Page 44 of Broken Dreams

I don’t want to feel a begrudging respect for these men and how they operated in the early hours of the morning. I need to find them, so I can find out why they took Makayla and Linus at all.

Is it a hero complex? Or do they have the same claim I have on them. I didn’t think I’d have to share, but I’m not against it. I simply want them, and to apologize for not being the one to remove them from this life.

I want to know so much more, but Bret isn’t going to be able to help me with those questions.

“How did you vet these men?” I ask finally. “Allowing these alphas into your space, you had to have done something before accepting them, right?”

“I did!” he yelps defensively. God, he’s such a damn weasel. “Two of the men had everything handled through a contact on the dark web who I’ve dealt with before. All of the health screenings were done, and the money transferred. That’s all I needed to know. Three other alphas also remained anonymousand I worked through third party contacts for them as well. I never heard their names while I was in the room with them until I left Linus with them. They didn’t appreciate my presence.”

I’ve always hated the ways heats are treated at Slick Dreams. I participate in as many as I can, but in the last year that’s become more difficult because of how conflicted I’ve become about the secret I’m keeping from Makayla and Linus.

What I do remember is how creepy Bret’s always been as he watches us during it. I’m sure he files it all away in his spank bank.

I’ve been in attendance for both Linus and Makayla, and there’s never been any comfort items for either of them. Fluffy blankets aren’t provided, I have to demand that he also bring them snacks during their heat, and sometimes the room smells off as if it wasn’t properly aired out.

When that happens I’ve shown him exactly how unhappy I am about it. The other alphas don’t care, they just want a mewling, sex starved omega who needs to be knotted.

“I’m not surprised,” I say finally. “Are you cutting your losses then?”

I need to know that he won’t be looking for them so I won’t accidentally help him in my search. That would be counterproductive. I can’t put them in danger due to my own impatience.

I’ve fucked up enough with Makayla and Linus.

“Absolutely fucking not,” Bret sniffs. “I have bounty hunters looking for them now. They’re the most sought after omegas I have!”

There’s a special place in hell for people like him. All of this is his fault, though he’ll never admit it. Lazy ass.

Regardless, I can use this to find them. I’m not above begging for forgiveness due to my stubbornness.

“Goodbye, Bret,” I say, hanging up.

My next call is to a federal government friend to turn his ass in. I’m petty, what can I say?

QUINN

I’m really warm. Am I still in heat? Opening my eyes, I’m surprised to find I’m in the back seat of some kind of vehicle. It’s not the panel vans that Bret transports us in, so I don’t understand what’s going on.

Shifting against the warm body I’m laying against, I gasp without sound, accidentally inhaling a lot of different scents. Most importantly, Linus’ comforting scent wraps around me, his warm skin underneath my chin.

If he’s here, then maybe I’m okay.

Shifting again, I feel Linus’ breathing change, signaling that he knows I’m awake. Warm sunlight spills into what I’m seeing is a truck, and there are two alphas up front. Silence usually is a safe place for me, so much so that I can’t actually form words now.

Even though there are a lot of questions in my mind.

“Good morning, Makayla,” Linus breathes in the shell of my ear. “We have a development. A big one. One thing to remember is that we’re safe.”

My lips purse in confusion as I twist to look up at him. Inhaling again, I can smell rum and blackberry, coconut and oak. They’re scents I haven’t smelled in ages. I thought I smelled them during my heat at times, but my mind plays tricks on me. The shit Bret has pumped into my body definitely has messed with my ability to smell as well.

It’s why my heats are a haze of need where I still feel unfulfilled at the end. It’s absolute torture. I can sometimes smell scents, but they all feel distorted. It’s difficult to explain. My brain chemistry has been fucked with a lot.

This heat? It wasn’t as bad as the others, and I don’t know why.

“Is she awake?” a honeyed voice asks, making my eyes widen.

Who is that?

“Yeah, she is, Callum,” Linus says, waiting for me to process that.

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