Page 56 of Curvy Nerdy Omega

Was it part of my destiny to agree with every parental figure I had, but hate them for their choices anyway? Why? What was it about me that insisted on things being a certain way – so much so that I couldn’t stand it when those things got all messed up?

I’d rather avoid the entire situation if I couldn’t get things to work out the way I wanted, but Francisco had constantly side-stepped all my avoidant habits until I’d been forced to choose.

My eyelid started to twitch again and I rubbed at it with a sigh, wishing this could all just go away. But I knew better. The Valor pack was now involved with the Lopez pack and I had to use every tool at my disposal or I might not be able to solve a murder like this.

Not with the kind of money and power legacy packs possessed at play.

“Pop wants to know what you want to do with Arturo. Once he has your answer, he’ll make a public announcement about him. Oh, and he wants to meet with Valor. Oddly, Liam asked me to set up a meeting with my father as well, but I have no idea why.”

Why the fuck would Liam want to meet with Francisco Lopez?

I glanced up at the camera in the corner of the ceiling and gritted my teeth. He’d conveniently chosen not to tell me about that.

“I think my father likes Cassius.” Frankie studied me as she tapped the rose to her lips again. “Probably because he was so insistent he could protect you even though you work as a detective, but maybe it was because he asked my father where he was during Gideon’s murder since that’s what you would want to know, not whatever it was Liam had asked for.”

Francisco was definitely the kind of person who would like someone as powerful as Cas – someone who knew what it really meant to be an alpha. It didn’t matter if he had blue eyes or red. Francisco didn’t care about things like that. He only cared when it came to Frankie, and it pissed me off that I understood why no matter how much I didn’t like his reason.

“Is he going to give us his alibi?” I spun my chair to face Frankie, giving up on pretending not to be interested.

“It should be in my inbox already.” Frankie smiled slightly and tossed the rose on the table. “There’s going to be a meeting between Valor and Lopez this Friday and my father wants you to be there. We’re also obligated to go to the next quarter’s legacy function if we want unrestricted access to his business deals and contacts.”

That was a small price to pay for something like that, but the idea of showing up at a legacy function seemed…unwise.

“Am I also obligated?” I held my breath and waited for her answer, hoping that I would be granted a small miracle and there was a way for me to get out of this.

“Yes, you are, but you get to choose whose plus one you’ll be.” Frankie smirked at me, a small twinkle in her pretty blue eyes that reminded me of every time she’d announced someone had a crush on me and I’d completely missed all the signs.

“So, you or…?”

“You can choose between someone from the Lopez pack, or Liam.”

I watched as she got up and crossed the office to grab the bag with the bao buns, rummaging around in there to give me time to consider all my options.

Neither of those were a good choice.

Legacy events were public functions similar to the Met Gala in status. There was always a red carpet and the dress code was black tie or something you’d see on a fashion runway. It was publicized and filmed just like the Oscars or Emmys.

The only difference was that once you were inside and the speeches were done it was locked down and there were no paparazzi or journalists allowed inside once that happened.

I couldn’t just sneak into those events unless I was working as the help and whoever I chose to go with would define how the world viewed me. I would be officially associated with that pack and all the things that would come with that.

Choosing Frankie would be the safest option since I already knew Francisco didn’t care about my job or tattoos, but this was something I’ve been avoiding for over 15 years. I didn’t want her to lose out on potential options simply because everyone assumed we were bonded.

And if I went with Liam…

Would he even want me to go?

“How much time do I have to decide?”

Frankie took a big bite out of the bao bun and grinned at me. Clearly, she knew who I wanted to pick, but she didn’t say anything about it for which I was eternally grateful. “Until Friday.”

Of course. I should have realized he’d want me to choose by the meeting.

“Did you know my father has been doing research on dominant omegas ever since taking you in?” Frankie asked, as she sat down at her desk.

“I knew.” Considering how much I dug around in his computers, it would be impossible not to know. “I just didn’t think it had anything to do with me.”

“Well, my father apparently suspected you might be one because of your father.”

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