Chapter 25: : Chapter 24

Exercise for me is not the adrenaline rush that it is for Lincoln. Nor does it produce the calm focus Arden claims he gets from a strenuous workout.

Sky has to drag me back to the house for the last ten minutes.

I’m not in bad shape.

I have muscles, dammit.

To be fair, I spend a lot more time doing pull-ups, lifting weights, and sit-ups to keep my abs lean, but running, especially in the cold, just isn’t my thing.

Arden is already plating dinner by the time I make it back to the house. His head raises when he spots me stomping to the fridge to grab a cold bottle of water. “Would you locate Chelsea and Lincoln and let them know dinner is ready?”

Ugh.

Stairs.

I snag a water and nod. “Yeah, I think they’re in the nest.”

The urge to check on the little omega outweighs my distaste for more physical activity, and I trudge up the back stairs. Just as I make it to the top, Chelsea comes to a stop in front of me.

Lincoln is behind her, and something about the lazy smile on his face makes me suspicious.

“Kase,” the little omega says, lighting up when she spots me. “I almost barreled right into you.”

My hand falls to her hip, and I grin as I lean down to kiss her cheek. My nostrils flare, breathing in her sugar cookie and vanilla scent. It now holds hints of Lincoln’s beachy scent, which I would normally attribute to them being intimate, but something is different.

“Did the two of you bond?” I choke out before I can stop myself.

Lincoln snorts, and my eyes meet Chelsea’s as she nods.

“We did,” she whispers, planting a hand on my chest.

“Congratulations,” I manage to say.

My mind races. That means she’s stuck with us, which is incredible, but I really wanted that first bite. Not that it matters. It’s just that I saw her first.

“Thank you.” A soft smile crosses her face, and her stomach growls loudly enough that all three of us hear it.

“Dinner is being plated as we speak.” I snag her hand and wait for her to step down before glaring at Lincoln. I don’t begrudge him happiness, but I’m definitely going to punch him in the throat for stealing that first bite from me.

I don’t care if it’s illogical. He owes me that.

Arden handles the news better than I do. Of course, he does. He’s always calm, cool, and collected. If he is bothered, he’ll take it out on a job. Pick up an old cold case file, study the crime scene photos and witness testimony until he forms a profile. Then he’ll go hunting to find out if the perp is still alive.

I could try to do a little cyber solving, but that could lead to an obsession, and at the moment, I don’t want to be focused on anything but Chelsea and the baby.

She eats more at dinner than I’ve seen her eat at one sitting, but just as I’m ramping up to ask when she’s moving in, she excuses herself to the restroom. She makes it clear she has to catch up on some work, so she won’t be back down for a few hours.

Arden, Lincoln, and I settle in the living room. Sky bounds off toward the stairs, like she’s planning to keep Chelsea company.

I need something to focus on outside of strangling my packmate and oldest friend with my bare hands. I’m right back to that jealous twelve-year-old boy, who didn’t want Linc anywhere near my family. He’s charismatic, and I’ve always been weird. I was afraid they’d like him more than me. Hell, Cordelia had the biggest crush on him for years, but Linc is five years older than she is. He never paid her an ounce of attention. She met two of her pack in high school, and that was the end of her crush.

I could probably stab Linc, and if I plan the location right, Chelsea wouldn’t know until he was all healed.

Right.

Retrain that line of thoughts.

“Do we have a plan for the younger Raynor?” I ask, tossing my feet up on the coffee table.

“Easton mentioned a bit on the phone, but admittedly, I was distracted,” Arden says, a soft smile tipping at his lips. “Raynor isn’t the main problem. It’s the bookie he’s tangled up with. Sammy Seven Toes or something equally ridiculous. He’s got ties to the Manzos.” He glances around, like he’s looking for recognition, but he won’t find any. Though I’m pretty good with computers, I don’t keep up with the mob families. He sighs and eventually goes on. “The Manzos stepped in during the power vacuum that occurred after the Andrettis lost Boston. The Manzo patriarch was taken out in that clusterfuck that went down in New York with the Barretts, but his son Titus is entrepreneurial. He made a play for Boston and DC, which most families know to stay away from, simply because of the political ramifications.”

“Right, so, Sammy Whatever-the-Fuck is the problem?” Lincoln asks, pacing near the TV. “We take him out. Problem solved. It’s not like we don’t have five teams on speed dial that could handle it within forty-eight hours, and that’s including travel time.”

“That’s just asking to irritate the Manzo patriarch,” Arden says thoughtfully. “And gain the interest of whatever resources they have at their disposal.”

“Maybe, but don’t pretend we can’t pay double to make it look like an accident or natural causes.” Lincoln sighs. “If I was willing to leave Chelsea, I’d volunteer to handle it myself, but my system won’t let me be away from her right now.” He pauses, planting his hands on his hips. “We should take out Raynor, too, while we’re at it. That way, Chelsea never has to worry about any of them again. A heart attack or car accident? If they set it up properly, who’s gonna know?” His head whips up, and his line of sight moves to the hallway with the stairwell.

Sky bounds into the room, and my stomach drops as Chelsea follows her around the corner.

“I’m sorry. Did you just insinuate that you could have my daughter’s uncle murdered?” Chelsea asks in a shrill tone that I’ve never heard her use.

My eyes narrow as my mind files through ways to slaughter Lincoln. They’re fucking bonded. How did he not sense her getting closer?

I fist my hands in my lap to keep from propelling myself off the couch.

“Sweetheart,” Linc says in a soothing voice as he prowls closer.

The little omega holds up a palm. “I’d appreciate it if you would stay right there while you answer my question.”

My fucking heart skips a beat.

Jesus Christ, this is bad.

Most people don’t have a variety of contract killers on speed dial. And Linc straight up said he would handle it himself…

So bad.

A complete fucking mess.

Arden pushes himself off the couch. “You’re pregnant and already under a tremendous amount of stress. All we hoped to do was to alleviate some of those worries.”

“By murdering multiple people, including the only living relative my daughter has on her father’s side?” Chelsea asks dubiously.

Fuck.

“That is a good point. We could need him for an organ or bone marrow or something one day.” I point to assure her I’m on the same page. “I’m pretty sure we can find someone to house him indefinitely. It’ll take a little digging, because I don’t know anyone off the top of my head, and that’s going to be significantly pricier. We might have to take a contract or two a year to keep up with his containment costs if you want him kept alive, but it’s no big deal. We just talked about scaling those back, so we could be home with you and Luna all year round.” I smile, nodding and hoping she understands we’ll do whatever she prefers.

It’s totally her call.

Arden and Lincoln both turn, glaring daggers at me, and I realize pretty quickly that I misread that situation.

Goddammit.

Chelsea takes a step toward the door. “I think I’m going to stay at my house tonight.”

“Sweetheart,” Linc says in a pained tone. “You still don’t have heat. Or groceries.”

“Yeah, I still think I need a bit of space.” She freezes, pointing a thumb toward the stairs. “Right after I grab my keys and phone.”

Arden makes a strangled sound. “Lincoln is right. That house is barely livable. Please, if you’re uncomfortable being around the three of us, how about you stay here, and we’ll sleep over there?”

“We bonded,” Linc says, sounding hurt.

“Right,” she says, tucking her hair behind her ear. “So, clearly, I’m not breaking up with you.” Her nose wrinkles, right along with her forehead. “Not that we ever really had a conversation about exclusivity.”

“We would never hurt you or the baby,” I say, because I feel like she needs to hear that.

Her head tilts, and she gives me a soft smile. “I believe you. Things have just been moving kinda fast, and I think it wouldn’t hurt if I spent a night or two at my house.”

Jesus fucking Christ. I’m going to have to break in and sleep on the floor in her bedroom, only to make sure I’m gone by the time she wakes up.

That, or lock her inside our house until she gives birth. I’m going to guess that wouldn’t do us any favors.

Linc frowns so deeply, his forehead wrinkles. “If it’s that big of a deal, we can let it go. Honestly, all we were trying to do was to look out for you. You never know when that asshole could show up.”

Chelsea’s shoulders slump, and she takes a few steps forward, giving him a hug. “I can feel your misery in the bond, and I hate it. I’m also not going to ignore bad behavior, like plotting murder by allowing it to be swept under the rug.”

Arden sighs heavily. “Perhaps if we were to tell you a little about the types of people our contracts are for, it would help you understand that we aren’t a danger to society.” He gestures to the sofa.

When did he become the studious one?

“I’ve seen movies and documentaries,” the little omega says with a huff. “The murder isn’t the main problem. You didn’t think to consult me before trying to make a huge decision that impacts me and, more importantly, my daughter.”

“It wasn’t a done deal,” I say, leaning forward. “It was just a cursory conversation. We spout out ideas all the time when we’re on a case.”

“Not that you’re a case,” Linc adds quickly. “Old habits die hard and all that.” He chuckles awkwardly, and my head tilts.

What the hell is he picking up on in the bond that Arden and I aren’t privy to?

“We won’t take any action unless you okay it.” Arden clasps his hands in front of his waist. “Does that help?”

Sky trots over to where Chelsea still leans against Linc’s chest and bumps her head into the omega’s hand.

Chelsea bends, scratching behind the mutt’s ears. She finally sighs. “I’m going to my nest, and the three of you are going to leave me alone for the rest of the night.”

“No cuddles?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Not tonight, Kase.” She gives me a sad smile, shakes out of Linc’s hold, and waddles toward the stairs.

My fury ratchets higher, and I shove myself off the couch, glaring at Linc. “Meet me in the backyard.”

“Whatever,” he mutters, sounding miserable. “Just remember, if you kill me, she will feel it. Losing a bond while pregnant…” His head shakes. “Go for nonlethal pain.”