Lake leaned against the closed door for a few seconds to pull his wits about himself.
His job at the mansion was gone but he was still alive and he could still try to get a job somewhere else on Master Davian’s turf.
His debt was also paid so the Mafia King had been right, he was free to do whatever he wanted.
It was so strange to have that freedom, he had to drop out of high school to work so he could pay his father’s debts.
And it seemed like he would always be dealing with an obligation that wasn’t caused by him.
Lake pushed away from the door, before leaving, he needed to speak to Caspian because it was very likely that he wouldn’t cross paths with the kind Omega again.
So although he hated to interrupt their dinner, he knocked lightly on their door, ready to leave the moment he was being a nuisance.
The door swung open shortly after like his knock had been expected, a worried Caspian stepping out and closing the door behind him.
The Omega had done it hastily like he expected his mate to try and follow and Lake wouldn’t be surprised if Mafia King Asher was looming on the other side of the door.
"Did something happen?" He asked immediately, concern coloring his tone.
"No, everything went fine, Thank you, Caspian."
"Oh," Caspian straightened up, a confused smile on his face. "That’s a relief."
"I’ll return to my apartment tonight, thank you again for helping me out," Lake said gratefully.
"I’m just glad it turned out alright. You can come to me if you need anything at all-" Caspian said as he was pressed up against the door which was starting to shake like it was about to come off its hinges.
Lake glanced at it in concern, wisely taking a couple of steps back. "I should go."
He didn’t wait to hear the rest of Caspian’s words before making his way out of the restaurant.
Caspian had said he could ask him if he needed anything, and honestly, Lake didn’t need anything.
All he had gotten from the series of events over today and last night was a sore bottom, and a new mating mark.
His debt was also paid for so it was difficult to be upset about that.
It would keep nosy Alphas away from him, and in a few months or a year, he wouldn’t need to hide it anymore because it wouldn’t be connected to Mafia King Davian.
It was just an unforeseen bump on the road, he could get over this.
Lake stepped into the parking lot, wondering if he should have waited to ask Caspian about how he would be returning to the mansion.
There was no need to though because the car that brought him was still here, the interior lights on.
He walked over and timidly knocked on the window, leaning back slightly when the windows came down.
"Could you take me back to the mansion?"
Jael cocked a brow in mild surprise, "You’re back early."
"Thank you for waiting," Lake muttered, not sure what else to say.
"I’m just here to keep an eye on Asher," The Beta said as he started up the car.
Lake had been getting into the car when he said that and as soon as he sat, he realized why the Beta was so familiar.
It was Jael Whitlock.
Mafia King Asher’s right-hand man.
Lake felt chilly all of a sudden, sitting stiffly and internally panicking at the fact that Jael had been the one to drive him here.
"Asher didn’t seem homicidal in there, did he?" Jael went on as they drove out of the restaurant’s parking lot.
Lake swallowed past a lump in his throat, "Not really. Dinner was had in two different private rooms."
"Right," Jael muttered, stepping on the gas. "And what’s the verdict?"
"I plan to go back to my apartment tonight." Lake supplied information he wouldn’t have given to the Beta prior.
"N-No, thanks." Lake hastily replied.
As generous as Jael Whitlock was being, he would rather not spend more time in a confined space with him.
Jael peered at the Omega in the backseat as they drove through the gates.
It was really not his place to feel responsible; he would be out of the mansion tonight so he would no longer be involved with Caspian.
Whatever would happen after that was way out of his jurisdiction.
It was probably for the best that Lake shot down his offer of a ride, he needed to return to the restaurant to make sure that his boss’ crime slate remained empty.
Lake went right to his newly assigned room, one that he didn’t even get to sleep in.
And it was probably for the best, because getting used to gifted comfort would only make going back to his life of hard work all the more difficult.
He firstly took off the clothes Caspian had given to him, wishing he could launder them before returning but there was no time.
So he would have to settle for folding them neatly on the bed, and hoping that a maid got to it before Caspian did.
He hauled up his overnight bag and then started for the door, before settling into his apartment for the night, he still needed to return to Master Davian’s mansion.
He needed to move quickly now that the Master was still out of the mansion, he would slip in and return the things he took.
The watches and the statue, the bundle of money? Not so much.
Because he had already used out of it to pay for his cab fare when he was on the run, and he would be doing that again on his trip to the Master mansion.
Lake was a dense ball of nerves as the car pulled up to the mansion, he had considered stopping at his apartment first to drop off his bag.
Then he would move the stolen items to a more inconspicuous bag, but there was simply no time.