Page 41 of Hard Knot

And the word spreads quickly when it comes to the Giovannis.

The gathered crowd begins to disperse, melting back into shadows with the kind of urgency that comes from realizing you're in the presence of an apex predator. Even through the drone's thermal imaging, I can see their heat signatures retreating, putting as much distance between themselves and Carter as possible.

Good to run away while you can.

"Thank you for your mercy," the man stammers, bowing so low his forehead nearly touches the ground. "Miss Omega, please accept my deepest apologies."

He backs away, nearly tripping over his own feet before turning and running as if the hounds of hell are at his heels.

Carter and Elizabeth wait in silence until the last echoes of footsteps fade and the shadows swallow up any remaining observers. Only then does Carter take her hand again, his touch surprisingly gentle after such a display of contained violence.

"Were you scared?" he asks as they resume walking, his thumb tracing absent patterns on her palm.

"Hell no," Elizabeth says, and there's a spark of excitement in her voice that makes my eyebrows raise.She sounds fucking excited."But I do have questions about these pet piranhas."

Carter's laugh breaks through the lingering tension like sunshine through storm clouds.

"I actually do have a tank full of them," he admits, grinning. "Have to keep them in a specific room though. Holmes loses his shit every time he sees them."

"Holmes?"

"Holmesovich," Carter explains. "The true leader of our pack and probably the biggest douche in the Tainted Trinity." Through my earpiece, I can hear the fondness beneath the mockery. "Then there's Felix Reichmann, and me, Carter Giovanni. People think I'm the sinister one."

I can't help but smirk at that.

If they only knew.

"I'm guessing that's a lie?" Elizabeth asks, studying his profile.

"Yup." Carter's grin is wide and proud. "I'm actually the most laid-back and good one in the group."

Elizabeth stops walking, gawking at him with such dramatic disbelief that I have to stifle a laugh.

"No way."

Carter throws her a wink that somehow manages to be both playful and predatory.

"I have my days, but right now?" His voice drops lower. "I'm in an exceptionally good mood, thanks to a certain Omega who knows how to stay on her tippy toes."

The blush that spreads across her face is visible even through my drone's camera. Carter's dark chuckle makes her blush deepen further.

"Come on," he says, tugging gently at her hand. "Sun's setting. If we've got twenty minutes from here, we shouldn't delay."

Something flickers across Elizabeth's face.

"It did freak me out a bit," she admits quietly. "That he knew exactly how long it takes to get to my dorm."

"They've been watching you," Carter says, his voice hardening. "Probably waiting for the right moment to?—"

"Oh, they've tried," Elizabeth cuts him off, and there's an edge to her voice that makes both Carter and me pay closer attention. "Today's actually the first day I haven't had my main bag with me. Usually carry pepper spray, a taser, brass knuckles…the essentials."

"The essentials," Carter repeats, and I can hear the carefully controlled anger in his voice. "How often?"

Elizabeth shrugs, but the gesture is too casual to be genuine.

"Often enough to know better than to walk around here unarmed. The administration turns a blind eye to pretty much anything that happens in this sector, remember? It's like...unofficial territory for hunting unclaimed Omegas. Whatever happens here is for those in these parts to witness, judge, or pretend you never saw shit."

My drone catches Carter's expression darkening.

---