Ewan rolled his eyes. “You have that man wrapped around your finger, heck, your whole body. You won’t need me.”
Conscious of the time and the children sleeping, Lane didn’t voice a protest but shook his head, casting his gaze at Ewan and raising one brow. Ewan shrugged, and Lane witnessed the grim expression return as he opened the door leading into where Lane had seen Lester.
In the room, Lane’s sole focus was the teenager sitting on what looked like bath towels. Lane gasped in shock and shuddered at the brown stained clothes. The stains had dried, looking stiff, and flaking blood covered the boy’s face, hands and bare feet. It looked like he’d been bathed in blood from head to toe. Nothing was untouched that Lane could see. His imagination ran wild with awful visions of how so much blood could cover a person.
How close had he been to his parents to get this much blood on him?
Pain in his chest alerted him to the fact he hadn’t taken a breath when black-rimmed, gray eyes met his and held him captive. Flakes of dried blood clung to long eyelashes, and the boy's gaze was filled with terror. If it could live and breathe, then it lived in this boy, and Lane knew he would move heaven and earth to take it away. Derick often said his capacity to love and love quickly was his greatest gift and biggest curse because once Lane felt love for someone, he would do anything for them no matter the cost to himself. It was why they had four adopted boys besides the three Lane had given birth to.
“Who are you?” Rue’s voice was rough and raw, signalling the boy’s need for Lane’s strength in a way he couldn’t ignore.
“Lane.” He took a step closer, praying his legs would hold him up, continuing to hold the boy's terrified gaze, and keeping his own expression open. He crouched down in front of Rue, giving him his entire focus.
“I’m Lane Starling, and I help Ewan and Lester from time to time. They rang me asking if I could help you, Rue.” Lane knew honesty was the only way forward and was grateful hisvoice hadn’t cracked under the immense strain that what he had to offer wouldn’t be enough to save this boy. Because saving was what he needed when Lane caught the dejection and vulnerability as he worked not to inhale the now overpowering scent of death.
The question was back. How close had he been to the destruction of his family?
Two large hands, so big that Lane wasn’t sure how he missed them initially, balled together, causing flakes of red to flutter in the air before landing on the rug.
“Why would you help me?” His nose wrinkled, making it look like he was wearing face paint when the blood creased into the grooves. “You don’t know me… don’t know what I did,” he finished, tears forming in his pain-filled eyes before they leaked out, creating a macabre picture as they ran down his cheeks.
Going with his gut, Lane came closer and placed a hand on top of Rue’s, feeling the iciness of his bloodied skin. “I might not know, and it’s up to you if you want to share that with me, but it won’t make a difference to me and my family if you chose to come and live with us.”
“You can’t say that,” Rue replied, the hands beneath Lane’s trembling. “Not really.”
Lane searched his gaze. “You don’t know me, but if you come and stay with us, I’ll show you, you’re wrong. Just give me a chance,” he pleaded, sending a mental apology to Derick. He would move heaven and earth to protect this boy. He was part of Lane’s family now, whether the boy realized it or not.
Chapter One
Rue
Rue had a moment to acknowledge how fortuitous it was that their PAs weren’t with them. A decision Taylin and Booker, his brothers, were fully on board with. Rue certainly didn’t want to be distracted by the level of distress Monty, his own PA, had shown after their last visit. Memories of the last time they had come to the Design Detailing & Co factory did nothing to prepare him for this time. The stench, fuck, it was worse with the way they’d ensured they—who were doing fuck knows what to the omegas working for them—weren’t aware they had bought the factory and would come today.
Surprise being the best element of attack. And right now, his rhino half pushed hard enough that Rue visibly trembled, resisting the desire to shift and stomp the alphas facing off with Taylin into the ground until they were nothing more than a stain on the concrete.
“I have the emails from Starling Enterprise advising you had no interest in working with us. Your loss,” Amatus sneered. Hewas the alpha who ran the factory—or had, because he was done as far as Starling Enterprises were concerned.
“We had a better offer.” He came closer to Taylin and spat, “Divergent.”
Booker’s growl was ominous, echoing in the cavernous room. Rue had tracked where the security team they had brought with them were in the room as he and Booker prowled closer to Taylin. Divergent ‘haters’, they must be, and it all made horrible sense to Rue when the damage the omegas suffered was evident in rail-thin bodies, bearing marks of abuse a divergent wouldn’t be able to heal.
“You’re trespassing on private property, you need to leave now, before…” An armed alpha came up behind Amatus, lifting the gun in their direction.
They moved together to flank Taylin, Booker on one side while Rue stood on the other, close enough to shift to protect Taylin. These fuckers would not be the first to draw blood. Rue’s experience in the army meant he was no slouch when it came to defending those he loved. He’d failed once; he’d never do that again.
“The only people trespassing are you and those fucktards aiming guns at the omegas.” Taylin stepped closer to Amatus, and they followed. “You’re all fucking fired, every damn one of you,now get out.”
“Totally professional, bro,” Booker muttered, sounding extremely amused. Rue wasn’t amused, he was furious when Amatus didn’t move, but the omegas did.
“We don’t mean you guys.” Booker walked towards the work benches and approached the nearest, trembling man, keeping his voice soft. It had taken Rue six months of living with Booker to know the soft side to him wasn’t an act. The bear had the biggest heart, he just used a grumpy exterior to hide it, but it was on full show now.
“Listen to me. Every omega here, if you wish to stay and work for a company that will take care of you, then you can. No one is going to be forced into anything.” Taylin infused warmth into his voice that had been lacking when he spoke to Amatus. “I know it is hard to believe right now—”
Rue was moving before the scream fully registered, but Oakland beat him to it.
Oakland had a whip-wielding alpha by the throat, effortlessly dangling him a foot above the ground. The sheer power displayed brought with it an unnatural silence.
One side of the alpha's face swelled, and blood dripped from a cut over his eyebrow down the skin where a bruise formed. Oakland held the whip in his other hand, looking ready to attack anyone who moved.
