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What ultimately saved Howard Stark was his own cruelty—and his worthless omega son.
It was dark and drizzling when his car suddenly veered and crashed into a tree. He told himself it wasn't his fault; he hadn't had that much to drink. This couldn't be his fault.
And then he knew it wasn't, because someone wrenched open his door, and a metal hand dragged him out onto the wet grass—but not to save him.
This wasn't his fault. This was his murder.
His, and maybe even Maria's.
If their goddamned son hadn't wasted Howard's time with his backtalk when Howard had planned to be leaving, none of this would've happened. The killer would've targeted someone else's car, and Howard would've been home free. That boy's attitude was about to cost Howard his life—and he'd probably laugh it up all the way to the bank, because Maria had insisted he be allowed to inherit even without an alpha to make good decisions for him.
It was then that Howard recognized the alpha about to kill him: Sergeant Barnes.
Barnes was alive! And still so young! This just proved Howard was right to keep searching for Steve Rogers. If Barnes could survive, so could Rogers.
But Barnes's expression as he regarded Howard was vacant, chilling—no recognition anywhere on his deathly pale face. He fisted his hand in Howard's hair, raised his other fist to strike…and paused.
Crouched.
Incongruously gently, he picked up Howard's wrist to sniff his hand. Froze. Sniffed again. Then he raised Howard's hand to display his dirty fingernails and asked, "Whose blood is this?"
Howard gulped at the dark look on Barnes's face. He didn't look vacant anymore. No, now he looked pissed.
"He's fine, I promise," Howard swore, recognizing the look of an alpha protecting his mate, despite never having worn such a look himself. He knew better than to give Barnes a name. "I can take you to him," he offered instead. "But he'll be angry if you hurt us. Especially Maria."
Maria, who was calling to him through anguished sobs from the passenger seat.
"We can go right now," Howard said, though he wasn't sure how the three of them could leave without the car. With its flat back tire and burning, crumpled hood, it would need a tow truck to get anywhere. The motorcycle—Barnes's?—at the edge of the grass wasn't big enough to transport all of them.
Sergeant Barnes cocked his head, considering. "She knows who he is?" He flicked a glance at Maria.
"She does," Howard said, stomach sinking.
Thankfully, Barnes didn't kill him.
Instead, Barnes climbed on his bike and absconded with Maria and the serum from the trunk.
Leaving Howard stranded in the rain, slumped against his smoking, burning car…and praying.
Praying that the kindness and omega compassion he'd tried to beat out of his smart-mouthed, recalcitrant son would hold true just this once, and Sergeant Barnes wouldn't soon be back to kill him.