Ollie could see that Anton's hand around her neck wasn’t tight, but he figured the threat was the point…
“We don’t know anything.” Oliver bit his lips until he tasted blood. He looked around the dim room. “We know nothing. Maybe Cybil got taken… or she ran away.”
Anton laughed, but the look on his face was more of a sneer.
“That’s really funny. Cybil… run? Please. She’s a weakling, barely worthy of being called an omega. You gonna stick with that? Or wanna try again?”
Anton’s eyes bored into Ollie, even as his hand tightened around Sophie’s neck. Oliver tried to feign confidence, but his voice shook. “We don’t know anything. ”
His arms around Jax tightened, and he heard his friend whimper.
“You really want to stick to that story?” Anton asked, brow raised. His arm around Sophie tightened further, and Ollie watched tears stream down her face.
Marco cried out, “We didn’t do anything! We were right here. We were all right here.”
Anton continued to stare at them. “Then you leave me no choice.” He sighed, although he had a grin on his face. He pulled Sophie out of the door with him, her cries echoing through the room.
Oliver stared at the other guys left in the room. “Do you know anything?”
They each shook their head. “No,” Marco said.
There wasn’t any way Cybil would have made a break for it. In fact, of all the omegas in the warehouse, he would have said Cybil was the last one that could make it happen. Yet she was the one that was free… or dead.
He heaved a sigh and stood, walking over to the window, the only way they had to look to the outside world. Get us out of here. There has to be a way. I need to find a way out of here… to save me… save us.
Help… Oliver didn’t know who he was calling out to… maybe the eyes he’d seen in his dream.
Oliver placed his hand against the wall. He felt a warm sensation radiating throughout his body. He pulled his hand back, but the warm tingling sensation didn’t disappear. He stared out of the small space in the window, and for some reason, he felt calm... Somehow, they were going to get out of there. He felt it.
For some reason, Ollie felt like everything would be okay… or maybe it’s just wishful thinking, and like Cybil, I’ll disappear, and no one would know what happened to me.
Chapter Six
Ronin
Save me… save us.
Ronin opened his eyes. At first he thought it was a dream, so he shrugged it off and sat up. It was already almost midnight, and he’d finally turned in after his shift watching the warehouse.
Get us out of here!
“Hello?” Ro called out. He didn’t have to look around the van to know he was the only one there. Ro blinked, but he knew he’d heard something.
The voice came again.
Help!
The words were loud enough that he felt someone was speaking them right over him, but he also knew that was impossible, so he shrugged it off again.
Ro shook his head and muttered, “I’m hearing things.” Instead of going back to sleep and waiting for his alarm to go off, he opened up the door of the van and got out. He stretched, twisting his neck from side to side, all the while vigilant making sure he was alone.
The feeling that had been plaguing him since the previous night was still there, and with that voice he’d heard… Ro was feeling a little out of sorts.
Maybe it’s this fucking place…
With that thought, Ro decided it was time to get the omegas out and get the fuck out of there.
Ronin grabbed his gear and headed over to the stakeout spot where Maddox, Nix, and Zander were watching the place like a hawk.
“Have a good rest?” Maddox asked, not looking in his direction.
“Yeah, I suppose.” For some reason Ronin added, “But the strangest thing happened. Something woke me up, or I woke up to the sound of something. It was a voice saying to ‘save me, save us.’”
Zander glanced at him brow raised. “Save us?”
Ronin nodded. “I know. I figured maybe it’s my subconscious... maybe it’s…” Ronin shrugged not knowing what else it could be. “I don’t know what the fuck it was, but the voice said, ‘save me…save us.’”
“It’s probably just your alpha pushing you to rescue the omegas, especially after seeing how terrified Cybil was,” Zander suggested. “It’s hardwired in us, you know. That’s why I can’t fucking understand alphas that treat omegas like shit.”
“Yeah, man. It was probably a dream. I wouldn’t put too much stake in it.” Maddox chimed in.
Ronin considered that, but he wasn’t so sure. The voice, along with the strong feeling… There was something urging him to proceed quicker. And he had to listen to his instincts.
“Just can’t shake the feeling,” Ro muttered. “Did anything happen while I was resting?”
Maddox shook his head. “Nope. Not a thing. Well, except we’ve seen at least three men, not including Anton. One came and left pretty soon after, the other two seem to be permanent fixtures.”
“Did you check in on Cybil,” Nix asked. “How is she holding up?”
Ronin nodded. “She was asleep when I left, but someone should go make sure she’s okay. I know we told her what was happening, but if she wakes up alone, she might freak out.”
“I’ll go,” Zan volunteered. “My turn to rest up anyway.”
“We’ll stay guard. Meet back here at 03:00 for breach,” Ronin instructed.
“Roger that,” Zander said before walking away.
Ronin turned back to the warehouse. “Either one of you need to go get a nap in or something?” Ronin asked.
“I’m good,” Maddox said.
“Same here,” Nix agreed.
At that moment, the warehouse door opened and out walked Anton. He had a woman by the arm that he was dragging behind him. Ronin touched his pistol, ready to pull it out, but then the two stopped suddenly.
They all watched as neither Anton nor the female omega said a word. Anton turned in their direction and Ronin, Maddox, and Nix froze. He hoped the building and overgrown foliage kept them hidden because Anton was looking right in their direction. They watched as Anton walked back the way he came, pulling the woman back into the warehouse.
“What the fuck was that about?” Nix muttered.
“Does he know we’re here?” Maddox whispered.
Ronin couldn’t get that image out of his head, and he shrugged. “It seems possible. But it just confirms what we already knew. We have to act tonight before it’s too late.”
Ronin’s phone started to vibrate. He stepped away from the two of them. “I’ll be right back,” he said.
He looked down at his phone and saw Roman’s number on the caller ID. He stepped far enough away from where they were observing before answering the call. Ro figured there was enough distance and that no one would have been able to hear him, but still he whispered. “Hello?”
“How’s it going? Anything new?” Rome asked instead of a hello.
Ronin groaned. “No. Nothing you need to concern yourself with.”
“Meaning there is something, but you won’t tell me what it is?” Roman guessed.
“It’s not a big deal. I woke up today to a voice; not sure if it was in my head… or a dream. It sounded like someone begging me to save them.” Ro sighed, rubbing his face with his free hand. “Zander thinks it’s a dream, and he’s probably right.”
“Or your mate is in that warehouse,” Rome suggested.
Ronin chuckled. “Of course you go there, big bro, but you’re old. I still have time before I find my mate. Just because you found Devon doesn’t mean you need to pair us all up.”
“First of all, we’re twins,” Roman snorted. He didn’t need to see his brother to know he’d rolled his eyes. “Plus, before I met Devon, I had this restless feeling. It was the only reason I went to the bar that night, and trust me, I don’t regret it for a moment.”
&
nbsp; “But you know… I did tell you that you were going to fall head over heels the moment you met your mate,” Ro teased his twin. “But honestly, I’m just not so sure it’s going to work that way with me.”
Roman laughed loudly on the other end. “Don’t be so sure. We are twins, after all. If you’re hearing voices like that, then just consider all options. Don’t write it off, okay. And trust me, you won’t have a choice. The moment you meet him… it’s a wrap.”
“When did you turn into such a sappy bastard?” Ronin couldn’t help teasing his brother.
“You’ll see,” Roman replied in a knowing tone. “Anyway, keep me posted and be safe.”
“Yeah, I will on both counts.” Ronin disconnected the call and headed back to the warehouse and the same feeling from earlier overwhelmed him as his brother’s words echoed loudly. Was it even possible? Ronin shook his head. Nope, he wasn’t going there. This isn’t about your mate. This is about getting all the omegas out safely.
Why can’t it be both?
Fuck, he was going to kill Roman for even putting the thought in his head.
By the time Zander made his way back to them, it was fully dark out, and there had been no movement in or out of the warehouse since Anton’s display… he figured that was a good a description as any.
It was pitch black out, which made it was easier for them to go in without being seen.
“How was Cybil?” Ronin asked Zan as they checked their weapons.
“She’s asleep again. She woke up briefly and panicked when she saw me. She thought…” Zan sighed. But he didn’t need to finish. They all could fill in the blanks on what Cybil thought.
“It’s sad that anyone has been put through what she has. Man, I can’t wait to get my hands on the bastard.” Zan had a deadly smile on his face.
“You’ll have to get in line,” Nix said, a cold smile on his face as he lowered his night vision glasses. Even though they all had very good eyesight, in unfamiliar terrain, they prefered to not take any risks.
His wolf sense was kicking in, and he was ready to attack.
“You’ll have to get in line behind me,” Maddox said simply.
Mad had gone into battle mode, which for him meant quiet and focused.
“Let’s get those omegas out of there.” Ronin nodded at his team. “Ready?”
Mad, Nix, and Zan nodded, and they began moving.
Leaving the cover of the treeline, they silently made their way to the backside of the warehouse, careful to avoid the dead leaves and branches scattered on the ground. Ronin held up his finger once they reached the side cloaked in shadow, telling them to wait.
“Maddox, back me up.” The two of them quietly moved around to the back, making sure to stay hidden in the shadows. When he peeked around the corner, he saw Anton—but he wasn’t alone. He was there with a male omega. They stood right next to where the dead body had been—the one that had disappeared—and they were talking. Thanks to the dead silence, Ronin heard everything said.
“Oliver, you don’t know what happened to Joey, do you?” Anton asked.
The omega named Oliver shook his head. “N…no sir,” he said. “I swear I’ve not seen… I don’t know anything.”
Anton placed his hand on Oliver’s shoulder. “Don’t play stupid with me. Joey is dead, and someone knows something. He didn’t shoot himself, and that means someone gave him a hand. And now Cybil is gone.” Anton moved so he was in the omega’s face. “Cut the innocent and naïve act. I know you know something. You can tell me; you won’t be in trouble.”
Please, just let me go. I don’t know anything. Please… someone help me.
Ronin heard the words in his head and his wolf senses focused on them, puzzled. It sounded like the voice speaking to Anton… but it wasn’t what he was saying out loud. Oliver...
Ronin decided follow his instincts and try something, so he thought, We’re here. We’ve got you. As he thought the words, Oliver turned around and looked right at Ronin.
Ronin held up a finger to his lips and backed out of sight, just as Anton turned to look in his direction.
“What are you looking at?” He heard Anton ask.
“Nothing… nothing. It’s really dark out here.” Oliver’s voice was quick with a reply.
Very good, don’t panic. He hoped Oliver heard that, and Ronin hoped it soothed him.
Ronin breathed a sigh of relief and tapped Maddox on his thigh. It was their signal to retreat, especially since Maddox had been watching the opposite side. They silently retreated back to where Nix and Zander waited for them.
“All clear?” Nix asked.
“We need to be careful,” Ronin said. His breath caught in his throat. A tingling sensation coursed through his veins and his thoughts were filled with only one person… Oliver, and how he wanted to save him… needed to save him.
Was it possible he’d actually found his mate?
Ronin could barely put into words what he was feeling… He’d barely seen the omega’s—Oliver’s—face, but everything had changed.
He breathed in and out, trying to keep his wolf at bay, the beast ready to burst forth and run towards Oliver. He finally could put into words that thing he’d been feeling; it was like a rope that was being pulled on the other end, drawing him towards his mate.
Mate… he couldn’t believe it… Roman had been right.
Ronin knew he would die trying to save Oliver.
“Anton found the body. He suspects something, and he’s questioning the omegas. We need to move,” Ronin said.
“Why do you look so different?” Zander studied him like he was a bug under a microscope.
Ronin shot him a look. “I look different?” his brow furrowed. “How so?”
Zander shrugged. “I don’t know, can’t put my finger on it… but yeah, I’ve never seen you look like this.”
“Zander is right,” Maddox shifted his eyes to study Ronin’s face.
Ronin rolled his eyes. “I don’t know what you mean, but we don’t have time to worry about how I look. Remember, one wrong turn and we could fuck this up.”
Zan and Maddox immediately went back to serious mode. He knew he could count on his team to get his mate out of there in one piece.
Even as he stood there, Ronin could still feel his heart being pulled back to Oliver. It startled him and excited him, but he tried to push that away so that he didn’t make a mistake.
“So, do we have a plan?” Nix asked.
“Well, the next time Anton comes out the door, we’re going to pounce. Looks like he’s bringing the omegas out one at a time to question them. Follow my lead.”
They all spread out but remained close enough that they had eyes on each other. As they waited, Ronin kept checking his watch, but the more he checked, the more it seemed time had decided to move slower.
Ronin finally gave up on looking at the watch and just focused on the front door. When his wolf sense got stronger and he could feel rippling and vibration through his body, Ro took note of them and got ready for what was coming.
The front door of the warehouse opened, and Anton came out of the building. He had another male by the arm and was pulling him out the door.
Ronin gave a look to each of his teammates and double tapped the earbuds, knowing they would hear it. He held up his hand for them to hold back until he made the first move.
When Anton got closer to his position, Ro ran out of the shadows and approached the unsuspecting alpha from behind at lightning speed. He lifted the butt of his rifle and hit Anton over the back of his head. The man went down like a ton of bricks. Nix and Zander came running up, with Maddox at their heels.
The omega stared at them, his eyes wide and uncertain.
“We’re here to help you,” Nix said, his voice low and soothing.
“How many more inside?” Ronin asked the omega.
“Fo-four, my friends.” The omega stuttered the words out as he wrapped his arms around his shaking body.
“Bre
athe, breathe,” Zan instructed.
The omega nodded, but Ronin could see the fear written all over him.
“What’s your name?” Zan asked in that same soothing voice.
The omega glanced up at Zander’s face, but his eyes darted away immediately. Ronin watched the smaller man swallow, and he sensed the fear pouring off him.
“I promise we are here to help,” Ronin said. “You’re safe.”
The omega’s eyes lifted to his face, the naked hope in them damn near flooring him.
“You’re safe,” Ronin repeated.
The omega regarded him still, then finally nodded. Ro wasn’t sure he believed him, but maybe he figured they were the lesser of two evils.
“Marco,” the smaller man whispered. “My name is Marco.”
“Zander, get him back to the van. Maybe he’ll feel better when he sees Cybil.”
“Sure thing,” Zander said.
Zander held his hand out to the omega and waited patiently for him to take it before escorting him back to the truck.
“Help tie this fucker up,” Ronin said to Maddox.
He tied Anton’s arms behind his back while Maddox tied his feet together. Then, Ronin grabbed Anton by his arms and pulled him up so he was leaning against the tree. He was still knocked out. “He can’t do anything while he’s like this.” Ronin nodded in satisfaction.
“I’m at the van.” Zander’s voice came in on comms.
With that confirmation, Ronin said to Maddox, “Stay with Anton. Nix and I will go in. Keep an eye out on the perimeter.”
Maddox nodded. His eyes went to Anton who was now slumped pathetically against a tree. “Can’t guarantee he’ll be alive when you get back, but I’ll try to control myself.”
Ronin snickered. “Please do. I have a few questions for him when he wakes. We’ll be back.”
Maddox shrugged, but nodded, and then Ro and Nix headed towards the warehouse. “I’ll go in first,” Nix said.
Home In His Arms (Wildwood Mates Book 1) Page 5