Page 25 of Wicked Truths

“Fuck you,” he says, narrowing his eyes at me.

“Thanks, but I’ll continue to fuckher.” I wink, spinning to go find Oakley.

Fuck, she might not be pleased about me outing that, but that asshole deserves to stew in his own misery.

Sullivan grabs my shoulder, turning me back until I’m facing him.

“Yeah, I know you two are hooking up. And I fuckinghateit,” he hisses. “You talk to everyone like they’re shit on your shoe. Come to find out Hawk has a long-lost wife none of us knew about. Oakley deserves better thaneither of you.”

“Right,” I scoff, flipping him off with both hands. “You really want to go toe-to-toe with who’s a bigger bastard? Let’s talk aboutyouleading her on for years.”

Sullivan takes a step back.

I shake my head, jabbing a finger at his chest. “Keep playing games. You’re going to push her away completely. Trust me when I sayno oneis going to feel sorry for you.”

I slam my shoulder into his on the way by.

I jog down the hallway until I hit the elevators.

One is several floors below us.

I hit the button for the other.

I already know where she’s headed.

The doors open and I step inside, hitting the button for the parking garage.

Motherfucker, my fists clench as I fight the urge to go back and lay that asshole out. I don’t give a fuck if he thinks I’m worthy of Oakley or not. Spoiler alert—I’m not—Hawk might not be either, but that doesn’t give Sullivan the right to continually play games with her feelings. The only thing that holds me back from going upstairs and starting shit is that I know Oakley needs someone right now.

The trip down doesn’t take long and then I’m climbing out and searching for the pouty little omega. She’s leaning against the concrete wall next to the sidewalk that leads to the convenience store we grab snacks from sometimes.

“That was a dramatic exit if I’ve ever seen one,” I murmur, coming up by her side.

She chews at her lower lip.

My thumb catches the puffy thing, and I carefully pull it free. My other hand slides up her neck. Her blue eyes meet mine.

Oakley is a dichotomy. She’s bubbly and outgoing, but once you get to know her, it becomes clear how desperate she is to be accepted.

That piece of shit she calls a friend definitely hasn’t helped matters.

She’s fucking beautiful in that girl-next-door kind of way. She’s also a human being with feelings and emotions, and Sullivan acts like it’s fine to string her along, always keeping her on the back burner.

I’ve been someone’s backup plan.

It doesn’t feel great.

Oakley is tender and especially transparent. I don’t get how anyone could stand to purposely fuck with her emotions.

“Hawk’s married?”

“That’s what I heard.” I shrug. I’m not going to lie when it’s clear she’s practically begging someone to just be real with her. “Then again, it came from Sullivan. You know I don’t put much stock in anything he has to say.”

“Why would he lie?” She looks up at me from under her lashes.

That’s the problem. I’m not sure he is, but it’s also clear they aren’t together. That big fucker has had it bad for the five-and-a-half-foot omega since I came onto the scene. It’s also why I chose to keep the information to myself the first time I overheard Sullivan and Hawk talking.

“We’ve all got a past.” I quirk an eyebrow. She lets me fuck her quite regularly, and I’m not sure how Hawkins would feel about that. “He might have a wife, but they aren’t together.”

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