Page 125 of Knot Made to Break: Part One

Beating my brothers to her, I settled against my mate’s side. The nest felt warmer and more intimate now, and I wrapped an arm around her waist, tugging her closer, enjoying the feel of her small, soft body against mine. She curled up as Dimitri stole her other side. Tommy lounged at her head and Marco took the spot near her feet. There was more than enough room for us all to lie side by side, but I understood the sheer fucking need to touch her, and we arranged ourselves accordingly.

Kit sighed happily, relaxing into the soft mattress below. A sense of peace washed over me. Nothing had ever felt so goddamnright.

I traced lazy patterns on her stomach while Dimitri, propped up on his elbow, gazed down at our mate while he trailed his fingers up and down her arm. Tommy played with her hair, and Marco’s hands snuck under the blankets to massage the soles of her feet.

Kit’s lashes instantly fluttered closed and a pleased groan slipped from her throat. Slowly, her breathing evened out and her tension unwound, her body melting into pure relaxation as she dozed off.

“I still don’t like it,” she murmured sleepily, never once opening her eyes, “But thank you... for keeping me safe. For loving me.”

This woman…

I couldn’t stop myself from leaning in and ghosting a kiss over her brow. “Always, sweetness. Fuckin’ always.”

forty-four

DIMITRI

I’d learnedto trust my instincts over the years—and right now, every single one of them screamed that something was about to go to hell. Although everything appeared to be under control, an unsettling feeling gnawed at me. The itch under my skin wouldn’t cease, and I wondered if it was simply because I was miles away from my Omega, or if it was attributed to a deeper intuition.

Leading up to executing our plan, I’d been nothing but confident. So why the fuck was I suddenly so restless?

I swept my gaze over the warehouse, taking in the scene from my vantage point on the raised platform. Men moved with purpose, unloading crates from the ship and stacking them with military precision. The smell of saltwater and diesel was thick in the air, the distant hum of engines providing a constant backdrop to the clatter and shout of the docks. This was our territory, our home turf, and everything was going smoothly, but the uneasy knot in my stomach refused to loosen.

Maybe if I just called her…

I growled under my breath at how obsessive I’d become.

Kit’s fine. Tommas is with her. Enzo’s got the place locked down. Get your head back in the fucking game. You can’t afford to be distracted right now.

I forced my thoughts to the present, to the mission. This had to go off without a hitch. The Valentinos were like wounded animals, dangerous and unpredictable, but soon, we’d have them trapped. One last push and we could finish this, eliminate the threat, and secure a future where Kit could be safe.

My eyes drifted to Marco, who stood among the sea of crates on the warehouse floor. He was surveying the operation, but I could see the distraction in his posture, the way he kept glancing at his phone. He wasn’t the only one with their mind elsewhere. We were all struggling, trying to balance the immediate demands of our world with the deep-seated desire to be back at home with Kit.

The platform’s metal railing was cold under my hands as I gripped it, tension flowing through my body like an electrical current. We had to make this work. For her.

I pulled out my cell, its screen bright against the dim warehouse lighting as I clicked it on. No new messages.

Fuck it.

Unable to resist, I dialed Enzo. The phone rang endlessly while I waited for him to pick up.

“Well,” the asshole finally answered, “that took longer than expected.”

My brows drew together. “What did?”

“You, checkin’ in. I had money on you callin’ an hour ago. Lost a hundy on that shit.”

“Is that what our friendship’s been reduced to? Cheap bets?”

There was a beat of silence, almost enough for me to pull the phone away from my ear to check the connection before I heard him again.

“Hey now, some of us aren’t as loaded as others. What might be cheap to you woulda covered my drinks tonight when we’re celebrating our victory.”

“They have to show up first,” I grumbled, worrying that we hadn’t done enough to lure in the enemy.

“They will.” Enzo sounded so damn sure. “Hell, I’d bet on it.”

I scoffed. “Has anyone told you that you have a gambling problem? You still owe me a grand for bailing you out of last month’s poker game.”

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