Page 106 of Scent of Home

Shane crosses to me and leans against me. It makes me feel better, but I’m still panicking.

“The sun’s setting!”

Shane’s hand creeps up, wrapping around my rib cage and putting pressure that helps me feel grounded.

“I should have done something about him earlier,” I hiss wrathfully. “That piece of shit man.”

“You couldn’t have known. It doesn’t matter. He’s dead now,” Shane says, and there is something in his voice that makes me twist in his grip to look up at his face.

My phone beeps, and I wiggle free of Shane’s grip. I open the message and grin savagely. “I’ve got his contract!” I scream. “Mathew, I need a laptop!”

Within minutes, I’m set up at a table in the restaurant, tapping furiously on the keys.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m leveling legal action at Alpha Labels for abuse, abuse of power, extortion, illegal use of a minor, sexual harassment, sexual intimidation, trafficking, and slavery.”

Bray blinks at me three times. “What?”

“I’m getting our omega free,” I snarl viciously. “I just need to attach the recording with Jason and the recording Locke gave outlining when he had requested help.”

“But what if this comes out?”

“This won’t come out. The top management will read this, freak out because if it does get leaked, it will hurt their bottom line, and they will give me what I want.”

“And what is that?”

“My omega, free,” I say with deep satisfaction and send the document to my partners and to the Alpha Labels CEO. “It’s going to help that it was his own nephew. It would destroy his image. He will cut Locke loose faster than he can blink.”

“Are you sure?”

I lean back. “I’m Erin Bradley. This contract is not just wrong but illegal, just that alone will get Locke free, but with everything else, yeah, he’s walking if it’s the last thing I do. Worst case scenario, they refuse, there’s one loophole. If a performer finds a pack and has a bond with one or more people, that will override all contracts past, present, and future. Pack comes first.” I reach and finger the bite on my shoulder.

An hour passes with creepy slowness, and the cold creeps into my bones. People arrive to have drinks and beers. But they stay away from our little corner. The whole time, I stare out into the deepening night and will my beta and omega to appear.

I hear a ding and look at the laptop.

“Locke is ours,” I say with small satisfaction. “He’s been cut from Alpha Labels, the contract broken. They are paying out all the money that is his and cutting ties with him.”

“Seriously?” Shane asks and sits down beside me. “He’s free of that band?”

“He’s free. He’s ours. I did it. Typhor walked into my trap, and there was no way out but the one I gave him. He has gracefully yielded the field.”

“You got me free?”

I jerk around, almost falling out of the chair.

“Locke!”

“You got me free of the band?” Locke whispers. “I’m free?” He starts to cry and staggers.

“You’re free,” I whisper and rush towards him.

He throws himself into my arms. He smells like vanilla and the forest.

“I was so worried about you,” I say and bury my face in his throat.

Finn limps in and lifts a hand. Shane crosses to him and talks softly, but then they both return to me.

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