Faith & the Dead End Devils (Sweet Omegaverse, #8)(89)

"It's not their job, either, they just do it for you 'cause…" I trailed off, frowning, not really sure why the women who hung out at the club agreed to do so many chores.

"'Cause we pay them. King covers some of their tuition if they wanna be in classes, or pays them to work at the bar or clean the place up," Ghost said, leaning back just enough to arch an eyebrow at me.

His beard was longer than Bear’s or King's, dark hair curling at odd angles on top of his head. He had intricate but slightly faded tattoos running down both of his arms, and I tensed as those muscular arms braced against the sink on either side of me.

"You tryin' to get caught by an alpha down here, slick?"

"Don't call me that."

"Why not?" Ghost grinned at me, feet shuffling closer, pinning my hips with his. His gaze grew hooded and hot on my face, scanning over every visible inch of me. "I've seen it myself, smelled it. Haven't tasted it yet, though."

His hand skimmed up my thigh. I was wearing a pair of Chance's boxers, but they were loose and Ghost's fingers slipped easily up under the hem, stroking the front of my thigh, moving toward my center. I stiffened and rose to my toes, words rushing out of me.

"You're trying to get back at Chance."

Ghost blinked, hand freezing, and his head shook slowly. "I'm trying to get Chance back."

I snarled, the frozen and somewhat eager prey version of me vanishing in an instant. Ghost laughed as I shoved him back, my body tensing and preparing to fight.

"I am never giving him up, especially not to you," I growled.

Ghost only laughed, head tilting to the side slightly, eyes grazing over me. "Never said that. I want you too, slick. Want the pair of you crawling all over me, pinning me down, just like you did in that bathroom."

I blinked at that, relaxing slightly. Ghost's smile grew, but there was something false to it, too charming, all greased up and confident. He'd been more honest on his knees.

"You hurt him," I said, watching with a cruel kind of pleasure as that smile fell apart, and the man before me was stripped down with a slow ripple of shock.

"I never—"

"You're never going to get Chance back by being ashamed of him."

Ghost's eyes widened, tan skin paling. "I'm not ashamed of him!"

The coffee carafe beeped, and I turned away from Ghost with a sigh of relief, retreating to my morning ritual. I hadn't started cleaning the bar, but I believed Ghost was telling the truth about the girls getting paid, so I supposed I could leave them to it for this morning.

"I'm not ashamed of Chance," Ghost repeated, his warmth hovering behind me as he approached.

"How many other people aside from me knew the two of you were ever together?" I asked.

"That's not about being—You and I both know that Chance doesn't want to be seen as an alpha's beta," Ghost said, voice lowering.

"Why would that be what anyone saw?" I asked, frowning, watching the coffee rush into the mug.

"Because I—I don't know how—"

I turned, and for a moment I did feel a kind of sympathy or affection for the floundering man standing in front of me. His fingers ran through his hair, gripping at the roots. There were dark circles under his eyes, lips slightly chapped. Handsome, yes, but haggard too.

"You're ashamed of yourself," I said.

Ghost's eyes bounced to mine, widened, a hint of fear in the growing pupils.

"Or you're ashamed of what you want from Chance. But that's not so different than being ashamed of him, right? Because that dominance we love from him is part of what he needs and who he is," I said, shrugging. "He will never be less to me than Bear or King. I don't care what your so-called brothers think. I will try and make that obvious to them at every opportunity."

Ghost swallowed, and I decided he needed the mug of coffee I was holding more than I did. He took it from my outstretched hand, blinking down into the dark surface as I poured myself another.

"Do you think…he's going to forgive me?" Ghost asked.

"Do you think you'll earn it?" I asked.

His smile returned, smaller and private. "Dunno. He has you now."

I bit my lip. "I think for Chance, designation is…everything, and he's wrestling to make it nothing. The fact that I'm an omega matters to him. And I'll never be an alpha, so…"

Ghost's gaze searched the kitchen, like he was looking for Chance as he sipped his coffee. Suddenly, his brow furrowed and he turned back to me, still smiling.

"You want me," he said, with all that cocky alpha confidence from minutes ago. But I knew now how easily it was stripped away, how hollow he looked beneath the surface.

I rolled my eyes, turning and filling another mug. "You have me curious."

"Maybe Chance isn't the only one who'd like to put their boot on an alpha's throat," Ghost said, voice growing deeper.

I lifted my chin in response. "Maybe you should stop leading women on and let them hold the reins for once."

"Oh, but slick, you know how much I liked it when you took the reins," Ghost purred, and I tried to hide my shiver at the unexpected sound. "You can probably still find how much I liked it on the bathroom floor."