Page 47 of All In

“They’d have it all wrong, though, wouldn’t they?” she asks, turning farther into my shoulder. “I don’t have the first clue why I’m involved in any of this or what your goal was in killing all those people. I basically know your name and that your family’s mess got me kidnapped. They could ask all day, but it would be just like with those last assholes.”

My head tilts as I try to parcel out if she’s lying to cover for Tanner.

He’s chatty, with not many brain cells.

I imagine she could bat her lashes, and he would spew a lot of information he was told not to share.

“I’m afraid you got tangled up in this mess because of Lyra. She gave your former captor’s information about my sister. They wanted more and tracked her to Chicago.” I frown, realizing she’s turning me into Tanner.

When, exactly, did I get so chatty?

“Only, they grabbed me instead,” she says. “Yeah, I got that part, but I don’t like that you’re implying Lyra had anything to do with starting all of this. To me, it sounds like your family’s problem spilled over to include me and my sister.”

“You’re correct,” I admit. Hopefully, Sparrow learned from her mistakes. When she ran, it started a chain of events that’s still playing out to this day. “I’m sorry for your involvement. Now that you’re in the middle of things, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to give me your trust for a little longer. If you want to ensure your safety, I need you to listen to the advice I give you.”

“Why do you even care?”

My right hand moves to intercept her fingers that are strangely tracing the indents of my abs. If she goes much lower, she’ll trigger a physical response neither of us are prepared for.

I clasp her fingers in mine, bringing our hands to rest closer to my chest than my cock. “I work for a company that specializes in countering omega traffickers. We’re not always on the right side of the law, but morally, the work we do is sound. I would offer my protection to anyone in your situation.”

Laken goes stiff in my hold, and she rips her hand from mine. “Good to know.”

With that, she rolls until she’s facing the bathroom and doesn’t say another word, leaving me to lie awake, pondering what the hell I said that made her so uncomfortable.

Laken’s scent floods my nose as I blink awake. The little omega is like a furnace, sweating against my chest. It’s the electric tinge to her smell that throws my system out of whack. My hand tightens against her bare ass as she wiggles against my hard cock.

Her face burns my skin, causing true alarm to rip through my system for the first time in too many years to count.

Is she ill?

Did she sustain some type of injury that has now become infected?

Her core shimmies over my dick, and my nose twitches with the scent of her perfume.

Good god.

I’ve been around potent omegas.

Vale and Kate both smell appalling to my senses. However, I find myself having a very different reaction to Laken.

Mount.

Rut.

Breed.

Claim.

My mind circles through all the things I’d like to do to her.

It’s alarming.

I consider it a gift that I’ve never been influenced by my instincts to pursue an omega.

And yet, my mouth waters with the need to taste her.

It’s a problem.

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