Chapter Twenty-Six
Noah helped set up the gaming table, knowing this was their best chance to catch the shifter they’d been sent after. His job wasn’t to do the catching, of course. His job was to… well… he wasn’t sure exactly. When Griffin had explained it, it made sense. Something about another pair of eyes and gathering information. But now that he was there, he was really struggling to see what use he was, except as eye candy for the other alphas.
Darcy had shown him how to cover his mating mark up but leave his scars visible. He did it every day before starting his shift and checked it a few times during his breaks.
“Stephen?” That was Jason, their manager. Noah had taken his brother’s name, hoping the familiarity would help him remember to respond to it.
“Yeah, Jason?”
“You’ll look after the players tonight. Penny and Lyle will work the bar.”
“Sure, Jason. Whatever you say.”
Even better. If their target did turn up tonight, he’d be right where he needed to be.
He wouldn’t be helping with the actual card games, though Griffin had taught him how, he’d be delivering food and drink as ordered by the guests. The less the players left their seats, the more money they bet, or so Jason said.
As the players began to file in, he returned to the bar to grab a fresh cleaning cloth and a refill for one of the regulars, Joey. As he did, he heard Joey greet Ronan and invite him to play. Ronan’s story was that he was in the area looking for work. He’d been at the bar every night that week and had even gone and done a day’s manual labor to keep up the pretense.
Lyle made a sound of disgust beneath his breath. “Dom’s here. Watch yourself with him, Stephen. He can be hands-on, and he has a thing for scars.”
Noah turned to see who the other omega was talking about, but all he could see was the man’s broad back as the alpha took a seat at the table opposite Ronan.
“You’d better get out there,” Lyle advised. “Keep those drinks flowing unless you want Jason on your case.”
Noah hurried out, setting the drink down in front of Joey and taking orders from the new arrivals. He was just stepping around behind Ronan to take orders from the other side of the table when a scent drifted across, stopping him in his tracks. He knew before he even turned who he’d see, his body screaming at him, his fox straining to be set free so he could run.
It was him. Dom. Dom was the alpha. The wolf. The one who’d…
“Hey. Stephen, isn’t it?”
Ronan had stood up and turned, a hand on Noah’s shoulder. Noah dragged his eyes away from Dom and focused on his alpha, on Ronan’s scent, on the fact that the alpha was between him and the monster.
“You got anything fancier than what’s on tap? Some of that Columbian beer all the kids are going crazy for lately?”
Ronan’s words were meaningless, but his eyes said everything. They said trust me. They said everything is okay. They said breathe.
So, nodding, Noah did. “I’ll check in the back. We might have some European craft beer.”
“I guess that’ll have to do.”
Noah managed to hold it together, even taking a drinks order from Dom himself. He also realized that the description he’d been given of their target fit Dom to a tee. They were there for him. It made him feel light-headed to realize that the alpha was still out there, had been going about his life like nothing had changed after he’d almost ended Noah’s.
The rest of the evening passed by at a crawl, and yet it still felt to Noah like everything was rushed, the blood whooshing in his ears with every beat of his heart.
At first, he did his best to stay to Ronan’s side of the table, but it seemed to only draw more attention to him, especially since Dom appeared to be the one winning.
Jason pulled him aside just before midnight. “Dom’s winning big tonight. About now, he starts splashing out on the good stuff. But he won’t do that if he can’t get your attention. Go be an attentive little omega, and shake that ass at him, understand me?”
Noah bristled at the insult but nodded like a good, meek omega and did his job. Just as predicted, Dom ordered a round of expensive liquor for the table. Noah switched Ronan’s out with flavored water like he’d been doing with most of his drinks. He doled the drinks out from Dom’s side, leaning across the table, aware he was giving the alpha something to look at. But it became clear Dom’s focus was on something other than Noah’s ass when his hand grabbed the back of Noah’s T-shirt and yanked it down.
“What a pretty little thing you are,” the alpha said, fingers brushing across the scars on Noah’s back. Pulling himself out of reach, Noah felt himself flush bright red as the others at the table laughed.
“Haven’t seen you here before,” Dom added.
“Stephen arrived last week,” one of the players said, “quick on his feet and knows how to keep a man happy,” he added with a leer.
Noah grabbed a couple of empty glasses and fled back to the safety of the bar. He dawdled there until they called for him. It was approaching closing time, and they were almost on their last deal.
Dom grabbed Noah’s arm and pulled him to stand next to his chair. “You’re my good luck charm.”
Noah stood there silently as the last round played out. Two players were already out, leaving only four more. Two more bowed out soon after that, leaving Dom and Ronan. The last cards were dealt, and Noah held his breath, knowing that, whatever happened, Dom wouldn’t be having a good night.
Ronan snorted and threw down his cards in disgust. Dom crowed, gathering up his winnings. The others left the table, some to head to the bar for one last drink, others heading for the door, having sunk enough money that evening. Ronan seemed in no hurry to move, chatting to another shifter.
Noah started cleaning the table, in preparation for the end of his shift, when he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders.
“Got my money, got my liquor. Only thing I’m missing tonight is some sweet little thing to warm my bed.”
Noah tried to protest, tried to move away, but Dom’s grip turned rock hard. Frantic, he glanced around, looking for help. Jason was ignoring the situation, while Lyle gave him a pitying look.
In desperation, he broke cover and searched out Ronan as Dom began to walk him toward the door. The alpha was, mercifully, still there. When Noah met his eyes, Ronan gave him a signal. One that meant, simply, keep going. Noah stopped fighting and started walking with Dom out into the car park.
As they walked along the side of the building, Noah started talking.
“Where are we going? I really need to finish my shift and go home. Please.”
“Shh, save your voice. You’ll need that for later.”
The alpha yanked him forward, and Noah kept walking. Where was Ronan? Was this really part of the plan?
“Just around this corner,” Dom said, pulling out his keys.
They walked around the side of the building, and there was Ronan, leaning casually against the only car left, looking like he hadn’t a care in the world.
Dom snorted and let go of Noah’s arm.
“You’re not going to be a sore loser now, are you? I won fair and square.”
“You won because I let you win, but I don’t have a problem with that. But you do have something of mine.”
Dom laughed. “I won the game, the money’s mine.”
“I’m not talking about the game. I’m talking about him.” He nodded to Noah.
Dom shook his head. “Winner takes the spoils, he’s mine for tonight.”
“He can’t be yours since he’s already mine.”
The alpha made a rude noise and grabbed for Noah, spinning him around and pawing at his shirt. It tore down the back, exposing Noah’s scars to the cool night air.
“See these scars? They’re my marks. I’d recognize them anywhere. I got here first. You want him, get in line. Can’t say there’ll be much left when I’m finished with him.”
Noah didn’t see what happened next, but he felt it, his T-shirt yanked from Dom’s grip. He glanced over his shoulder in time to see Ronan slam Dom against the car. The alpha yanked the keys from Dom’s hands and tossed them to Noah.
“I heard noise from the trunk. Check it. Take what you find back to my car, it’s on the other side of the lot. Dom and I have some business to take care of.”
The other alpha growled and shoved Ronan away, moving back toward Noah. Ronan grabbed him and dragged him back, tossing him away from the car. He stalked after him shifting as he moved.
Noah hurried to the trunk of the car, dropping the keys once before he managed to get it open. The scent of omega and fear met him, and he found himself looking into the frightened eyes of a little boy, tape across his mouth. Mindful of Ronan’s words, Noah picked the kid up and ran around the side of the building, hearing Dom’s wolf growling in answer to Ronan’s as the two alphas faced off.
He grabbed a blanket from the trunk and climbed into the front seat, wrapping the boy up before gently peeling the tape from his lips.
“Shh, it’s okay. You’re safe now,” he promised, hugging the boy to him. Checking the boy’s neck and back, he was relieved to find he wasn’t marked. They’d gotten to him in time.
“What’s your name, sweetie? I’m Noah.”
Solemn blue eyes stared back at him. “Timmy. I want my daddies.”
“We’re going to get you home to them, I promise.”
He could hear the sounds of fighting in the distance; growls and snarls. There was a high-pitched whine, louder than anything else, and then there was silence.
It was a long fifteen minutes before the driver’s door opened, and Ronan climbed inside. He was bloodied and bruised but still managed a grin.
“You boys doing okay?”
“We’re okay,” Noah said. “This is Timmy.”
“Hi, Timmy,” Ronan said, pulling out his phone and snapping a picture of the child. “How about we get you home, kid?”
Ronan’s phone rang a minute later.
“Yeah, Griffin. Bastard had him in the trunk. He’s safe, looks unhurt. Any idea where he came from? Huh. Sure. In that case, we’ll have him home by morning.”
He gave Noah a smile that turned to a frown at something Griffin said. “Him? In the ground, where he belongs. He won’t hurt anyone ever again.”
They got on the road a few minutes later. Noah’s eyes were mostly on Timmy but he noticed a car behind them, staying close.
“Ronan, I think we’re being followed.”
“Nah. That’s our back up.”
“Back up?” That was the first he’d heard of it. He’d thought the job was just the two of them.
“Quinn and Mark. They’re heading home.”
They lapsed into silence, Noah feeling like he’d missed a trick. A while later, they took a turn, and the other car didn’t follow. Heading back to Briar House, just like Ronan said.
Timmy whined, and Noah rocked him in his arms to soothe him. They’d saved Timmy, the way Noah had always wished someone had been able to save him.