Page 56 of Knot Broken

Dare’s brow furrows. “That’s government.”

Romano nods. “The same agency you three used to work for. These aren’t rogue actors. The trafficking ring was funded through them.”

I glance at Fox. He hasn’t moved. But his whole body looks like it’s holding something in—barely.

“Not just funded,” Romano adds quietly, switching to a new screen. “Managed.”

On the monitor, we see familiar names and files connected to buyers. Timestamps. Encrypted logs. But then—

“That one,” he points. “Alan Keene. Director. He authorized two separate auctions under codenames ‘Red Echo’ and ‘Subject Orion.’ And he’s not the only one.”

Silence crashes into the room like a dropped hammer.

“They’re still active,” Romano says, voice razor-sharp. “Keene’s still giving orders. Still cleaning house.”

I feel the blood drain from my face.

“He’s the one who detained us,” Jex murmurs, voice low and even.

I stare at the screen, the web of names, blood money, and coded silence. All this time, I thought we were dealing with shadow-market scum. Traffickers. Smugglers.

But this is deeper. It’s polished floors and glowing badges. It’s the system.

And they’re still out there.

“They’re not going to stop,” I whisper, curling my arms around my middle. “They’re going to come for us again.”

“No,” Fox growls, rising to his feet. “We’re going to come for them.”

Kingston, seated beside Fallon, nods once. “We take this slow. Clean. We expose them first. Strip away the secrecy. Show the world what they’re doing.”

“And then,” Jace adds from the other side of the room, tossing a stress ball between his hands, “we bury every last one of them.”

Dare moves to me, dropping to one knee beside my chair. His palm curls around mine, grounding. “We’re not going to let them hurt you again.”

I don’t answer. I can’t. My throat is too tight. My chest is too full. Not with fear—but fury. The slow-burning kind that waits. I squeeze his hand, hard. “We don’t wait,” I say finally. “Not this time.”

Jex meets my eyes across the table, something fierce and quiet in his gaze. “Then we start the war.”

The flames in the fireplace crack, sending shadows dancing across the map-lined walls. I can feel the energy shifting—everyone trying to process the new weight of what we’ve uncovered.

Then Fallon speaks, her voice slicing clean through the silence.

“What about the omega rights coalition?”

All eyes flick to her.

She’s leaning forward in her chair, her dark blue curls twisted up in a loose knot on top of her head, fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest. “There’s been a growing group pushing for federal reforms. Omega ownership laws, rights to property, marriage protections… real change. They’re organized, and they’ve got politicians on their side. Maybe someone inside that movement could help.”

I blink, the idea slamming into me like a caffeine rush.

I whip around to look at her. “Fallon. You’re a goddess among mortals.”

She smirks. “Takes one to know one.”

I laugh, breathless, then lean over the arm of my chair and slap her a high five. “No, seriously—who better to take down the government than the damn government? Or at least someone on the fringe of it who wants it to change.”

The wheels are turning now, faster than before. My heart is racing, but this time with purpose.

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