Page 14 of Knot So Sweet

A low growl rumbled from my throat, irritation flaring hot in my veins. "Don’t answer my question with a question. And I wouldn’t be out here falling off pallet ladders and shit if you were just honest with me."

Owen's frown deepened. "I’m trying to open the Den like you wanted," he said, his tone firm. "Shade is someone I trust. He trusts the Cromwells, and therefore, I’m willing to ask them for help."

I shook my head, disbelief and frustration warring inside me. "And I appreciate that. But why can’t I know about it?"

"Because it’s my job to protect you!" he roared, his voice echoing through the alley.

My heart skipped a beat, but not from fear—from anger. "Are you seriously fucking yelling at me right now?" I snapped, my voice rising to match his.

"Oh no, Candi does not like being yelled at," Linc's voice chimed in from the window above, clearly enjoying the show.

"She does have a point, Hux," Julia added, her voice more measured, but no less firm than my own. "If you weren't hiding things from her, she wouldn’t be out here right now."

Owen—Hux, to those who weren’t family—shifted his gaze to Julia. His eyes roamed her body, his brow furrowing. "You shouldn’t be out here either, Julia. Pregnant and alone? Not with Adam out there. He could be watching you both right now."

I flinched at the mention of Adam, the creepy stalker alpha who seemed to be lurking around every corner lately. As if his unwanted attention was somehow my fault. "I’m not leaving without answers," I said, forcing steel into my voice.

Why did alphas always feel the need to assert dominance? Like I couldn’t handle myself. Sure, I’d taken a fall earlier, and my ass was still sore from it, but I could manage. Mostly.

Owen pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly battling to keep his patience. "If I promise to fill you in on the details later, will you go home?"

I hesitated, glancing at Julia. She was scanning the street with a wary look in her eyes, tension tightening her shoulders. Guilt gnawed at me like a starving animal. I shouldn’t have dragged her into this. Adamwasstill out there, and she didn’t need to be caught in the crossfires of my mess.

I sighed, defeated. "Fine. But I’m serious, Owen. No more hiding shit from me. We’re a team, right?"

He exhaled, the tension in his posture loosening slightly, and pulled me into a hug. His familiar scent, a mix of spicy sandalwood and something uniquely him, helped ease the knot in my chest. "Okay," he said quietly. "I’ll see you when you get home."

I nodded, murmured a quick goodbye, and followed Julia across the street to Sully’s.

"Well, that went well," she said, rolling her eyes as we walked.

I gave a half-hearted shrug. "Yep, and it looks like I’ll still be making a visit to the Steel Serpents clubhouse tomorrow."

Chapter 6

Candi

The constant, rhythmic buzzof the tattoo gun silenced my demons, turning my scars into something beautiful. It was more than just a needle piercing skin.

It was ink therapy.

The sharp burn against my flesh, the hum of the motor, and the faint scent of disinfectant filled the air, creating a cocoon that almost relaxed me. Almost.

This ink session wasn't calming the storm raging inside me like they usually did. I planned to go to the Steel Serpents clubhouse tonight. To make sure Viper was still fulfilling his end of the bargain and arrange for security cameras to be installed sooner rather than later.

Butterflies swarmed in my stomach at the thought of seeing Viper and Ghost again.

Well, in person at least.

The two alphas had become phantoms in my nightmares.

As the needle dug into my skin, I tried to focus on the present, to let the ink searing into my skin distract me from my racing thoughts. But every time I closed my eyes, it was Ghost's hands that skated across my skin and Viper's growl that vibrated through me. It was as if my subconscious was so fucking obsessed with them I couldn’t close my eyes without envisioning one of them… or both.

FUCK.

I didn’t need to be picturing either of them right now. But I couldn't stop, and my omega instincts flared as I lost myself in Viper’s eyes. They were like two pools of darkness threatening to swallow me whole, and if he did…

I swear I would beg for more.

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