Page 103 of Knot All That Glitters: Part 2

“Do you need anything, button?” Jude’s voice rumbles over me, making me blink up at him blearily. Sleep. I probably needed sleep, but I know myself well enough to know that isn’t happening anytime soon.

He crouches down in front of my chair and slides his big palms onto my thighs. “I know better than to ask you to get some rest, but do you need any food? Something to drink? A blanket?”

I glance to the side, where Moira and Ginny are slumped against each other. Ren’s little sister is out cold, leaning into her mother, chin dipping toward her chest, while Moira is staring straight ahead with red-rimmed eyes.

I’d burst out crying as soon as they entered the waiting room and sobbed out an apology to both of them.

Ginny had just hugged me tightly with her face pressed to my stomach, and Moira had cupped my cheek and told me none of this was my fault. I wish I could believe her.

“Maybe a blanket for Ginny? And a coffee for Moira?”

He gives a quick nod. “Of course. But what about you? What do you need?”

Honestly, what I need is for the surgeon to come through those doors and tell me that Ren is going to dance out of here in a few weeks. That her dream, her passion, isn’t totally shattered. I need the reassurance that she’s going to be okay, but I can feel it in my bones that will not happen.

My friend will never dance again. Not professionally. Maybe not even for fun.

I am the reason for that.Me.

I don’t deserve the comfort of my pack, my alpha. I don’t deserve to have this man, this amazing caring man, staring at me with worry, ready to do anything I ask.

I shake my head. “I’m fine.”

He blows out a breath and drops his forehead to my knees, rolling it back and forth. “No, you’re not, but we can talk about it later.” He presses a kiss to each of my hands and then stands up, eyeing Tic sitting next to me. “Watch over our girl.”

Tic arches a brow but only nods, before wrapping an arm around my shoulders and tugging me into him. His lips press into the side of my head as I relax against him.

We’ve been sitting in silence, mostly. Jude has been working on his laptop, laying out the trail that will make anyone who looks think my father’s fled the country. I don’t know what that entails, and I don’t need to know.

The TV on the wall in the waiting room is on a news channel and not long after Jude shut his laptop with a satisfied snap, there was breaking news, revealing my father for the monster he is. Leaked videos from Shock and Awe are all over the internet. Emails, recorded conversations. Money trails. Proof that he always meant to use his low-income clinics to eradicate the designations. All of it released.

If he were alive, he would panic right about now. He would scramble to find a way to make all of this go away, but there’s simply too much. They’re saying he’s wanted for treason, which is better than we could have hoped.

But he’s very much dead, so none of it matters, anyway.

The news report ended with a request from the police for any information on his whereabouts. They’re looking for my father, but what they’ll find is the trail Jude left.

“You’ll have to give a statement,” Tic murmurs into my hair. “To the cops. They’ll want to know if you knew any of this.”

I nod, but I’m too tired to think about what I’ll say. I knew most of what he planned to do. But he also barked at me to never tell anyone, anything. So I’m not sure I can be culpable. I suppose we’ll find out.

Jude returns with a blanket and the requested coffee, handing the drink off to Moira, before tucking the blanket over the twelve-year-old girl carefully so as to not disturb her.

Then he crouches in front of me again and tugs a snack sized bag of FunYuns out of his pocket, followed by a package ofRed Vines out of his other. “You need to eat something, button. Can you do that for me?”

Tic makes a noise like he disagrees. “You couldn’t find something a little healthier for her?”

Ah, that’s what his problem is. He’s worried about my nutrition, making sure I have the nutrients I need. He always has been. I’m about ninety percent sure he’s done research on foods for omegas to avoid and what they should eat the most of, and he’s crafted entire meals around that.

“We’re in the middle of a crisis, Tic,” Jude says. “I think a little junk food is called for.”

I reach for the chips and open the bag. Jude gives me a relieved smile, then scoops me off the chair and resettles with me in his lap. I sink against him, letting the heat from his body ease the tension in my muscles. Not entirely. I won’t be able to fully relax until I know for a fact Ren is going to be okay.

When I do nothing but stare down at the opened bag, Tic sighs, pulls out one of the salty rings and holds it to my lips. “Jude’s right, angel. You need to eat something.”

My lips part automatically and my teeth crunch down. I eat mechanically, chew, swallow, but I don’t taste my favorite salty snack. I vaguely wonder if I’ll taste anything again. Guilt is a terrible seasoning.

“God, I’m awful,” I mutter, making Tic stiffen and Jude tighten his grip on me.

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