Page 23 of Unhinged Alphas

He gives a hearty laugh and a firm clap on the shoulder. Geo and I are about the same height, but he's broader and sturdier. Years of fighting in the ring before he realized he could make ten times more running the books. His roguish black hair falls into a hard, chiseledface roughened by more scars than tattoos at this point. The most severe is stark white against his olive skin, cutting a jagged slash through his left eye, which is likely gone beneath the leather patch. I don't know. I never asked. But compared to the rest of these tunnel rats, he's practically a runway model.

"What can I say?" he asks. "A man has to hedge his bets. I hope you don't take it too personally."

"Never," I say dryly. "But I have a way you could smooth things over, if you're so inclined."

Geo barks out another laugh, shaking his head. "Same old Valek. Come on, let's head back to my office. We've got some catching up to do."

As he turns to lead the way, his gaze slides past me to land on Plague, who's still lurking at my back like a skulking shadow. Geo's eyes narrow, his smile taking on a calculating edge. "And who's this pretty boy? Don't think I've had the pleasure."

"This is Poindexter," I say, waving a hand in his direction. "He's new to these parts."

Plague's eyes flicker to me in a bewildered and thoroughly disapproving look. He doesn't need to speak for his message to be clear.Why Poindexter?

I give a subtle shrug. How the fuck am I supposed to know what his real name is? He couldbe a Poindexter for all I know. Hell, he looks and acts like one. I don't even know if Thane's name is Thane. Although that's a shitty fucking code name. He'd probably pick something far more obnoxious if he had a say in it.

Plague grunts in acknowledgment, but says nothing else. I can practically feel the waves of disdain rolling off him.

Geo just chuckles, unfazed by Plague's stony silence. "Well, any friend of Valek's is welcome here. Follow me, boys."

He leads us away from the arena, shouldering through the press of bodies with practiced ease. I fall into step beside him, Plague trailing behind us.

We wind our way through the labyrinthine corridors, the sounds of the crowd fading to a distant roar. Eventually, Geo stops before a battered metal door, keying in a code on the rusted keypad. The door hisses open, revealing a dimly-lit room filled with mismatched furniture and the reek of stale smoke.

"Welcome to my humble abode," Geo says with a grand sweep of his arm. "Make yourselves at home."

I stroll inside, dropping onto a threadbare couchwith casual indifference. Plague remains standing, his posture rigid and his expression inscrutable behind his scarf.

Geo saunters over to a battered metal desk, rifling through a drawer until he comes up with a bottle of amber liquid and three chipped glasses. He pours a generous measure into each, then hands them out with a flourish.

I accept mine with a nod of thanks, tossing back the contents in one burning swallow. Plague just stares at his glass like it might be full of human piss, making no move to take it.

Geo shrugs, setting the glass aside and settling into the chair behind his desk. He leans back, lacing his fingers behind his head as he pins me with a shrewd look. "So, Valek. To what do I owe the pleasure of this little visit?"

"I'm here for information," I say, leaning forward, elbows dropped onto my knees and the empty glass dangling from my fingertips.

His eyebrows lift, curiosity sparking in his gaze. "Well, you're certainly in the right place. But don't tell me, let me guess," he says, leaning back and staring thoughtfully at the ceiling as he swirls the remaining contents of his glass. "Knowing you, it's the kind of information that'll end up with someonedead. So, is it the kind that'll help you kill someone, or the kind that'll get you killed?"

"In this case, it's both," I answer, exchanging a brief glance with Plague.

That earns a raucous laugh from Geo. "Of course it is! I should have known."

I grow serious, pinning him with my gaze. "I need to know if the Council is running omegas, Geo."

Geo goes still, all traces of humor vanishing from his face in an instant. For a long moment, he just stares at me, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, a grin spreads across his scarred face.

"Now why would you be asking about something like that?" he asks, his voice carefully neutral. "Last I heard, you'd traded your rather illustrious career to be the lapdog of the Council."

There it is.

I'm not surprised he knows more about where I've been than he let on at first. It's his job to know things. And he's good at it. It's the only reason I didn't put a bullet in his skull years ago when I had the chance. I always figured he'd be more useful to me one day alive than dead.

For his sake, let's hope I'm right.

I shrug, the motion casual despite the tension in the room that says this could easily turn into a bloodbath. And just because I can't see Geo's goons doesn't mean we're not outnumbered ten to one. "Call it professional curiosity. I like to know who I'm working for."

Geo scoffs, shaking his head. "Professional curiosity, my ass. I know you, Valek. You wouldn't be asking if you didn't already suspect the answer. Especially when just asking a question of that caliber could get us both killed."

I just stare at him, waiting.