Page 46 of Captive Omega

I’m still studying the strong slopes of his signature when Vaughn swings the door open and hangs in the doorway. “Hungry?”

“No,” I deny, as my stomach lets out a mournful howl. It’s really pathetic. I should have known two bites of a cold pancake was hardly going to see me through to lunchtime.

His expression doesn’t change, so maybe he didn’t hear it?

“Well, I am. Come on. I’ll make you something for lunch.”

“Why?”

“You’re hungry. I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”

Okay, so I guess he heard it.

He leaves, giving me the option to follow or continue staring at Garrison’s signature.

I follow, taking the NDA with me.

Vaughn has his head in the refrigerator as I hobble into the kitchen and take a seat at the island. “What case were you working on?”

“Oh, just the usual,” he says.

He couldn’t have been more vague if he’d tried.

“Why doesn’t Blaine like people touching him?”

He flashes me a quick grin. “Ah, noticed that, did you?”

“Yes.” I wait for him to tell me something I don’t already know.

Vaughn pulls out a package of ham, sniffs it and returns it to the refrigerator, muttering, “Yeah, not risking that.”

“So, where’s everyone else?”

He continues to poke around the contents of the refrigerator. “Around.”

And god help me, his vague answers are like an itch inside my brain. I want to know more. I need to know all the stuff he isn’t telling me.

“Garrison said he has a case he’s working on. He wanted my help,” I say, hoping to prompt more out of him than I’m getting.

“I’m happy to talk it over once you’ve signed that.” He nods at the file I left on the island. “Business is business. Not even a beautiful and oh-so distracting omega can convince me to squeal.”

“You said you didn’t mind breaking rules.” I say nothing about his compliment or flirtatious behavior. If I don’t notice it, I’ll stop liking it. And him.

“Bending rules,” he corrects me as he pulls out the makings of a sandwich. “Breaking that rule is one I might not survive if Garrison found out I was running my mouth.”

What the hell kind of case requires that level of secrecy? I’d tried to catch Sadie in a lie about them working on super-secret government cases, but maybe my guess wasn’t that far off? Maybe they are. And maybe I get to work on it too?

My excitement is an electric current crackling up my spine.

I cast a rapid glance at the kitchen doorway—wanting to make sure Garrison isn’t standing behind me eavesdropping. After confirming the coast is clear, I lean toward Vaughn. “Are you saying Garrison would kill you if you told me about the case?”

Vaughn aims a lopsided grin my way. “Turkey and Swiss cheese?”

That’s when I know I’m signing the NDA. I cannot handle not knowing.

Chapter 13

Blaine

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