Page 14 of Rescue Me

“Reid?” I whisper, loving the way his name sounds on my tongue.

His eyes flutter open, a haunted hazel that locks onto mine. For a moment, everything stills. The ache in my chest eases, replaced by something warmer, something whole.Mine, my Omega repeats to me.

But then his expression shifts. Panic flares and he jerks upright. “I—I’m sorry,” he stammers, grabbing the plate of pancakes. Before I can say a word, he’s out of the booth and halfway to the door.

“Wait!” I call, stepping forward, but Margie blocks my path. Panic spreads through me as well as I try to sidestep her, whimpering when she just moves in front of me again.

“Let him go. If you chase him now, you’ll scare him off for good.”

I stop, my fists clenched at my sides, my heart hammering. “Why is he running?” I ask, my voice breaking. “Who hurt him?” The fear in those beautiful hazel eyes is etched into my memory. I’ve never seen someone so broken and terrified. Heapologizedto me. I hate that.

“If you’re serious about helping him, you’ll find out. Just be ready for what comes with it.”

The bell above the door jingles as it swings shut behind him and the ache in my chest deepens, the longing feeling returning as my shoulders slump in defeat. The momentary bliss is gone but I have his name.

“I’ll find him,” I promise. “And I’ll protect him. No matter what.” And I mean it. I know I’m just an Omega in some people’s eyes but that’s my Beta. My Reid. My missing piece. I’m just hoping that Zana will see it the same way.

Chapter ten

REID

The door to my motel room creaks as I shove it open, the sound scraping through the early morning stillness. I step inside, letting the chipped wood swing shut behind me, and lean heavily against the frame. My ribs scream with every breath as I press a hand to my side, wincing as I mutter, “Great job, Reid. Really killing it at this whole ‘staying alive’ thing.”

The room looks exactly how I left it—curtains drawn tight, the sweat-soaked mattress, and my bag still spilled open on the floor, its contents scattered. Usually, I keep my shit together. Months of cleaning up after the Wilhelms will do that—especially when the alternative is Hailey finding something wrong with how I keep my personal space.

I toe off my shoes, letting them fall wherever, and collapse onto the bed, my stack of pancakes on a porcelain plate I most definitely shouldn’t have taken with me now sitting at my side. “What the fuck was that?” I ask the empty room, dragging a hand through my hair. “Falling asleep in public? Taking Margie’s goddamn plate? Real smooth. Top-tier survival instincts.” Apparently, I’m feelingreallysnarky this morning.

The diner flashes through my mind—the warmth of the booth, the faint hum of machines, the pancakes sitting untouched. And him. The Omega with the big brown eyes and a smile that could probably light up the whole damn diner if the power went out.

Yeah,that’sthe part that’s been screwing with my head for the last ten minutes since I left. The way he looked at me—like he saw something worth holding onto. Like I wasn’t just some messed-up Beta with bruises under my shirt and exhaustion carved into my face. It was unnerving. Almost as unnerving as the fact that I walked out without paying for those damn pancakes and stole her plate.

“Shit,” I groan, rubbing both hands over my face. “Margie’s going to kill me.”

Not literally, of course. Margie’s one of the few people in my life who doesn’t treat me like dirt and I owe her better than running out like that. I’ll go back later, apologize, and settle up. Not that it’ll make much difference. The damage is already done.

And for what? So I could run away fromhim? Like I could escape the way his scent wrapped around me—bright and warm, like sunshine and fresh grass after a summer storm.Like trouble.

You already have an Omega, Reid.

Yeah, one that gets my ass beat for not making her tea right.

I need to get rid of this damn attitude before Jackson and Lyle decide they want me back but it’s going to be fucking hard now that the emotions are out of the box.

A heavy sigh tears from my throat as I focus on the memory of that beautiful wide-eyed Omega. He smelled like hope and I don’t have room for that in my life. Not with the Wilhelms looming over me like a storm cloud ready to strike. Not with Jackson’s voice still ringing in my ears, telling me I’ll never be more than what they’ve made me.

The pancakes I brought back are cold now, but I shove them into my mouth anyway, bite after sticky bite. They taste like regret and by the time I’m done, my stomach feels heavy and sour. I set the plate on the nightstand, licking syrup off my fingers because it’s not like I’m going to waste it. Not when I don’t know when I’ll get to eat properly again.

I’m still sitting there, half in a daze, when my phone buzzes on the mattress beside me. I glance at the screen, my stomach twisting in knots.Alpha One.Of course, it’s Jackson. Who else would be calling this early in the morning?

I think about letting it ring. Maybe if I don’t answer, he’ll think I’m dead. But I already know how that’ll play out—more calls, angrier this time, until he’s sending someone to track me down and drag me back by the scruff of my neck. So, I sigh and swipe to answer.

“What do you want?” I ask, not bothering to hide my irritation.

“Reid,” Jackson’s voice snaps through the line. “We need you back at the house.”

“Good morning to you, too,” I mutter, already regretting picking up.

“Hailey’s heat is starting,” he says, like that’s all the explanation I need. And I guess it is. “We’ll need you to handle the usual—replenishing supplies, cleaning up, making sure everything is set up the way she likes it.”

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