Chapter Two

Terry watched Riley storm out of the room, feeling way worse than he looked. He knew he was taking a big gamble showing up out of the blue, but he needed a safe place right now. He groaned, sitting up, thanking the gods that he wasn’t in pain anymore. Six months ago, he’d gotten shot in the leg and side after his cover was blown working his last undercover operation. He was sent to take down the Korinthian family. He had been working that case for four years and was close to finally breaking it and getting the evidence he needed, but someone had blown his cover. 

The Korinthian, on the surface, appear to be upstanding, contributing members of society, but those in the know count them as one of the most dangerous crime organizations. The night he was shot, Terry and a few other underlings were told to head to the pier to meet with a cargo shipment. Although he was told that it was medical supplies the family was going to donate to the local hospital, Terry wasn’t an idiot and knew that a ship with ten large cargo was carrying more. 

Terry had told his CIA handler that something was going down, but didn’t go into detail. He didn’t want his people to burst in and fuck up whatever evidence he might be able to gather. In the four years he’d been with the Korinthian's, he hadn’t seen anything that could constitute a crime organization, but Terry knew that was all bullshit. 

They had been on the pier for two hours, and he had a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. The fog was getting thick, and it was hard for him to see his hand. After a brief discussion, he and the others were about to leave when they received word that the shipment had been delayed due to the thick fog. He had only taken a short step when he felt the burning sensation pass through his right side and then his left leg, causing him to go down, clutching his side and leg, knowing he’d been shot. Terry hadn’t heard a gun go off, so whoever it was used a silencer. He wasn’t carrying a weapon either, so he was shit out of luck.

He was about to get up when he was kicked three times in the side. He was shot, causing him to scream out in pain. He rolled over on his side, going into the fetal position, covering his head, and blocking the hits that kept coming. He could feel his blood soaking his clothes, but there wasn’t anything he could have done. 

“Why are you doing this?” Terry shouted.

The hitting stopped, and Terry heard a deep, raspy chuckle reached his ears. “It took us a little longer to figure it out, but you’re not the first agent to infiltrate the family,” the man said, and Terry couldn’t figure out who it was or how they knew he was an agent. He hadn’t met or seen everyone in the upper hierarchy, so that person was someone he didn’t know. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Terry growled. He went to sit up so he could see who he was talking to, but his head was smashed on the hard concrete, almost knocking him out cold, but he held on. He bit his tongue as blood pooled in his mouth. 

“Playing dumb won’t work, Agent Rojas.”

Terry froze, hearing his name coming from the man’s mouth. How the fuck did he know my name?  “I don’t know who that is?” he said, not confirming or denying the man’s assumptions.

The person chuckled. “Still playing coy,” he tsked and grabbed Terry’s chin. He tried to see the person’s face, but the fog made it difficult. All he could make out were green eyes. “You’re pretty. Too bad you’re an alpha. I would have kept you around a little longer.”

“Fuck you,” Terry growled and was rewarded with a hard slap across the face. 

“Know when your betters are giving you a compliment,” the man growled, then released his chin. Terry’s head was once again smashed onto the cemented ground. 

This time, he saw more than stars, and his vision got hazy.

“Dump his body. Make sure he doesn’t come back up,” came the order, and before Terry could react, he was kicked and beaten so badly he didn’t know what was left or right. 

Terry had stopped struggling and simply lay there. When they noticed he wasn’t moving, they assumed he was dead and kicked him so hard his body had no choice but to fall into the water. He waited a couple of seconds before forcing his body to move. He credited his CIA training for being able to breathe underwater far longer than normal, and the fact that he was a good swimmer, or he would have drowned. 

He had been in a lot of pain and was losing blood, but he’d somehow gotten himself out of the water. With the fog still thick, he hobbled off the pier and found the back alleys, where he did what he could to stop the bleeding in his leg and side. He had thanked all the gods that it was late at night and the streets were deserted; the town where the pier was located had an old-world feel to it. Many stores and shops were mom-and-pop establishments, lacking proper security systems like cameras or alarms, which enabled him to break into a local pharmacy easily.

Terry wasn’t a man to break the law, but when it came to saving his own life, he’d do anything. While in the store, he grabbed a few bottles of painkillers, antibiotics, some food, and anything to patch up his injuries until he could get them looked at. One thing he was happy about was that the person who shot him had terrible aim and thankfully, missed all of the vital points. But the beating he got didn’t make up for it, leaving him with scars. 

He’d thought about leaving some money to pay for what he had taken, but Terry didn’t want to leave any more evidence that was already there. Terry had stumbled out of the pharmacy and found where the owners didn’t care who or what you looked like as long as you had enough money to pay for your stay and paid enough for a few days.

Terry was lucky that his would-be killers didn’t search him because the inside of his leather jacket had hidden pockets where he kept a few valuable things like money, his cellphone that had been useless after he fell into the water, and the key to his self-storage that was set up in the next town over that was an hour drive but longer on foot. A journey he would rather not do on foot ever again, especially in the condition he had been in. 

The storage unit contained an extra passport, at least three burner phones, money, clothes, and weapons, in case he needed to escape the town or the country quickly. Terry had things like that set up in every place he had been sent to. When the assignment was over, Terry cleaned the storage and prepared for the next job. Once he had gotten to his room and made sure the doors were secure, Terry patched himself up as best he could, took some more painkillers, and passed the fuck out. 

That was a fucking terrible ass night, hell months, and he hated thinking about it. He’d never failed at a mission, and his cover was never blown. Terry had been trying for the past six months, but someone ratted him out. After he was able to think straight, he tried contacting his CIA handler, but the number was disconnected. Terry contacted another trusted agent, sending a code that his cover had been blown. He got a message telling him to lie low and go to one of the CIA safehouses until further instructions were given. That was six months ago, and Terry still hadn’t heard anything, so he returned home. He had planned to go see his parents, but ended up at Riley’s place instead.  

Sighing, he got out of bed, pulled on some clothes from his bag sitting next to the bed, and then trudged to the kitchen to get something to drink. When he passed by the bathroom, the sweetest, most alluring scent hit him, and a soft but guilt-ridden expression crossed his face. Riley might not want to know why he was there or why it had taken so long. But if it wasn’t for Riley, Terry was certain he would have died.

The night and days after he was shot, it was touch-and-go. He developed a high fever due to an infection, and for the first time in his life, Terry thought he was going to die. When he was shot, he wasn't afraid but exhausted, hungry, and completely alone; the regrets of his life passed through his mind. Riley’s face instantly came to his mind, followed by his sweet scent. Try as he might to push the omega from his thoughts, he was as persistent in his imagination as he was in reality. 

Terry recalled crying out Riley’s name a few times and begging for forgiveness. But even in his feverish mind, Riley didn’t forgive him, and Terry understood. He’d done the omega dirty four years ago and made a vow that if he survived, he’d let fate take its course and claim his mate if he lived. Terry knew that coming here was an act of guilt, but he also wanted to see the omega. He was pulled from his thoughts, hearing the bathroom door being unlocked, and quickly walked to the kitchen, feeling Terry’s eyes boring in the back of his head. 

Truthfully, he understood Riley’s anger towards him. Terry refused to be in the same room with the handsome omega or even try to get to know him. But at the time, Terry had his reasons. He didn’t believe in the fairy tale thing called love and considered himself an equal opportunity lover, although he mainly fucked with betas. Terry was down for a good fucking, and unlike most alpha, he enjoyed having a thick, long cock pounding hard and deep inside of him. He loved sliding into a hot ass, watching the man come completely undone with how good he was being fucked. He’d stayed away from omegas because of fear of accidentally fucking his mate. And most, if not all, alphas were not keen on being bottomed for by anyone.

For a long time, Terry believed love was too complicated and wanted no part in it. Love ruined lives, and he feared it would do the same to him. He thought love was for his friend Winter, who had found his mate, who had two-point-five kids. He might have been out of town for the past five years, but he had secretly kept tabs on his friends, family, and especially Riley. 

It was only the past six months he hadn’t been too busy to keep track of their movements. Truthfully, he had expected the man to move on and find someone to be with, but he’d remained single the entire time Terry was gone. It secretly brought a smile to his face, hoping that Riley was waiting for him to come back and claim him.

Almost dying gave him a different perspective on fate and love.

“Why the fuck are you still here?” Riley’s question caused him to turn around, and his eyes connected with an angry omega. 

“Why haven’t you found a lover?” Terry asked, not sure why he wanted to antagonize the man more.

Riley glared at Terry as if he’d ask the stupidest question. Admittedly, it might not have been the right time, but Terry was truly curious. From everything he knew about the ex-Navy SEAL, the man was a romantic, and even though they never mated, it should have left the door open for Riley to find a lover. 

Terry knew that his friends and family thought he was weird and that he didn’t put too much stock in his bed partners, but he found he wasn’t the only one. Many people worldwide shared his perspective and were seeking someone, or in a few cases, a, but he couldn’t stop his thoughts from wondering what it would be like to be fucked by a big, strong alpha while he was plowing into a sweet, perfect companion.

Terry knew of others who had more than one mate and were perfectly content with sharing, but Terry wasn’t sure if he could. Although it had been a long time since he’d been with one, and he’d never had a threesome but he couldn’t stop his thoughts from wondering what it would be like to be fucked by a big strong alpha while he was plowing into a sweet tight ass while his lover cried out his name. Yet they were all fantasies that would never happen.

Terry secretly allowed his eyes to trail up and down Riley’s shirtless chest, taking in every new and old tattoo before stopping at his crotch. He might not have given Riley the time of day five years ago, Terry didn’t miss Riley’s good looks. Riley was wearing black slacks, and there was no way he could hide his sizable bulge, and he wasn’t even erect. His cock wasn’t the only big thing. Terry was a handsome man, or perhaps the word he was looking for was drop-dead gorgeous. He was an inch shorter than Terry, with the most beautiful chocolate-brown eyes that reminded him of the finest whiskey, complementing his almond-rich skin tone.

Nope, he’s definitely not petite. He is sexy as hell and doesn’t look like a typical omega. 

Riley was more like a better version of betas he’d fuck on occasion, with defined, sleek muscles and rock-hard abs that Terry wouldn’t mind dragging his tongue against.

“You are fucking believable,” Riley snarled once again, pulling him back to the real world. “If I had a lover, how would I explain your presence to him? Oh, don’t mind him. He’s just some asshole who didn’t want me,” he snarked.

“Look, I get you’re angry—”

“Get the fuck out,” Riley said before Terry could finish. 

“You don’t want me to leave,” Terry said with confidence.

Riley scoffed. “Don’t be so damn sure of yourself.”

“Your anger is justified, Riley. And even though my parents were married when I was born, I am a bastard, and you have every right to kick my ass out of here, but I can’t leave just yet.”

“Why?” he asked, then tilted his head. “Don’t tell me you’re running from the fucking law?”

“I’m the damn law, so it’s the other way around.” Terry sighed, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. “You don’t have anything to worry about, though. No one I work with knows about you.”

“Surprise, surprise,” he said flatly. “I actually find that more insulting,” Riley sneered.

It’s for your damn protection! “You can’t tell anyone I’m here either,” Terry added.

“Trust me, I didn’t plan on it.” Riley rolled his eyes. “Other than Winter and Creed, no one else important in my life knows you exist.”

They stared at each other, and the tense silence dragged between them until Terry spoke. “The beard,” he said, hoping to lighten the mood. The last time he saw Riley, his hair had been cut short in a fade, but in the five years they had been apart, he’d grown it out to about shoulder length in jet-black loose curls. “I like it.” Terry went to touch his hair, but his hand was slapped away.

“Fuck you, Terry,” Riley snapped and stepped back, glowering at Terry before turning went back to the bedroom and slamming the door.

Fuck, this really was a bad idea. 

Terry sighed and leaned against the counter, sipping on his water. He knew it was going to take a while for Riley to forgive him, but it might be harder than he thought. During the time he had been in hiding and healing from his injuries, other than trying to figure out who had fucked him over on the mission, he came up with all kinds of ways to communicate with Riley. Still, nothing came to mind since he didn’t know anything about the omega except for what he read on paper. 

Riley came from a very influential and well-off family, and it could be intimidating how wealthy the man was. Riley was the youngest and only omega of four kids. His mother was a district court judge, his father a CEO of a major oil company worth billions, and that didn’t include the brothers, sister, and cousins who were politicians, doctors, lawyers, and managers to the stars, and one was Terry’s favorite singer, River Wilde, who it seemed had found his own happy ending a couple of years ago.

So it begged the question of why he was living in an RV.  

Terry took in the place, something he hadn’t done when he’d climbed on board earlier. It was top-of-the-line, featuring tiled floors, quartz countertops, oak cabinets, premium kitchen appliances, and a stainless steel refrigerator. He knew there was a wide-screen television in the bedroom, but there was also one in the kitchen and living area, complete with light gray leather captain chairs and a sofa big enough to lounge on without feeling cramped. There was a wide window of privacy where he could see everything outside, but no one could see inside. Every room was filled with light, but there were blackout shades to hide from the sun. 

Terry scoffed. He’s spending so much money renting something so luxurious, why not buy the damn thing and travel the country? Or better, build a damn house on the land he owns.

That was another thing Terry didn’t understand; Riley bought an eighty acre land for what fucking reason? Why didn’t someone stop him from spending so frivolously? If he had been there, he wouldn’t have let it happen.

But you weren’t here? Retorted a very sarcastic voice in the back of his head. Fuck, maybe he bought it out of heartache from my rejection. 

Terry shook his head at the thought. He wasn’t sure how he was so jaded about love. It wasn’t as if his home life was terrible. Or he had his heart broken by some asshole. He was never one to search for love. Even though he grew up in a loving home with a mother, father, and brother who doted on him as much as they did on each other. But Terry had to admit he had never fallen in love before and had never wanted to.

When the bedroom door opened, he looked up. Riley came out dressed to kill in all black, wearing a wine leather jacket that stopped at his thigh, his loose curls pulled up in a high bun at the top and left out at the back. He looked like an absolute fucking dish and smelled like desert Terry wanted to lick all over.

Fuck I really was an idiot five years ago. Why did I ignore this sexiness about him?

The man, indeed, was his type, but he knew Riley wasn’t into versatility. 

“You’re still here,” Riley grunted.

“How long are you going to stay mad at me?”

“How long were you gone?” Riley said. “We’re not friends, Terry. I know nothing about you, and you obviously don’t want anything to do with me. I have no fucking clue why you thought coming here was a good idea when you have a home. Your brother and parents would be happier to see you than I am.” Riley took a deep breath and then continued. “But I’ll allow you to stay for one night because, unlike you, I’m not a heartless dick.”

“One week,” Terry said, hoping Riley would bend a little. Although he was fully healed, he still needed somewhere to hide for a little longer. 

“This is not up for negotiation,” he said, then walked out of the door, signaling the end of their conversation, leaving behind the lingering flowery scent ofrose and more with a hint of vanilla that Terry wouldn’t associate with Riley but pull at the slight attraction he had for the omega.

Terry sat down on the couch, trying to figure out how to convince Riley to let him stay a couple of days longer. 

Fuck, he is really angry. “Damn, I really didn’t fucking think this through.”