Believe It or Knot: Part Two (Runaway Omega), page 2
The man had raped me. Attacked me. Destroyed me. I wanted to tear him down, to do so much more than just spit on him, but it was a start.
His glare sliced me into ribbons while he ripped out his pocket square and mopped his face clean. “You always were an unruly horse that needed breaking.”
My chin jutted up insolently. “Fuck. You.”
Anton balled his fists, crushing the fabric, and took a barely restrained step closer.
The door opened and Huck and Reed’s scents washed over me, making me want to gag.
Huck’s hand landed on Anton’s shoulder, holding him back. “Don’t damage the merchandise. It’s not worth it.”
“Merchandise?” I questioned rebelliously.
Anton’s entire demeanor shifted, somehow turning more dangerous and predatory. A victorious glint shone in his eyes.
“Why yes, my little pet.” He stepped into my space and gripped my arm, yanking me closer until his breath fanned over my face. Revulsion and anger mixed into a wicked storm that raged within me. “You’re a business venture that’s gone south, but you should know that I never cut my losses. I don’t lose, and I always recoup my investment.”
two
DEMI
Anton’s grip on my arm bruised as he led me down a long hallway. Everything was sterile, with white tile floors, grey walls, and an antiseptic smell. There was nothing distinguishing about the place other than the notable lack of windows and the bright fluorescent lights that were poor replacements for the sun.
Doorways were dispersed at even intervals, each one closed, just as mine had been for the last two weeks. I couldn’t help but wonder where they led. Were there other small, prison-like rooms behind them? What the hell was this place? And more importantly, what had Anton meant when he said merchandise?
You have to get out of here.
I squirmed as I was practically dragged down the corridor, doing my best to stall and come up with a plan. It was futile. I was too weak from everything I’d been through, but I’d be damned if I made whatever Pack Silver had planned any easier.
Using what little strength I had left, I fought back. Despite how my shoulder ached, I tried to loosen Anton’s grip. And if that didn’t work, well, at least if he was going to drag me out of here, he’d have to actually drag me.
“If I were you, I’d choose to behave,” he threatened with a low hiss. “Or would you rather I drugged you again?”
“I have sedative options if you wish, Mr. Aster,” Doctor Jenkins offered dryly from where he followed behind us, clearly not impressed with my resistance.
My heart stuttered at the threat, and I stopped struggling. Being sedated would ruin any chance I had to find a way out of this.
“Wise choice,” Reed praised, sending me a vile wink over his shoulder from where he led the way. It made my skin crawl like millions of ants were marching along my arms and down my spine.
I ground my teeth, glaring straight past him. I wouldn’t give any of them the benefit of a reaction.
Think, Demi, I scolded internally.
Truthfully, Anton taking me out of that tiny little room was the best chance I had at escape since he’d captured me. Transitions often created points of weakness, right? If I wanted to save myself, this was it.
As if sensing my thoughts, Huck stepped to my free side and wrapped his hand around my other bicep like a manacle. Between the two Alphas, they effectively jailed me as we walked to an elevator and took it up several floors. The door opened with a ding and I was led into a dark parking garage.
So, they’d kept me in a basement level of some larger complex, then. Hidden away, underground.
No wonder my pack hasn’t found me. I tried to hold on to that small grain of hope, hoarding it like the precious treasure it was. It was possible they were still alive and just hadn’t located me yet. Please, please let it be true.
My heart thundered as they led me toward a dark, unmarked van that looked sketchy as hell. I slowed, digging my heels in to stop the inevitable, but it was no use.
Anton released me like I was dirty and he couldn’t stand touching me for another second. Using the momentum, Huck used his grip on my other arm to spin me into his chest. My nose wrinkled automatically as his burnt chestnut and charred oak scent wrapped around me. I recoiled from his touch as he tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear, but I tried to suppress the shiver of disgust that rolled through me. If he noticed, it would only add kindling to his hate-fueled lust.
He always loved it when I fought back.
“You were fun while you lasted, little sparrow,” he purred, leaning down and slamming his mouth over mine. My lips ground into my teeth as I pressed them together to keep him out.
A sharp bite stung my bottom lip as he nipped—hard—breaking the skin and leaving me bleeding. He sucked at the wound, then pulled back with a satisfied growl. His hands fell away as he adjusted his growing erection.
This was my chance. Go! Run!
I shoved him away, and he chuckled sadistically. Turning on my heel, I didn’t waste a second. I took off, my feet slamming against the concrete as I pushed myself as fast as I could go.
Thudding footsteps echoed mine. My heart burst with panic and adrenaline, and I dug deep for any dregs of strength remaining, begging my body to move quicker. Reed’s ominous laugh sounded so close to my ear, my pulse stuttered in fear.
I felt his breath on my neck just before powerful arms wrapped around my waist and he caught me. I flailed as he lifted me off my feet, pressing me into the barrier of his chest.
“So predictable,” Reed purred, returning me to the others despite my protests.
With my arms pinned helplessly to my sides, I wrenched myself back and forth in his grip. Kicking and crying out, I did all I could to break free. To get away. To save myself.
“You know we like it when you struggle.” He licked a line up the side of my neck before burying his nose in my hair and inhaling deeply. “Fuck. Are you sure we have to do away with her? I always liked her scent.”
“We’ll find a better Omega,” Anton replied tersely.
A better Omega…. It hit me then. Really hit me. They were getting rid of me.
With an exaggerated sigh, Reed set me down, spun me, and pinned me against the van. My hand shoved at his chest, attempting to keep some distance between us. All it did was make him crush me into the metal, his eyes flaring from my tiny, pained gasp.
His thumb pressed into the wound on my lip, smearing the blood around. Pressing his thumbnail into the cut, he made it worse, ripping it open even more. I winced, unable to suppress a whimper.
Reed’s half-hard dick was a fiery brand against my stomach, and I wanted to vomit. “I’ll miss the sweet sound of your cries, little mouse.”
“Such a shame. I thought you might be the one we kept, sparrow,” Huck commented, absently flipping a knife through his fingers as he watched Reed and me. “Luckily, we’ve got plenty of other little birds to choose from.”
My head swam as I realized this was them saying their goodbyes. I was both elated, yet terrified. It seemed like a blessing in disguise, but there was no way they were letting me walk out of here free and clear. Hence the freaky van.
“Please,” I begged, “just let me go.”
Anton tsked. “Oh, Demi. Such illusions. That’s never going to happen. You were expensive, and, as I said, I’m not keen on losing money on an investment.”
“I am not an investment,” I growled.
“That’s where you’re wrong. Your father traded you to me for a hefty favor, and I need to recoup my losses.”
Trying to stall, but also devastatingly curious, I asked, “What kind of favor?” Whatever it was, it couldn’t have been worth trading his daughter’s life. Was my father really that much of a monster?
Reed smirked viciously, all too happy to fill me in. “He gave us you and a venue to hold our quarterly events in trade for pushing through some legislation that gives him the rights to redevelop the downtown strip of Silver City’s riverfront. Once those properties are torn down and rebuilt, he will have the potential to earn billions in profit.”
“And we’ll make a nice little cut from every sale,” Huck bragged with dollar signs in his eyes.
The truth sank through me like an untethered anchor in the deep sea. My heart dropped to my feet. I’d always known my father had betrayed me, but hearing it stated so bluntly and learning the ins and outs of their deal stung.
My own flesh and blood hadn’t cared about me more than money and opportunity. I’d been worthless to him. No… worse. I’d been so valuable he’d treated me like an asset. A thing. A possession. And Anton viewed me just the same. I was a chess piece they moved at will. Chattel to be traded or sold whenever it suited them.
I’d never felt so dirty and meaningless.
“I’m nothing if not a businessman,” Anton smirked, his glacial eyes glittering with opportunity. “There were other developers that propositioned me for the same deal. I almost accepted one of them until your father sweetened the bargain by offering me his delectable Omega daughter to seal our arrangement. If only you’d behaved like a good little Omega, you would have been growing round with our child. You could’ve lived a life of luxury.”
Reed groaned as though the idea of me bred turned him on. My stomach soured, and I barely contained the urge to wretch when his hand snaked down my body to splay over my stomach like he was envisioning what would’ve happened if Anton had successfully stopped me the night I ran.
“All you had to do was take care of your pack and we would have spared no expense on your upkeep. But you had to fight back, didn’t you?” Anton prodded, the question rhetorical. He wasn’t looking for an answer. He wanted to put me in my place—beneath his shoe. “You had to run, and now look at you. A whore for another pack who only wanted a warm hole to sink knot-deep into. You’re ruined goods, Demi Leigh, and soon, you won’t be our problem any longer.”
I shoved at Reed again, trying to dislodge him from where he pressed against me. Tsking, he grabbed my wrists and pinned me like a butterfly to the back of the van. He grinned as he held me hostage, enjoying my anger and disdain.
I growled, furious. “I’m not your pet,” I spat. “Fuck, I’m not a pet at all. I’m a person. An Omega. I don’t deserve to be treated as property. That’s all I’ve ever been to you.” Derision dripped from every word.
Anton’s eyes flashed with challenge. “You’re wrong. Omegas are meant to serve. They need an Alpha to obey. It’s biological. A part of your nature you’ll never escape. Detest it all you like, but Alphas are superior. You’re nothing without us. I’m the one in charge here, Demi.” With a flick of his hand, he motioned to Doctor Jenkins, who crossed the lot from where he’d been lurking in the shadows since we got off the elevator.
“It’s ready for you.” He handed a syringe to Anton before being dismissively waved away, and my entire body grew cold.
No! Not again!
“You belong to me until I say otherwise. You’re an asset of Pack Silver, which makes you mine to do with as I please. And today is your reckoning.” He popped the cap off the needle and despite how much I struggled in Reed’s hold, regardless of how much I screamed and fought back, I couldn’t stop the sharp jab in the fleshy part of my outer thigh. Tears tracked down my face as Anton held up the empty syringe with a cruel, vindictive tilt to his lips. “All set. Your future awaits.” He nodded toward the van.
Tears dripped down my cheeks as I glared at him. The power was out of my hands. I’d been kidding myself to think I held any at all with Anton, Huck, and Reed. I couldn’t change what was happening and probably had little time left before whatever he’d drugged me with kicked in.
But I still had choices, and one of those was to use my remaining time as wisely as possible.
My throat was raw from screaming, my voice raspy as I pried for more information. “How did you do it?”
“Do what?” He peered down his nose at me like I was barely worth his time or the energy it took to hold a simple conversation.
“Erase my name from the Omega database.”
He cocked his head, eyes crinkling in the corners as his gaze narrowed. “How do you know about that?”
“I have my ways.”
“And I have mine.” He was silent for a beat, so quiet I didn’t think he’d deign to answer me until he shrugged a shoulder, deciding that conceding this small bit of information couldn’t damage him. “It’s the first rule of business, and one you’d do well to remember. Money motivates people. You can buy just about anything these days, including paying some lowlife who makes minimum wage to scrub a name off a list.”
I scoffed. It was always about money or power. Often, both, all wrapped up together in a neat little bow.
This man ruined my life. And for what?
All the loathing I felt for him built in my chest until I couldn’t hold it in any longer. “I hate you.” There wasn’t a strong enough word to convey just how much enmity I held for Anton and his pack.
He huffed a sarcastic, unamused laugh. “Trust me, the feeling is mutual. You’ve been nothing but a headache and a disappointment. It’ll be so sweet to watch your downfall.”
“No. It’ll be sweet to watch your downfall.”
Anton stalked forward, shoving Reed out of the way and gripping me around the throat. His fingers squeezed enough to cut off my oxygen supply as he lifted me onto my tiptoes. “I’d like to see you try, pet.”
Oh, I’ll try. And I’ll succeed. As I gasped for air, I vowed that he wouldn’t see me coming. One way or another, I was going to take this man down and ruin him the same way he’d ruined me. I didn’t know when or how, but I’d make this pack rue the day they learned my name.
Anton hauled me away from the van, keeping a tight shackle on my throat. I scratched at his wrist and hand, trying to loosen his fingers. Huck flicked his knife shut and pocketed it, then wrenched the back doors open as the rapid beat of my heart spread whatever poison they’d injected me with.
Anton shoved me toward Reed and Huck.
“Toss her in and let’s go. I won’t be late for our own event. We have some high-profile investors coming tonight, and they’re all going to want attention,” Anton ordered, dropping the syringe to the ground and smoothing a hand down the sharp line of his tailored suit, straightening it like he’d just walked out of a business meeting rather than an abduction.
I was out of time, and dread shot through me as the others dragged me toward the van.
“Stop! STOP!” I screamed at Huck when he lifted me as though I weighed nothing and tried to shove me into the vehicle.
The back had two doors which swung outwards, and I used my feet to catch the edge of the frame, trying in vain to keep him from getting me inside. He growled and repositioned my struggling body. Twisting and flailing, I fought with everything I had as he forced me into the creepy-ass van. Pain shot through my hip as I landed on the rough metal floor.
“You brought this on yourself, little mouse,” Reed patronized, waggling his fingers, waving goodbye, as they slammed the doors shut. “Such a waste of a good pussy.”
Banging on the back, he signaled whoever was in the driver’s seat that they were good to go. The van lurched forward, and I scrambled for the doors. The handles wouldn’t budge, no matter how hard I wrenched them. They’d locked in me from the outside with no way to escape.
My head swam as I watched Anton, Huck, and Reed saunter toward a black town car. Reed walked backward, tossing me a wink and blowing me a kiss before swinging around and sliding effortlessly into the sleek vehicle. It was much more their style than the dark, shoddy work van.
My ride, on the other hand, had no windows on the sides, and an internal metal wall blocking off the front cab. It didn’t stop me from banging on every available surface and begging for mercy. For freedom. My nails chipped and bled as I tried to pry the doors open. My fists were sore from how hard I pounded on the small back windows, hoping they’d crack, then break.
Sweat beaded on my forehead and my growing headache thundered while the world spun. Everything turned fuzzy at the edges. I listed sideways as the van bounced over a speed bump. My shoulder slammed into the wall, and I groaned, reaching to rub at the sore spot sluggishly.
Why are my arms so heavy?
Holding onto my thoughts was like trying to grip smoke. They slipped right through my fingers, the fog settling over my mind, making it hard to remain coherent. I blinked, practically falling asleep as I slumped to the floor of the van. Lashes fluttering, I begged my body to cooperate and stay awake.
Need to fight. Escape.
I swallowed compulsively as my fingertips began to tingle, the numbness spreading through me.
What was I saying? I couldn’t remember. Need to sleep.
Giving up the struggle, I let my eyes fall closed and embraced the peace the darkness offered. It wrapped around me like a blanket. I’ll rest. Just for a second. Just for one….
three
DEMI
Fragments of reality filtered through the haze of disorientation. I remembered nothing about the ride in the van. Only darkness, tinted windows, and the nauseating rocking of the vehicle as it traveled.
I’d slipped in and out of consciousness, clawing to those moments of lucidity. I could only guess how long I had been out of it..
My brain was fuzzy and disoriented as dark-clad men dragged me from the van. I was too drowsy to remember their faces or any defining details. Even their voices sounded like they were echoing down a long tunnel. It felt like I was viewing the world from underwater. Everything swam in and out of focus. My vision was soft around the edges, shaky and unfocused.
After that, there were nothing but snapshots, the images glitching in and out like a faulty connection on an old TV. I couldn't distinguish between what was real and what wasn't. The deep blue of the night sky. A tall, old building made of glittering glass. Infiltrating pools of warm light from distant street lamps. An alleyway straight out of a slasher movie. A dark doorway that led to more darkness—always darkness. And my father’s smiling, unmoving face… on a real estate sign?
