Page 82 of The Omega Verse

I put a hand on my hip and snort. “Since I can’t look at you without hearts flashing in my eyes, I don’t have much chance of that.”

“Good answer,” he murmurs, squeezing a hand down my bustier to play with my nipple, while stealing a kiss that makes my head spin. And yes, when I look back in the mirror, I have great big cartoon hearts where my eyes are meant to be.

And it doesn’t get any better when I check out the other guys. Jett and River are in their twinsies black leather pants, although Jett’s wearing a soft mesh tank, while River’s silk shirt is open far enough to put Steven’s mating bite on proud display. Since Silva is going to play in Steven’s stead, he’s swapped his Scare Crew hoodie for a t-shirt with my brother’s face on it. With his ripped jeans, black studded collar, and combat boots, he looks like a punk god, and I’m more than ready to fall at his feet in worship.

Kobi is wearing a more glamorous version of his cowboy shirt. It’s a silky black with gold braid on the shoulders and my name spelt out in red thread. My fingers have been itching to peel him out of it since he first put it on.

But it’s Tom my greedy eyes keep feasting on. I thought he’d wear his best jeans and a clean Henley, but he’s dressed in a Tom Ford cocktail blazer in black velvet and sleek charcoal pants. I don’t just want to rub myself against him; I want to crawl into his lap and have him carry me around all night long.

“You know, you can come with us to the press stuff,” River says quietly as he holds my hand. “That band only bullshit is just the label being anal.”

Since I’m gripping his fingers so tightly, I’m sure he can feel me twitch. “If you don’t mind, I’d prefer we just focus on dealing with Celine. I won’t be able to relax until then.”

His jaw hardens. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. She’s out of our lives after tonight.”

I just nod and give them all a kiss as the elevator reaches the mezzanine level. It’s restricted to industry people only, leaving Tom to escort me down to the ballroom alone. He clasps my hand as we walk across the marble lobby, my heels clicking on the gleaming floor. There are press and fans everywhere, and a few people give us second looks, but no one seems to connect us with the guests of honour.

There’s a security station at the big double doors, checking everyone’s bags before we enter. The burly alpha on duty studies my empty hands then slides a glance Tom’s way. When he digs our all-access passes out of his blazer pocket, the guy ushers us through with a respectful nod.

“Let’s grab a drink,” Tom says as we enter the ballroom, “then we can go wait for River.”

Part of the deal with Celine is for her to appear as River’s date for the evening. She wanted to walk the red carpet with him, which is one of the reasons the label put the ‘band only’ rule in place. I’m not sure how much they know about the abuse she’s heaped on their clients over the years, but at least River was able to use the restriction to his advantage. Celine wasn’t happy about it, but she still thinks she’s getting him for the rest of the night, so she grudgingly agreed to meet him backstage.

The ballroom has been decked out in black and gold, with shimmery lights twinkling on a midnight backdrop, and an enormous sinking sun emblazoned behind the stage. The room is already filling up, and I feel my palms growing sweaty as I think about what's at stake tonight. Which just makes me all the more pissed at Celine. This should be a night of celebration for The Sundowners, but instead, they’re dealing with extortion, blackmail, and the threat of a forced bond.

We have a few drinks – mostly to ease my nerves – and then just before seven thirty, I squeeze Tom’s hand and head backstage. Celine insisted that none of the other guys are present, since she no doubt wants to be the only alpha in the room. I know it goes against Tom’s instincts to watch me walk away, but I feel a flush of warmth in my chest from our bond. He might not like it, but he trusts me to stick to the plan.

My all-access pass gets me to the agreed meeting point, near one of the sound booths. Celine wanted a more public place - like a seat in the front row - but River stood firm. And as he joins me with a lingering kiss, we use the additional privacy to our advantage.

There’s a bank of speakers to our left and the thick black drapes of the wings to our right. With the sound booth at our back, there’s no one to watch River drop to his knees in front of me and bury his head under my tulle skirt. Except for Celine, who stalks out of the shadows like an enraged alpha come to claim her prize.

I have to admit she looks stunning in a gold sequined mini dress, her hair teased up in a dramatic crown. She’s still got the rock chick vibe going with black lipstick and nail polish, but there’s nothing attractive about the sneer on her face as she watches River pleasure me. I’m arched back against a speaker, and I feel a coil of satisfaction in my belly at the stark jealousy in her eyes.

Get used to it, bitch.

But I put a hand on River’s shoulder, my signal to alert him to her arrival. He takes his time coming out from under my skirt, and even though it was staged to piss Celine off, I love the hungry look in his eyes as he licks his lips. And he doesn’t hesitate to press them to mine as he wraps an arm around my waist. “Until later, sweetheart.”

I hum in agreement, but Celine just screws her nose up in disgust. “If I’m doing a threesome, it’s definitely not going to be with that,” she spits, looking me over with disdain.

I ignore the insult and cuddle closer to River. “You’ve been harassing the guys for years, making their lives hell. Don’t you have any shame, Celine? Or are you just that desperate for attention, even their hatred is enough for you?”

It’s something I genuinely want to know. I mean, she’s clearly screwed up, but if she’s spent any time around River, she must realise she’ll never have a real chance with him. River loves people for who they are and how they treat others, and Celine fails on both counts.

But she just stalks forward, her lip curled in contempt. “That’s the difference between an alpha and a little bitch of a beta like you. I take what I want. And I can promise you, after a night with me, he’s never going to give you another look.”

River’s hand tightens on my waist and I can feel his impatience to get this over with. “Show us the songs,” he says in a voice that borders on frigid. “And I want proof they’re the real thing.”

Celine huffs and runs a hand over her hair. “What kind of proof? They’re all dated. And they’re in his handwriting. How would I fake that?”

“Where did you get them, then?” River demands, like he doesn’t already know the answer. “Because there’s no way he just left something this important lying around.”

“He didn’t.” She gives me a gloating smile. “I took them out of his lockbox in your office. He was still doing that stupid sneaker thing, so it wasn’t hard.”

River gives a reluctant nod and holds out his hand. Celine opens her oversized purse and produces the same manila folder from the surveillance feed. She waves it under my nose. “How does it feel? Trading some paper for the man you love?”

I shrug, completely repulsed by the taunting gleam in her eyes. “You don’t need to tell me they’re worthless.”

She laughs in my face as she shoves them at me. “Nice try. These things are worth a fortune, especially since Steven can’t come back from the grave to write more.”

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