Page 30 of Running on Empty

Those bloodied fingers tightened into fists and then went slack again, over and over as the tension built. They’d strode into here the conquering heroes because they’d terrorised a low level sex pest who worked at a suburban pub, but now the real work began.

“And what do you want me to do?”

We all turned to see Scarlett had arrived. I’d called her in this morning because she didn’t need to be around the Spencers and their hired guns.

“Go home,” I said. “Report back to Riley and the Taylor pack that we aim to have this handled, but what’s about to go down won’t exactly fit the job Crowe Corp gave us. We guarantee results, but we don’t get our clients’ hands dirty.” I looked down at my phone, then quickly forwarded her boarding pass and flight details to her. “You’ll need to be at the airport in an hour.”

“Just like that, huh?” she said, her jaw tightening.

“Thank you for all your help. I’ve paid the full amount into your nominated account—”

“It wasn’t about the money, you hard headed prick,” she said, but there was no real rancour in Scarlett’s voice, just… pity, and it took me a good few moments to recognise that in her gaze. But I didn’t get anything more from her than that, because she was already turning to Stevie.

“Gimme your phone, omega.” Stevie responded to the firm request, even though Scar wasn’t an alpha. She tapped her contact details into Stevie’s phone and then handed it back. “Call me any time, any day. I’m up at all hours anyway and…” She turned and looked the three of us over. “I’ll get up for you. You’ll need some support in the next few days.”

She took Stevie’s hands in hers then, turning the palms over and then back again as she inspected them closely.

“And you give those fuckers hell for all the bullshit they pulled.”

Great, another person egging my omega on. I saw Stevie grin and I knew I needed to step in.

“Help the omega get her bag together and make sure Scarlett gets away in one piece,” I ordered Jax.

“Got it.”

“And what’re you going to do?” Stevie asked me, eyebrow rising.

“I’m going to chat to my brother while you get ready, make sure we’re both on the same page.”

She seemed to see that for the bullshit it was, but it appeared I’d made a clear enough case for urgency because she nodded and then turned to Scarlett.

“We’ll walk you out.”

“So what did you want to talk about, brother dear?” Ronan asked once the front door was closed.

“I won’t ask why you did it.” His smile widened. “Because the answer is always the same. You just have to, don’t you?” He didn’t answer, making the question rhetorical as he continued to meet my stare, green eyes dancing. “Whatever the fuck is wrong with you, it has you making the worst fucking choices, over and over.”

“Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out,” he said, crossing his arms. “So why are we flapping our gums now?”

“Because the dads told me many years ago that I needed to find a way to work with… whatever you are. And I have.” He shrugged at that, but I refused to rise to the bait. “Well, in order for us all to get through the shitstorm you just created, we’re going to need your singular skills.”

“Go on.”

I had his interest now, the rabid wolf and the man peering closer now they had the scent of blood in their nose.

Well, more than what had already been shed. That was the thing about Ronan. We’d always sought to protect Stevie from the world, and part of that was keeping her away from him. Because my brother’s taste for blood? It didn’t stop, didn’t ease, no matter how much he shed. He might be satisfied today, striking out at Stevie’s enemies, but tomorrow? Who knew.

“None of them can get away with this, you know that. Not Jonesy, not the Spencer pack and if their fathers are stupid enough to step in, not them either.” I met his gaze head on then, looking at Ronan and seeing my brother exactly for what he was. “I need you to use whatever… monster lives inside you for her.”

“For her,” he agreed, nodding his head before turning to grab the go bags from the dining room table, carrying them out to the car with a whistle to Ollie.

But I had that same impulse to protect Stevie. So what the hell did I do when my own brother became the next threat?

Chapter19

Jax

“Get on that plane and don’t look back,” I told Scar as Stevie and I walked her out to her car. “That’s my advice. The way this job is going? It’s not what you signed up for. You’ve helped us a lot with the cameras you planted and the information you’ve picked up, but we’ll sort the rest of this shit out now.”

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