Chapter 6 #2
I plan to have him drink some water before bed, with instructions to take some sodium bicarbonate if his stomach still bothers him. I don’t know why my mom has always sworn this makes a difference, but it’s my tried and true natural method for all stomach issues.
He can yell at me for being in his space later. He’s kind of a mess.
The sound of Koen almost falling makes me curse, and I lurch for the door and lift his body away from the wall. At least he was able to catch himself.
“You’re clean enough,” I decide at his stunned face. Turning off the water, I help him out because I don’t trust him not to fall, and then dry him off.
“Rhodes, can you bring me a glass and a spoon, please?” I call out.
“Why are you both in my apartment?” Koen asks with a sleepy yawn.
“You were drugged by the guy you were talking to at the bar. The fan,” I add.
While I don’t want to scare him, I also don’t want to lie too much either.
Koen pulls away from me to open the toilet and throw up again while I wince. Maybe next time, I’ll just lie. Fuck it.
He’s gasping and looking really green as I lean over to flush the toilet.
“Fuck, that’s like my worst nightmare,” he says.
“We saw him do it, and followed him outside,” I reassure him. “We kept him from doing anything else. Rhodes tried to keep you from drinking the fucking beer too, but it was too late.”
Koen nods as he moves with stilted movements to the sink to brush his teeth, and I watch as he gargles mouthwash too. Rhodes holds up the items I asked for from the bathroom door, while Koen’s towel is only held up on a whisper and a prayer.
“Thank you,” I tell Rhodes, taking the items from him. “Take some acetaminophen with water, Koen.”
He makes a face as I pick up the two pills that I already shook out for him.
“Open,” I growl, ignoring his adorable pout as he turns toward me and opens his mouth. “Good boy. Now swallow it.”
“Bossy,” he mumbles, taking the water from me to swallow it down.
“He always is,” Rhodes grunts, his eyes on the sodium bicarbonate. “You’re not going to like this next part, but it’ll help how wrecked your tummy is. Open up for daddy again.”
“I don’t wanna,” he complains, watching as I shake baking soda onto the spoon. “It looks gross. It’ll make me puke ag—”
I stick the spoon into Koen’s mouth as Rhodes gently pushes his jaw closed. Our omega slightly gags as Rhodes refills the glass and I pull the spoon free.
“Drink,” Rhodes orders. “Don’t spit it out.”
Koen looks suspiciously like he wants to do exactly what he’s not supposed to, but grabs the glass instead and swallows it down.
“Bed,” I say, turning his body to march him in that direction. I hope he sleeps naked, because he drops the towel and crawls under his covers.
He’s snoring two seconds later, making me sag with relief as I lay out the spoon, sodium bicarbonate, pain pills, and more water for him. I also make sure to write a note with instructions, though I don’t sign it.
“He’s going to be fine,” Rhodes murmurs, watching him. “There’s a camera over his bed, right?”
“Yep,” I reply, walking around the room. Rhodes immediately checks his closet before making a strangled noise.
I’m sure it’s nothing to write home about, but that was a little dramatic, even for him. The apartment has very little charm, making me wonder who Koen really is.
“Sky, get your ass in here,” he hisses. “Now.”
The urgency in his voice has me rushing into the closet with him, which is disturbingly small. I know Koen makes really good money, because his pay stubs and brand deals are all in the dossier that Fishman sent to me. Where the fuck is his nest?
There’s no room for one, unless…
“There are blankets in the corner,” Rhodes points out, squatting down. There are cubbies on the ground, and when he pulls them open, it’s to show off the knotted toys Koen has for his heat.
My stomach hurts as I look around, disgusted at how much Koen is denying himself. This needs to end. There’s no goddamned way any omega of mine is going to live like this.
Absolutely not.
“I can fix this,” I say, my lungs getting really fucking tight. Dropping into my haunches, I grab the blankets on the ground and breathe in Koen’s scent. He definitely is here often, the smell of pain strong.
Omegas aren’t meant to spend so much time without alphas. Even if they’re dating and playing the field, or they find someone just to spend their heats with, that’s better than going it alone.
A part of me is glad there’s no one else, but it’s selfish. I shouldn’t feel like this because it’s so fucking destructive for Koen. If I could get away with kidnapping him and tying him to my bed, I would.
Unfortunately, hotel security would probably deeply frown at my actions. Fucking society takes all the fun out of my life, I swear.
“We’re going to fix it,” Rhodes confirms, rubbing my back as I struggle not to hyperventilate.
Koen’s scent is almost sour here, and my eyes water at how often he spends uncomfortable hours in this fucking closet.
“This apartment needs to be destroyed,” I decide, dropping the blanket to the ground as I stand.
“Fishman’s gonna love this,” Rhodes mutters as we step out of the room.
“Find anything that may not be replaceable, please,” I say, not denying it.
My hand pulls out my phone, and I begin to update Fishman, something I didn’t have a chance to earlier.
Me
Please check the security cameras for any views of ‘oh shit’ activity from the bar I was at tonight.
I give him the address in the next message and then bite my lip as I force myself to step out of the closet.
Fishman
There are bubbles, Skylar. What else do you need?
Leave it to Fishman to state the obvious.
Me
Then I need you to destroy an apartment for me.
Fishman
This is why you’re my favorite client. I’ll call you later for specifics.
Shaking my head because I don’t doubt that I’m currently his favorite since I’m keeping him flush with cash, I turn out the lights in the bedroom and bathroom.
“Should I snatch the photos?” Rhodes asks, staring at the images on the wall.
Koen is grinning in a couple of photos at six and twenty-ish years old with his parents and a girl who he must be related to. I can’t say for sure how old he is in these photos, but that’s what I’d peg him as.
I’ve been through a whirlwind of emotions tonight, so I simply bob my head in agreement. I don’t know what Fishman will do, which means I need to make sure nothing gets inexplicably ruined.
“Find any of Koen’s artwork too,” I decide. “I want it kept safe with us.”
Rhodes finds all of that and begins to fill a duffle bag. Making one more trip around the apartment, I look everywhere for any sign of Koen’s life, but apart from his championship trophies, there’s nothing else.
I make sure to put Koen’s clothing in the washing machine while I explore his space, getting more and more angry at how sterile it appears.
Rhodes and I lived just like this too. The bare minimum actually belonged to us, because we knew we could need to move at any time. Being flexible made us both popular with teams.
However, that’s a tough life for an omega. He can tell me it’s not, but he’d be lying. I want to give my omega a goddamned home. He can fill the damn house with trinkets, and I’ll line the walls with his art.
“Sky, his drawings are amazing,” Rhodes says reverently, his fingers running gently over the sketch pad. “I found his special pencils too and packed them up.”
Moving closer, my heart clenches as I see that the image is of me. My red hair flames along my head as I skate, and my mouth is stretched around my guard. I look fucking fierce.
“He’s drawing me?” I whisper.
“Mmhmm. It would seem so. We’re further under his skin than we thought. Let’s get the fuck out of here and get Koen’s car. We’re gonna be tired as it is tomorrow.”
Nodding numbly, this shit show of a night falls away as we walk out of the apartment after locking up.
He wants us, he just doesn’t know how to show it. It’s alright, Little Lamb. Daddy’s going to fix it all.