Page 38 of A Promise of Forever
Alistair still doesn't say anything, just stares at me with wide eyes full of terror and possibly drug-induced confusion. His pupils are dilated beyond what fear alone would cause, confirming that he's currently high on Red Line.
"Okay, let me get this straight," I continue, my voice taking on a mocking quality. "You thought doping up would help you win your matches tonight? Grab a few extra dollars from inflated bets and then what? Celebrate by finding an Omega falling all over herself to sit on your pin dick of a knot?"
The crude language is intentional, designed to strip away any remaining dignity or self-respect Alistair might be clinging to. I step even closer, invading his personal space until he can probably feel my breath on his face.
"Tell me who gave you the drugs," I demand, my voice dropping to a more dangerous register.
Alistair finally finds his voice, though his response is pathetically defiant. "You're the only fucking club that's so strict about this shit. Everywhere else, people are allowed to have fun without all these stupid rules."
The complaint is so absurd that I almost laugh. "You can have all the fun you want in ways that don't involve cheating and coercion and assault. But since you seem confused about basic consent and fair play, let me clarify the situation. Tell me who gave you the fucking drugs, and you won't end up dead. You won't be fighting anymore in any legitimate venue, but you'll leave here alive."
Alistair actually has the audacity to laugh, the sound hysterical and slightly unhinged. "You can't do shit to me. We all heard you got an Omega now. He'll think you're a monster if you hurt me too badly. You've gone soft."
The assumption that Sterling makes me weak rather than more dangerous is almost entertaining. Fuck, I get it now. It really never was about beingweak. I grin, showing too many teeth, and let Alistair see exactly how wrong he is.
"Actually, he told me I was his regardless of what I do. The only stipulation is that I can't kill you." I pause for effect. "But I have Lorcan for that if killing becomes necessary."
The color drains from Alistair's face so quickly I wonder if he might actually pass out. "The enforcer? You're bringing in Lorcan?"
His voice cracks on the name, terror overriding the false bravado. Everyone in our network knows Lorcan's reputation, knows that being handed over to him is essentially a death sentence delivered slowly and painfully.
I move closer and throw a kick to Alistair's knee with enough force to buckle the joint. He crumples in pain, grabbing his leg and letting out a garbled scream. The violence feels good and releases some of the rage that's been building since I heard what he did to that Omega.
"Tell me what I need to know, and I'll tell Lorcan that I don't actually need him tonight," I offer, straightening my suit jacket a little. "You'll be hurt, but you'll be alive and able to walk away eventually."
Alistair glares up at me, his face contorted up in pain. "I'm dead either fucking way. I've got money riding on tonight's fights that I won't be able to pay back if I can't compete. People who will come after me regardless of what you do. Just let me out of here and I won't come back. I'll disappear and you'll never see me again."
His desperate plea is ultimately pointless. "And what kind of message would that send? That you just get banned for drugging yourself and assaulting an Omega? That there areno real consequences for violating the most basic rules of my establishment?"
I roughly grab Alistair by the throat, my fingers pressing into the vulnerable flesh hard enough to cut off most of his air supply. I snarl directly in his face, letting him smell my rage and see his death in my eyes. Alistair lets out a whimper that sounds more animal than human, and I squeeze harder for just a moment before releasing him.
He gasps for air, coughing and gagging, but some remaining survival instinct or drug-fueled stupidity makes him push to his feet and swing at me. The punch connects with my cheek, the impact surprising enough that I pause for a split second.
Alistair shakes out his hand, clearly having hurt himself more than he hurt me, and I just stare at him in a mixture of genuine surprise and mounting anger.
"Did you just swing at me?" I ask, my voice deadly quiet. "At your lifeline? The one person who's going to decide whether you live or die? How did you see that particular choice going for you, Alistair?"
Alistair seems to realize his mistake, his face crumpling with despair. "Fuck, I just... I wasn't thinking. The drugs, they make everything feel like..."
I grin, understanding dawning on me. "You're hyped up on Red Line and you thought you could barrel your way out of here? Or at least catch me off guard enough to make an escape? You wouldn't have gotten far. My security would have tackled you before you made it to the exit."
I gesture to one of the chairs in the small office. "Now, how about you take a seat? We're going to have a little conversation about exactly who supplied you with these drugs and what your plans were."
The Alpha's voice comes out small and broken when he asks, "Are you going to kill me?"
"If you give me what I need, I already told you that you'll be leaving here alive," I confirm, though I'm careful not to specify what condition he'll be in when that happens.
Alistair seems to accept this, sinking into the chair with obvious relief. "Fuck, okay. It's just some guy named Thatcher. I don't have any other identifying information and I'm pretty sure it's a code name rather than his real identity. He's a big scary motherfucker, but I've never really seen his face clearly. Always wears a hood or keeps to shadows during transactions."
The information is frustratingly vague, but it's more than I had before. "What else can you tell me about this, Thatcher?"
"He always smells like a different Omega," Alistair continues, his words tumbling out faster now that he thinks cooperation might save him. "Like he's been around multiple Omegas or maybe he's using their scents to mask his own. It's weird. And he's been kind of MIA for a few weeks, only showed up again in the last few days to make new sales."
I file away that information, already planning how to track down this mysterious supplier. But first, I need to deal with the situation at hand.
I pull up a seat directly in front of Alistair, positioning myself close enough to be intimidating but far enough that I can see his whole body. Then I signal to the guards, who immediately move forward with rope.
Alistair's eyes go wide with renewed panic. "Wait! Why are you tying me up? No! I'm telling you what you need to know! You said I'd leave alive!"
