Chapter 4: Going home No one believes in locks

Monroe woke the next day in a bit of a panic, he didn’t know where he was or what had happened, everything after seeing Tyler had been a blur, but from the feel of it he’d gone into heat, and probably still was in the middle of it. He found his bags by the foot of the bed and he pulled out his medication. Taking it with the bottle of water that was conveniently on the nightstand he gathered up his clothes and made his way to what he correctly assumed was the bathroom. The house was quiet with the exception of a soft tapping sound that came from what looked like the dining room or the living room. The bathroom was stocked, towels, soap, shampoo, toilet paper, none of it was what he usually used but that was fine it was at least there for him to use. He started the shower and put his clean clothes on the sink and then stripped off the clothes he hadn’t remembered putting on. A gentle tapping on the door caused him to jump. 

“Monroe? Are you alright?” It was Ryan. He felt his insides turn and his pheromones start to ooze and some other parts starting to react to just his voice.

“Yeah! I’m just taking a shower!” he said, jumping into the shower letting the still cold water shock him back to reality. “What are you doing here? What happened? You know what? Tell me when I’m done.” He said loudly. ‘Please go away, I don't want to jump you.’ He thought to himself, trying to think of other things.

“Alright, I’ll be in the living room.” He told him before walking away.

He took a deep breath and relaxed, then he took his time in the shower, mostly waiting for his body to cool off and his urges to calm down. It didn’t take long as his medication kicked in and he was able to wash up. Drying off he changed into clean clothes and walked out with his hair and his ears in a towel. He figured this was one of the safehouses, but what he couldn’t figure out is why he was here with the mutt? Walking into the living room he saw him sitting on the couch with his laptop out and three bags of money next to it. This was probably their cut that they had to split. Ryan looked up at him and smiled that dazzling smile and patted the cushion next to him. Reflexively he obeyed, taking the seat next to him and letting him rub his hair more dry through the towel.

“You should blow dry this. I’m sure there is a blow dryer in the bathroom.” He told him being careful of his ears.

“It’s fine, it's not cold in here and I’m not going out.” He said. “What happened after?” He asked.

“I had to get us out of there, I got us out and set off the pheromone alarm. Then I brought you here to the safehouse. Vinny and Rich got our things and brought them here.” He told him. He wondered if he should tell him how his Omega had taken over and had begged to be fucked. “As you can probably tell you went into heat because of the pheromone trap, I had to give you an emergency suprecent that knocked you out.”

“I see, do you know what happens from here on? I’m sure Tyler has all of our names and faces all over the news now.” He said annoyed. His stomach suddenly let out a loud growl.

“He really does, but it’s fine it was bound to happen. Why don’t we start with getting you some brunch?” He said looking at the clock it was a little after ten. He took the damp towel as he got up to make him food, tossing it into the small laundry bin along the way. 

“Yeah, I want pancakes.” He told him as he followed him.

“If that’s what you want, that is what you’ll get.” He walked into the kitchen and gathered the ingredients. The Kitchen was small and simple and well stocked, there was a small bar island to sit at to eat or do food prep at. 

“So what happens next?” He asked, taking a seat at the island.

“Well we keep a low profile and we stay together.” He told him. He glanced at him from the corner of his eye trying to gauge his reaction.

Monroe blinked slowly, the thought of being stuck with anyone annoyed him, he was very independent, but then he thought of not being near this devastatingly handsome Alpha, and a small panic hit him. He suddenly grabbed his arm, surprising Ryan and himself. He really didn’t want to be alone, he didn’t even care that he was a dog. He tried to play it off as something else but Ryan had put everything down and was hugging him gently before he could open his mouth and he felt instantly calm. He then snapped to himself again and pushed him off. “I’m fine, that will be Okay I guess.” He said looking away annoyed. 

Ryan grinned, he knew he was starting to slowly win him over he could tell. “We can’t go back to any of my places, they’re showing my face all over the news along with your’s and Gin’s, we’re criminal masterminds working for a wicked woman.” He told him.

“Not Vinny or the twins? Louie is alright too? What about Steve?”

“Steve they have as a possible insider, Louie is seemingly not being mentioned, maybe he thinks he’s not really part of this? I mean Louis’ only job is distraction so maybe they couldn’t pin anything on him. Vinny and the twins are just mentioned by name as accomplices, no photo or in our case an accurate sketch. Thomas was playing both sides but I think you knew that.” He said getting to work on mixing the pancake mix and heating up the pan on the stove. 

“I don’t trust outsiders, and I bet Tyler is just super pissed because we got away.” He said proudly.

“Yeah they are, and now they are being investigated and hopefully it will all work out in the end.”

“So how long should we stay here?” He asked.

“Maybe another day or so, then we’ll take a drive, find a place together I guess?” 

“I know it’s winter and all but what do you think about going to New York?”

“Isn’t that where you are from?” He said with a raised brow, as if he didn’t know, he was from California till he was left with his grandfathers when he was ten.

“Of course it is, it’s a big state, no one is going to rat us out there. I also have family there and a house.” He said thinking about the house his parents had him buy, it was under a different name but it was his and he had everything there that he needed. The small house was a two story raised ranch with a second floor put in with extra bedrooms and bathrooms sitting on .3 of an acre. It was as his mom said ‘a perfect starter home’ not too big, not too small and good for raising a fluffle in. He didn’t want to think about that last part right now.

“Alright, I’m going to guess that I’ll be on snow shoveling duty.” 

“Yup, I’m more than happy to just curl up in my bed and sleep the next two months away.” 

“Can’t have you doing that, I’m sure we’ll have some light work to do in a month.” He said pouring the first pancake. “We may have been paid but we still have to eat.”

“Hey I know how to live like a normal person, that money can last me two years.” He said motioning back to the living room. “And that’s just my split, I have plenty saved up, I don’t need to buy anything big or fancy, I have a house and a car.” He told him.

“Okay okay, you win, we’ll leave tomorrow.” He told him.

Three days later they were still driving, they stopped for gas and groceries when they were just a little ways away from the house. Monroe’s heat had ended thankfully quickly but he had tried to keep his distance from Ryan, but it was hard when they were stuck in a car together. They stopped in the early mornings to sleep at cheap inns and then drove during the late evening and the night. They always stayed in the same room but in separate beds, except yesterday afternoon when he’d been tired and coming back from the bathroom he ended up crawling into Ryan’s bed, snuggled up to him and then he’d fallen back asleep. He woke up shocked to find himself in his arms. It bothered him how comfortable he was around Ryan, they shouldn’t have been like this they were supposed to be rivals. He pushed it off as an accident and ignored the dog for the next few hours.

“Turn up here.” He told him as they came to the turn on 9. “Then at the second light you’re going to make a right and about a mile up the road you’ll make a left and it will be the fourth house on the right.” He told him. “Oh I want to give you a heads up too.” He said as they turned onto the road. “While I’m a firm believer in locks and privacy, my family doesn’t very much so, be prepared for that. My mother is the only one who has an actual key to the house, but she finds it more fun and challenging to break in.” He added.

“Ah I’ll keep that in mind, what about a deadbolt?”

“I tried that once.” he said ‘once’ like it was a big mistake and he knew never to do it again.

“Didn’t end well?”

“I learned my lesson, and how to get around one.” He told him firmly. A Few minutes later they pulled up to the house. The driveway was small enough to hold two cars, but it was currently empty and covered in 2 inches of snow from the night before. His car was currently at his parent’s house. “I’ll carry some of our things in and you can shovel.” He told him.

“Alright, it’s a nice house.” He said looking at the White House with the red shutters and the little wooden fence around the front. He could practically see their kids in the future running around in the snow here, there was even a park he could see nearby but it was mostly a quiet little neighborhood that would let them be.

“Thanks, I’ve always liked it, it’s surprisingly quiet despite the fact that there is a park right there and a golf course down the road. People leave you alone.” He said, grabbing their bags and hopping out into the cold. His feet crunched in the snow as he walked up the unshoveled pathway. Ryan grabbed the groceries and followed him since the shovel was on the front steps.

An hour later they were both sitting in the kitchen/dining room drinking hot chocolate, the car was in the driveway, the path was shoveled, it had been that fluffy snow. Then the door that had been locked moments ago suddenly was thrown open and in walked a young looking rabbit woman with white ears, warm chocolate eyes black hair that was done up in a matronly bun wearing pants and a sweater as well as a warm winter jacket. Monroe looked at her with only mild surprise, Ryan looked at her with complete surprise despite his earlier warning this might happen.