Page 35 of Claimed Omega

“Keep your head on the mission.” I cut him a sharp glare. “The quicker we get it done, the faster we can return.”

Growling under his breath, he fell silent.

As I sped up, my mind raced to keep alert. Being attacked wasn’t an option. Viper was letting himself go down that rabbit hole while I was adopting a positive-thinking attitude. Sometimes, I had to pretend and adopt all the positive mindset stuff because, while I’d never share it with Shadow and Viper, it fucking worked. I’d manifested in my head for weeks that we’d find an Omega leading up to the Glass Slipper Ball, and the universe delivered. So, maybe there was something more to changing my mindset.

We were going to get out of this alive and return with all the information we needed on Amy—the girl from the Institute who had Matteis connections.

We’ll find Amy’s information fast, without being attacked.

Repeating the mantra as we pulled up a block away from the Institute, I killed the lights and engine. We sat there for a few moments in case someone spotted me pulling up and came to investigate.

No movement, no shadows. In truth, the street was barren, not a car in sight.

“We’ll use the basement door to enter, like last time,” Viper rasped, and then we were off.

Sticking to the shadows, we moved fast, keeping an eye on our surroundings. Except, no one was there. The Institute had been abandoned following the death of Bakewell. With the Shchavlev boss also killed, this place would be the least of their worries. Rushing over the front yard, we cut across the driveway and sprinted around to the back.

Night swallowed everything, but the half-moon gave enough light to slice a path for us to the back door, which still had its lock broken. When Viper kicked it, the heavy door swung open with a creak, revealing a pool of darkness inviting us in so it could swallow us whole.

“You like horror movies. This should be fun for you.” Viper stepped inside, and I followed quickly, closing us inside.

“Fuck that. If I’m going to be part of anything horror related, I’m going to be the predator, not the damn prey.”

Pitch black suffocated us, and my skin crawled. I hated not seeing anything. Grabbing the flashlight from my jacket pocket, I flicked it on. Viper followed suit, and our orbs of light bounced around the empty hallway, made for a deranged hillbilly wielding a machete to pop out of the cells.

Coming here again reminded me of how furious I’d been the first time we broke in, and I discovered that bitch Bakewell imprisoned the girls if they misbehaved. Fury had curled over my shoulder blades just seeing the empty cells and finding out from Viper that the guard down here would torture and abuse them. If he hadn’t taken care of the son of a bitch, I’d have hunted him down and skinned him alive.

We rushed through the corridor, my skin crawling, and rushed upstairs. The place was just as dreary. Furniture turned over and paintings ripped off the walls, it looked as if someone might have broken in to steal what they could.

“This way,” Viper muttered as we moved with haste. “I wanna get out of this pisshole.”

Running down a hallway, our flashlights carving a path for us, we finally reached the main office door.

Viper pushed down on the handle, but it was locked. He stood back and threw his heel into it near the lock. Two more strikes and the door released a groan as it swung open, crashing into the wall with a loud crack. We poured inside and ran to the wall of filing cabinets.

“Fuck me, why are there so many?” Viper grumbled, tearing at the first drawer that flung open, almost sending him reeling backward from his force.

The first one I tried was locked. I groaned but set to work to break the lock… three seconds later, I had files flying out.

“Amy, right?” Viper asked.

“Yep.”

We started pouring over the files, flicking through the folders. When I ended up crouched down and pawing through the bottom drawer, I paused on a folder titled Trinity. I drew it out and flipped the manila folder open to find a single piece of paper. A general form with her name at the top, Trinity Ainsley.

Of course, they didn’t even write down her real name—Trinity Shchavlev. I bet they randomly drew the name Ainsley out of a hat to conceal her real identity at the Institute.

Her father had hidden her in the Institute until her Omega blossomed, then the fucking asshole was going to sell her and profit from his daughter. My hands shook with anger. One day, I’ll get my chance for revenge.

“Did you find something?” Viper barked, glancing over at me, half bent over into a drawer of files.

“Nah, this is Trinity’s. It has nothing on her, just her wrong name.” I held onto it to take from this place should anyone else come searching for anything on her.

“Who gives a fuck? She’s with us now. Like you told me, focus on the damn job.”

I rolled my eyes at him while he was throwing papers all over the place in his search.

Pouring back into the files, I flicked through them fast when I spotted the name Amy. A deep, guttural cheer burst past my lips.

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