Page 57 of Claimed Omega

Rusty’s steps quickened as we entered the place, then he suddenly froze, me stopping short of crashing into him. Alarm bells went off in my head.

Trinity walked into my back, and I curled my arm back around to hold on to her. Ahead of us, through the explosion of plants, were two figures standing and talking with their backs to us. I recognized that weasel, Axel, immediately, my hackles flaring, anger squeezing my chest.

I stepped forward, but Rusty blocked me with an arm, giving me a death glare and motioning for me with his hand to go behind an immense array of plants with palm leaves the size of my face.

He wanted us to hide? Fuck that. I was here to rip that asshole’s face off.

The moment I shoved past him, he snatched me by the shirt, tugging me back, his face in mine.

“Are you fucking insane?” he hissed. “Do you know who he’s talking to? Arman, the boss of the Shchavlev mafia. He wasn’t supposed to be here, so we need to hide or leave.”

Ice flooded my veins. What the fuck was Arman doing here, anyway? Trinity tensed against me, shaking at the sound of her father’s name.

“We’re not leaving,” I growled.

With a shove from Rusty on my arm, we moved with speed behind the greenery and crouched low, settling into a hiding spot for now. Trinity was at my side while Daniel stayed on her other side, keeping her locked in.

“Going to find out what’s going on,” Rusty whispered, then slipped out of there like a shadow.

My eyes locked on the two fuckers, Axel and Arman, peering at them from behind a tangle of leaves and branches, completely obscuring us from view. I had to get closer to hear their conversation. With a quick flick of my hand to Trinity and Daniel, we moved slowly on bent knees amid the plants to where the assholes were located in the center of the room.

The scent of blooming flowers and the rich soil scent filled my nostrils. Near the men were a chaise lounge, an outdoor metal table, and chairs. They were in hushed conversation, Arman shoving a finger into Axel’s chest.

Trinity stayed silent but glared at her father.

I was going to hurt the man for what he’d put her through. Make him see real fear and understand what it meant.

Daniel and I exchanged glances, his expression hard, danger scribbled all over his face. He knew we’d have to make a move, and so far, I’d seen only three guards in the glass house.

Movement beyond the mafia bosses took my attention to a young woman with blue hair, vibrant against the greenery around her. She wore a white summer dress with thin straps and matching sandals.

Trinity sucked in a sharp breath. It took me a second to realize it was Frannie—Trinity’s friend and Axel’s Omega mistress. She carried a bouquet of various flowers, smelling them as she approached Axel, who didn’t pay her even a side glance. Her innocence was slightly alarming because it told me she completely relied on Axel, and he wasn’t going to be alive for much longer.

Frannie took a seat at the table, arranging her flower collection.

Trinity shifted beside me, and I set my hand on her arm, stroking her gently, then placed a finger over my mouth so she kept silent. Agony ached behind my Omega’s gaze. With Frannie at the mansion, she was in the line of fire when things were going to blow up… which they would… very soon.

Axel’s loud, boisterous laugh drew my attention, and I had no idea what the pair had been talking about, but Arman’s was giving him the world’s darkest death stare.

“I have an offer you can’t refuse, one that will leave you thoroughly impressed,” Axel boasted, his chin held high.

God, how I despised the arrogant prick.

“Go on,” Arman replied tersely, his jaw clenched, his expression ice-cold.

“You’ll see soon enough,” Axel retorted, his sly grin making my fingers itch to rip it off his face. He turned to one of his nearby guards and spoke in Italian. “Vai a portarli.”

I knew enough to understand the first couple of words—go bring… What or who was he bringing?

The burly guard, clad in cargo pants and sporting a mustache, stepped out of the greenhouse.

“It won’t be long,” Axel assured Arman, his eagerness resembling a child desperate for his father’s approval. Arman’s stoic gaze never wavered, and it was clear that any attempts at blending the two mafia families would be short-lived. If I didn’t eliminate Axel, Arman would surely do so soon enough. The mafia boss was a cold-blooded psychopath, while Axel was merely a power-hungry, egotistical fucking child.

An uneasy silence settled between the two men, both of them eyeing Frannie, who was oblivious to the malicious intent of their gazes. At that moment, I resolved to take her with us, no matter the outcome. We couldn’t leave her in the clutches of these monsters. Trinity and Daniel also were focused on Frannie, their shared concern obvious even without words.

Heavy footsteps echoed at the entrance of the Glass House as the burly guard reappeared, shoving Aspen and Viper forward, their hands bound behind their backs.

My veins turned to ice.

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