Page 79 of Laurels and Liquor

“Besides y’all? Sammy, and that’s it. Trish, the secretary, noticed I was taking a ton of stuff out of the office, but she didn’t question it. Honestly, if the business went under, she wouldn’t be shedding any tears. I've seen the way the crews treat her,” Jason answers, trailing off in a growl.

“So it’s just slime from top to bottom, then? There’s nothing worth salvaging?” I snap, looking over the documents again.

Silence meets my questions, and I look up after it stretches on for a few minutes. I look between Jason and Rhett, and find them both staring at me like I’ve suddenly grown fangs and claws like some kind of demon. And to be honest, there’s so much righteous fury in my chest that I wouldn’t be surprised to find that to be true. I want to tear the people who birthed me to shreds, not even leaving enough for the buzzards to snack on. They’ve preached on and on about honesty and integrity for my whole life, how we have a duty to those around us to treat them fairly. The number of times I was lectured about not cheating or stealing or double crossing is far too many to count, but I can still remember the scriptures I was forced to memorize and recite.

Proverbs 12:22.Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. But they that deal truly are His delight.

Proverbs 10:2.Treasures from wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivereth from death.

1 Corinthians 6:10.Nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor the drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God.

Exodus 20. The Eighth fucking Commandment.Thou shalt not steal.

But then one last verse comes to mind. Mark 4:22.

Everything that is hidden will be made clear. Every secret thing will be made known.

A plan solidifies in my mind, as clear and strong as a diamond. They would pay for their hypocrisy and abuse, even if it’s the last thing I ever do.

Chapter forty

Lydia

Ithoughtthemostdifficult part of enacting my plan would be getting my parents to agree to meet. Turns out, they’ve been asking Lex for a meeting since before my heat. They have things they need to discuss with me and my new pack, and it’s only been through carefully executed delay tactics from Ted that we’ve kept them at bay for this long.

In addition to an obscene alpha dowry, they are demanding that I sign an NDA so I don’t disclose "sensitive pack secrets” to a “business competitor.” Only my parents would delude themselves into thinking their tiny local contracting business is in competition with my pack, but it was easy to see through their flimsy excuse. They wanted to make me sign a gag order so I couldn’t go public with the abuse I’d been subjected to my whole life.

I’d wanted to use the information Jason gathered to force them to give up their demands entirely, but Lex made me pump the brakes. We are better than extortion, and even if they deserve the humiliation, we need to do this right. It’s not what I’d wanted to hear, or Jason, for that matter, but I could concede to her point. She was a victim of that exact sort of malice, and while she’d never say it, I could always feel her general dismay at the thought of doing the very thing she’d fought so hard to escape. For her sake, I could let go of my own righteous thirst for vengeance.

After a few weeks of going back and forth, the day finally arrives where we’re all piled onto the pack’s private plane, heading toward New Orleans for what should be the last time. I try not to fidget with my clothes, but I can feel every brush of the material against my mating bites, and it’s driving me mad. Lex had helped me choose this blouse, and while it is more expensive than anything I would have ever picked for myself, I can’t deny how good I look in it. Sheer sleeves that flow beautifully and cinch at my wrists, stretchy and comfortable, but still structured enough to make my boobs look amazing. We’d paired it with high-waisted trousers to complete the professional image, which is definitely outside of my comfort zone, but the heated stares and pulses of unbridled desire I’d gotten from my mates make me feel a little better.

Jason is next to me at the table, with Rhett and Lex sitting across from us, both of them absorbed in their tablets as they try to get some work done. Mateo and Lucas are on the couches, watching a sports talk show. I didn’t think we’d all end up on this trip, but it was hard to tell them no. Lex had to be there as my Prime Alpha, and Rhett wouldn’t stand to let me be within arm’s reach of my parents without him being there. Mateo insisted he has a promise to keep to my mother, so he had to come with us, and it was hard to deny Lucas when everyone else is going. I didn’t fight Lex when she insisted on bringing a small squad of security on the trip, with Caleb in charge. I glance over at where he’s reading a newspaper in the seating area closer to the nose of the plane, and I happen to catch his gunmetal gray eyes as he looks around. He gives me a slight incline of his head before turning back to his paper. I’m more than a little relieved to have him on the trip with us. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed his solid, unshakable presence at my back until he’d slipped into place behind me at the airport. My shadow returned, his cedar and cookie scent greeting me like an old friend.

After a smooth landing, my heart hammers a little in my chest as I recognize the hangar we’re parked in. It’s been three months since that day, but I can still feel the last tendrils of guilt in my chest, the little voice in my head starting to whisper how I failed my alpha by leaving him behind. And as we disembark, I freeze when I see a dark stain on the concrete. But Rhett is there, both physically and through our bond, a hand on my lower back, thumb rubbing soothing circles as he purrs gently and pushes calming warmth into my chest.

“I’m safe, my love. I’m here. It’s almost over,” he whispers into my ear, applying soft pressure to spur me into movement toward the pair of black SUVs waiting for us.

I look up at him, and then around. Lex is beside Lucas, their hands clasped as she leans into him, speaking too softly for me to hear over the ambient airport noise. He blinks and glances up, catching my eye. His anger looms on the edges of my mind, a splash of bitter pine on the back of my tongue before it’s gone, replaced by liquor and spices. I allow myself to be led away, and into the back of the first vehicle, curling into Rhett’s side as my fingers trace a slight bump on his thigh. He holds me close, and I let myself get lost in the flood of emotion he sends my way. He's safe, and he’s happy. He loves me, and doesn’t blame me for what happened. None of them do, at least from what I’m feeling through our bonds.

Caleb climbs into the driver’s seat of our car, with another guard throwing himself into the front passenger’s seat. Mateo slides in on my other side, one of his hands finding mine after his door is closed. Having them with me helps to settle me, and as we leave the hangar behind, my mind slows and goes placid. It’s not a long drive, but mid-morning traffic is slowing our convoy. We’re in the lazy stop-and-go traffic typical of the Deep South when my phone pings in my purse.

Jason: Sammy wants to meet at the house instead of downtown.

Me: What? Why?

Jason: Ally’s been put on bedrest, and he’s not willing to leave her. He’s promised we’ll be alone.

I bite my lip and show the messages to Rhett and Mateo, who look as troubled as I feel. My eldest brother wanted to meet to talk about something, and we’d agreed to meet at an open-air café on the main drag of Chauvert. But having to reroute to my family’s home might be a detour we can’t manage.

“What does Lex say?” Rhett asks seriously.

I message my brother the question, and his response comes quickly.

Jason: She’s hesitant, but I don’t think we should blow him off, Lydi. Sammy has been really adamant about this. And can you really blame him for not wanting to leave his pregnant wife?

I hum a little, but he’s got me there. I haven’t heard much, but I know that Ally’s only a few months along in her first pregnancy. And if she’s on bed rest this soon…

Me: We’ll have to be quick. But if anyone is home, we’re not staying. I don’t want to jeopardize this deal.

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