Verity:

"Well, Jaguar, with all due respect, this is the end of whatever this was. I don’t ever want to be this close to you again."

I spoke through hiccups, crying as I did.

And honestly, some of the tears were real.

Seeing him this close brought back memories of my brother. They had stood just as close to him when they threatened him. Crying was easy when I thought about that.

All I had to do was remember my past, and the tears would come on their own.

"Please, continue your relationship and let me live my life. And honestly, I was having a great night until you called."

I watched his eyes widen. Then he slowly lowered his head and nodded, probably realizing that he could not just jump back into my life and act as though he had not ignored me the entire day, as though I meant nothing.

"I’ll drop you home," he requested, leaning back in his seat.

I remained silent, refusing to respond.

Then he decided to pull the infamous move men always did.

A small smile appeared on his face.

"Do you remember this is where we first met?" he asked, turning toward me.

It took me a moment before I nodded.

"I do."

I noticed his hand tighten around the steering wheel.

"It sounds good coming from your lips," he uttered.

I had no idea what he meant, but his words pulled me back to our first meeting.

It really had not happened at the office the way I had expected.

Flashback:

"She’s back. Wonder how long before she disappears again."

I heard the lady grunted standing next to her husband.

"Does anyone even know what she does?"

She continued to whisper, just loud enough for me to hear.

On purpose.

This neighbor had been a nightmare for me and everyone else. The worst part was that we had to tolerate her no matter what.

As always, I ignored her and went inside, dropping my things onto the recliner. I headed straight to the bathroom to take a shower. My day was not over yet.

I worked more than I needed to, not for luxury or comfort, but because it was the only thing that reminded me of my brother. It made me feel closer to him, as if I had adopted one of his habits.

He liked to take on multiple jobs. He always told me that doing as much work as possible would keep your brain active. The second half of that memory was painful to recall. He also used to say that it would fulfill Gigi’s wishes and that he would do anything for her.

Now she was living a luxurious life, while my brother was not.

Pulling a trench coat over my uniform, I was dressed for the night.

Stepping outside, I found the woman standing in her doorway, rolling her eyes at me. She held a cigarette between her fingers, taking a puff while shaking her head.

"Off to your filthy work again?" she scoffed under her breath.

My fists clenched, but I kept walking.

Tonight would not take long. I just needed to show up, mark my attendance, and collect my salary.

The night cafe was already packed when I arrived. I slipped in through the back entrance and collected my pay with the other waitresses.

The cafe was the center of everything here. It had opened as part of a project started by the Alpha Kings and had quickly become popular among betas and gammas.

I tucked the money into my bag and headed back home. Thankfully, it was not raining. At least, not yet.

Rain changed everything. That was when the betas and gammas would head home, and all sorts of scum would start showing up at the cafe.

Halfway through the narrow streets, I heard footsteps behind me. I was always on high alert, so it immediately caught my attention.

I tightened my grip on my bag, pulling it closer as I picked up my pace.

The footsteps grew clearer.

Glancing over my shoulder, I spotted two men following me. I recognized both of them. I had seen them at the cafe earlier, wearing black hoodies.

I had no idea why they were following me. Maybe they were after my salary. They had seen me collect it, after all.

I quickened my pace.

I was no longer walking. I was moving as fast as I could without breaking into a run.

The way they rubbed their hands together and let their eyes roam over my body told me everything I needed to know.

I needed to get away from there.

The omega districts were not safe. Everyone knew that.

My only means of transportation was the train, so I headed for the station.

If I made it to the higher-end communities, I could lose them.

I stepped into the train, then paused. It was too empty. That seemed like a mistake.

I turned and stepped back out, but sadly, they were already there.

"Come on, what is the rush, senorita?" one of them called out, approaching me quickly.

"Why not share a little of this and that with us?" the other added, making the first guy laugh.

"Yeah, a little of that salary and maybe more of this," the first one commented, pointing up and down at my body.

I noticed that one of them had several piercings across his face, including a ring through his lip. He licked his lower lip, his gaze dragging over me.

Beside him, the other man adjusted himself, his eyes fixed on me.

My stomach turned at their words.

I did not shout. I did not say anything. There was no point.

Instead, I turned the corner and bolted. I ran like my world was on fire.

They kept coming after me.

My eyes scanned ahead until I spotted a man stepping out of his car at a gas station. In that moment, I recognized him. How could I not?

It was Alpha King Jaguar.

The attendants stood by his car, filling the tank while Jaguar finished a phone call. As soon as he ended it and turned around, I realized I needed his help.

The two men were still closing in on me, so I had no choice.

I rushed straight toward Jaguar.