“Thank you, August.”
His eyes fill with tears as I grab him up in a hug and whisper, “I’m so glad you’re here and safe.”
“Ryker! Groceries, and I brought a ton of my clothes over for you!” The man comes barreling into the living area from his bedroom.
“Fuck yes! I’m so glad you finally gave into your emo side,” he jokes.
I roll my eyes. “It’s not called emo anymore, it’s alt.” I cross my arms over my chest and huff. “Plus I always dressed like this.”
“Yeah… but I remember you fighting it for a lot of middle and high school.” The rest of what he’s thinking is left unsaid. Before he was taken away and everyone thought they would never see him again—me included.
Changing the subject before I start to cry again, I tell him, “Your guard dogs still haven’t left.” I nudge his shoulder but turn serious. “But if you want me to kick?—”
“No!”
I hold my hands up in mock surrender. “Okay, okay, they can stay.”
Rex and Maverick are never far from Ryker. They don’t pry or push themselves on him, but they have made it their whole job to protect him—and I think it’s the sweetest thing I’ve seen in a long time.
Ryker deserves Alphas who care for him.
Not that they are his Alphas…yet.
“Maverick came in last night for dinner…” I grin, wanting to beg for more from Ryker, but I don’t pry. I know he’ll fill me in when he’s comfortable. “I tried to get both of them in herebecause I made so much lasagna, but Rex said only one of them at a time.” This man is full-on pouting, and my smile spreads even further.
He likes them more than I thought.
I let the question that’s been burning in the back of my mind for the past week roll off my tongue, “Have you thought about your next heat?”
He immediately raises his brows. “Have you thought about yours, Mr. I want to get pregnant?”
The blush that’s creeping up my neck has my face and ears burning. “Mine will be here in no time, but the guys have everything ready. I’m focusing on Heat Waves’ grand opening now.”
We’re just a couple of weeks out, and the finishing touches are happening as we speak. My few trusty employees have been hired and trained, countless tests have been done, and heavy background checks have been completed on the Alphas lined up with their deep pockets, ready to pay and worship these omegas.
I send out a silent manifestation that Ryker lets at least one Alpha help him through his next heat.
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN
KEV
It’s been a couple of weeks since the guys busted up the omega trafficking ring. We rescued twenty battered omegas, with over half of them staying here at Heat Wave now. The others were reunited with their families. That part will never get old.
There are still so many other bad people out there running the same sort of websites and will never get caught. Ryan says the only reason we caught these guys was that they thought we had given up, and all our focus was on building Heat Wave. Plus, they were supposedly about to move locations, so August made the right call by moving in on them no matter what.
The three guys who were getting questioned by the mercenaries were dead ends. They were more so glorified babysitters, meaning the men who run the operations are still out there. At least Rex and Mav’s guys ended up killing the three of them for all the crimes and ill treatment of all the omegas they had in their care.
I feel greedy wanting more.
Needing to know where the actual owners are.
Wanting them dead.
But I find happiness knowing we rescued Ryker. He’s made August open up more than I ever thought possible. It even opened my eyes to my own mental health struggles. I’ve started therapy with the on-site therapist at Heat Wave, and I hate to say it, but it’s been helping tremendously. I didn’t understand how deeply it ate at me that August was trafficked and that we played such a huge role in it. Even if we didn’t have ill intentions. We in some way rescued him from what could’ve been a horrible situation, but it ate at me nonetheless.
I practically whine as I make my way into Abel’s room where August is also getting dressed. “Are you two ready yet?” My breath hitches as I spot August in the full-length mirror, spraying his chocolate and coconut cologne on himself.
