Page 129 of Lost
Two days later
HOLLIS
Hanging up the phone, I sit back and stare at it for a moment.
“Fuck me,” I whisper.
Gwen Lauren just called me, telling me that she chose to do a deep dive of ROWS and her mother’s organization. She also messagedThe Little Rabbitfrom Omega Link, and she also corroborated as much as she could on her own.
Emilia has been working from the shadows for a long time. She had to in order to keep her position at ROWS and in polite society. Her reach is larger than just our city, mainly because of her podcast.
With a lot of effort, Emilia was removed from ROWS and the entire organization is currently being dismantled. Gwen said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was also looking into things and would be arresting people as necessary.
Taking a shaky breath, I call Cian.
“Hey, trouble,”he answers goodnaturedly. Damn, I’m about to fuck up his mood. “Hollis?”
“I have some really interesting news,” I say slowly. “It was just relayed to me in a call, so if you’re okay with it, I can explain what just happened.”
“Alright, hit me with the news,” he sighs.
“While I was at a charity event last year, I ran into a woman by the name of Gwen Lauren. Her mother is a part of ROWS, and I remember I was so fucking angry that an omega who worked for a newspaper had no idea how evil this organization was,” I explain. “I definitely lashed out, but I also put the seed in her mind to reach out to a blogger on Omega Link who dislikes ROWS and Emilia as much as I do.”
“I’m aware of that blogger,” Cian says. “So where is that leading us to now?”
“ROWS is being dismantled as of noon today,” I rasp, having a hard time believing it. “Cian…”
I’m completely overwhelmed by emotion now that it’s really hitting me. This is a huge win for the community. That bitch and her friends have done so much horrible shit to people that I know. Breathing in a ragged breath, I shake my head as a stray tear escapes.
She had me fucking beaten for being her competition. Now, if the FBI can also track down all of her little friends, my day would be complete. I know, I’m asking for a lot.
“This is really big,” I whisper. “Gwen said that the FBI is involved at this time and that they’re confiscating their data and computers. It probably doesn’t help that I did some rearranging and deletion of their records now, but I don’t think the FBI can do much about the auctions to be honest.”
“They’re a bunch of lazy asses,”Cian growls.“I don’t think that they know their head from their pee hole. What else did you find out, Hollis?”
“That was essentially it, but I have this odd feeling that Emilia is going to avoid trial,” I say. “She’s more likely to throw everyone else under the bus.”
“Well, please don’t fire your driver and guard quite yet,”he grumbles. “What are your plans today?”
“I’m getting ready to leave for the weekend actually,” I sigh. “I almost didn’t pick up the call. I’m glad I did though. I have a double date with Nova and our packs.”
“That’s adorable,”Cian chuckles.“What are we going to do about your parents, Hollis? We can’t expect to keep the lid on this for much longer.”
“I’ll have to go see them, I suppose,” I wince. “I really fucking hate that house.”
“I’ll go with you,”he offers.“Your grandfather wouldn’t mind being a buffer as well, Hollis. I can call him and let him know. Trust me, he’ll want to be there.”
“Thank you. I know he was angry that we didn’t tell him earlier. There was just a lot going on.”
“You were also out of commission, Hollis. The weight of the world doesn’t have to sit firmly on your shoulders,”he reminds me.“I’ll take some of it.”
“Thank you,” I say, swallowing hard. “I’ve got to go, but let me know the best time to coordinate going over to the house, please.”
“You got it. Have fun, Hollis. This is something you’ve dreamed of having, and it’s finally happening. You have your sister again.”
I’m smiling as I hang up with Cian, and I grab my bag to change in the bathroom. I dressed up for the office in a dress, but this date calls for pants that repel snow, and layers. We’re going ice skating and tubing today.
I need something mindless and fun, which makes this perfect. My snow shoes and warm socks will keep my feet dry,and I’m wearing fleece leggings underneath my pants. I won’t be winning any fashion shows, but I’ll be comfortable.
