Page 23 of Unhinged
The words replay over and over in my mind. I, Titus Beck, a man who doesn’t deserve anything good in his life, have an omega. And not just any omega—she’s one hell of a woman.
But I hurt her. More than once. I hit her, tied her up, and kept her from her son. I sent the one woman, who was made to love me, running. Honestly, I’m not surprised. It’s just what I do: drive away the people who should care.
First, my old man—he left for good, OD’d when I was eight. He chose drugs over me. Then my mom. She stuck around, but not for me—for the pills, the booze, and the men she’d pull in with her dirty club pussy.
After that, it was just me and the Renegade. My mom brought us here, pleading to be a club whore in exchange for cash. But she couldn’t stay clean; she blew everything on booze and pills. Gears and I were thick as thieves, even then. When Mom was caught stealing, Eagle—the President—kicked her out. But he kept me. Made me an unofficial Briggs.
Eagle took me in like a son. He saw something dark in me and molded it. He trained me, and shaped me to be what I am now—a brutal enforcer, someone to handle problems. Someone to hurt and kill.
I’m damn good at it. Too good. Today, I was too loyal to my president, to Eagle’s son. I hurt her. Hurt my omega.
Images flash in my head—her restrained to the chair, that defiant smirk on her face despite the pain. She didn’t break, not until her kid was brought up. That’s when I saw the cracks. And now, I feel a sick, twisted feeling in my gut even as Bettie scolds us. I’m ashamed of what I’ve done, of the arousal that rises from the memory of her strength, her fight.
The urge to get on my bike and chase her down claws at me, but I know seeing us now will only make things worse. We need a plan.
Arrow looks two seconds away from breaking down completely, and I’m not far behind him. We’ve done something unforgivable. We need to fix it, to make things right, but how? We need to find her, get down on our knees, beg if we have to,and show her we’re not just monsters. We’re rough, ruthless, and cruel to everyone else—but never to our omega. We failed her.Ifailed her.
I look at the others. “Arrow’s right. We need to learn everything we can; figure out where she went.”
Gears scoffs, still stuck in his own world. “She lied to us from the start. Why should we trust her? Her kid’s lying too.”
“Because she’s our fucking scent match, you idiot,” Arrow snaps, glaring at Gears. “Do you really think she can fake something like that? Do you even understand what a Kismet bond is?”
Gears looks torn, his face hard, but I can see the uncertainty creeping in. He knows Arrow’s right, but it’s easier to stay angry than to admit how badly we messed up. It’s easier to cling to the Renegade rules than to face the truth of what we’ve done.
“She needs to tell us who the Slayer is. She can claim it’s her, and her kid can too, but there’s no way that tiny woman has killed over ten alphas single-handedly,” Gears mutters, rolling his eyes.
Bettie crosses her arms, cocking her head as she stares at him. “And just why couldn’t she?”
“She’s tiny, and she’s an omega.”
Bettie lets out a sharp laugh. “You’d be surprised what a scorned woman can do. The look in her eyes when she shielded that boy, the way she came through here… she’s got scars, boys. A woman like that? Omega or not, she’ll burn the world down if she has to.”
“Ain’t no way, Mom,” Gears argues, though there’s a flicker of doubt in his eyes now.
She whips the spoon his way, and he barely ducks in time. “You listen here, Raiden. I didn’t raise no idiot. If she’s an omega, and she’s unbonded, raising a kid on her own—what doyou think that means?” She narrows her eyes. “You know many single omega moms?”
“No,” he says quietly, like the pieces are just starting to fall together.
“Exactly. Now stop thinking like the Renegade President and start thinking like the good, caring alpha your father and I raised you to be.” She blows a kiss to the sky. “God rest his soul.”
I swallow hard; the words coming out rough and strained. “You think… you think that boy is a product of rape?”
Bettie’s expression softens, but there’s no denying the truth in her eyes. “More than likely. And then you three idiots took her prisoner and beat her. You better have a plan to fix this, or I swear I’ll throw your asses out of this clubhouse until you do.”
I don’t doubt a single word she says. Bettie is the club’s top old lady, the President’s mom, and the former President’s old lady. When she speaks, everyone listens. And we all know it.
The weight of it all feels overwhelming, like I’m about to drown when there ain’t a drop of water to be seen. I hurt the one person I’m meant to protect. My omega. I can’t shake the sick feeling in my gut, the shame clawing at my insides. But Bettie’s right. We’ve got to fix this. I just don’t know if I’m worthy of her forgiveness.
CHAPTER TEN
GEARS
I’m still pissed. Not just pissed, but that slow-burn rage that simmers under your skin, making you feel like you might explode at any moment. How the hell did she get away? My own mother and sister, helping her slip right through our fingers, of all people.
I grind my teeth, replaying the last few hours in my head. Those bold, piercing eyes. She stared at me as if my authority meant nothing to her. No fear, no tears—just rage and defiance. It makes me sick how much I want her. She’s ours, damn it. Mine, Titus’, and Orion’s.
But she ran. After everything, she ran. And now, I’m stuck with the bitter truth—I broke one of the club’s top rules. Never lay a hand on a woman. But is it really that simple? I didn’t do it out of cruelty. It wasn’t random. It was for the club, for the cause. I mean, hell, we need answers. It wasn’t just about me or some primal need to control her. We need to know who the Slayer is before he kills another of our interests.
