Page 13 of Captive Omega

“Everything okay, Vaughn?” John asks.

It takes everything in me to drag my eyes from the black truck to the beta in his mid-thirties with the sharp gray eyes in the Ever Safe security uniform, a dark gray pair of trousers and button-down with a white name badge. As the boss, a uniform isn’t a requirement, but most days I still settle for something black or dark gray anyway.

John also has an issue leaving. It’s past 9 now, and he was supposed to clock out at 7. I’ve heard Cynthia chase him out of the building at the end of his shift before. I laughed, never suspecting my time was coming.

“Your shift finished two hours ago,” I remind him.

He nods. “Just wanted to do one last walk around.”

I lift my brow. “And it took you two hours to do that?”

His expression doesn’t change. “It was a slow walk.”

Snorting, I shake my head. We all have reasons for being at Ever Safe. I’m not sure what John’s story is, but his level of dedication suggests there is one, and it’s personal.

Ever Safe is a place free from alphas forever—and that includes the three alphas who own it. So I’m here, not because I’m the best security specialist. It’s because I’m a beta in Lucas Security, the best security company in the city, and Rune asked Garrison to recommend the best person for the job.

Since I can’t be here all the time, we train security staff off site, and we expect our recruits to pass five stages. Interview, background checks, reference checks, training, and a final interview, this time with Pack Ashe.

John is one of seven betas to have passed all five stages so far.

Seven betas out of the hundred candidates who applied in this round.

With the regular flow of applicants we’re seeing, we can afford to be picky. We’re paying well, the hours aren’t long, but our requirements are exacting.

In a couple of weeks, we should have enough applicants to fully staff both this Ever Safe location and another east of the city. Then it’s a waiting game for the next location to go up.

“Something caught your eye?” John shoots the idling black truck across the road a rapid glance.

“Everything’s good.” I force myself to turn away from the truck, silencing my screaming instincts to flash John a grin. “Just have a lot on my mind.”

John bounces his gaze from me to the truck and back again. “Do you need backup?”

I shake my head. “Just a lost tourist.”

Probably.

My instincts are jack shit. Whatever this thing is, it isn’t anything worth investigating. Just someone lost and pulled over to check their map. That’s all.

So why the hell are you lingering?

John scrutinizes me for a beat.

He must have been military once before. A lifetime ago from the edges of his buzz-cut having grown out and the way he holds himself. Stiff. Formal. That and when Garrison finished up our interview, he started to salute.

“Do you need a ride?”

“No. I have somewhere I need to be.”

I toss him a cheeky grin. “Or someone to see?”

He returns my gaze steadily and proves, yet again, he’s no fool. “No someone. Just home. I couldn’t help but overhear Zach say you’re always the last to leave, even when you have no reason to stay.”

Yeah. There’s that.

“Just want to be sure everything is as it should be before I leave for the night. That’s all.”

So it has nothing to do with the fact you tore into this assignment like a rabid dog, using it as an excuse to dodge the guilt, frustration, and the pain of going home?

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