Page 55 of Secured By the Buyer

Nine Rockford Alphas swivel in my direction, and Jade’s jaw drops in surprise.

Liam rises from his chair. “Milo? What are you doing down here? Let’s get you back upstairs.”

But Aaiden, the eldest Rockford, holds up a hand to stop him. “Explain what you mean, Milo.”

I swallow hard but lift my chin. “The tracker you took out of my arm. Do you still have it?”

When Liam opens his mouth, Caleb cuts in, “Yes, we do.”

Liam spins to face his brother. “Shut up, Caleb!”

I keep my attention on Aaiden. “Reinsert it. Drop me off in my old neighborhood and call in a missing pet. Someone will either try to pick me up or take me out. Whichever happens, you’ll have your lead.”

“No.” Liam’s jaw sets, the muscle ticking. “We can put the chip in a different Omega. It doesn’t have to be you, Milo.”

I shake my head, meeting him head-on. “They’ll know it’s a fake. I’m too…distinctive.”

The words taste bitter on my tongue, a reminder of the way the auctioneer had extolled my unique appearance.

Caleb leans forward, elbows on the table, a hint of admiration in his expression. “It’s a good plan. The kid’s got guts.”

Aaiden nods, his face indecipherable. “I agree. It could work.”

Liam’s chair clatters to the floor as he surges to his feet.

“We’re not doing this!” he roars, the veins in his neck standing out. The scent of his anger, his fear, floods the room, making me want to bare my throat in submission.

Pulse racing, I stand my ground. “If you don’t own me, then I get to make this choice for myself.”

Something flashes in Liam’s eyes, too quick forme to catch. With an angry shout, his fist slams into the table, rattling water glasses, but he doesn’t tell me no. Turning on his heel, he storms out, the door slamming shut behind him.

The room falls quiet in his wake, and I take a shaky breath. My stomach churns with a mix of terror and exhilaration.

For once, I’m not a pawn. I’m making my own choices, dangerous as they may be.

And that, more than anything, feels like freedom.

I pick up Liam’s chair and sit facing the others. “Let’s talk strategy.”

19

Cold wind bites through my clothes as I find myself back on a street I hoped never to see again.

My arm throbs from where Dr. Wallace had re-injected the tracker, and an echoing throb comes from my hip where the Rockfords had added a second one. They’re not taking any chances they’ll lose me, but it offers little comfort as I duck into the shadows between two parked cars and hold my breath as a group of drunkards stumbles past.

Everything had moved fast once we came up with the plan to use me as bait. I hadn’t had time to talk to Liam in private. He was there when they dropped me off, though, bruising my lips with a harsh kiss and a promise to come for me, no matter what.

I tug at the frayed sleeves of the secondhand sweatshirt, trying to ward off the evening chill as I dart from shadow to shadow. The familiar streets of my old neighborhood stretch before me, but they feel foreign now, hostile. I don’t belong here anymore.

The too-big tennis shoes flop against the pavement with each hurried step, threatening to send me sprawling. Should’ve grabbed a better-fitting pair, but beggars can’t be choosers when you’re on the run.

Well, pretending to be.

The grime I smeared on my face itches like hell, but it sells the story that I trekked here from the airport after slipping my leash. Hopefully, the dirt masks my fear, too.

I’m a jumble of nerves and adrenaline as I beeline for the rundown house at the end of the block I used to share with my waste-of-space father. We had decided the logical place for a runaway slave to go is where they felt most secure. Home. The thought makes me gag. This dump was neverhome, but here I am returning to it, praying this desperate gamble pays off.

While I’m willing to stay a secret in Rockford Manor for the rest of my life, if I can help take down this trafficking ring sooner, then it’s worth every risk.

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