Page 95 of Big Knot Energy (Shadowverse)

As I continued to look over the crowd, watching for anyone who might need a drink or refill of some form while all my servers were ogling the dancers, my eyes fell upon someone staring directly at Issa. Not the stage. Not the show. Not even the gorgeous omega at her back.

He was staring at my beta.

As the lights flashed, a beam ghosted over his face, and I realized I recognized him from a day we’d gone out with Enzo’s brother’s pack and their omega.

Issa’s fucking former alpha.

Before I could take a step forward, Issa’s hand landed on my arm. Turning my head down to her, she shook her head at me with a crease between her brows. Amir was unaware of the tension in the air, his eyes locked on Ax as he danced across the stage.

The rest of the place was completely unaware there was a dead man sitting among them.

Clenching my teeth, I swallowed back the growl that swelled in my chest and did my best to control my hormones. But when Amir’s head whipped in my direction, I knew he’d caught the change in my scent.

I smiled at him, hoping it looked genuine, then turned and pretended to watch Ax. When Issa was no longer watching my everymove, I pulled my phone from my back pocket and shot a text to Enzo.

Antonio is here.

Are you fucking kidding me?

In the bar.In Issa’s section.

No more bubblesdanced across the screen, and when I saw his head towering over the mostly beta crowd and storming in our direction, I gave him a shake of my head in hopes of getting him to reel in his rage before he got close enough to our beta and omega. Anything that happened needed to happen away from them and without witnesses.

But one way or another, that mother fucker would pay for how he’d treated Issa in the past then daring to breathe the same fucking air as her now.

His pace slowed and he was no longer shoving people out of his way, but his brows were furrowed so deeply a shadow was cast over his eyes that bounced between me and Issa.

As soon as he was close enough, he leaned and muttered, “Where?” so Issa wouldn’t overhear him.

I leaned in and told him the section and table number, his burnt wire scent telling me the exact moment he caught sight of the cocksucker who’d drugged and abused our beta.

None of us gave two shits that she was technically bonded to him at the time or that we didn’t know she even existed. We knew now, we knew what he’d put her through, and the fact he was here was more than enough to dole out a little back-alley punishment.

“Let your brother know. I’m sure he’d want in on this, too,” I said, leaning away from Issa.

But the way she kept glancing at us with a worried frown on her face showed she knew exactly what – or rather who – we were discussing.

Enzo leaned against the bar and turned his body away slightly, blocking Issa’s view from his phone as he shot a text to his brother and the head of a criminal empire. Not only was Issa his sister-in-law, but this cocksucker had threatened their omega. Seven alphas out for blood against one piece of shit who was currently glaring at my beta.

Or was he glaring at Amir?

Either away, the urge to cross the bar and pluck his eyeballs from his skull was not only strong but surprising. I was the voice of reason. I was the calm alpha. I was the one who kept the other two from sinking into rut or bloodlust.

But in this moment, I was struggling to keep my alpha instincts at bay, to refrain from storming across the room and putting Antonio down like a rabid animal.

Nah. That would be entirely too easy of a death for him. That mother fucker deserved pain. Lots and lots of pain.

Glancing up, I realized Ax’s eyes had found us and his usual flirty smile was forced as he worked through the last of the song.

Well, shit. I was having a hard enough time controlling my own instincts while hiding from our omega there was a threat in the building. But if Ax caught wind of Antonio’s presence, there might be no stopping him.

“We should send Issa and Amir home,” I muttered to Enzo.

He nodded once and stepped away, heading to the bouncer at the door. He then moved to each of our security spread throughout the room. Problem was, he didn’t exactly tell me his plan, whether he was telling them to keep an eye on Antonio, to keep an eye on Issa and Amir, to kick the asshole out…

The moment the song ended, and Ax stepped out of the spotlight, I smiled at Amir and guided Issa toward the end of the bar where the servers waited for their drinks. “Get your stuff and head home with Amir.”

Her brows slammed together, and she looked over her shoulder,searching until she found Enzo stalking toward us, his anger evident on his face and in every step through the club.

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