Chapter Thirty
Booker
Running on adrenaline, Booker had done as Brier wanted, lifting Frey and the child he clutched and taking them to the bed before going back to help.
Laid on towels on the floor, the omega looked emaciated, gray and lifeless, except for the blood pouring out of him. “I need you to put your hand inside him,” Brier stated, like it was an everyday occurrence. “We need to stem the bleeding.”
Booker went to go to the sink, but Brier shook his head. “We don’t have time for that.”
It was then, looking at the unflappable alpha and his grim expression, that it hit Booker what kind of urgency was required. Down on the floor, disregarding the mess, Booker took a breath and pushed his hand into the blood covered, gaping ass .
He couldn’t catch his breath at the warm fluid coating his fist and making a squelching noise. That could not be good. He watched Brier quickly and efficiently insert a line into the motionless omega, then set up an IV, hooking a bag of fluids to a door handle. He wrapped a blood pressure cuff around a limp arm, then attached pads to the omega’s chest.
When Brier switched on the machine, he swore. “Move your hand.”
He did as he was told and with it came a rush of blood. There was the sound of voices surrounding them, but Booker never took his gaze off the omega.
“I’m going to shock him. Get back.” Brier took one second to scan the ground and hit the button on the machine next to his thigh.
More curses. “Shocking again.”
They worked together, sweat trickling down Booker’s spine as he did everything Brier asked him to without question, but still it wasn’t enough. Booker didn’t need Brier to tell him that the omega was dead. The amount of blood on the floor, soaking his pants, and the lifelessness in the man on the floor after the seven shocks and five rounds of CPR said it all.
Yet he didn’t want to believe it as he stared at his bloody hands.
“Fuck it all!” grunted Brier, getting up and leaving Booker kneeling on the floor.
How had no one known he was pregnant? How?
His bear growled and Booker rose slowly, anger being the only thing to help quell his devastation. He couldn’t bring himself to look at anyone as he washed his hands and heard the cries and sobs, along with Oakland’s commanding voice.
At the lack of towels, Booker went to wipe his hands on his legs and stopped short, realizing he’d only make matters worse. As he stepped out of the bathroom, a paramedic came into the bedroom.
He took one look at Booker and came to him. “It’s not mine.”
A thin thread held his emotions in check and, as if sensing that, the man nodded, going into the bathroom.
Booker went to where Frey sat in the middle of an unmade bed, his own clothes in no better shape than Booker’s. Only that wasn’t what held his attention. It was his fox holding the baby cradled in his arms, crooning to it while it suckled on his dirty finger.
Another paramedic walked around Booker. “I’ll need to take the baby,” she said matter-of-factly, reaching towards Frey.
Frey clutched the baby tighter to his chest, his watery gaze meeting Booker’s, pleading with him.
Don’t let them take the baby from me.
His bear was adamant that shouldn’t happen. His stomach twisted painfully hard.
“Why?” Booker demanded, his anger needing a target.
The dark-haired woman in her forties gave him a returning stare that suggested he was stupid. “All newborn babies need to be checked over. And with the circumstances of the birth, it’s important that it happens sooner rather than later. ”
He could hear in her tone what she thought of him. Going around the other side of the bed, careful not to touch anything, he bent to get closer to Frey. “We need to let her check on the baby, love.” He spoke softly and kept his voice low, so it was for Frey’s ears only. “I’ll make sure to watch her.”
Frey edged off the bed to where the woman stood, leaving a blood trail over the white cover. “Don’t do anything to h-hurt her,” he mumbled, giving the baby to the woman, who showed no flicker of emotion.
A girl. It was a girl.
Booker stepped around the bed, going to Frey to wrap an arm around him as they stood together, staring at the child. His thoughts went to what would happen next. On who the heck the father was. Could it be one of the fucking awful alphas?
His blood ran cold at that. At the idea that the baby would have to be handed over to those monsters.
Frey clutched at him, tears dripping off his chin as he sniffed. “What’s gonna happen to her?”
Four days of red tape. Of answering questions from the authorities about Toby’s death and the birth of his little girl. A girl who remained nameless as they tried to figure out what came next. Taylin and Kodi had left to go back to Hazardville with their PAs the day before, leaving Rue, Monty, and Frey with Booker.
Frey was hollow-eyed, having not slept. Booker knew because the fox had spent most of his down time curled up with his bear. When he wasn’t, Frey struggled to keep his tears in check at the worry over the baby they’d taken to the hospital and where she remained for the time being. It was soul destroying.
They’d discovered Toby had chosen not to let the doctors near him, that in fact he’d kept pretty much to himself. He had no family that Dad could find that were interested and as the baby was fatherless—none of the alphas admitting to touching the omega for fear of having rape added to their charges—they were flying by the seat of their pants to figure out what came next for her. There was also the funeral for Toby to organize after the autopsy revealed he’d died because of a uterine hemorrhage. Although that was not a surprise after what they’d witnessed.
Booker clenched his fists, working to shake off the feelings that came at what he’d done.
“—you sign the form and then we can sort a foster family.”
Booker blinked his lawyer’s face into focus, realizing he’d zoned out of the meeting he’d arranged while Frey was at the hospital. “Sorry, foster family?”
Randle Morris gave him a sympathetic smile. “As a Starling representative and having taken legal responsibility for all the omegas, I’ve checked. It includes the baby. ”
He opened his mouth, then shut it as he recalled Frey’s devastation at being parted from the child. “I need to talk to Frey,” he answered, his thoughts running away from him.
We could take the child. Be a family with our little fox.
Wait a minute—
No, it’s what you envisioned, don’t pretend. Our fox wants that baby girl.
How do you know that when we haven’t asked him?
I know.
There was an utter conviction that made Booker’s innards tremble. He got up from the table, unable to sit still. “Listen, hold on to the paperwork… no…” He rubbed at his temples. “Could you draw up adoption paperwork?”
“Adoption paperwork?” Randle croaked out, eyes wide with alarm. “For who?”
“Leave the names blank for now, just do it.” Booker didn’t wait for a reply. He headed out of the meeting room they’d commandeered in the hotel and stomped down the hallway, heading for the elevator. His hand reaching into his pocket, he didn’t give himself time to think as he hit dial after searching his contacts.
“My darling boy, is everything okay?”
Popi’s voice grounded him. They’d spoken daily, keeping them updated on the disaster. “Popi…” he came to a stop and pinched the bridge of his nose, working to get a hold of himself, uncaring people were walking past him.
“What is it, darling?” asked Popi in a soothing voice that he had often used when Booker had a nightmare .
“I… oh fuck. I think I’m about to adopt a baby girl.” Saying it aloud made the surreal feel very real.
A loud sniff came before a hiccupped sob. “Oh… I’m gonna be a grandpopi.”
Booker turned and laid his forehead against the wallpaper, shutting his eyes at the ball of emotion that burst in the center of his chest at the simple acceptance of a decision he’d not known he needed. “You are,” he murmured.