Page 14 of The Omega Project

“Langston,” he corrects her gently. “And I look forward to our next meeting.”

I leave them to their goodbyes, making sure Jacob has his backpack before collecting my own purse. Langston meets me at the door, and we silently descend the narrow stairwell in single file. I refuse to wonder what he thinks of the apartment building with its dirty walls and broken elevator, burnt food smells and angry words seeping under my neighbours’ doors. I have no idea if he lives in university housing or has a place off campus, but my brows shoot up to find a sleek black limousine pulled up at the curb. “Is this yours?”

“I'm working at the facility today.” He pulls the back door open, giving me a soft smile. “It made sense to pick you up on the way.”

I nod, but before I can climb into the car, a familiar, spiteful voice makes me stumble, and I have to grip Langston’s arm to stop myself falling off the curb. “Don’t waste much time, do you, Emily?”

Rick is barrelling towards us, his eyes wild and his lip curled. He’s in his sports bar gear, which includes an American baseball jacket and jeans, and the closer he gets, the more bitter his scent becomes. He looks like he’s a second away from punchingLangston in the face, and I shift my body to cut him off. “This is none of your business, Rick, and we’re just leaving.”

His narrowed glare rakes down my body before he turns to the apartment building. “Is your sister home? She has papers she needs to sign now I’m your new landlord.”

My stomach clenches, because the last thing I need is him catching my mum in her current mood. She’d probably sign whatever he put in front of her, and we’d be stuck in that apartment at twice the rent for the next five years. “Claudia is at work, but if you give me the papers, I’ll make sure she gets them.”

Rick’s gaze returns to Langston, lingering on where I’m still clutching his arm. I let go abruptly, but I can almost see the steam coming out of his ears. Rick’s jealous streak is a mile wide, and he’s always preferred to be the most dominant alpha in the room. The guys at his sports bar almost revere him, calling him the Ultra Alpha after all the gruelling marathons he runs, but even in his elegant suit it’s clear Langston has him beat in the power stakes.

“They’re in the car,” Rick says quickly, grabbing my hand and jerking me towards his BMW. “Why don’t you come with me and get them?”

“Why don’t you back off before I break your arm?” I’ve never heard a growl like the one that comes out of Langston’s chest, and I’m shocked to see him snarling in Rick’s direction. Those cords of muscle in his neck that I admired earlier are now pulsing with fury, his eyes alight with blue fire. I jerk my hand free, but my ex is either too surprised or too stupid to move.

I think it’s only the snap of the driver’s door opening that stops Langston from lunging at Rick.

“No need to get messy, Lang. I have this.” Creed is out of the car and circling towards us before I can blink. He’s in the same black suit he wore at my interview, only it now rippleson his skin, the soldier inside surging to the surface. There’s no mistaking the gun under his jacket as he stalks towards Rick, who’s backing off at full speed. “Let’s go fetch these papers, Rick. And just to be clear, any future business you have with Ms. Nash or her family goes through me, got it?”

Rick shoots me a venomous glance, but Creed has him by the arm and is forcibly marching him towards his car. I watch until Rick pops the trunk, then turn to Langston, who is breathing so hard his shirt is straining against his chest. “It’s okay,” I tell him softly. “He’s really not worth you getting this upset.”

“He wasn’t just planning to give you something, Emily,” he spits, still glaring after my ex. “I couldsmellit. He was going to shove you into that car and drive off.”

“And you and Creed would have stopped him. Or I would have waited for the first red light, punched him in the balls, and walked straight to the nearest police station.”

I don’t give him a chance to argue, nudging him towards the open car door. He gets in reluctantly, but as I slide in beside him, he puts an arm around me and pulls me close. I freeze, completely stunned when he buries his face in my hair, breathing in so deeply I can hear it catch in his chest. “You have to get away from here, Emily. I won’t sleep at night if that guy has a set of keys to your apartment.”

“That’s never going to happen,” I tell him, my voice cracking at the way he’s holding me. Waves of anger are still coming off him, but his hands are brushing over me like he’s checking me for damage, and I can hear a faint purr under his growl. It makes my needy heart thump, but I give it an internal scolding. He might feel protective of me right now, but he has a pack of his own, and a cherished omega he plans to bond someday soon. “Besides, I’m living with Derek, remember? This was just me helping my family out.”

“You can give it but not take it?” He asks gruffly, sitting back with a sigh. “Okay, but at least let me check out your landlord. There’s no way that guy isn’t mixed up in some bad shit.”

I twitch, tugging the cuff of my blouse down over my wrist. “His name’s Rick Wagner, and he owns a sports bar downtown. We dated for a year before I broke up with him.”

Langston has gone completely still beside me. “He hurt you.”

It’s not a question, and I wonder if he’s just assuming, or if he can smell that, too. “It’s over, and as soon as my family moves out of here, he’ll be gone from our lives for good.”

Creed opens the door at that moment, sliding into the driver’s seat. “Your sister’s not signing that bullshit lease,” he says with a flash of dark eyes in the rear-vision mirror. “I told him we’ll get the health inspector and a civil engineer out here to look at the entire property unless he pulls his head out of his arse.”

“Um… thanks,” I reply, not quite sure how to handle so many protective vibes being thrown my way at once. “And I appreciate the lift, but you don’t need to do it again. I’ll be better organised tomorrow.”

Creed just grunts and starts driving, so I take a moment to settle back in my seat and look around. I’m not sure if you’d call it a limousine since it’s more like an oversized SUV with a mounted TV screen, docking station, and a small drinks bar at one end. Maybe a mobile office? It definitely smells like alpha, along with the rich scent of the leather seats and whatever aftershave Langston is wearing. “It’s a stretch Hummer,” he murmurs, catching my gaze. “It looks ridiculous, but Creed insists it’s the safest vehicle on the road.”

My lips twitch at the exasperation in his voice, but it confirms what I thought. “He’s one of your packmates, isn’t he?” Creed’s gaze snaps to mine, but I keep my focus on Langston. “Who else? Mr. Visser?”

“Like I told your mum, there’s nothing official, but the three of us are close.”

Creed gives a grunt that draws my gaze. “You met her mum?”

“We had tea together,” Langston smirks, stretching out his long legs. “And a nice chat about my mating plans.”

“There was nothing nice about it,” I mutter, but now the topic is on the table... “And the omega you’re going to bond with? Is she part of the company, too?”

Creed is silent, but I can feel the weight of his stare as Langston takes a manila folder from the seat opposite and hands it to me. “Soren Hill,” he says, gesturing for me to open it. “He’s the real reason the project exists.”

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