Page 46 of Whatever It Takes

I figured if I spun us leaving town just right, she might not even stress about the implications of Jameson’s death.

“I’ve heard omegas are fond of cock warming,” Keir says, like the know-it-all he always pretends to be. “Both oral and vaginal. I’ve often wondered if knotting qualifies, especially after you’ve come and you’re just lying there locked together. Not that I’ve experienced it, but cock warming is something I’ve always wanted to try.”

Calder runs his fingers through Briar’s hair, and a low growl rattles around the room.

“Don’t be a dick. She looks so peaceful.” Keir elbows me in the kidney, and I determine that growling was me.

“Get back to packing,” I command. “Calder, I hope you packed your shit, or you’ll have to buy as we go.”

I climb onto the bed, gently wrap my arms under Briar, and lift her and the blanket in one graceless move.

My blood pressure must be high, because I can feel my pulse in my temples.

I wanted sleepy kisses,goddammit.

“Easton?” Briar mumbles sleepily as I lay her down on the edge of my bed.

“Yeah, love.” I grab the sweats I snagged on the way in and uncover her legs to help her into them. “No, don’t fight me. It’s cold. You’ll want to be bundled up. We’re going for a drive.”

Her big bluish-gray eyes pop open fully, and a look of terror crosses her face. “Are the cops coming? Oh my god. Are you going to murder me and dump me somewhere because I know you killed Jameson?”

I snort, pull my sweats up to her waist, and slap her pussy. “I’m going to let that slide, because you were asleep a minute ago, but let’s not get in the habit of talking like that or speaking of Jameson in past tense. He’s missing until the police deem otherwise. We’ve had a full office restoration planned for weeks. Remember, Briar?” I tuck her wild waves behind her ears and run my fingers over her cheeks. “This has been on the books for ages, so there’s no need for us to stick around town. We’re heading to Virginia to back up a team that needs a little extra support.”

She squints, her expression dubious.

To be fair, this is the first she’s hearing about any of this.

“You guys go,” she says. “I’ll stay here. I don’t feel great, and traveling sounds like a nightmare.”

“You’re cute, but that’s not going to happen.” I kiss her forehead, debating whether I should share the news regarding her brother and the information we will possibly be able to use against him.

If we procure it, I intend to use that knowledge to leverage Briar’s permanent freedom from her family. If we don’t, I’ll findanother way to bring her brother to his knees, but I don’t want to get her hopes up until I’m sure.

“I said I’ll pass,” she grumbles, trying to tug the blanket tighter around her. Unfortunately for her, she’s lying on it, and it doesn’t do much more than make her luscious tits jiggle under the T-shirt.

I laugh, scooping her and the blanket up as she flails. “I’m afraid this isn’t the kind of trip you get to say no to, love.”

“I was comfortable with Calder. You can’t just kidnap me from his bed in the middle of the night.”

I smile like a fucking maniac. “As it turns out, I absolutely can.”

“Something bad happened, didn’t it?” Briar asks, but the question isn’t directed at me. We’ve sat in silence for the last five minutes as Calder and Keir finished packing the SUV, but I have been consistently watching her in the rearview mirror.

Keir frowns, taking the seat in the middle row next to the little omega. “What do you mean, sweet girl?” The smooth motherfucker stretches his arm over the back of the seat, and she immediately scoots closer.

“Someone knows.” She shrugs. “Or maybe Steffanie talked. The cops are going to arrest us all. Why else would we be fleeing in the middle of the night?”

Calder climbs in, and the entire vehicle jostles. He’s lucky I’m allowing him to come along at all, considering his questionable behavior earlier, but I’m learning I’ll have to pick my battles if I’d like to keep my future wife content.

“Didn’t Easton tell you?” Keir asks, wrapping the blanket around her back and ass as she leans intohisside. “Everything is fine.”

“Then, why are we running?” she asks, and I can’t help myself—I roll my eyes. I’ve already told her all she needs to know, but for some reason, she trustsKeirmore than me.

The twinge in my gut is unfamiliar, but I believe she might have just hurt my feelings for the second time. The first was her poor decision-making abilities when she chose Jameson over me. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen a third time, or I might snap and toss her over my knee.

“We aren’t running,” Calder says, backing the vehicle out of the garage. “We’re setting our alibi in motion.”

“Okay, but I should stay here.” Briar meets my eyes in the rearview mirror. “I left my suppressants in the bathroom at Jameson’s, and I had a heat spike earlier. Without them…”

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