Page 47 of Wild Omegas
Damien set fire to the barn—a distraction, but one that might take out her new alphas. He nearly killed Carson. But he didn’t succeed and our pack is stronger for it.
Hewillcome for Josie next. And now that he’s been inside the ranch house, he knows we don’t have defenses or ways to monitor the grounds. Maybe that’s on us for not acting quicker to protect our omega. And anything we do now Damien will be expecting.
He’ll assume we’ll put up cameras.
If he’s identified us, he’ll know Carson has enough money to have the entire ranch grounds covered in cameras and security teams.
Which means Damien will have to wait until we leave the ranch with Josie to get to her.
Means we can use this to our advantage.
“I don’t suppose you can tell me if Josie’s on the hook for anything because of her bakery fire?” I ask Tommy. I know that she set it on purpose, but I’m not certain that she told anyone back home that or any law enforcement. Why would she? If she was hoping for insurance money they would’ve already pinned her for that.
Tommy clicks his tongue. “Even if she was, no I shouldn’t tell you. Lucky enough for you she’s not.”
Well, at least I won’t have to bargain for Josie’s innocence. Just her life. Because I have a dangerous, probably terrible idea.
“What if I can help catch Damien Malova?” I ask.
Tommy lets out a breath. “How can you do that?” I know he senses the motion of a plan working inside my head. Tommy and I were on the force together for a long time before I left.
I go over everything I’ve just thought through, including the final conclusion that we can use to our advantage. “There’s a rodeo coming up and Luke is participating in it. Damien’s somewhere in town. He was in the ranch house last night. Drugged me, got to Josie’s bedroom. He’s here, Tommy.”
A shuffling sounds as he shifts his phone and then the keys of a laptop start clicking again. “Let me get this straight. You want to use your omega as bait to get Damien off the street?”
“I want Damien off the damn street,” I clarify. “This is the only time I can foresee letting Josie off the ranch for a long time. We won’t be cornered animals anymore. We’ll be in public. That’s the best place for us to be knowing Damien is close—and foryouto be with a team of investigators ready to take him down. Then we close up Project Aurora for good.”
“And take down Serendipity,” Tommy admits. “You think Damien will sell out everyone below him.”
I nod although Tommy can’t see it. “If he thinks it might help him get off the hook, yes.”
“But it won’t.”
“It better fucking not,” I growl. “There’s a rodeo competition this weekend in Fairwater Falls. Be there with a team.”
Tommy is already typing so furiously his keystrokes could be mistaken for drums. “I will. You know, you land this, Brooks, and you could come back and really make a high rank.”
My heart is set and it’s not on police work anymore. “I appreciate that, Tommy, but I’ll be crediting you with everything. My life is here at Wild Skies not in the city. Police Chief would look good on you.”
Tommy chuckles dryly. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s catch the guy first.”
Which first means selling this deal to my pack… and coming clean to Josie.
I find Josie in the kitchen baking more cookies. Luke went out early this morning with Carson to replace all our groceries right down to staples like flour and sugar. I watch her for a moment from the hallway and wonder what her bakery must have been like. It sounds like it was successful for a long time before things took a turn for the worse. I can just imagine cases of delicious pastries crafted by Josie’s careful hands. Vibrant walls and signs. Everything that is soherput into every inch of that bakery.
The way she’s slowly doing the same to this house. It’s started with her nest and then the kitchen, but here and there allthroughout are little touches of Josie. Faerie lights hanging on the porch. Bright colored pillows. More throw blankets than any of us know what to do with. A few new potted plants out front.
She’s really made this her home, too.
So it’s up to us to protect it. Even if it puts her in a little more danger first.
I make my way into the kitchen. “Hey.”
Josie flashes me a smile that feels like a hot summer sun after the coldest winter. Everything about her warms me in ways nothing else in this world can.
It makes me feel like shit knowing what news I’m about to tell her. “Can we talk for a minute?” Guilt gnaws me raw from the inside out.
Josie’s expression darkens immediately. Worry creases her brow. She reaches for me. “Of course. What’s wrong?”
