Page 100 of Fallen Omega

I pat Julien’s arm and smile at them. It’s the benign one that Dante couldn’t ever be bothered to put on, if he even has one, and the kind of smile I don’t think Reaper possesses. Speaking of…

“Julien?”

He nods, eyes still trained on the men who are standing there, their fear and unease in the air. They don’t like this area, or this place, and they definitely don’t like Julien. Good.

“Yeah, boss?”

I almost roll my eyes at the title.

“Let the others know we’re busy and to push appointments back to further notice.”

Julien knows I mean Reaper.

He’s meant to be dead. Or in prison. When the wrong sort of law or government comes near any of our places and he’s there, he vanishes. But the last thing I need is for him to decide today’s the day to walk in through the front door, and, well, I don’t feel like organizing a full-on cleaning job and impromptu burial.

I’m talking about the Council dudes, not Reaper.

He’ll fucking murder them straight up and Julien will probably offer to hold them down.

As Julien steps out of their sight and hearing to make the call, I go up to them and lean against the wall. We don’t use this part of the club often. It’s for day shit, and the official entrance that only people like this would come near. They’d also never drop by at night, not in any official capacity.

“Can I get you anything?”

They look at each other. The younger and better dressed one—probably second in command under the weak alpha inside…at least, second in command on their field trip—straightens his tie and says, “I’m Mal. You are?”

“None of your fucking business,” I say nicely. “I’m just expecting a shipment of wine, and the rep’s very pretty, so…crowds n’ all.”

Disgust crosses both their faces at the meaning of my mythical, pretty rep.

“So, I just wanted to know how long you were going to interfere with our operations today.”

“As long as it takes,” says the second in command.

“Okay. Cool.”

With that, I step out as Julien goes to step in. “Want me to rough them up?”

“No, just get their cards, and text your girl to dress up and come in. She’s a wine rep.”

His mouth thins.

“Dude, she’s just coming in to hang out,” I assure him. “With me. And trust, I’m not touching her. She’d kill me.”

Julien’s mouth flickers into a small smile. “That’s my girl.”

Love. It’s annoying.

As I walk off, a glimmer of guilt hits. I’m not in love with Liz. I don’t really know her yet, no matter how I react to her, no matter that I bit her, and I know I’d do it again.

I’m betting she believes in forever and all that shit that this place and this pack isn’t. We work with a different kind of happy. One that isn’t her.

Shit.

Well, we’re not all bonding with her, that’s for sure.

I head behind the bar to get a drink, and I slide the tablet from Dante. “New friend?”

“Don’t you have work to do?” he says easily.

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