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He stops talking for a moment, as if he’s gathering his thoughts or struggling with them, rather than hesitating.
Has he spoken about this with anyone before?
I feel honored that he feels he can share this with us.
“As kids, my sister and I played with Fletcher’s Omega brother in his house,” he continues. “We were taken over to the Ace Mansion, whenever there was a deal going down. The Ace pack is more brutal than the Saints. I hated it there. The female Alpha was tyrannical to everyone, especially Ghost. But Fletcher was caring and playful with his brother. Fletcher’s a decade older and appeared to be the only one raising Ghost. I wanted Ghost to be my Omega; he was a beautiful genius. He was more interesting than any other male Omega I’d met. It blinded me to the truth that Fletcher was obsessed with my sister and me.”
I pale. “Fuck.”
“Obsessed as in…?” Lincoln looks set to be triggered into murder mode.
“He wanted to claim us both. He’d have become the Alpha to the Saints twins.” Thomas is avoiding our eyes.
“He’s dead,” Lincoln snarls.
“He may as well be. Fletcher’s been sentenced to life in the A-a-alpha C-center.” Thomas stumbles over the name, which is so unlike him that I study his face. Dread coils in my guts. Are the rumors true that Raylan sent his own son to suffer in the center? Vito thinks so. Thomas steadies himself fast, however, and his gaze becomes steely. “The important thing is that simply because we can’t bond with Ghost yet, doesn’t mean that we can’t act like he’s worthy of it. Because he is.”
Yet…?
Suddenly, I feel wide awake.
I scramble to sit up. “What the hell does that mean?”
Thomas’ frosty eyes become calculating. “It means that you’re not the only one working on a rescue mission for us.”
My heart speeds up. “Wait, you have to tell me.”
Unexpectedly, Thomas’ phone rings in his pocket.
Thomas looks wearier at the sound.
His eyes are shadowed with deep smudges, and his cheekbones appear sharper.
He slips the phone out of his pocket.
“Dad, I’m not late to work,” Thomas snaps into the phone. “I’m not expected in until 6 a.m., and that’s still—”
“Adjust the attitude, or I’ll adjust it for you,” a harsh voice snarls, loud enough for me to hear. Thomas winces. “I haven’t raised you to be a weak, stupid Alpha. So, why aren’t you capable of following my orders? Richard told me over dinner last night that you still haven’t closed down the Dough Knot.”
Shit, it’s Raylan.
My pulse speeds up. Lincoln pushes himself upright next to me, alert and attentively listening.
Thomas’ gaze rests on mine.
His face falls into a mask.
“I had their accounts hacked.” Thomas’ voice is ice cold. It’s like he’s pulled on a different persona entirely than the man who I’ve just been lying with. “They were rather a mess.” He takes the phone away from his ear, as he mouths sorry at me. “Richard’s a sadist who’d go for the knife in the guts, rather than the subtle whisper in someone’s ear. My methods are smoother. That bakery financially can’t stay open longer than a few more weeks. Trust me, it won’t be a problem. Let it collapse all by itself and then swoop in and take over.”
“Trust you?” Raylan barks. “Outrageous. After everything you’ve done, practically helping your sister rebel, siding with her and those outlaws, and communicating with her secretly, how can I trust you?”
Thomas’ jaw clenches. “I’ve only just got back from being punished. Weren’t all those months locked in the Alpha Center enough to atone?”
Lincoln stifles his gasp against my hair.
I’m frozen.
The Alpha Center is a prison that conditions Alphas who don’t act dynamically appropriately or who abuse Omegas. It’s also for true criminals. But Head Alphas can choose to use it as a threat against their pack members to keep them in line.
