Page 77 of The Omega Project

Finn’s smile is grim. “He’ll get a dishonourable discharge, that’s for certain. Whether he faces jail time will depend on how much of their own dirty laundry the army wants to have flapping in the breeze.”

“But he’s done, right?” she asks, looking between us. “No more bullshit medals or fucked-up mind games?”

“He’s done,” Finn confirms. “And your mother has officially moved in with your upstairs neighbour. Just say the word, and they’re both out on the street.”

I nod, because as heartless as it sounds to cut ties with our mother, Finn will always put our safety before anything else.

And ever since Finn took control of my ex’s real estate portfolio, the axe has been hovering over our mother’s head. There are a lot of ways she could’ve still hurt Dee and Jacob once they moved out, but she seems content to live upstairs with Mrs. Evans. Now that my dad is no longer secretly funding her lifestyle, she’ll probably pop up again asking for money, especially if she can’t find a wealthy admirer to finance her chardonnay and spa days.

“Leave her there,” Dee says with a dismissive shrug. “She’s out of Jacob’s life, and that’s all I care about right now.”

Finn nods in my direction, and I step forward, urging Dee to come and sit on the couch. “Okay, but now we need to know what you want to do about Abel.”

She looks up at me in shock. “What? You found something?”

“We foundhim,” I said gently. “He wasn’t AWOL at all. He was taken prisoner in Pakistan while he was on a mission the army didn’t want the public to know about.” I reach forward and tap the keyboard. “He’s in a safe house in Bangkok, and Finn has set up a video call for you. As soon as you say the word, Finn can get him back here with a new identity and anything else you need.”

“Abel!” My sister’s broken cry is all the confirmation I need, and as soon as my brother-in-law’s gaunt face comes into view, I back out of the room. Finn comes with me, even though I’m sure he’s monitoring their conversation somewhere in his dark web, as Clark puts it.

He immediately wraps an arm around me, slowing our steps before we reach the rest of the party. “You’re happy?”

“Very.” I sniff, wiping my damp eyes on a hankie I conveniently had tucked up my sleeve. “It’s not going to be easy for them, but at least Dee now has a choice.”

He hums his agreement, and I peek around the corner at the party. Derek, Lang, and Soren are holding court, dishing up seafood and champagne while Silva Sterling and his lead singer, Jett Kolter, stroll through the front door to play an acoustic set. A howl of excitement greets their arrival, and I watch as the world-famous musicians banter with our friends, not quite believing that this is my new reality.

“You sure you don’t mind missing this?” Finn asks, no doubt picking up on the hero worship in my scent.

“Well, if it was Kobi Grace in our living room you might have a fight on your hands…” I laugh at his sour expression. “We’ve got backstage passes, so I’ll get my fill of Sweet Addiction then. Plus, you’re probably recording this with at least a dozen of those little spy cams you like to hide everywhere.”

He clears his throat, since Creed forced him to confess to all the surveillance he coordinated in the past, including hidden cameras in our old apartment and spyware on Derek’s computers. But then he steps closer, his hand winding around the back of my neck and stroking the curls on my nape. “And you still want me as witness?”

“More than anything.” There’s no hesitation in my voice, and as he hits send on his phone, I watch as Creed receives the text we drafted earlier. He frowns but discreetly excuses himself from the party and heads towards the front door. “Come on, let’s go surprise him.”

The first haunting chords of ‘Ghost Notes’ fill the air as we scurry down the back stairs. I feel giddy as I jump in the back seat of the car, ducking low as Creed arrives, his eyes going wide as he takes in the luxury sedan. “Damn, this is a Maybach s600,” he says in an awed voice. “Did the band rent it for the night?”

I peek past the headrest and watch Finn’s smile flash in the moonlight. “You mean the pinnacle of civilian vehicular armour, rated at VR10 level with an ERV 2010 explosion resistance certification?”

The impressive list of safety features rolls off his tongue like molten honey as Creed runs an appreciative hand over the bonnet. “This is presidential level.”

“Only the best for our pack,” Finn replies, and when he drops the key in Creed’s hand, his eyes almost bulge out of his head. “Youcan’tbe serious…”

“As a ballistic assault. Now, why don’t you check out the best feature of all?” On cue, Finn opens the back door, and I grin up into Creed’s startled face. It’s not often we catch our stoic mate off guard, so this moment is all the sweeter. “Jump in the back with Em, and I’ll take you out for a spin.”

Creed doesn’t need to be told twice, climbing in beside me and settling on the leather seat with a happy rumble. I know he’s probably dying to test out all the new gadgets on the console, but instead, he sweeps me into his lap, planting his big palms on either side of my face. “You knew about this?”

“I helped Finn pick it out from the brochure.” I giggle at his expression. “What bonding gift do you give the safety-obsessed alpha who has everything? An armoured car, of course!”

“Not everything,” he murmurs, running his thumb over the unclaimed skin on my neck. “There’s still one really important thing I need.”

“My eternal adoration?”

He takes my lips in a soft kiss, and I breathe him in. I think I can taste a little bit of all our packmates in the caress, but mostly it’s musk and metal, with that hint of spicy amber that makes my toes curl.

When he pulls away, his lips curve up into a rueful smile. “You really gave up a private Sweet Addiction performance for me?”

“You’re all the honey I need, Alpha.”

It’s corny but true, and I slowly pull up the hem of my skirt until he can see the silky V of my naked thighs. “I thought this would be the perfect place to finish what we started.”

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