Chapter Six
Grant
After I left the omega, I marched back over to the other villa to have a word with the alphas who had dared to try to harm him.
Since Ches refused to let me speak to his manager, the resort would have no way to protect him, and as long as those assholes were on the property, neither Ches nor any other omega was safe.
The door was closed, now, and locked, but after I knocked firmly, they opened it. The two alphas stood there, staring at me, faces swollen and looking generally beaten up. I derived great satisfaction from the fact, but it wasn’t the full story.
I pushed inside and closed the door behind me. “You’re still here.”
“Y-yes,” said the alpha I’d punched first.
“How did you get here? Drive? Chopper?”
“Helicopter.”
“Then make sure you take it out of here first thing in the morning. If I don’t see you leaving, I will have the police here by the end of the day tomorrow.”
They spluttered and argued, but I held my ground. And, in the end, they agreed to leave, but still insisted that they’d just been having fun and Ches had agreed to the game.
I’d have preferred to report them now, but the farther they got away from Ches, the better.
If he was adamant that it not be reported, it would be my word against his and the alphas’.
With their promise secured and a mental promise to myself that somehow, some way, they’d pay, I went back to my villa and tried to settle in.
But my mind wouldn’t slow down. If I closed my eyes, I saw him in front of me. Bound, eyes pleading…
Hours later, while I sat on the pool patio again, I heard footsteps approaching. Standing, I walked to the gate and opened it to find Ches standing outside.
“Hi, Grant.” He was studying the ground at his feet. “May I come in for a few minutes?”
“Of course.” I stood aside and waved him in. “Why aren’t you in bed?”
He shrugged. “I can’t sleep and I wanted to thank you for rescuing me.”
“You already did, but I’m glad to see you looking so well. Do you think if we hang out a while you might get sleepy?” Taking a seat, I gestured to the other one. “Sit down. What can I get you to drink?”
“Oh, nothing. I’m fine.”
I pushed back to stand. “Do you want me to feel like a bad host?” I picked up my glass. “I’m getting a refill anyway.”
“Okay, water?”
While the omega sat uncomfortably perched on the edge of his chair, hands folded in front of him, I walked over to the patio refrigerator and filled a fresh glass and mine with sparkling water and crystal-clear ice.
I took the time to reach inside the house for a bag of chips as well.
“Here we go. I hope sparkling is all right?”
“Yes, it’s fine.” He brought the cup to his mouth and sipped. His lips turned up at the corners. “It’s really fine.”
“I’m a fan of the bubbles, too.” I tore open the bag of chips and pushed them toward him. “You know, I could call room service if you’re hungry.”
I paused with a handful of chips midair. “Oh, don’t do that. They will be shorthanded without me. This is great.”
My wolf was having a fit, demanding we feed our omega. “I am going to break the number one rule of travel.” The snacks I’d given him were actually complimentary, but there was still… “Let’s visit the honor bar.”
He paled, but I grabbed his free hand and tugged him to his feet. “Come on. I’ve always wanted to do this.”
“Why don’t you?” Ches followed me in. “If you can afford this villa, you can for sure afford a bottle of beer from the honor bar.”
“Have you seen the price list?” But I was laughing. Reluctantly releasing his hand, I threw open the refrigerator door. “What’ll it be?”
He still held back, but I filled his arms then mine with overpriced nuts and candy and beverages and anything else the management thought the customers might want late at night.
We poured it out onto the table and sat down to tear into it.
To be honest, all those tiny packages probably added up to less than a half-pound of actual food, and there were only so many Diet Cokes and orange juices we could put away.
But I would never have expected after my disappointing business meeting and the trauma this omega had gone through just a little while ago that we’d be sitting on the pool patio eating and drinking and having the best time I could ever remember.
Mate.
I know you think so…
Is so.
After we finished as much as we wanted, we sat back in silence. “When I buy a hotel, the honor bar will be free.”
“To free Mashuga Nuts!” He held up an empty wrapper. “I saw them on TV once and had no idea they were real.”
“It seems they are. What were they?”
“Cinnamon nuts. So good.” He gave me a shy smile. “Alpha, thank you for making the worst night of my life one of the best. I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you.”
“Me too. Would you like to stay here? I know you said you wanted to leave before, but you could stay in the other bedroom.”
“What if I wanted to stay in yours?”
“Then I’d have to say that’s not the kind of conversation we can have tonight. I’m incredibly flattered, but you have been through a lot.”
“Then I’d better go home.”
I hated him leaving and my wolf hated it even more, but it was the right thing to do. It was just very hard.