Page 64 of Not Ready

“No. I’m going to toss those. I don’t really need them anymore,” she says, finally pulling her hands down.

“Are you sure? You’ve got several hundred dollars’ worth of investment in this drawer. A few seem to still be in the packaging.” I bite my lip at the glare she shoots my way.

Her shoulders bounce as she shrugs. “I’m not planning to go back to doing cam shows.”

A wicked growl rattles out of my chest at the thought.

“No, Bishop wouldn’t like that very much,” I say to deflect from the fact I absolutely hate the idea of it. “But perhaps your alpha would like to use them with you?”

“Just get me a damn garbage bag,” she says with a huff. A low chuckle escapes my lips, and she jabs a short finger at me. “If you could stop staring at me like that, then that would be great.”

The look on her face only succeeds in making me laugh harder.

She’s so exasperated.

It’s utterly adorable.

“You’re a grown man. I’m sure you’ve seen a bright orange dildo with an inflatable knot before. If not, I’ll be sure to buy you one for your next birthday. Now, get me a trash bag.”

Oh yes, I see the appeal of Vale with an attitude quite clearly. I’d love to figure out a way to encourage more of it. I bring the drawer over, placing it within her reach. Her pretty pink cheeks make me ache to kiss her.

I’d like to see that blush cross her face for other reasons. “I’ll run out and grab some garbage bags from the supplies we brought. Don’t be afraid to dig around and keep one or two of your favorites.”

She snorts.

I brush a quick kiss over her forehead before spinning to head to grab the trash bags. Her light echoing laughter follows me from the room.

I’m not sure why it feels like a victory, but it sure does.

Holt is acting significantly shadier than usual, and I’m not the only one who notices it. We successfully finish packing her things, but it’s nearly five p.m. To leave now would put us smack-dab in the middle of traffic.

Holt stays with us long enough to check into a hotel, but he leaves before Vale and I even get the chance to see the room. He lets me know through a series of texts that he and Merryweather intend to visit The Kitty Cat Lounge to see if they can find any information or leads on Andrew Landis.

Merryweather and Hargrove have been limited in their movements, since one always needs to be with Kate. We generally prefer to have a team of two when walking into an unknown situation, such as the club.

Merrick is good, but occasionally, criminals are smart. They might know how to avoid the surveillance cameras, or they may choose to pop up again if they’ve seen Vale during our visit.

The hotel has excellent security, and I’m equally deadly when compared to my men.

I’m completely capable of keeping her safe.

Keeping her happy might be another thing entirely.

The little omega is cranky. I’m not the most astute human being on the planet, but I believe her feelings are hurt that Holt is acting so distant. Perhaps he’s just focused on locating Andrew, but if so, he’s got tunnel vision that, normally, would rival my own.

Vale takes a quick shower while we wait for the room service and calls to speak to Bishop upon exiting the bathroom. He made it safely to Boston, but beyond that, he keeps the details necessarily sparse.

She sits on the edge of the queen-size bed. Her nightgown seems to be stretched to capacity over her rounded stomach.

It’s strange.

Unlike Bishop, I’ve never seen her without the pregnant belly. But I’ve found myself growing quite attached to the idea of her and the baby sticking around, even after I gain my inheritance.

I also make a mental note to purchase her an entirely new wardrobe, outside of just the necessary items we picked up for the events she’ll need to attend while my family pack is in town. It’s not difficult to understand why she prioritized necessities, but it makes me quite uncomfortable.

Things will be different for her now. The thought doesn’t lessen my frustration.

The government needs to do better at patching the cracks where omegas fall through. It’s been a point of great contention for years.

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