Page 39 of Curvy Nerdy Omega

It had to sting to see the omega you’ve been taking care of for fifteen years respond to two virtual strangers who did nothing to earn that kind of response.

“This is the last thing I can do for her,” Frankie muttered as she started picking at her lip again. “It’s the one thing you and Liam can’t do. So…just let me have this.”

What the fuck was I supposed to say to that?

“I’m under no illusion,” she went on. “That Lucy is obsessed with you two.”

I couldn’t help my feral grin as I got onto the freeway.

“As much as everyone assumes I’ve been pining after her all this time, she’s my family. Not someone I want to bond and marry one day. She’s my little sister. Nothing more. Honestly, I’m relieved there’s an alpha, two alphas, who’ve caught her fancy. I’ve been so worried she’d be isolated for the rest of her life with only me to take the edge off of her instincts and we both know I’ve barely managed that.”

I glanced over at her as I pressed down on the accelerator, wanting to get this meeting over with already. “You’ve done a better job than you think.”

Frankie scoffed and dropped her hands in her lap. “If I was a real alpha, I would have been able to do more for her.”

Both of them were fucking crazy. “I was listening to what the doctor told you two,” I reminded her. “Without you around, Lucy would probably be dead. You’re the only alpha she trusts.”

I kept my eyes on the road, but I could see her whip her head around to stare at me in shock and outrage. Frankie’s red hair flared, catching the small rays of sunlight and for a second I could smell the sweet, yet tart scent of tangerines and something that reminded me of ice cream.

“You really think she would have killed herself if she didn’t have me?” Frankie scoffed again once she’d recovered from her shock. “I highly doubt that. She’s the strongest person I know. If it weren’t for her, I’d be the dead one.”

I shook my head and glanced at the GPS before getting over so I could take the exit ramp. “You two have a really fucking weird relationship. Did you know that?”

“Oh, like you and Liam are any better.”

She had a point.

I shrugged and checked my phone to see Lucy was in her apartment with Liam’s blinking dot was right on top of hers. I tried not to think about what he might do if provoked. I couldn’t worry about him right now.

Meeting Francisco Lopez without having to go through all the red tape was a small miracle and we couldn’t let this opportunity pass us by.

We needed to know how the Lopez alpha reacted to the news of what we’d done to his heir and if we needed to immediately restructure our employees.

But if Frankie was right, I had a feeling Arturo was going to rot without any consequences because his alpha valued Lucy, not his heir.

“For what it’s worth, I think you’ve done better than any other alpha could,” I muttered as I headed toward the private road that would eventually lead to the Lopez compound. “Every single thing she’s wanted to do, you’ve facilitated. Even going so far as to make sure she can defend herself and use a weapon as well as any beta. Not only that, but you also created the Genesis Armed Detective Agency. For her. Because the police wouldn’t hire an omega. She looks comfortable in her own skin and doesn’t try to conform. You gave her the space to do that and still feel safe. I highly doubt most alphas could give her that safety and structure without limiting her freedom. But you did.”

I did the polite thing and turned the music up loud enough to make my ears hurt, pretending like I couldn’t see the tears pouring down Frankie’s face.

Hearing her call Lucy her little sister had settled something in me that was difficult to acknowledge when I’ve been ignoring my instincts my whole fucking adult life, but I knew what it was.

An alpha with a younger omega sibling was even more protective than a bonded alpha to their omega. Frankie would kill for Lucy – she’d do anything, because Lucy was her family—her’s to protect. And always would be.

Liam and I weren’t her rivals, we were the alphas who’d help shape Lucy’s pack along with Frankie.

As long as we were all on the same page, we’d figure this out and Lucy would never have to be alone, or choose between us.

Now all we had to do was figure out what her life was worth to the only legacy alpha in the city who was as powerful as Liam.

CHAPTER 15

Cas

I shut the door to the Explorer, my shoulders tense as I studied our surroundings. No one came out to greet us and there weren’t any guards around the main manor like I’d expected, which was a warning and a threat.

Francisco Lopez didn’t fear an ambush.

“My father…our relationship is complicated,” Frankie muttered as she yanked on the lapels of her blazer before running her fingers through her hair like she expected him to criticize her appearance the second she walked through the door. “Whatever you hear…don’t ask problematic questions until we’re back in the car and off my father’s property.”

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