Page 5 of Lost
“The chemicals at the hospital mess with my sense of smell,” I mumble. “I’ve never gotten used to it since I tend to deliver babies at home.”
“And this other scent match? Where did you meet him?” Lars asks.
“At the hospital too,” I sigh. “I’m fully planning to ignore that it happened. I delivered a baby alone with Katee at the hospital. The nurses knew I was a midwife, they agreed to give us the space so she could labor. The end result is obviously a baby. Hopefully alive if we’re lucky.”
Lars’ nose flares as if he can smell the truth of that before he glares.
“The alive part concerns me,” he mutters. “It makes me want to ask how many of your deliveries have been still births, but that’ll derail the conversation. What happened at your other scent match that makes him an asshole?”
“He’s a doctor, and he swaggered in and found me covered in blood with a baby happily in a mother’s arms. He acted as if I’d committed a crime,” I explain. “Katee threw him out and said that I was the best qualified person to take care of her and that she trusted me.”
“Now that I’ve seen your van, I think we actually met Katee in the elevator of the hospital,” Caleb says. “We helped holdher things so she could wrap her baby. Cute kid. So what’s this doctor’s name?”
Word sandwiches. I have a feeling that he’s very adept at interrogation techniques because of how he constructs his sentences. Drops of information that I’ll think are interesting and focus on before he veers into another direction.
Unfortunately, I recognize the tactic.
“Dr. Tyde Stewart,” I mutter, not wanting to participate in this word dance. “I also think that he thought that I was Katee’s partner and not a midwife. He never asked and I never gave the information.”
Lars snorts as he shakes his head. “Idiot. I’ll make a point to go meet him. It won’t break the scent match unless you choose to reject him, but I can make sure he doesn’t act like a fool again.”
“I’m not sure if I should be thankful or reminding you that violence is never the answer,” I say, my fingers moving to my head to rub it. My face hurts, but I haven’t done anything to it.
“Violence is the answer to a lot of things, Nova,” Caleb chuckles, pulling into a house. Glancing behind me, I see that Malcolm is tailing us closely, his lips pulled into a snarl. “We’re about to be surrounded by a lot of very blood thirsty people. You’re a mafia daughter, even if you didn’t know it until today. Act like it.”
“Cute,” I seethe, watching as the gorgeous home comes into view. There are quite a few cars in the driveway, and my stomach hurts as I gaze at the scene.
My sister is important. She won’t stay lost, and I’ll get to meet her. Those are the promises I tie to those in the house as I get out. I don’t have a problem with the mafia world, as that’s a large number of who I tend to midwife for in this city.
They’ve shown me how much they care for others, even as criminals. So no, violence doesn’t bother me at all, not when it’s not focused on me.
“Let’s go,” Lars barks, though there’s no power in his words. It makes sense now that Hollis would kill him for using his alpha bark on someone who doesn’t deserve it, especially her sister.
I feel unnaturally warm at how much she cares about someone she doesn’t know. We’ve never met, and yet she’s mourned the twin that she shared a womb with.
My long legs cross over the snowy pavement as I ignore Lars, his annoyance clear as he walks beside me. I may be overwhelmed, but I won’t cower. I want to know what the plans are to get Hollis back.
It should have been me. The words bounce in my mind as I step inside, following the flow of people into the living room, a powerful alpha with dark auburn hair and cruel lips pressed together sitting in wait.
“Report,” he grunts, his eyes on Caleb and Shaw as they step forward.
They give the rundown of information that they know, and ice claws through my body with guilt. I should wish that it was me that was taken, but if I had been, no one would come for me. Not like this.
I’m a no one, and it’s much easier to kidnap and steal an omega with few ties to the world.
“We also found Hollis’ twin,” Shaw says, the words making me flinch as I force a breath through my lungs. I stupidly stopped breathing, and the black spots in my vision came for a visit.
“What?” the alpha named Mr. Sullivan asks.
“Nova, come here,” Caleb says, turning to find me.
I’d found a corner in the room to observe everything, even though others might say that I’m hiding. My footsteps are heavy as I push through the crowd to stand beside him, and Mr. Sullivan gazes down at me. Regardless of my height, there are still too many people who tower over me.
“Where have you been?” he asks.
My bottom lip trembles as I stare up at him, and I blink quickly to clear my eyes. It’s such an unbearably simple question.
“Lost,” I whisper. “I don’t understand how or why, but the people who have called themselves my parents my entire life aren’t good people.”
