Page 28 of Traded

“Carter will be back any second,” Jonas murmurs. “Miles took him to get some air.”

He…left?

He left me.

I swallow. “Tell me now.”

Tear off the band-aid. Tell me what’s happening.

Jonas looks uncertain. “We should wait for Cart.”

“N…no.” I stutter over the word. “Now.”

“It’s your decision,” Liam says after a moment.

“Put me down.” My voice wavers awkwardly. Uncertain, more a question than anything else. Liam doesn’t move. “Please?”

“Whatever you need.” He shifts me back to the couch.

When Jonas offers me my blanket, I don’t reach for it, and he tucks it over me instead. “Better?”

This time, I manage to nod.

The low ding of our elevator has us all stiffening. There’s a heavy, rapid step before Carter is leaning over me, his hands on me, checking,shaking. “Ro. Jesus.”

“She’s fine.” Carter slides his eyes to Liam, and I suck in a breath as his hands pull back. His right knuckle is swollen, and my eyes shift to the cut on Liam’s face.

“I’m okay.” The words tumble out of me.

When Carter whips his head back to me, I see disbelief there. “You’re sure?”

I nod. “Liam was going to tell me what’s happened.”

“Right.” He doesn’t move.

“We agreed,” Jonas murmurs. “We knew this wouldn’t be easy.”

I glance over at Miles. He’s settled back in the chair, but his expression is…uneasy. He doesn’t meet my eyes.

The pieces are starting to click together. And the jigsaw isn’t what it should look like. It’s too many pieces, a horrifying awareness as the picture builds in my head, but it’s right. Dawning comprehension wars with the nausea that’s been wearing me down all day.

Since Carter sent me home.

Since they left me in that room, and I found them in the corner of a party they forgot to invite me to.

With her.

Ever since I saw the omega with perfect hair and perfect nails.

The omega who took my job.

“She’s your scent match,” I whisper.

The omega who’s takingthem.

Chapter nine

One In, One Out