Page 85 of Knot for Sale

“You heard me,” Onyx said. “Maybe my imagination leaves something to be desired, but I can’t honestly think of anything worse you could do to an omega.”

I could only imagine what my gran would make of the six-foot-tall, mixed-race non-binary alpha standing across the kitchen from her. Clarabelle Allen was a product of her upbringing and her circumstances, just like we all were. She’d spent a good chunk of her adult life in a world before the existence of the Alphomic Accords—and even beyond those old prejudices, she had reasons of her own to distrust alphas and their power games.

Right now, though, she wasn’t reacting at all to Onyx’s dyed yellow hair or ambiguous androgyny.

“Is this true?” she demanded, her fierce gray eyes landing on me.

I nodded wordlessly; afraid my voice would betray my emotions if I tried to speak.

“I was there as well,” Elijah said quietly from his spot leaning against the countertop. “It’s all true.”

My gran looked stricken. “If Tommy’s starting up with all that nonsense again, he needs todie.”

Gabriel’s shoulders stiffened. “What do you mean ‘starting up again’?”

The angry flush had receded from Nana’s face, leaving her looking pale and gray. She slumped back in her chair and waved a hand angrily.

“When he was younger. While Jimmy was running things and trying to move the syndicate toward more legal business dealings, he found out that Tommy was trafficking people on the side. Mostly girls. Mostly omegas. Jimmy came down on him like an avalanche and put a stop to it.”

“But Jimmy Huntwell is long gone,” Curran said, with an apologetic glance at me. “And when Hugh Rathbone took over, he started investing in sex clubs and prostitution rings again. But now Rathbone’s gone, too.”

Nana Allen covered her thin lips with one hand.

“One of those omegas Tommy Huntwell trafficked twenty years ago was my sister,” Gabriel said quietly. “We never found out what happened to her.”

“I’ll see him dead, that viciouscur,” Nana Allen whispered. “If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll see him in the ground.”

“Already told you,” Curran said. “I’m in. Just give me some intel on how I can get close enough.”

“No.” Gabriel’s tone was unyielding. “This is going through the legal system. Mrs. Allen, will you help me bring Tommy Huntwell down, so we can get justice for your granddaughter and my little sister? I already have some of the connections I need to drag him to court, but not all of them.”

Nana’s hand dropped. I could see her jaw working for a long moment. “You’ll put him in prison? Him and his spawn?”

“You’re damn right I will,” Gabriel said. “I’ll see them rot behind bars forever for what they’ve done.”

Nana Allen raised her chin. Her heavy gaze rested on me for a long moment, regret visible behind her eyes.

“Fine. I’ll help you, Mr. Rosencranz,” she said.

Everyone in the room relaxed visibly. Well... except for me. I still couldn’t seem to draw a full breath, and my heart felt like it was racing out of control.

“Thank you,” Gabriel said gravely. “If you’ll allow it, it might be best if you stayed here where it’s safe. Curran and Onyx can get you anything you might need—toiletries, medications, just say the word.”

But my gran shook her head. “No. There are people I’ll need to talk to. Take me back to my house. I’ll be in touch when I have what you need.”

“It could be dangerous for you to return—” Gabriel began.

Nana Allen cut him off with a snort. “How do you think I lived long enough to get old among that pit of snakes? I know how to keep myself safe, young man. Now piss off and let me do what needs to be done. You.” She pointed an imperious finger at Curran. “What’s your name again?”

“Curran. But I’ll answer to ‘oaf’ if it’s easier, ma’am.”

“Don’t be cheeky,” she told him. “Help me back to the car. I’ve been gone too long as it is.”

And that was it. No ‘give us a hug, Emma.’ No‘are you doing all right after everything that’s happened, Emma?’ Not that I’d really expected it. In some ways, it was just as well. If too much attention fell on me, my irrational panic attack might spill over. I’d never wanted to revisit this part of my past.

“Stay out of trouble, child,” was all my gran said as Curran helped her out of the room.

I wasn’t sure if I was thankful or disappointed when the others let me leave after stammering out something about needing to be alone for a bit. I think Gabriel was already busy scheming how best to use Nana Allen against the Huntwells, while Elijah and Onyx seemed to take me at my word that I needed some privacy to process things.

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