Today is January 23rd.
Most of us are just thankful this didn’t last until March. We got lucky.
Everyone is worn out. Emotionally. Mentally. But the mood is lighter, at least with the famous ones.
While Jane and her family are already in the cars, ready to move out, security crams in the foyer. We’ve been finishing a house-sweep for belongings, and tension is at a high between Omega and Epsilon.
Tony knows who I am.
He’s known for two weeks. And he’s been making off-handed comments about telling the Tri-Force that I pretended to be Banks.
I don’t doubt he’ll radio the Alpha lead the moment we land in Philly. He’s been working himself up to that point.
Tony leans on a wall beside an empty coat rack. He has a pompous grin. He thinks he has me cornered, and I can’t help but feel sorry for him.
I thought nothing could hurt him—because he couldn’t see past his own inflated head. That his gold-shitting arrogance made him an invincible toolbag. But more than ever, I see through his annoying fucking bravado.
He’s just…sad.
And bitter.
Jealous. Always feeling like he has to prove that he’s better than me—when here I am willingly admitting to every mistake I’ve made. I’m a low bar for perfection.
Fucking over me and Banks won’t make him feel better tomorrow. Our family will give him hell for this, and he’ll never hear the end of it.
I glare at him from across the foyer and adjust the wire to my earpiece. I’m not cornered. I thought long and hard about what Akara said to me at the beginning of this trip.
“There’s always a way out. You don’t have to fall on a sword because it’s sitting in front of you, waiting. You put together the team that’s going to find the right exit. You sidelined me. That’s on you.”
This time, I tapped him in.
I asked for his help. And the takes-no-shit Omega lead is standing beside me, his eyes also locked on Tony.
A second later, O’Malley climbs down the staircase and throws his duffel near the front door.
“Ramella, O’Malley, I need a word with you both,” Akara says in a way that makes it clear this isn’t a request.
The Epsilon guards amble over, and the rest of Omega lingers in the foyer, eavesdropping.
O’Malley’s head is somewhere else because the first thing he says is, “I know everyone says I’m a shit driver, but I think I should at least be in a front passenger seat to navigate.”
“Sure, that’s fine.” Akara nods. “But we need to talk about what you two are planning to tell Price and Sinclair when we’re home.”
Tony extends an arm. “I’m not about to lie to my superiors. Sorry not sorry, but I have a good reputation with the old guard.”
Surprisingly, that’s a fucking understatement coming from Tony. The old guard treats him like Jesus Christ.
I understand that asking Tony and O’Malley to lie is asking them to break protocol. They won’t. I wouldn’t for them.
I deserve this. A punishment, a suspension—being fired, maybe, but I love her too much and I want to protect her too badly to accept that.
O’Malley looks from me to Akara. “I’d rather not rock the boat. It was fucked up, Thatcher, that you told everyone the truth and then lied to me, Tony, and Will—but at this point, you’re still Jane’s boyfriend. I’m Beckett’s bodyguard. It’s a conflict of interest, so I’d consider keeping my mouth shut.”
“You’re not lying,” Akara says to them. “You’re just not going to say anything about this. Price and Sinclair won’t ask you straight out if a twin switch transpired. Keep quiet, and in return, I’ll make any transfers happen that you want.”
Tony rocks back with a laugh. “For real?”
“For real.”
My muscles contract. Akara is offering power to Tony. I wouldn’t give him a socket wrench, and he’s handing him a fucking jackhammer.
“I want to be the Omega lead,” Tony says without pause.
I glare. Give the guy a rope and he’ll take the entire fucking ship. “No,” I say severely. “You can’t be a lead.”
“Then no deal. Take it or leave it.”
O’Malley sends him a hesitant look. “Way to shoot for the stars, man.” He shakes his head. “Akara, I like where I’m at. I don’t want a transfer.”
Back to being fucked. I expel a breath through my nose.
He looks to me. “But I’d like a promise from you.”
My brows draw together, and I think of Jane. What would I do to stay in security, to work near her, to protect her day in and day out?
I tell O’Malley, “Anything.”
“I’ve only ever been on Epsilon. Before Jane, you had too, and I always considered you one of us. Even after you transferred to Omega. Even after our fight. I guess the moment I realized you weren’t was when I was the one being kept in the dark about the twin swap.” He lets out a laugh. “Shit, I should’ve known it was you, Thatcher. It sucked that I didn’t figure it out. It sucked being blindsided again by a guy I’d die for.” His forehead wrinkles in a deeper frown. “I just want honesty. Just promise me that going forward.”
My men.
It’s been a while since Epsilon was my responsibility. Since he was, and like O’Malley, I feel that loss. I’m Omega.
My loyalty is with those men first. But I won’t give my word flippantly. I have to mean what I say or else I’ve lost all fucking sense of integrity, and I can’t live with that.
“I promise,” I say seriously, deeply. “I’ll be honest with you going forward.”
O’Malley gauges my sincerity and then nods. “Thank you.”
I nod back.
Genuine feelings exchanged, he grabs the duffel strap and pats Tony’s shoulder. “Good luck swinging lead.” He leaves out the front door.
I cross my arms and nod to Tony. “You’re not getting lead.”
“At least not immediately,” Akara says, deadening the air.
Muttering and whispering and what the fuck is he doing comes from the foyer, but none of the men interject or approach.
Tony smiles. “When? Because I’m not waiting around a year.”
The bottom of my stomach drops out. “Akara, you can’t.” Not for me. This is exactly what I feared the first time—back when I was sleeping with a client. I didn’t want him to bear the repercussions for my actions.
“I’m the Omega lead. I can do whatever the fuck I want.” Akara says this while staring at Tony, and he tells him, “Price and Sinclair love you. They’ll be fine with the promotion as long as the recommendation comes from me. Short term: you should stay on Jane’s detail until I have the transfer approved. It’ll probably take a couple months.”
I grit down so hard my jaw feels like it’s splitting in two. I could fucking scream at the top of my lungs—but I stay quiet. I scowl and glare—and this can’t be right.
We’re losing everything.
Akara as SFO lead.
And Tony was supposed to be off Jane’s detail weeks ago. His probationary period has been over, and all the confetti-popping parties I planned to have just fade away.