Chapter 27 Annoyance is one emotion I'm well-acquainted with. Everyone is testing the limits of my good nature today. Hart with how he kissed Quincy in the hallway this morning. Ridge overcompensating with too many lavish gifts all at once. He made Quincy cry, and I could do nothing but watch it on my phone screen. Even the restaurant I once looked forward to visiting has been ruined. The club sandwich doesn't taste anywhere near as delicious when anyone but Quincy delivers it. My half brother seems dead set on putting me in a foul mood. There's no other reason he would drag me away from the house. I wasn't about to tell him I couldn't leave because Ridge and Hartley would be busy assembling the nursery, thus giving me the perfect time to woo my omega. And while I might not have spilled the beans, someone did. If I had to place a bet on who was responsible for sharing that tidbit of knowledge, I would put my money on Shaw. That fucker seems like he has a big mouth. Knox stretches back against the booth, glancing around like he's desperate for something to do. We long ago finished our food, but he's a big boy. I'm confident he could find something on his phone to entertain him while we do our job as bait. This would have been much more effective with Ridge as the prey. However, Easton must have taken pity on him after learning about Quincy and the baby. No one decided to take pity on me, and my mood has not improved as the hours have passed. Although, I am looking forward to getting out of here and going shopping. That will brighten my outlook on the day, I'm sure of it. I've already selected several rings that I'd like to examine in person. The shop closes at five, so one way or another, these assholes need to make themselves known if they intend on it. Seeing members of Costa's team strolling by the restaurant the other day may have simply been a coincidence. Normally I don't believe in coincidences, but if they intend to act, I doubt they would do so while Knox and I are still in the restaurant. Easton is ultimately hoping Leo and Shaw can get eyes on Costa, his team, or the hired mercenaries. If they're in a spot where a covert shot can be taken... Even better. At least, that's my line of thinking. Sure, it would be convenient to obtain one of Costa's team-that way, they could be tortured for information about Costa's whereabouts. It would be even better if they could quietly take out the boss himself, but I don't see that happening. He can afford to pay his minions to do his dirty work for him. If I were Costa, I wouldn't stick my nose out and risk someone cutting it off. I would simply stay hunkered down and allow the paid help to do what they were contracted for. This day is never going to end. "Easton is pissed," Knox says, jogging to keep pace at my side in the horrendous-smelling alleyway. I stop dead in my tracks and turn to face him. "Yes, because it wasn't suspicious at all that we spent the better part of six hours sitting in the restaurant." I roll my eyes. "You're more than welcome to go back in. Spend some additional time flirting with the hostess." I believe her name is Sutton, but I barely spared her a glance. She came over to ask if I had any information on Quincy. I lied through my teeth, assuring her that as far as I knew, Quincy was at home resting. After all, she looked rundown the last time I saw her in the restaurant. Although, I should probably encourage Quincy to check her phone when I make it back to Ridge's. Otherwise, the helpful friend might get concerned and pop by Quincy's empty house, which would only open another can of worms. "The jewelry store closes in twenty-five minutes," I growl, taking off down the alley. I could have used the front sidewalks, but my phone assured me this route would shave off two minutes. It's already getting dark, despite it not even being five p.m. Winter in Vermont is ridiculous. "I've spent all day following Easton's orders. If he doesn't like it, he can fire me." I haven't been paid, making that threat rather innocuous. "I'll let you pass on that message," Knox says, again picking up his pace to try to keep up with me. "You're not, like, planning to buy Quincy a ring or anything? Right? A necklace would⁠-" The hair on the back of my neck stands on end, and something niggles at my senses. It's a half-second choice to act, and I spin, shoving Knox to the wall with one hand slammed into his sternum. He lets out a ridiculous oomph, but I'm already reaching for my Glock with my dominant hand. I always use a holster capable of accommodating a suppressor, which is convenient, considering we're on the edge of town. There's no need to draw extra attention to ourselves. The gun isn't technically illegal, but the silencer is another story. Movement from behind the dumpster that Knox and I just walked past catches my eye, and I pivot, lining up to take my shot. Jesus. I didn't even sense him. That sets a bad precedent. His eyes go wide as he spots me, and he gets his shit together, aiming at me faster than I would like. The low whoosh of his silenced shot being fired pushes me to act. His bullet flies past my head, only missing my ear by a few inches. It was too close for comfort, that's for damn sure. My bullet lands in his chest, and his body jolts. That wasn't where I was aiming, and I frown, lining up for a follow-up shot, but one of Easton's snipers finally does their job. The side of his head explodes against the brick wall of the alleyway. Another assailant pops up, keeping low as he attempts to flee. I course correct from my last shot, focusing on his skull, but his neck snaps to the side, the shot clearly taken by one of the snipers. The bullet entered mid-cranium and exited through his jaw, by the looks of it. Although, they are ten to fifteen feet away, so it's difficult to be sure. Either way, it's going to be an ugly sight. Here's hoping Knox has a stronger stomach than he's led me to believe. This is a fucking nightmare. My internal clock says I have less than twenty minutes left to make it to the jewelry store and pick out a ring for Quincy. "Goddammit," I growl, jogging forward while scanning for additional adversaries. If two decided to show themselves, there could be more just waiting to pop up to ruin my proposal plans. Coming around the edge of the dumpster, I keep my finger on the trigger, just in case there is a third who was too frightened to act. There's not. The first body lies slumped against the dumpster with vacant eyes and a half-open mouth. Blood pools beneath him, soaking into the concrete. "Fuck," Knox says, reaching my side. "How do we cover this up?" Sighing, I holster my weapon and reach for my wallet. "We need at least three or four two liters of Coke and a few quarts of motor oil." I shove a hundred at him and put my wallet away. "But first, I need your help getting these bodies into the dumpster." Pulling out my phone, I text Easton. Hopefully you have a contact with a garbage truck capable of handling a dumpster. You'd better get your guys down here to keep an eye on it until it can be removed. I check the time, and my teeth grind together. I have eighteen minutes to purchase a ring. By the way, I hate this job. There. That was concise. Focusing on Knox, I shove my phone away and pull out the latex gloves I brought just in case. "We need to get them out of sight. There's not much that can be done about the bone fragments, but cover the blood in the Coke. Let it sit for five minutes and have a field day with the oil. It's not perfect, but it will help cover the smell and wash away evidence." I toss a pair of gloves at his chest. "While I'm in the jewelry store, I need you to find dinner. Ridge and Hartley were still assembling a dresser when I checked. I doubt they've had a chance to think about feeding Quincy." Knox blinks at me with wide eyes. "You scare me." I scoff, rolling my eyes. They should all be afraid. This was a complete waste of time. If they had warned us we had a tail, we could have captured at least one of those assholes alive. "Help me check for cell phones or IDs. We need to be quick." Everyone in my general vicinity should be very grateful that the jewelry store owner was willing to stay late. I'm sure the five hundred dollars I offered just for staying open an additional thirty minutes helped matters. There's a pep in my step as I make it back to the alleyway. Leo and Shaw stand around, talking among themselves. I nod, stopping to investigate whether Knox followed my instructions. It appears he did. That's a good sign. Of course my half brother is nowhere to be seen. Much like Costa Maloney is intelligent enough to order around his minions, Easton holds the same cold indifference for his employees. He'll likely do a quick survey of the area after the dumpster has been removed, but he won't show his face until the majority of the crime has been cleaned up. In general, I prefer to be the one to clean up my crime scenes, but I'm very rarely forced into action in public. "East has a truck on the way that will be able to swap out the dumpster," Shaw says, keeping his voice barely above a whisper. "Once that's in place, he'll have another team come in and cook some s'mores." He holds his hands out, flipping them like he's warming himself by a fire. He winks. "If you get what I mean." I blink repeatedly. Is there something in the water here that makes grown men lose brain cells? I'll need to be careful not to drink the tap water. "Enough. He gets it." Leo slams his shoulder into Shaw's and looks at me. "How's Ridge doing? Still losing his shit?" I glance toward the end of the alleyway. That reminds me, I'm in a hurry. "He was fine when I saw him earlier. We have an appointment tomorrow with the obstetrician." I offer a polite smile. "Thank you for the assist earlier. I have to go." "Are you sure he's not related to Easton?" Shaw asks, failing to keep his voice low enough to prevent me from hearing the question. I scoff. Easton must not have shared that piece of information with them. Not that I care. I have more important things to tackle, like where the hell Knox disappeared to. Making it to the mouth of the alley, I turn right and follow the next equally smelly alleyway past the back of the restaurant and toward the parking lot. Once I hit the sidewalk, I take it parallel with the building until the railing ends and stride across the roundabout that circles the front of the building. The parking area is raised, with a walkway in the middle and another railing to prevent cars from pulling forward too far and heading over the three-foot decline. The same feeling I always get when I'm being watched hits me right in the gut, and I frown, swiveling my head and taking inventory of the parking lot. Well, that instinct might be on the fritz, considering I never noticed the men in the alley until it was nearly too late. However, the hostess from the restaurant that Knox spent several hours flirting and chatting with stares directly at me with wide eyes. Her hands are glued to the steering wheel, like she's holding on for dear life. She twists and frantically digs for something in the passenger seat, and I sigh, making my way to the driver's side door. I keep the jewelry bag in my left hand and use the knuckles of my right to knock on the window. Her head whips up, and she shoves her key into the ignition, starting the vehicle. It's frigid. There's no reason she would be sitting in abject terror unless... Fuck my life. This day is never going to end. Where is Knox? He's built a much better rapport with the quirky woman. I knock again, this time with more force. If she attempted to put the vehicle in reverse, she would run over my feet if I didn't jump back. "Sutton, roll down the window." It's firm but not a bark. I'll take that route next if necessary. She jerks to the side and slams her finger on the button to open the window. "I didn't see anything-I swear!" Well, that was the least convincing lie I've ever heard, and I've listened to some real pieces of shit try to bargain right before I took their lives. Oh yes, I've heard many lies in an attempt to save themselves, but somehow this woman is the most transparent of them all. If she truly believes her life is in danger, I would think she could put a little more effort into being convincing. I quirk an eyebrow. She twists, grabbing something from the passenger seat and holding it out the window. "Your friend forgot this. That's the only reason I followed you. I mean, I was going to give him my number, but..." Taking the beanie from her outstretched hand, I mentally weigh the chances Quincy will forgive me if I have to kill her work friend. At least, to my knowledge, they're only coworkers. I don't consider those I'm forced to be friendly with for work purposes to be actual confidants, but Quincy is especially soft. I don't believe she would take it well if Sutton went missing. Dropping the beanie into the top of the small jewelry bag, I open the car door and grab the tops of my dress pants at the knees, pulling them up enough that I'm able to squat down. Christ. She must be traumatized if she put on her seat belt only to sit in the car for at least thirty minutes without ever leaving. "Can I be honest with you, Sutton?" Her eyes widen, and she leans deeper into the vehicle in an attempt to get away from me. "I won't call the cops or anything. It was clear you were just defending yourself. I didn't even really see anything. Oh God, except all that blood." "Listen to me carefully," I say, forcing every bit of alpha command that I'm capable of into my words. "You care about Quincy. It's easy to see. You've been a great friend to her when no one else at work has given her the time of day." Okay, that's just my personal observation, but I'm astute. "Quincy is tangled up in something that she had no part of getting herself into. I can't give you specific details, but I can assure you that I'm here to keep her safe. If you were to turn me in, I wouldn't be around to protect her." "Wait, what?" Sutton's jaw falls. "You told me you haven't seen her." "Yes, well, I was attempting to keep you out of their line of sight," I say calmly. "Quincy is safe. I will make sure you speak to her, but for her sake, and the baby's, I would appreciate keeping what happened earlier between us. She doesn't need any additional stress." "I know how to keep my mouth shut," she says, nodding repeatedly. "Please don't kill me." "I don't harm innocent people." I shove my glasses up with my free hand. "Quincy is being hunted because of her association to her daughter's father. She's done nothing wrong. They've found her guilty simply because of her proximity to him." And me, too, but I keep that morsel of information to myself. "Where is she?" "She's close and safe. Hartley is with her." I offer a polite smile. "The type of men we're dealing with are not deterred by cops or laws. They planned an execution in the middle of town..." "But there were others watching your back," she says, like she's trying to force the pieces together. I nod. "And I'm lucky they were." "I don't want Quincy to get hurt." Her voice wavers, and her eyes dart away. She hasn't decided if she's going to file a police report. It's clear she's struggling with what she thinks is the morally sound call, and she's saying what she needs to say to ensure I don't kill her. "I know you don't," I say, placating her. "And I won't allow that to happen, but again, to ensure her safety, I have to be in a position to protect her. These aren't the kind of men who run when sirens get close. They won't hesitate to take out a cop or two if that's what it takes to complete their contract." Seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars is a motivator like no other, but I keep the financial details to myself. "Quincy is at risk. We're not talking about low-level thugs or a pissed-off ex-boyfriend. These are contract killers. They don't knock. They don't warn you that you're next, but now that you know what's happening, you're at risk too. They will come for you if they even think you have information that might lead them to their target." Her hand flies to cover her mouth, and I prepare myself to duck out of the way if she vomits. There we go. It seems Sutton is finally realizing what she walked herself into while trying to return Knox's beanie. "I understand that you're a good person. You want to do what's right. That's an admirable trait." I reach out and awkwardly pat her thigh. "The hard part comes when doing the right thing on paper translates to the wrong thing in reality." "Do you always talk in riddles?" I nearly snort. I'm much better at making direct threats than veiled ones, but I'm trying to handle this situation in a way that won't make Quincy hate me if she hears about it. "Let me put it to you this way," I say, letting the mask of civility fade. "Would you rather experience a few moments of guilt or a lifetime of looking over your shoulder?" "Who's going to protect me?" she snaps. "You said I'm involved. If I don't call the cops, who is going to watch my back?" Shit. She has a point there. There's every possibility that I should have called Easton the moment I saw her. That would have made her his loose end to tie up. I intervened, and now this is my mess. "You're fond of Knox." I bring the bag up, shaking it to show his beanie. "He's highly trained in personal security. You can leave your car here tonight. You're rattled and in no state to drive safely. I'll have him accompany you home, and he will stay with you until I can speak to someone about having a team assigned to you. They'll protect you while this plays out." "And if I say no?" Her chin tilts in the air. "Then you take your chances on your own." I shove myself to my feet. "Best of luck, Sutton. Hopefully the police response times will be up to your standards if you truly need to call upon them." "Hey, wait!" she calls out as I turn. The sound of her seat belt being flung off fills the air. "I changed my mind." A slow smile crosses my face. I'll just bet she did. The drive to drop me off at Ridge's is awkward. Sutton's fear permeates the air, making my nose wrinkle. She's an omega, by the smell of it, and I'm baffled how I failed to notice until now. Knox doesn't seem heartbroken to know he'll be keeping a close eye on her for at least a day or two. Easton opens my messages and leaves me on read. Perhaps he'll call later, since I was sparse with details in text, but he knows Knox is now responsible for keeping Sutton quiet. I'm mildly amused how wide her eyes get when we pull into Ridge's neighborhood. She scoffs as she spots the gate guards, but I probably would too if I didn't understand the severity of the situation. "I'll stay with Sutton while you run in to grab your belongings," I tell Knox before twisting in my seat to face the omega. Bringing the jewelry bag to sit on the armrest between the front seats, I grab out his beanie and toss it on the dashboard. "Now, I was rushed a bit, but I'd like your opinion on a few things I purchased for Quincy." Knox shuts the door, grumbling about something, and I ignore him. "Okay," she says, leaning forward. "But you said you would prove to me that Quincy is okay." I frown. Did I say that, or is that just how she interpreted things? Either way, I collect my phone and pull up the cameras. "She's setting up her nest. Pregnancy increases the instinct even more strongly than her just being an omega. She is fine." Holding out my phone, I provide the proof Quincy is alive and well. "Now, back to my gifts. Do you think she'll like them?"