Broken Dreams (Unhingedverse)
Broken Dreams: Chapter 28

DUNCAN

Quinn and Linus asked that we stay in the room with them during the reading of their results, and my brother and I were more than happy to do that.

“Linus still has a build-up from the medication he’s been given,” Dr. Adrain says, looking at the results. “His body is doing exactly what it’s supposed to, and is fighting it. Therefore, his hormones are spiking steadily. What that means is that he’ll be able to have a natural heat in the coming weeks, but it’d be impossible to be able to predict when that will be.”

Nodding, I glance at my brother. We’re going to have our hands full with a potential heat along with a mafia political balancing act. We can only hope he’ll be able to hold out until after the party. And if not, we’ll work it out.

His heat is just as important as everything else that’s going on.

“That’s exciting, but it’s also really awful timing,” Linus snorts.

“I was just thinking about that, but we’ll manage,” I say shrugging. “We’re not going to mess with the work your body is already doing. We’ll let it ride.”

He makes an adorable scrunched up face, before nodding.

“As for Quinn, her hormones are also fluctuating. If I had to guess, you’ll both have spotty heats for years. It’ll be very difficult to keep track of, which means you’ll have to watch for the signs of feeling overly warm, irritable, needing to constantly tweak the things around you until they’re just right,” the doctor says. “Every omega has things that tell them they’re heading into their heat outside of just feeling more sexual, it’s simply a matter of replaceing what yours are.”

Dr. Adrain speaks very matter of factly about these things, which I am appreciative of. He simply lays it all out, without any fanfare.

“When and if,” he says, “you decide you want children and replace yourselves wondering if it’s possible, come back and see me. However, since everything is working itself out of your body, Quinn, I believe whatever method of birth control he used is also disappearing. Therefore, you may want to discuss birth control methods if you’re not ready for children yet.”

Quinn’s eyes grow wide, and I can feel her heart leap. I force myself to breathe normally and think of absolutely nothing. I can only imagine that my brother is doing the same because his face is impassive.

Callum and I want kids, but we would never push that on Quinn. If she decides she doesn’t want them, then that’s it. The problem is, neither of us know if she does or not.

I’m usually the one who can let my emotions run away from me when it really matters. Dealing with my father, Quinn’s father, or mafia politics? I can keep my shit squared away. I don’t want to pressure Quinn about this in any way, so I force myself to breathe as I watch her reaction.

“Really?” she asks him, scrawling across her tablet quickly.

Quinn has always had a very distinct way of writing. The tablet is at an angle on the table in front of her, and it’s part cursive, part print. It’s a piece of who she is, and it’s nice to see that it hasn’t changed.

Fuck, the things a person notices are wild. I’ve always been very intune with Quinn. She’s mine, despite the way our fathers tried to keep us away from each other.

“Absolutely,” Dr. Adrain says, his face trying to hide a smile. “Again, whatever you decide, Quinn, is the right decision.”

Quinn nods, looking a bit shell-shocked. There’s a knock at the door, and the doctor calls out for whoever is there to come in. It’s the nurse, and she pops her head inside with an apologetic smile.

“The results of the X-ray have been sent to you, Doctor,” she says. “It’s under Patient A.”

Anonymity was something we insisted on, and Dr. Adrain was the first to agree. The nurse leaves again while the doctor checks his computer.

“This states what I suspected,” he murmurs. “There’s no scar tissue on your vocal cords, nor is there anything showing me there’s a physical reason for not being able to speak, Quinn. While speech therapy is something available, I think that’ll be frustrating and unhelpful. I suspect your problems speaking have to do with emotional trauma.”

Sighing, Quinn inclines her head in agreement when he glances over at her. I’m personally unsurprised by those results, and I want to know what’s happened to her, while being terrified of what it’ll mean as well.

I know this will be a tough road for her, and no magic wand is going to make it all go away. Linus and Quinn have good days and bad.

Sometimes, I swear she’ll get unnaturally still when she hears something that’ll remind her of someone or something and shut down. The bond goes completely quiet, which means she doesn’t want any of the things going through her mind to filter through.

I don’t think she even realizes that she’s doing it. It’s her instincts protecting us from whatever memory is playing in her mind. The nightmares haven’t stopped occurring for either of them, but we’re able to help by holding them until it passes.

It’s no longer every night, either. Day by day, we’re making it through.

“The things you’ve both gone through are incredibly difficult,” Dr. Adrain says. “Therapy is an option, but I know there’s not a ‘one size fits all’ approach to trauma, especially the kind that you’ve experienced. Whatever you replace that helps, please continue to do it.”

I’ve seen that dancing helps quiet the chaos for Quinn and Linus. It’s a way to work through their trauma, while also helping their bodies get the exercise they need. Linus has even started getting up with Callum or I to run before dancing with Quinn.

It’s been helping the anxious energy inside of him that I expect is his heat wanting to break through. As Adrain said, there’s not going to be any way to know when it’ll happen until it does.

It could be tomorrow or a month from now.

Dr. Adrain says his goodbyes soon after, and we walk out to the car, leaving him and the hospital behind. Quinn and Linus both look tired, which makes sense since we’ve been here for the past four hours.

“We’re going to pick up your mom, and then I’m going to make a quick dinner,” I say to Quinn as I start the car. “Then, the two of you can take a nap. It’s been a long day.”

Nodding, she yawns.

At least we have some answers now. Bret hasn’t permanently fucked anything up, either.

Speaking of the dickwad, Callum can’t replace any trace of him. His contact confirmed that the club is still functioning, but that’s all. I have a feeling it’s not the last we’ll see of him.

That would just be too easy, right?

One week later

CHRISTIAN

Six in the morning is my idea of hell. No one should ever do fuck all this early, yet here I am in a pair of jeans, long sleeved shirt to help protect me from the sun, and thick work boots. All this shit is brand new, because I’m either in a suit or sweatpants at home.

“Hey, city boy,” a woman says with a laugh as she joins me. “Put this on so we don’t have to worry about your brains leaking out or something if you get hit, yeah?”

Frowning as I put the hard hat on that matches hers, I say, “That’s very reassuring, Meryl. I’d like to keep my brains on the inside of my skull, thanks.”

More people are walking onto the construction site, which is a large lot in a quiet neighborhood. From what I can see, there’s a bus stop nearby, and it’s not far from downtown and the surrounding areas. As far as locations for a transitional living space, this is a good one.

I still think that I’m going to make a fool of myself here, but I did some research on Omega’s Haven, and it’s a really good organization. It’s done more than most in creating resources for omegas. If Linus and Quinn were to be alone in a city without any support, this is the city I’d want them to be in.

Pulling the work gloves out of my back pocket, I shake my head.

“I’m going to try not to be completely terrible at this, but I can’t make any promises,” I mutter.

“Good, I wouldn’t believe you if you tried,” Meryl says with a smirk.

She’s a sassy fucking alpha, with a ‘give no fucks’ attitude, but she hasn’t thrown me out yet. I’ll take that as progress. Today is actually my third day, yet she puts me through my paces every time I step onto the property.

The foundation has been laid for this house that’s going to be set up as a series of apartments and will be two levels high. I’m working each day next to someone who actually knows what they’re fucking doing, and for the most part, I haven’t burned anything down or lost a finger, yet.

It’s backbreaking work, though, and I’m exhausted by the time we call it at five every afternoon. Starting a project like this at the end of summer probably isn’t the best idea, but they have a goal to finish building it before the first snowfall.

That means having bodies on the worksite who can work.

The hours pass by as we build, and I do whatever I’m asked. It doesn’t matter what it is, I do it because I made the decision to be here.

I’m selfish. It’s true. I like my life and my bubble, and I let very few people in. I have no friends, contrived people skills because it gets me what I want, and a very limited scope of society.

My parents did the best they could, but we scraped by. We were poor, I went hungry often, and my mother overdosed on drugs when I was sixteen. I left home soon after that, joined a gang, working my way up the ranks until I found my niche in arms dealing.

I now supply that gang with weapons, and they pretend they don’t know me in any other capacity. I was lucky that they let me go.

Slowly, I get to see the progress of the framework of the house, throwing myself into the work until it’s time to go home today. If I lose myself in it all, then the hours fly by.

Taking a long sip of water, I take a few steps back to check out the progress of the house.

“You’re still in one piece, I see,” Meryl quips as she pulls her hair into a messy bun. “We’ll see if you show up tomorrow, pretty boy.”

Ha, the joke’s on her. I have to be here, but more importantly, I think I’m starting to like it.

Pulling off my work gloves, I touch two fingers to my forehead in mock salute before walking toward my car. It’s ridiculously out of place in this neighborhood and too expensive. I guess I should just sell it and buy a truck. I don’t really have any attachment to it, and it immediately signals me as an outsider.

Getting into the car, I toss the gloves to the side and shut the door. I rented out an apartment in a high rise building downtown for now, and I need to get back to clean up. The engine purrs as I turn on the car, making my lips tip up.

I glance to my left to ensure I’m clear of traffic before smoothly merging onto the road. I have drinks tonight with Corbin so he can introduce me to members within the criminal underbelly of the city. I need to mingle with the alphas in order to be accepted, which means my presence is requested at this gentleman’s club.

I expect it’ll be boring and filled with old men who will ask me questions about why I’m in Minneapolis. It’s a legitimate concern, because I wouldn’t be here at all if Linus and Quinn weren’t. A part of me wants to be honest and tell the men tonight that I’m here in pursuit of my scent matches.

Another part of me wonders if showing my cards to everyone who asks is a dumb move. Rolling my eyes as I fight through rush hour traffic, I ask myself if I really care what some old men think. The only thing that matters is getting accepted by the various circles needed to allow me to rub elbows with my omegas.

That’s it. The rest of the judgy assholes in the world can get fucked.

Feeling better about my decision, I ignore the fact that I’ve been fighting with myself the entire drive home. I park in the underground garage, checking my phone for the first time all day as I walk to the elevator. I have a few texts from my contacts complaining about my hiatus that I ignore, and a single text from Corbin confirming drinks tonight.

Wonderful. I’m already getting fashion advice from a crime boss. I stick out here like a sore thumb, and I doubt I’ll be able to change everything about myself to fit in

This apartment came fully furnished because I don’t have time to worry about buying personal things. I’m barely here, and I only need a place to sleep and shower. It even feels empty as I walk through the space to the bathroom.

If I’m honest with myself, most of the places that I’ve lived in have been like this, since I travel so much. The only time I’ve enjoyed being with anyone is when I was able to watch Quinn and Linus together. I truly am a voyeur.

Outside of the games I play with myself to see how long I can watch before my control frays, I loved seeing the way Quinn and Linus interacted together. Every touch was filled with adoration and love, every moan uncontrived and real.

It felt like they were stealing moments with each other, but they also knew I was a safe person. I learned a lot through their body language, what they enjoyed, and then it allowed me to use it to pleasure them both. I’m not a selfish lover.

It’s everything else about myself that I’m working on.

As the hot water beats over my skin, washing away the sweat of the day, I tell myself some hard truths. I think that Quinn and Linus are reminded of their time at the club when they see or hear my voice. When I first became a patron of the club, before I was one of Quinn or Linus’ regulars, I’d see some really fucked up shit.

I thought insisting on a private room when I was with them would help limit the reality of where we were, but those were pretty lies I told myself. Every moment I paid to be with them lined Bret’s pockets, making me part of the problem.

How do you prove to people that you care about them after everything you’ve done that points to the opposite?

I’m struggling to stuff all of my insecurity away when I stride through the doors of the address Corbin gave me. I chose to ignore his text message about my suit and wore it anyway.

I’m working on being a better alpha, and that has nothing to do with my clothing choices. The sharp black suit with gray accents is part of my armour, just like makeup is warpaint for women.

I’m nervous about tonight because these alphas are powerful men in the circles Quinn also travels in. They don’t have to like me, they merely have to agree to help.

Corbin meets me outside of the room with a stony look on his face, and for a moment, I worry I did something to offend him.

“I need you to stop for a second and listen to me,” he says. “Quinn’s father is in that room, but I suspect he’ll be leaving soon. You’re here to discuss joining our community, you don’t know who Quinn is, and you’re going to do a damn good job of putting on the asshole devil may care affect you first rolled into town with. Got it?”

“Si,” I say before I can stop myself. Fuck, somehow, Corbin has a way of making me feel like a stupid kid who is in way over their head.

“Perfect,” he mutters, stepping back inside.

Arranging my face into a smirk as I throw myself into my role, I follow him, my gaze moving over the players in the room. This is the space I’m comfortable in. If I leave behind my need to reunite with Quinn and Linus and earn their forgiveness, I can be cold and calculating.

Some would say that makes me weak, yet I don’t believe it does. It’s just another facet of myself.

There are six men of all different ages in the room chatting, which means this isn’t a group of only senior mafia leaders. That doesn’t bother me as I need allies of all kinds, and I make myself comfortable in an armchair as I get a feel for everyone.

“This is Christian,” Corbin says gruffly as he returns to his seat. “He’s thinking about relocating to Minneapolis.”

It’s the same lie I gave him when I first met him, so I suppose it’ll work now as well.

“Why? It’s fucking cold here,” sniffs an older gentleman good-naturedly. “I can think of better places to move to.”

Shrugging, I answer, “Why not? I’ve spent some time in Michigan and Illinois. I typically have difficulty staying in one place for long, and there’s a rare charm here.”

Corbin hides a smile, but I’m being sincere. Driving to the build site has me passing some really beautiful scenery that Detroit could never beat.

“Well, if Corbin is bringing you around, it’s because you’re someone we should know. I’m Theo Finnegan,” the man says. “Over there is Cian Sullivan, Aiden Hayes, Hudson Hughes, and Everest Mohan.”

I recognize the last name of Mohan, nodding as I put names to faces. Shaw isn’t here tonight, but I’m quickly putting together the men in his pack. Intelligence and fact gathering have been a hobby of mine because it keeps me alive when working with a new client.

Too many people would like me dead so it’ll free up the stranglehold I have on the industry. While I know it’s not that serious, I have amassed a decent amount of clients over the years. I could easily afford to stop taking new people, stop traveling, and simply take orders for weapons through encrypted communications.

I never wanted to before because my travels allowed me the flexibility to say I was just in the area to see Quinn and Linus. It appears I’ve been lying to myself about what they mean to me for a long time.

The man named Cian glares at me for a moment before smoothing over his expression. It appears we’re all lying to each other as well.

“What do you do for a living, Christian?” Hudson asks. He has a cruel air about him as he speaks to me, but glares at the whiskey in his glass.

This is Quinn’s father. I recognize his name from my discussion with Corbin at his club, and it’s hard to imagine that a father could sell his own daughter.

“Arms dealing,” I grunt. “There appears to be a need for it as I’ve traveled for the last fifteen years. I think it’s time to put some roots down, though. All of the moving about has gotten old.”

Cool, aloof, unassuming. That’s what I’m going for, while giving kernels of truth within my statements.

“I don’t know that we have a need for what you’re selling,” Hudson says, glancing up to rake his gaze over me. I don’t care what he thinks of me, so it doesn’t bother me. “Good luck convincing anyone else.”

Throwing back his drink, he doesn’t even wince as he puts down his glass.

“Good night, everyone. I’m going to take myself home to my fucking empty house,” he grumbles, pushing himself to his feet.

“Sure you can drive?” Cian asks, brow raised.

“I hired a car tonight,” he says. “I have no interest in driving.”

Hudson walks out of the room without waiting for anyone else to verify if he’s telling the truth, and everyone is silent. It’s as if they want to make certain he’s gone.

Corbin glances at Everest who gives a slow, affable smile as he stands slowly to walk deliberately toward the entrance of the room. I’m sure there are people who would think Everest is someone who gives away his smiles without care, however, I can recognize a fellow conman.

The smiles cover up his darkness, which makes him dangerous. I’m also willing to bet that he’d laugh as he slit your throat.

“He’s definitely gone,” Everest mutters, closing the doors and throwing the lock. “We can speak freely.”

“Fuck, does anyone else worry that Hudson is cracking?” Theo asks, shaking his head.

“Lies have a way of making you lose your mind,” Cian says, shrugging as his sharp gaze stays on mine. “He’s the last person I’m worried about. His daughter is the one we should be keeping our attention on.”

“Why is that?” I ask, pretending to be unconcerned even as the mention of Quinn makes my chest fucking ache.

“Because Hudson Hughes is a walking dead man,” Everest grunts. “Now, why are you really here?”

The men here can obviously smell bullshit, so I sigh, crossing my ankle over my knee. I may as well get comfortable, I have a feeling I’ll be here awhile.

“I seem to have lost some people who are important to me due to some personal reasons, and I’m looking to make amends,” I tell him. “Quinn Hughes is one of those people.”

“Is that what we’re going to call a broken heart?” Cian asks shrewdly. “She doesn’t seem the type to be petty, even when I would gladly give her the green light to be.”

“More than that, are we really going to get involved in personal relationships?” Aiden asks, brow raised.

“Boy, don’t be a hypocrite,” Cian says, barking out a laugh. “I can’t tell you the number of times you almost ate my gun for being a dick to my daughter.”

Aiden looks properly abashed, and I can feel my lips twitch with amusement. The different dynamics in this room definitely won’t make this as boring or painful as I thought it would be.

“My understanding from talking to Quinn is that she has a bone to pick with her father,” Theo says. “Now, while you’d think as Aiden said that we wouldn’t get involved in personal relationships, sometimes it’s necessary.”

“Like when they’re proposing putting a bullet in said father’s brain,” Everest says. “Mafia men gossip more than any other group of people, Christian. Information is an exchange of power, which just makes it sound better.”

Aiden snorts, shaking his head. “You make us sound like old women talking over our knitting.”

“If the shoe fits,” the other alpha snarks.

“Simmer down,” Corbin growls, rolling his eyes. “Typically, I wouldn’t say that patricide is a viable option, but Quinn believes her father will replace a way to sell her to another buyer to get rid of her.”

“You’d think it would be easier for her father to just kill her instead,’ Theo grumbles. “I’ll go along with the majority even as I complain, but truly, this all feels very dramatic. How do we corroborate what Quinn’s told us?”

“As the odd man out, may I share with the class?” I ask. I’m getting more comfortable as I cross my arms across my chest and contribute to the conversation.

I was nervous of being shut out for being an outsider, but that’s not what is happening at all. I doubt it’ll be like this with everyone I meet and I still need to earn my place amongst them.

Cian may be a harder sell because he still looks as if he’s constipated and the only cure for it is to make me eat his gun.

Fuck, my brain isn’t my friend tonight. The longer I’m away from Quinn and Linus, the more twisted up I become.

“How do we know Hudson actually sold her as a kid?” Theo asks. “It just seems bizarre that she would appear all of a sudden.”

Ignoring Cian, I glance at Corbin who shrugs. I guess he’s given me all the help he’s willing to give for now.

“What’s her story then? Pretend I have zero knowledge of any of this as a newcomer,” I suggest.

Theo rolls his eyes but launches into a dinner Hudson had to welcome his daughter back into the fold. I ask a few pointed questions to help give me a better understanding of the situation. It all matches what Corbin told me when I first met him, while allowing me to give the illusion of needing to be brought up to speed.

Too bad I’m going to destroy that.

“Slick Dreams is an actual club,” I drawl. “I know the owner, and I’ve been a patron for a lot of years. Before you decide to pass judgment on me for that, hear me out. I went once because I was young and bored, but kept going back when I found my scent match there.”

“Well that’s unlucky,” Theo mutters.

“It was. A month ago, she was rescued from the club. I was able to track her down to Minneapolis, found the club she’s working at, and unfortunately was punched in the face by my other scent match,” I explain, shrugging. “I have amends that need to be made, but⁠—“

“It’s difficult to do when they don’t wish to see you,” Cian grunts. “You don’t deserve them.”

“Now who is being a hypocrite?” Aiden asks him. Raising his hands when Cian glares at him, he adds, “I don’t make the rules, sir. I will continue to call you out on your shit, now that I’m marrying your daughter.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Cian says.

“I may not deserve Makayla, who I’ve been informed recently is Quinn Hughes, but I want to,” I interrupt them. “Which is also why I can tell you that her story is completely true, Theo.”

“Was there a girl there named Alisa?” he asks, his chest heaving.

“The last time I went in, I remember that Bret didn’t want to let me see Makayla,” I say, shaking my head as I realize how I’d shoved that interaction to the side in my excitement to see them. “He wanted her to dance, and he offered me one of his newer girls, whose name was Alisa.”

“Did you ever see what she looked like?” Theo asks.

The questions are asked with pain in his voice, and I gentle my voice.

“She was standing next to him,” I say, though I refuse to mention the collar or lingerie she wore. This could be someone important to him, and I refuse to bring that kind of pain to anyone. “Most of the omegas there had stage names, but she had chestnut brown hair, was curvy, and had dark eyes. That’s all I remember. Did you lose someone?”

“My daughter,” Theo sighs. “Quinn mentioned her name, and I kept telling myself there was no way it could be her. The truth is it’s possible, and that’s what’s been keeping me up lately.”

“It’s been making you a right bastard when it comes to Quinn,” Corbin mutters.

“She didn’t tell you to be cruel, but to solidify her story,” Cian comments. “Which brings me back to you, Christian.”

“Hold on there, Cian,” Everest says gently. “As someone who has personally, epically fucked up with his omega, I will say that I feel for the guy. Emotions run high, leading us to be the biggest bag of dicks possible. Quinn needs to be the one to decide if she can forgive him.”

“By the same token,” Aiden grumbles, “being that Quinn is with the Kelly brothers, kidnapping probably won’t help you.”

I can’t help my chuckle, because I know kidnapping is the wrong move.

“Quinn has a pack, but she’s also my scent match. I don’t want to take her away from them. Her choices are her own, I just want to earn her forgiveness for not doing more to get her out of Slick Dreams,” I say. “I can’t think about anything else, and am taking a hiatus away from my business so I don’t fuck up and accidentally piss someone off. It’s a little silly to admit this to you all, but I can’t get her nor Linus out of my head.”

“As someone who has two omegas in their pack, I will say that it’s incredible,” Everest says. “They’re best friends, Flynn adores Wren, and she just fits in our pack. However, it wasn’t always that way. It’s a pretty twisted, fucked up story, which is why I will say I think there’s hope for you, Christian.”

“I don’t think it’ll be easy, though,” Aiden grunts. “Omegas have a way of twisting you up in knots, and making you walk through hell once you’ve fucked up. Don’t think that I don’t see why you made sure Everest and I would be at this meeting, Cian. You could have chosen anyone else.”

“Yes, but you’re the biggest idiot in your pack,” Cian says easily. “Corbin feels for Christian, which means that I have to put aside my own anger as much as I can. Logistically, I don’t think you can ever be the alpha you need to be for them, Christian. It’s up to you to prove me wrong.”

With that being said, he stands. “Good night, gentlemen. Christian, this will probably be the easiest of the meetings,” he says. “If you can survive them and get the blessings of the men for your bid to officially relocate, then we’ll discuss a party invitation where I know your omegas will be in attendance.”

I can’t muster a response before Everest stands as well, walking out behind him.

“Fuck,” I whisper as the men around me chuckle under their breath.

I feel as if I just received both a blessing and a curse tonight, and I’m unsure how to feel about that. Cian Sullivan hates my guts.