, and only for emergencies. They could have any kind of motivation for what they do; they could be allied with anyone.”

But I trusted them.

When I’d revealed at sixteen, a woman had found me crying in an alley. She’d given me a business card with a Cal’s Diner order written on the back.

There was nowhere else for me to go, so I’d called.

The mysterious group on the other end of the Cal’s Diner phone line was the only reason I’d found West. They told me he and his pack would be safe, and they’d been right.

What would they know about Benji O’Connor? Feral bullets? Would it be helpful for anything at all? Could they have information that was worth the risk of asking for it?

I shouldn’t be making this decision on my own, but I wanted to help. They’d sacrificed so much for me.

My finger lightly tapped the call button.

I would be vague with my questions so it wouldn’t put Talia or my brother’s pack at risk.

“Cal’s Diner in the picturesque city of Banfield. Anything I can help you with today?” Starfall’s animated voice came over the line.

I recited the code I’d been given years ago and had used on a semi-frequent basis since then. “Will you serve me if I drive a scooter through your drive-thru?”

Two clicks sounded across the line. “We’ll do our best. Wanna place an order for drive-thru pickup?”

“Yes, please. A tropical pineapple smoothie and teriyaki chicken bites.”

A short pause and single click signalled it was safe to drop the ruse. “Line is secure,” she said. “Although I’m not sure if you’re as secure as you should be, Vi. Your location is tagged as the Alfieri property. You know, like the mafia family?”

Her tone was suspicious, but not harsh. I hadn’t thought about the location, but of course she knew where I was. It was stupid to call after all.

I took a few deep breaths, trying to come up with a lie.

My hesitation had Starfall speaking again, more urgently now. “Vi, if you’re not safe, cough twice. Or smack something loudly. Whatever, but do it exactly twice.”

“No, that’s not it!”

They didn’t need to bring out the cavalry. They would have if I’d been in danger. It was kind of what they did; helping omegas in need. At least that’s how they’d pitched themselves to me.

“No one here wants to hurt me. But, um, someone wants to hurt a friend of mine, and I wanted to see if I could get more information from you.”

“We don’t get involved in mafia business.” That voice wasn’t Starfall’s chipper one. It was a smoother, more posh female tone. “Too messy.”

“I understand. I’m sorry,” I said.

“Wait, don’t hang up.” Starfall caught me when I was halfway to ending the call. “Muse is always too hasty. Tell me what’s going on—we might be able to help if it’s not too close to their criminal enterprises.”

“I’m cautious, not hasty. Don’t promise the poor girl anything.”

“You have a weird definition of a promise, if that’s what that sounded like to you.” Starfall laughed. “Go on, Vi. Details.”

“I’m looking for Benji O’Connor.”

Surely that wouldn’t be too much information to give them, right? I chewed my lip. Maybe I should just hang up.

Starfall stayed silent for a moment, but when she spoke her tone was somber. “You don’t want to meet him. I promise.”

“I don’t want to meet him,” I agreed. “But, um, a very close friend of mine needs to find him. Urgently.”

“Is that very close friend an Alfieri? We don’t take sides on mafia issues,” Muse said.

“Yes, but it’s not a mafia issue. Well, I guess it kind of is because she’s a mafia daughter, but it’s more of an omega issue.”

“Vi, did you make friends with the Alfieri daughters? How? No one even knows who they are.” Starfall sounded excited. “I’ve always wanted to meet them.”

“West is going to kill me for calling you and telling you about all this,” I mumbled. “He doesn’t trust you. Can we leave it at the bare minimum?”

Muse heaved an annoyed sigh. “As a bare minimum, we need to know why an Alfieri daughter needs to find Benji O’Connor so desperately.”

I could have hung up, but I was in so deep already. I’d told them so much, and they’d always seemed sincere to me. So, I blurted it all out.

“He bonded her against her will and left her stranded on the side of the road, in heat.”

“Why didn’t she reject the bond before he abandoned her there?” Muse asked.

“It’s a long story, and I don’t know all of it, but she’d already claimed him. He completed the bond. They’re bondmates, permanently.”

Neither of them said anything for a long moment. Then, furious typing sounds came through the line. “That motherfucker ,” Starfall yelled. “Oh, hell no. He’s not getting away with that. I know those O’Connor hideouts like the back of my goddamn hand. I’ll find the hole he’s biding his time in.”

Muse didn’t have any complaints either.

I rocked back and forth on the bench seat as I waited to see if she could find something. Emilia hadn’t found anything, and she was a computer genius.

Could Starfall, or was this a futile effort?

If it was just a matter of hacking, I had no idea who would come out on top, but it was possible Cal’s Diner might have more resources.

I’d never told West, but I was pretty sure they had an honest to God assassin on their team. Phantom, they’d called her. It had been a background conversation I’d overheard a tiny snippet of, but it was a hard thing to forget about.

They might all be assassins. How was I to know?

OK, all except Starfall. There was no way she killed people. She was too sweet and peppy to be a murderer for hire.

Muse, though? I could see it.

West was going to be furious if he ever found out I’d gone to a possible assassin’s guild for information on his omega’s bondmate. There was no point in hanging up now, though. They were already helping.

“Got it!” Starfall exclaimed. “He’s at the Jubilee Harbourfront Hotel. Medley Island.”

“Are you sure?” Muse asked. “That’s Brooks O’Connor’s home base. Benji is playing dead. Why would he be within throwing distance of his cousin?”

“See this camera angle?” Starfall asked. “Now look at the label. Unless Phantom put this in the wrong location, he’s at the Jubilee.”

The explanation appeased Muse. I couldn’t see the proof, but this was as good a lead as any we’d gotten. Worth checking out, at least.

“Thank you so much,” I said, mind racing with the possibilities. “Does he have a room? Is he there permanently, or only for a meeting? How much time will we have to find him there?”

“Don’t rush,” Starfall cautioned. “He’s been there a few days already.

Seems to plan on staying for a while, at least. He’s in room 217, faces the back alley.

Tell them to be careful, please. Like Muse said—that hotel is Brooks O’Connor’s base.

He’s not a bad guy, but if you stir up trouble, he’ll have to keep up appearances. ”

“I’ll warn them.” I stood up, rushing out from the haven of the gazebo and back into the garden. I had to tell West immediately, so he and his pack could decide what to do. Finding Benjamin was big—really big.

“You be careful too. It’s better to stay away from those mafia families,” Muse muttered.

“Should have told that to my brother before he decided to fall in love with a mafia heiress,” I said. “Thank you again. So much. I’m going to go tell him about this right now.”

I hung up, cutting off whatever Starfall and Muse were going to say next.

I hoped this wasn’t a trap.

If Benji really was at the Jubilee Hotel, Talia’s torment could be over soon, and more than anything else, she deserved peace.