Absolute Devotion (An Omega’s Preference #3)

26. Montgomery

twenty-six

MONTGOMERY

It's been impossible to stay calm since I left Emsboro after debriefing my uncle. He's not happy with the twist in the investigation but the authorities have been called to meet us at the club for an extra layer of protection. We all know that this is their way of being ready to sweep whatever we find under the rug. It's been less than an hour since we ushered Nala over to her brother's house but it feels like an eternity. The only reason I haven't turned the car around is the happy feeling rushing through the bond. And now that we're here in Canes Lake, the brothers driving their own car, I'm just ready to get this shit over with.

The club’s polished mahogany doors swing open before us, letting out a subtle swirl of cigar smoke and the faint hum of piano keys. Xylo tenses beside me, his hand clenching his belt where his satchel would be if this was an official investigation. Bear, on the other hand, exudes calm, but I can see the way his jaw is set, and his eyes dart around the room. I know the feeling. Canes Lake may have its charms, but this upscale establishment feels anything but welcoming tonight.

A waiter ushers us through a dimly lit corridor after Xylo gives him his name, each step muffled by the thick carpet beneath our feet. “They’re already waiting for you,” he murmurs as he gestures toward a private room at the end of the hall.

I nod in acknowledgment and we step inside. Four men seated around a polished oak table, their faces half-hidden by the amber glow of the chandelier above. Three of them I recognize from the pictures which makes the fourth one Xylo’s supposed friend. They exude a sort of haughtiness that makes me feel uneasy about this meeting. All I know is that one of them is missing.

“Montgomery, Bear, Xylo,” he says with a hint of a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Please, have a seat. I’m Victor. It's nice to see you again, Xylo.”

I don’t move. Instead, I study him, my instincts on edge. Xylo and Bear exchange glances before reluctantly taking a seat around the table. As we settle in, Victor’s smile widens, and he nods toward his companions.

“This,” he says, indicating the man to his right, who looks oddly out of place with his bulky build and scarred knuckles, “is Eugene. And the gentleman to my left is Thomas. Kaden over there doesn’t speak much.”

None of them make any effort to greet us. Instead, they just stare, the intensity of their gazes making my skin crawl.

“We’ve been eager to speak with you,” Victor continues, his tone smooth, almost rehearsed. “You see, we’re here on a particular matter of interest. A matter of…let’s call it acquisition.”

“Get to the point,” Xylo snaps. His hand dips to his side where his gun would be if we were on official business. Unfortunately, this task force is anything but documented in the system so using lethal force with our registered weapons would only bring trouble. It doesn’t help that we’re only supposed to be on a fact-finding mission.

Victor’s expression doesn’t falter, but there’s a subtle shift in his posture, something darker lurking just beneath the surface. “Straight to business, then. Very well.” He threads his fingers together, eyes flicking briefly to Xylo’s movement. “We’re here for the item in your possession.”

Xylo’s eyes narrow. “The item in my possession?”

“Yes,” Victor replies, voice smooth as silk. “It’s only fair to give you context, after all. We’re aware that you’ve been sheltering someone rather precious. An Omega, if I’m not mistaken. By the name of Nala.”

Bear’s fist clenches, and I can feel the anger radiating from him, simmering just beneath the surface. Years of training have allowed me to tamper down my emotions but one wrong move and I’ll be the nightmare Victor dies from. Bear leans forward, his gaze hardening. “Nala isn’t an item. And she’s not yours to claim.”

A flicker of annoyance flashes across Eugene’s face as he shifts in his seat. “She was ours, though. Well, not specifically ours. We're more of a transport service but we’d like her back. Sooner rather than later.”

The anger bubbling inside me threatens to boil over. I open my mouth to speak, but Victor holds up a hand, his expression little more than condescending.

“Now, now. Let’s keep our tempers in check, shall we?” he says, his tone unnervingly calm. “We’re not here to make threats or cause trouble. We simply want to settle this matter peacefully.”

“Peacefully?” I scoff, my voice dripping with disbelief. “You call ambushing us in some backroom club peaceful ?”

Thomas finally speaks, his voice low and cold. “You misunderstand, Montgomery. First, this isn’t an ambush. Victor invited Xylo to a meeting, and we assumed, rightly so, that more of you would attend. Second, we are merely offering an opportunity to make things right. All we ask is a simple exchange.”

Xylo’s grip by his side tightens even further, his face a mask of defiance. “You think we’re just going to hand her over? You think you can take someone like she’s some… some kind of property ?”

Victor sighs, an apathetic sound that grates on my nerves. “This doesn’t need to be difficult. We’re not unreasonable men. If you cooperate, this will be over quickly. You won’t need to concern yourselves with her fate.”

My stomach churns at his words, but it’s the glint in Eugene’s eyes that sets me on edge. Kaden seems wholly disinterested in this conversation but it would be just my luck that he’s the deadliest in the room. There’s a cruel hunger there, a twisted satisfaction that tells me they both would enjoy taking Nala back by force if it came to that. A protective rage flares within me, and I’m about to stand when I catch a flash of realization in Victor’s gaze, a hint of…amusement.

“Oh, I see it now,” Victor murmurs, his lips curling into a faint, predatory smile. “You’ve all bonded with her, haven’t you? To the Omega?”

Bear growls low, his hands tightening into fists. “Call her an Omega one more time, and you’ll regret it.”

Victor only laughs, a soft, mocking sound. “Touchy, aren’t we?” He leans back, resting his hands across his stomach. “I advise you to look at the bigger picture. Nala’s freedom, as you see it, is temporary at best, which makes it rather unfortunate that you've bonded with her.”

“We’re not bargaining with you,” Xylo hisses, and I can see the barely restrained fury in his eyes. “How the fuck were we ever friends, Victor? What the fuck have you gotten tangled up in?”

Victor raises an eyebrow, unfazed. “Is that really what you want to ask, Xylo? Because, as it stands, your options are rather limited.”

The room is thick with tension, and it takes all of my control to keep my voice steady. “You keep talking about options, Victor. So tell me, if we refuse, what’s your next move?”

Victor’s smile fades, replaced by a hard, unwavering stare. “If you refuse, then I’m afraid we’ll have no choice but to take matters into our own hands. And believe me, that won’t end well for anyone involved.”

Eugene chuckles darkly, a sound that sets me on edge. “You can’t protect her forever. Sooner or later, she’ll be ours again. You’re just prolonging the inevitable.”

A cold chill runs down my spine, and I glance around the room, instincts screaming that something isn’t right. It’s then that I remember the fourth man—the one who was supposed to be here—is nowhere to be seen. Wyatt.

I shoot a sharp look at Victor, and he raises an eyebrow, feigning innocence. “Something wrong, Montgomery?”

“Where’s your other friend? Wyatt, right?” I ask, trying to keep the suspicion out of my voice. But I know, deep down, that my tone has betrayed me.

Victor’s smirk grows, a glint of amusement in his eyes. “Ah, I wondered how long it would take you to notice. Yes, there is one more of us. But he…had other priorities to attend to.”

My blood runs cold as the implication sinks in. The missing man. The one who should be here, but isn’t. He’s not here because he’s gone after Nala.

Xylo’s eyes meet mine, realization dawning on his face. “Montgomery…?”

I grit my teeth, rage and fear coursing through me, threatening to burst forth. “You bastard.”

“Now, now. We told you—if you cooperate, there’s no need for any of this. There's a lot of money riding on this exchange. But you’ve made things so…complicated.” Money? Are they planning to sell Nala? Victor did mention being a transport service.

Bear’s fist slams onto the table, the noise echoing through the room like a gunshot. “This ends now. Tell your friend to back off.”

Victor’s expression remains calm, though I can see the faintest flicker of tension in his jaw. “As I said, gentlemen, you can’t protect her forever. We’re simply expediting the inevitable. So, I suggest you take a breath, calm down, and wait. It’ll all be over soon.”

But I’m not waiting. I’m already rising from my seat, adrenaline pounding through my veins, every nerve in my body screaming at me to get out of here, to find Nala before it’s too late. Xylo and Bear remain at the table, knowing that if we all leave, the four men in this small establishment will disappear and continue to torment us.

The building is surrounded by agents anyway so it’s only a matter of time before they barge in, take them into custody, and sweep this entire thing under the rug.

Victor watches me with a bemused expression, as though I’m nothing more than pieces on a game board that he’s already won. But he has no idea how far we’re willing to go to protect our Omega. A bonded Alpha is so much more terrifying than a man trying to protect his woman.

“Montgomery,” he sing-songs, “you’re making a mistake. But by all means, if you feel the need to rush off, don’t let us stop you. Just know that by the time you get there, it may already be too late.”

I throw him a look of pure hatred, my fists clenching so hard my nails dig into my palms. “If anything happens to her, I’ll come back here and I’ll make sure you regret it.”

Victor’s smile doesn’t waver, but there’s something darker lurking in his gaze, a promise of violence that he doesn’t even bother to hide. “Do what you must, Montgomery. Just remember—this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”

I don’t bother responding. Instead, I turn and head for the door. The club’s dim corridors blur around me as I push my way through, the heavy scent of cigar smoke clinging to my clothes. Every second feels like an eternity, the urgency pulsing through my veins like a drumbeat.

As I burst out into the cool night air, my mind races, filled with a single, desperate thought: Get to Nala. Protect her. Keep her safe, no matter the cost.

Because if they think they can take her from us, they’re about to learn just how wrong they are.