Page 56 of Three of a Kind

I fall against the cushions, bringing her to sit on my lap. She cuddles closer, and her tart apple pie scent hits my nose. It’s acrid from her stress pheromones.

It sets my impulses on edge to a level I haven’t experienced before. My system screams to find the problem, so I can obliterate it and make my omega feel better.

“Are you doing okay?” I ask, even though I get the feeling she’s really not.

“It’s just…” She huffs, and her warm breath fans over my neck. “He showed up here to command me to do what he wanted. Why? Just to make his life easier? I don’t even believe that. It doesn’t make any sense.”

“I think your instincts are spot on about that entire situation,” I tell her, running my hands down her spine.

“I’m so anxious,” she whispers. “Him seeing us together… God, it’s going to be so bad.”

I frown, willing myself to purr.

Comforting omegas is literally why we have that particular ability. I haven’t tried in years, but I take a few deep breaths and focus on the sourness that isn’t normally present in her scent.

“Avan doesn’t get to control your life anymore.” Tilting my head, I brush my lips over her temple. “He never should have in the first place. That’s not how a healthy relationship works.”

She shudders out a warm breath that fans over the skin of my throat. “I know.”

“Do you?” I ask.

Damn.

I hope that didn’t make me sound like a dick.

“Yeah, it’s just hard.” She shrugs, running her fingers over my clavicle. “But that is ultimately why I left.”

My chest rattles with a ragged, underused purr that startles both of us.

Her fingers slide down, brushing over the vibration.

“Maverick, that’s…” There’s almost no space separating us, and she manages to snuggle deeper. “That’s so comforting.”

“Good.” My chest puffs up with alpha pride. It’s an indescribable feeling to be able to help settle her anxiety. “You’re safe.” Nova grunts and lets out a reminder whine that I told her she couldn’t leave her spot. “I had Nova stick in the dining room because of the wood flooring, but she’s dying to come check on you.”

“I don’t think I’m supposed to have pets in my apartment, but at this point, I just don’t care.” She loops her arms under mine and holds on to my shoulders from behind.

“Come on,” I call, slapping the side of my thigh.

Nova’s harness rattles as she runs off to check where Libby is.

“Listen, I know it’s a lot, but you’re not alone.” I bend, nuzzling my beard to the side of her head. “You have every right to be concerned, but you don’t need to be terrified anymore. Living in fear is over for you. I’m going to make sure of it.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Sweetheart.” I shake my head, and my hat bumps the back of the couch, so I tug it off and toss it aside. “Gunner and I go up against assholes like your ex on a regular basis. The company we work for is known for taking contracts no other firm will touch…”

I frown.

We never talked about exactly what Gunner and I do.

Not that night at the bar, anyway.

She clearly knows we do private security, but I’m also not sure the general public understands exactly the kind of contracts mercenaries take.

“I don’t know what that means,” she whispers.

“Okay, so, we do private security contracts, but we also do other types of jobs. If someone high profile gets kidnapped for ransom, and the family wants to keep it off the evening news…” I barely hold back from saying the full truth of the matter. A lot of clients want a team outside of law enforcement because they have rules they’re legally obligated to follow, where we do not. “They can hire the company we work for. We fly under the radar and retrieve the target.”

---