Page 71 of Knot Going Down
“Maybe I should go find them,” Declan says.
“No.” I grab his arm to stop him. “Ly’s got it under control.”
The last thing I want is another alpha stealing my girls away from me. Not before I can make my intentions known. And if Declan gets close to Ava, there’s no doubt in my mind he’ll try. No way he could resist that sweet, toasty scent with just the right hit of tart before the creamy goodness rides over. He’s already got his hooks in Emily. Hopefully, Ava’s got her hooks in Ly more, and I can steal them both away from him.
I might not have much to offer, but I’ve got a little saved away. Once Glenn’s out of the picture, maybe I can go back to college. I’ll get a job doing construction, like I used to do during the summers in high school, back when Ly and I were together. I liked fixing things. Maybe I could fix this. Fix me. For her—for them—I’d do it.
“We should go to dinner. They’ll catch up. It seemed like Ava needed a minute alone.” I look at Lucas for backup.
“Yes, I think that is what they would want,” he says, though there’s no real conviction behind it.
What they really want are those suppressants. They’d be so relieved if I managed to get my hands on them. It wouldn’t be too hard. I’m no master pickpocket, but I’ve slipped a wallet or two in my time—mostly harmless stuff, like snagging a friend’s and pulling out a photo just to prove I could. Prank-level mischief. Nothing more. I’m a drug dealer. Not a thief. But this is taking back what's rightfully mine.
Declan lets out a sharp breath, lingering for a beat before turning down the hall. “Fine.”
Lucas stays beside me, a few paces behind Declan. Officer Tight Ass doesn’t wait for us as he exits through the glass double-doors and onto the open-air deck leading to the dining room.
“I need you to distract him,” I whisper, letting the door close behind me as I follow Declan like his well-trained dog. Fucker doesn’t even look back to make sure I’m still coming.
Lucas shoots me a raised brow. “What are you planning?”
When I don’t answer, he tilts his head, clearly confused, but nods. He speeds up and falls in beside Declan, tossing out a casual question about what might be served for dinner. His pinky brushes Declan’s, and the two share a look that twists something sharp in my stomach. Intimate. Familiar. The kind of look that says maybe I’m already too late. Declan’s clearly the better choice. Stable. Respectable. Everything my parents think I am, but I’m not.
As they talk, I drift closer. Quiet, careful. Before we round the corner by the deck railing, I fake a stumble and crash into Declan. My hand slips cleanly into his back pocket. His wallet is exactly where I knew it’d be. Predictable bastard.
But before I can step back, his fingers clamp tight around my wrist.
“What the hell are you doing?” he growls.
With my free hand, I yank the baggy of pills out of the billfold in a maneuver I’m quite proud of. “Taking back what’s mine.”
His eyes narrow. Without a word, he slams me against the railing, pinning me there with the full weight of his body.
“You’re smarter than this.”
“A compliment? Don’t sweet talk me, Officer McLaren.” I flutter my lashes in an exaggerated tease just to piss him off.
“It’s not a compliment.” He grabs both my wrists—the one holding the wallet and the one holding the small bag of pills—and grips them against the pole of the railing. Stepping closer, he pins me with his body weight. “Why? What were you going to do? Sell them to someone on the ship? You realize even if you destroyed the evidence, it’s too late for you. I have a signed statement. You committed to helping us with Glenn. You’re getting a good fucking deal. Why risk all that?”
I press my lips together, tight. Swallowing the truth.
“Tell me!” It’s not a bark, but it’s pretty damn close.
“You wouldn’t understand.” I turn my face away, unable to look him in the eye. Not when his stare makes something inside me twist in a way I don’t want to name.
“Enlighten me,” he says, voice low, but no less demanding.
“Bite me,” I snap—too fast, too sharp—and the second it’s out of my mouth, I realize the implication.
He drops my wrists like I burned him and jerks back a full step.
“Maybe we should all take a breath,” Lucas says from somewhere behind Declan.
“No.” Declan plants his hands on his hips, glaring at me like I’ve personally insulted his sense of justice. “I want an answer. Explain it to me.”
Shit, I want to. I want to tear him down off his high horse and make him see. Make himfeelwhat it’s like to be one of us—the ones without access, without medical care, without safety nets. The omegas who get bonded against their will because they can’t hide what they are. I want him to understand what it means to survive when the system doesn’t fucking care.
I want to scream it at him. Shake him until he knows what it is to be desperate. To need something so badly your hands quake trying to get it. To watch someone you care about fall apart because they’re afraid—because they can’t control what’s happening inside their own body.
