Page 117 of Knot My Sin

“He’s right,” Everest says. “When they were kids, there was a daughter of another mafia family, and they were thick as thieves. The two families were hopeful the girl would be an omega… maybe even their scent match.”

I look away, because the end of this story has always made me sad.

“What happened?” Wren asks, her voice raspy and low. My girl is smart, she knows it’s not good.

“She was kidnapped off the street when she went to the mall with her friends,” Shaw rasps. “They were fourteen, and their parents let them go because they had guards with her.”

“Bad things still happen,” I whisper, almost without meaning to.

“Shit,” Wren mutters. “I wish there was something we could do to keep this from happening. I feel so small and insignificant when I think of how many omegas get hurt.”

“We don’t know if she was an omega,” I tell her gently. “She hadn’t presented yet. It was her friend’s birthday, and she wanted to do something normal. The guys never got over it, I think. They feel that if they’d been allowed to go with her, she wouldn’t have been taken.”

Wren blows out a breath, and I know this feels really close to home for her. Opening my mouth to soothe her, I don’t have a chance to because we’re pulling up to the house.

“Please stick together tonight,” Shaw says as he parks the SUV. “Mingle, play nice, but don’t overshare.”

Nodding, the doors are opened by the Valet, and I slip from the vehicle so I can help Wren out. No one but myself or pack will touch her tonight. My skin is already beginning to crawl from being here, especially after telling the story of how Quinn was kidnapped from a busy mall.

The Kelly’s never got over it, and Quinn’s parents were devastated. They’re going to be here tonight too, funny enough.

Walking together as a unit, we move toward the stairs, and Wren startles as her brother walks out of the shadows to join us. My lips twitch because the bastard is enjoying his entrance as he scowls at us.

“This party is awfully ostentatious,” Jasper grumbles as he walks up the steps with us.

“Yes, because the British mafia enjoys their pubs and underground fighting rings instead of fancy parties,” Shaw teases him.

Wren watches them interact with each other with wide eyes. It’s hard to remember we’re all friends when we erected a wall around her two short weeks ago.

“Exactly,” Jas scoffs, making me cover up my chuckle.

“Are you playing guard today?” Wren asks before we arrive at the front door. Damn, there are too many fucking steps.

“I’m not playing at anything, little sis,” Jasper says with a smirk. “I’m your shadow tonight. You’re not going to make things easy in that get up, are you?”

Frowning, I kick her brother’s leg hard, enjoying the curse he emits as the door opens. Shaw squeezes Wren’s hand, shaking his head at her to tell her that Jasper is full of shit. She looks beautiful, and while she’ll garner a lot of stares, it won’t be due to something she can change. God, the sibling sniping is ridiculous right now.

“Pack Mohan and…?”

“Jasper Rivers,” he grunts. “I am acting as Pack Mohan’s guard for their omegas while they’re working tonight.”

“Very well,” the man at the door says with the nod. “Please come in, so that I can have you checked for weapons. As their guard, you may keep a weapon or two, so you may perform your duties.”

Thank fuck.

The alphas are patted down, while they ignore Wren and I completely. I have a knife strapped to my calf, just in case I need it. While I really hope it won’t be needed, I do know how to inflict damage.

“Have a good night gentlemen, and miss,” the door man says with a nod to Wren as he and the security guards, who patted everyone down, step away. There’s a huge basket filled with weapons that’s put in the coat check room with our pack name on it, which makes me internally roll my eyes.

“Here we go,” Shaw grunts as we walk. Wren and I are put in the middle as we move through the giant house, and my nose prickles from the scent dampeners. I can always tell when a room has them. My body can feel the otherness in the air, as if it’s annoyed by it.

My eyes take in the glittering dresses from the mafia wives and girlfriends as they chatter, some of them more dangerous than others. Their alphas chat between themselves, some business, other times pleasure. It doesn’t change the fact that I can feel their eyes pass over Wren and I as we walk by.

The next hour is excruciating as we make nice and chat inanely in the large ballroom while drinks pour freely. The ballroom has black and gold wallpaper, chandeliers, and a few scattered tables.

We’re not meant to be comfortable as we move from group to group to talk, so we don’t even bother. This event is about being noticed and seeing others.

It’s a stupid mafia power move, even though they’re attempting to squash a feud between brothers.

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