Page 119 of Big Knot Energy (Shadowverse)

Of course, the joy ride would either have to wait until Antonio was no longer a threat or would include a guard or one of our alphas.

“Want to go shopping? Or we could have an early dinner? You boys hungry?” I asked Abdel and Oscar.

Abdel shot a scowl at me over his shoulder at being called a boy, especially since he was not only close to my fathers’ age but a humongous, brooding alpha.

“We go where you go,” Oscar answered, glancing at me in the rearview mirror as he pulled into traffic.

“Food sounds good. Something hot and greasy. Bar food or comfort food. I don’t feel like going to a stuffy restaurant today,” Issa answered, snuggling into my side as I tightened my arm around her shoulders and nuzzled my cheek against the side of her face.

“Anywhere in particular?” Oscar asked.

“Nah. You guys pick this time. You have to have a favorite,” Issa said, resting her head against my chest with a wistful sigh.

My sweetheart was happy. I loved moments like this, loved when she was able to simply relax, when we were able to enjoy each other’s company without thinking about that fucking threat constantly looming over our heads.

Herhead. Not mine. That mother fucker was after Issa.

And according to her, there was literally no reason for him to be interested in her any longer since her fathers were dead and there was no power or wealth attached to her name.

The only reason he would still be sniffing around her was to control her, to continue his own form of abuse.

Or maybe for revenge.

Cowards like Antonio weren’t brave enough to go after the people who’d ended his opportunity to become some high roller in the criminal world, so he would go after Issa instead. He would punish Enzo and his pack as well as my alphas by hurting or killing Issa.

“My mom owns a diner,” Oscar announced nonchalantly as he guided the SUV down the four-lane road bisecting town.

“Ohhh. Yes, let’s do that,” Issa said, leaning forward and tapping Oscar on the shoulder. “I have so many questions for your mom.”

She smiled up at me and winked.

Both guards were pretty quiet, merely staying in the shadows and answering any questions we shot their way with monosyllabic replies.

And since they were so secretive and closed off, Issa and I had made a game out of teasing them and trying to get them to open up to us, even going so far as threatening to make Ax pull one of them on stage the next time we visited the club.

Oscar had smirked. Abdel’s permanent scowl had grown deeper, and a light growl rumbled from his chest.

The diner was quaint and not very busy. But the two guards ushered us toward the back of the room, putting themselves between us and the windows, exits, or anyone who might so much as pass our table.

Yeah, they were keeping both of us safe, but I could tell it was starting to grate on Issa, like she retreated a little into her old ways any time anyone acted as though there was a constant threat.

Because of the way she’d been raised, the way everyone in her life had treated her before our pack, she didn’t realize how common it was for alphas to be uber protective of their betaandomega, regardless of their gender. It was in an alpha’s genetic makeup to protect those they cared for.

Turning my head, I opened my mouth to remind her this was all temporary, but snapped it shut. She was tired of hearing those words from our mouths, tired of being reminded that her life was currently out of sorts because of the same fuckwad who’d abused her.

It was temporary. I had zero doubt her sister’s alphas would move heaven and earth to track that fucking alpha and end his life.

Then, we could go back to living our own lives the way we wanted.

CHAPTER 44

Issa

By the time we finished eating – and I’d had the opportunity to chat with Oscar’s unbelievably sweet beta mother – the sun was setting. There would still be a few more hours before the alphas would return, but at least I hadn’t spent the entire day in front of the TV.

I still had that warm fuzzy feeling deep in my heart that had started at the dress shop. It was so nice to have women in my life, women who cared about me. I had Cora now, sure, but now I had a mother figure, sisters, and even a best friend.

Never in my life would I have thought I would have become so close to a female alpha. Hell, I would have never guessed I would become close to any alpha, yet here I was, surrounded by them every day and loving every minute of it.

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