Page 195 of Claim Me
I close my eyes, feeling blissful and drowsy, letting myself drift away.
All night, once again, we remain in Joining.
GABRIEL
Because the trip to Japan has been rescheduled, Blue decides to rearrange his plans. He moves the visit to Calsing Island, where the Beta Activation facility is located, to the next day instead of postponing it until after he returns from Japan.
When we get ready in the morning and head to the elevator with Simon, I ask Blue,
"The facility where Fenn Drax used to work seems to be a constant source of problems. What’s the issue now, Mr. Lowen?"
Calling him ‘Mr. Lowen’ feels strange, but I’m still holding on to my official role by his side. Our conversation from yesterday never continued. I remain his bodyguard, not his mate. I still stay in the shadows, and… strangely enough, that suits me for now. It’s bittersweet, but that’s simply how I feel at the moment, and I’m not trying to push things further. Blue seems to understand that too, which is why he smoothly continues our little act whenever other people are around.
"There was another incident there, a drone attack."
"Really? That seems like something straight from a movie!"
Blue sighs with a dose of irritation. "Correct. A drone hit one of the units. What’s interesting is that the unit was housing that young Ferro, the one who ran from the family."
"Damn, Eliano Ferro? I know him, my last fight ever in the cages was with him! Is he alive?"
"Yes. It looks like Rocco Ferro is trying to clean up his business with brothers who refused to pledge him loyalty after Anzo’s imprisonment."
"Seriously? The guy’s a piece of work. I remember him walking around the underground club like he was a god there, and the fighters hated him so much."
Neither Blue nor Simon responds. Blue has a frown on his forehead.
"I hope somebody finally deals with Rocco," I mutter, looking away.
"In any case, that BA facility is becoming a liability. I need to reconsider how it operates, because the number of participants there keeps dropping."
"Mr. Lowen," I say suddenly, remembering my duties, "if there’s already been an attack there, we should go back to the idea of bringing in the external security team…"
Blue gives me a brief, measuring look, then replies,
"Simon already called the agency and asked if Hector, Ruben, Lionel, and Rolf are available to join us. They agreed and are waiting for us in the parking lot."
"Oh, well. Good."
I swallow hard. On one hand, I was the one pushing for extra security whenever we go outside the building with Blue. On the other, I can’t say I’m entirely pleased about seeing them again.
It just irritates me for some reason. I guess my testosterone is spiking.
Simon and Blue start to talk about some details of the schedule, bending over their tablets, but my attention is already fixed on the metal doors.
A soft chime signals that we’ve arrived.
The elevator doors slide open and we step out into the underground garage. The first thing I register is the distinctscent of adult alphas. I move half a step ahead of Blue and Simon, sweeping my gaze across the space, following the trail of that scent, and then I see them.
They’re gathered near the limousine in a loose cluster that only looks casual at first glance. Hector stands at the front, upright, his body language making it immediately clear who controls the space. Ruben is right beside him, leaning slightly in his direction, while the other two, Rolf and Lionel, are propped against the car, wearing the kind of dull, heavy expressions you’d expect from a pair of blunt instruments.
Their attention shifts almost in unison, locking onto me. Alphas always spot another alpha first. Omegas and betas don’t register as danger automatically.
The hostility isn’t obvious on their neutral faces, but it saturates their energy. In their eyes, I’m the reason they lost their place here, along with a steady, well-paying position. Whatever company they work for now definitely doesn’t pay like Blue does.
Blue steps past me, moving forward.
Hector gives him a polite nod.
