Page 12 of Alpha Ruined
“Did you come here by yourself?” Darlene asks softly. “You’re an Omega, right? Did you bring anyone?”
Bree swallows. “No,” she says evenly as a queasy feeling builds in the pit of her stomach. “Just me.”
The barista’s eyes widen slightly. “Okay. I’m sure that’s fine, but let me give you my number. My boyfriend and I live over there.” She points out the window to a small dark wood cabin at the end of the road. “If you need anything, let us know, okay?”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that?—”
“Please let me. It would make me feel a lot better.”
Bree doesn’t want to argue, so she unlocks her phone and allows Darlene to enter her phone number. She texts her, just so Darlene has hers as well.
“Great. Thanks,” Darlene says. “I doubt you’ll need to, but just in case, text or call me.”
“Will do.”
Darlene bites her lip and looks back at the counter as a customer approaches. “Look, I love Green Woods. This is my hometown, and a lot of us are great people…but this place isn’t perfect.”
Bree frowns. “What do you mean?”
Darlene shakes her head. “Just text me if you need anything, okay?” She walks back to the counter, leaving Bree to finish her tea.
She’s just goingto drive by the prison. That’s all.
She’s not going to try to go inside. That would be ridiculous.
The gate to the parking lot is open, and the area is empty. There’s no reason for anyone to be here.
Bree is sure the doors to the concrete building are locked.
She sits in her car, staring at the entrance to the building, debating whether to get out.
Observing the prison from the outside should be enough. She can already imagine what it must have felt like for Ellie Winters to step through those doors as an Omega, knowing she was assigned to an Alpha prisoner.
Why was she working with him in the first place? Who in their right mind places an Omega social worker with an Alpha prisoner?
Ellie must have been terrified.
Bree would have been.
She drums her nails on the steering wheel and chews her lip.
The entrance is locked. There’s no way it’snotlocked.
But she opens her car door, anyway.
There’s nothing wrong with checking,she tells herself.
If it’s unlocked, she’s not really breaking and entering, is she?
She’s learned by now to ask for forgiveness instead of permission, anyway.
The wind picks up as she approaches the doors, blowing a chilly breeze that even her thick cream knit sweater can’t protect her from.
Are you sure about this, kiddo? A whisper of her father’s voice sounds in her ear.
“Nope,” she says under her breath as she approaches the doors.
She pretends she doesn’t see theNo Trespassingsign and grips one of the door handles.