Page 53 of Fight

“I’m not interested in a fight over territory,” I say slowly. “We’ve always lived relatively peacefully, moving in and out of each other’s cities as work permits. I can’t imagine having that change due to a fuck up on my part.”

I was too busy to pay attention to what Arthur was saying, and I still have a large measure of guilt over it. I could have stopped Cerenity’s night of terror, but on the other hand, she’s exactly where she needs to be now.

“That may be true,” Shaw murmurs, “however we still have a missing omega and an alpha who came into my city and fucked shit up.”

“Well, if it makes a difference, Arthur is dead,” Jasper drawls. “We killed him a few hours ago.”

The restaurant we’re at is completely empty, a luxury I recognize and don’t mind paying for. My aunt slipped out the back entrance once we came in and locked the door, flipping over the ‘closed’ sign as she went. Aunt Meryl is a smart, hard woman who understands my life is dangerous and I need safe places to have conversations.

I’ll leave her five hundred dollars on the bar when I leave for the privilege. It’s not a hardship, and I know my aunt needs it for her grandkids. Let her spoil them on my dime, it’ll make her happy.

“That’s correct,” I confirm as Shaw’s shrewd eyes glance at me. Everest and Ambrose simply stare at me impassively. If I was a softer man it would be intimidating, but I’m not, so I ignore it.

“The pig squealed as we chased him down, and then fed him to his brethren.”

Everest’s lips twitch in amusement at my words, but I know I’m still playing a dangerous game. Cerenity is friends with their omega, and this could still have serious repercussions.

“That’s nothing less than he deserves,” Shaw says. “What about the other people that hurt Cerenity, Tommy?”

“My men are rounding them up and disposing of them as we speak,” I say. David is very capable of doing this, so I didn’t need to give much direction. There will be a blanket execution along the old guard.

Shaw doesn’t need to know any of this though, so I press my lips together to hold back the information overload. “Let’s just say that the pigs in the countryside will be eating very well today. Arthur had a group of men who were taking their orders from him instead of me.”

“I’m well aware of what it’s like to have to clean house,” Shaw grunts. “It’s a long and arduous process, and one I don’t envy you. If that’s all taken care of, then the last thing on my list is the girl. Was she sold?”

The only person who shows any emotion to that is Jasper, and it’s more in the form of shifting his weight with a grimace. The auctions are a point of contention for him, and we’ll need to visit Clara soon about her business practices.

I would love to shut down her place entirely, but the omega sex trade is too lucrative for others to be able to do that.

Another place will just pop up that hides their location from us, and it’ll be harder to help when we need to step in. I’m glad I don’t need to go visit Ophelia in Minnesota, because her ties with Rock Dresmond would present an issue.

She’s also not dumb enough to sell anyone that may have important people looking for her. No, Ophelia makes certain to research every person who walks through her doors.

Clara, on the other hand, I’m sure only denied taking Cerenity because she was beaten up.

“No, she wasn’t,” I grunt. I can’t stay close mouthed for too much longer, because Shaw is a human lie detector. It’s why I’ve been so careful with my words, but it won’t work. I need to tell him the truth, at least some form of it.

“I have the omega in a safe place.”

“Tommy, you know that’s not going to fly,” Shaw says, cracking his tattooed knuckles. “The girl is important to my pack and my omegas. She’s under our protection, and her life is in Minnesota. You can’t just give me some half assed comment like that. What the fuck does ‘safe’ mean to a man like you?”

Struggling to remain impassive, I bring up the handcuffed omega in my mind. Yeah, I guess I can see his point. Cerenity is ‘safe’ because I know her every movement, which isn’t what a normal person thinks it to mean.

Shaw is probably right to ask. I’m a fucked up, possessive mafia man who just found his mate. I’m not about to give that up anytime soon.

“It means she’s mine,” I growl, surprising myself.

“Fuck,” Jasper whispers, merely voicing the berating I’m giving myself in my mind.

“How exactly is she yours?” Ambrose rumbles, leaning forward. I know he’s the deadliest of the three, and I need to tread carefully. Fuck it, I’m going to come clean.

“It’s complicated,” I grunt. “There’s more than just the car wreck in the intersection and his joyride through several states. Arthur beat Cerenity up along with his friends, and then tried to sell her to the madam of an auction. Clara told them the omega wasn’t worth it, and sent them on their way. Cerenity was barely able to get away without being raped, so Arthur decided that he was tired of playing and tossed her into the dumpster outside of the gym. I have a feeling he may have been high at the time, because I doubt he’d shit where he eats otherwise.”

“They tied her arms behind her back, and threw her inside covered in blood for the rats,” Jasper continues. “I was there late with Tommy, and the screaming brought us out.”

The alphas simply stare at us to keep going, making me growl under my breath.

“Jasper pulled her out, and she was covered in blood, cum, and garbage, so we didn’t recognize her until much later,” I explain. “Augustine, her business partner asked to speak to us with one of our fighters, which is when things began to click into place.”

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