Page 16 of Knot a Thief

“Anything?” I ask, hoping.

“I want the omega. So yes, anything. As long as she can give me what I want, I’m fine with the process.”

“Then the hunt is on,” I say. And this time, there will be no easy way out for Avaline Darling. Not like before.

And what Max has planned for her, I almost feel sorry for the thief.

Almost.

I’ve been at this for hours, my eyes burning from staring at the screen.

The dark web is a labyrinth of illegal services and shadowy figures, but I know Ava has to be here somewhere.

She’s too good, too professional not to have a presence in this underworld.

As I scroll through endless listings of hackers, hitmen, and drug dealers, I can’t help but admire Ava’s skill.

She’s stayed off our radar for so long, operating with a level of stealth that’s almost supernatural. It’s as if she’s dampened her omega nature to become a ghost in a world of alphas and betas.

“Where are you?” I whisper at the screen as I scroll.

Just as I’m about to call it a night, a listing catches my eye. It’s not flashy or attention-grabbing, which is exactly why it stands out in this sea of neon promises and bold claims.

NO JOB IS TOO BIG BUT SOME DIAMONDS MAY BE TOO SMALL.

WE CAN GET WHATEVER YOU NEED.

The simplicity of it is almost elegant. Beneath the headline is a brief message:

Send a message with your requirements and expected timeline. Fee: ten percent of the value of the job. Minimum $100,000.

The contact name listed is simply “Lindon”. It’s not Ava’s name, but something about it feels right. This understated professionalism, the quiet confidence, fits everything we know about her methods.

I lean back in my chair, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. “Got you,” I mutter to the empty room.

My fingers hover over the keyboard as I consider our next move. We could set up another trap, but Ava’s too smart for that now. She’ll be on high alert after our last attempt.

Because there was no way she didn’t have a feeling about what lay in the hotel room once she got inside.

Everything was silent.

The corridor.

The hotel.

But she knew.

Unless someone else has a greater role to play in their operations.

I tap the table in front of me.

We need to play this differently. We need to become the clients she can’t resist, to offer her a job so tantalizing that she’ll let her guard down.

My fingers press on the keyboard as I type out a message, crafting our bait with careful precision. Avaline Darling might be the perfect thief, but she’s never faced an opponent like me before.

This time, there’ll be no escape. And as much as I’m doing this for Max, I can’t deny the personal satisfaction I’ll get from finally bringing her down.

She doesn’t know what she did that night. Or the pain she caused me.

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