Page 48 of Rescue Me

They’re pissed—I can feel it in the way their jaws tighten, their knuckles go white around their mugs—but they can’t touch me. Not now. Not with the investigation hanging over their heads. It’s like walking around with an invisible shield and I’m milking it for all it’s worth. Knowing that I have less than thirty minutes before Zana bursts in here makes it easier.

I’m tempted to wait thirty-oneminutes just to see her in all her glory like the last time she rescued me but I won’t risk her safety for my amusement.

I keep to myself as much as possible, but I can’t help but notice Hailey’s absence. She’s been keeping her distance, but not for lack of trying. Every time I’ve seen her, she’s been dripping with this nauseating performance of affection—apologies and wide eyes and bullshit lines about how much she’s always loved me. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost believe her. Almost.

The sound of soft footsteps pulls me out of my thoughts and I glance over my shoulder just in time to see Hailey saunter into the kitchen, her Omega sweetness turned up to an almost unbearable level. Her eyes light up when she sees me and I have to fight the urge to roll mine.

“Reid,” she purrs, her voice soft and full of fake warmth. “Are you making breakfast? That’s so thoughtful of you.”

“I wasn’t,” I say with a shrug, pouring a healthy serving of coffee into my own mug. “But if you askreallynicely, I might be inclined to find something more than whatever is in the fridge. Have you guys been eating well without me?” I’ve done my best to be sparse, staying in my room for long stretches and eating at odd times.

They’ve had to fend for themselves for the past two days even though I’m here and hearing the sighs of frustration and Hailey’s unamused squeals have been music to my ears. Even more so that not one of them has tried to retrieve me to fix everything. I know it’s the investigation hanging over their heads but I’ll take it.

Lyle’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t say anything. Jackson just sips his coffee, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watches me. I grin to myself, enjoying the little cracks forming in their stoic façades. Hailey moves closer, her smile widening as she reaches out to touch my arm. I stiffen but don’t pull away. Not yet. Let her think she’s winning.

“Reid, I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” she begins, her voice dripping with faux sincerity. “I know things have been... strained between us, but I want you to know how much I care about you. I always have.”

I snort, shaking my head as I step away from her touch. “Save it, Hailey. You don’t care about me. You care about what I can do for you. This charade is getting old.”

Her face falls, the act slipping for a moment before she recovers. “That’s not true,” she insists, her voice trembling just enough to seem believable. “I’ve always loved you, Reid. I just didn’t know how to show it.” I think her Alphas are actually eating this shit up, confused by the way I’m pulling away when every pack Beta just wants to be officially part of the pack.

I laugh, a loud, bitter sound that echoes through the kitchen. Jackson and Lyle both look up, their expressions carefully neutral, but I can see the tension in their shoulders. They want to step in, to shut me down, but they can’t. They also don’t know who’s right in this situation because Hailey has never once shown me an ounce of affection before.

“Loved me?” I spit, turning to face Hailey fully. “That’s rich. If you loved me, you wouldn’t have been okay with your Alphas locking me in a closet-sized room. You wouldn’t have treated me like your personal servant. You wouldn’t have stood by while your Alphas beat me down every chance they got.”

“Reid—”

“Don’t,” I snap, my voice sharp enough to cut her off. “Don’t stand there and pretend like the past three months didn’t happen. I don’t want your apologies. I don’t want your lies. It’s too late for that. You’re only doing this because, in some twisted way, you thought you claimed me but guess what? I already have a pack andit’s not you.”

The room falls silent, the weight of my words hanging in the air. Hailey looks like she’s about to cry, but I don’t care. Not anymore.

I grab my coffee and leave the kitchen, needing space, but I don’t get far before I hear her hurried footsteps behind me. I sigh, stopping in the hallway and turning to face her. “Hailey, don’t—”

“I’m trying to fix this!” she says, her voice rising as she steps closer. “Why won’t you just let me—”

“Fix this?” I laugh again, shaking my head. “You can’t fix this. You can’t undo the damage you’ve done.”

Her expression hardens and suddenly the sweetness is gone, replaced by something sharper. Her rotating emotions are fun to watch when they’re directed at someone else. Apparently, she hasn’t gotten the memo like her Alphas did regarding not rocking the boat during the investigation. “You think you’re so untouchable now, don’t you?” she hisses, stepping closer until we’re almost nose to nose. “But I’m still the Omega of this pack and you’re still mine.”

The laugh that escapes me this time is cold, harsh. “Yours?” I say, slamming her back against the wall, not hard enough to hurt but enough to make my point. Her eyes widen in shock and I lean in, my voice low and dangerous. “If you wanted me to be yours, you should’ve started with respect. You should’ve started with love. But you didn’t. And now? Now all I have for you is hate.”

Hailey bursts into my room like she owns the place—which, technically, she does. But I’ll be damned if I let her act like she owns me. Not anymore. Her heels click against the hardwood floor, each step sharper than the last as she storms toward me, her face twisted with fury.

"You don’t get to walk away from me!" she shouts, her voice grating and shrill. "You are mine, Reid. You always have been."

I don’t even bother standing up. I’m sitting on the edge of my bed, my elbows resting on my knees, watching her with a mix of exhaustion and irritation. I’ve got twenty minutes before Zana finds her way in here and this is the last scene I want her to witness. "Oh, spare me the theatrics, Hailey," I say, my tone dry. "I was never yours. I was your employee at best. At worst? Your fucking servant."

She flinches like I slapped her, but it doesn’t last long. Her face hardens, and her lips pull into a sneer. "Don’t act like you’re better than this, Reid. Better than me. You wouldn’t survive without us. Without me."

"Survive? Hailey, I wasn’t surviving here. I was suffocating. You made sure of that. And now that I’ve had a taste of what it’s like to actually live, you think you can reel me back in with... what? More lies? More control?"

Her jaw tightens, her eyes flashing with something dangerous. "You’re not leaving," she hisses, taking a step closer. "I don’t care what you think you’ve found out there. You’re mine and no one else is allowed to have you."

"Why?" I ask, throwing my hands up in exasperation. "Why is this such a big deal to you? You could have any pack Beta you want. Hell, find one who actually wants to be your mate. Why me? Why this?"

"Because you’re mine!" she shouts, her voice cracking. "No one else gets to touch you, Reid. No one else gets to have you. Especially not some pathetic Omega. I smelled him on you, you know. That sweet, disgusting scent. That’s not going to happen again."

Her words hit like a slap, but not because they hurt me. No, they’re laughable, ridiculous in the worst way. I shake my head, a sharp, humorless laugh escaping my lips. "And if I don’t want you, Hailey? What then?"

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