“Lia!” Knox barks as everything whites out for a moment.
“Put her on the ground. The carpet’s soft,” Eli says.
I feel myself being lowered before I’m settled against someone. My legs are pulled into someone else’s lap. Someone else entirely is running their fingers through my hair, and when I open my eyes, I see Knox removing my shoes.
“Just a little massage,” he says as he picks my foot up into his callused hand. “You need to settle down a bit.”
“Your scent is acrid,” Walker says from behind me. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”
Eli sits next to me, running his fingers through my hair. “What is it you need, Miss Lia?”
Everything. “Knox?”
“Yes, ma’am?”
“How much of my things from the fridge and pantry were you able to get to?”
It takes him a moment to respond. “Not much. Pantry was caved in when I opened the door. A lot was opened and spilled onto the floor.”
That pulls a whine up the back of my throat. “I have to go grocery shopping.”
“You let me take care of that,” Walker says. “Just make me a list and I’ll be back soon.”
Everything moves in a blur after that. Eli goes on the hunt until he puts a pen and a notepad in my hands. The list is almost three pages long, and I feel guilty as ever handing something like that to Walker. But he doesn’t even flinch as he leaves the apartment. I hear Pickles outside, as well as a giggling Amber, and it pulls Eli from my side for a moment.
“Did you know there’s a playground in this complex?” he asks as he peers out the window.
“And a swimming pool,” I croak out.
“Shh,” Knox says as he moves from my feet to behind me, resuming the massage Walker was giving me earlier, “you need to rest. You’re wound too tight for someone who has to stay away from stress right now.”
I’m not sure how long it takes Walker to get back with the groceries, but eventually, he’s lugging bags inside. Eli and Knox go to help, but when I get up to join, the three of them give me one of those silent, scolding looks. You know, the ones you give kids that are acting up?
It makes me bristle as the three of them go back and forth from Walker’s vehicle. Whatever. I can’t care anymore. I have bigger things to contend with, like the fact that this kitchenette is going to have to cut it for my freelance baking.
My orders start tomorrow, after all.
While they’re hauling things in, I start putting them away. I don’t have near the kind of storage that I need for all of the things I have, but at least Knox was able to get the bigger ticket items from my kitchen, like my mixer and my baking pans.
“All right,” Walker says as he sets his bags down, “that’s the last of it.”
Knox comes trotting in, thumbing over his shoulder. “Eli’s coming with a few more things we pulled from your kitchen that weren’t ruined.”
I peer over his shoulder and, sure enough, there’s Eli with bags of mixing utensils, measuring cups, and my decorative piping products. Good. I don’t have the money to replace any of that right now, renter’s insurance or not.
Oh, crap. I have to call my renter’s insurance.
“Do you need anything else before we leave?” Eli asks.
Amber’s giggling and Pickles’ barking pull me out of my head. Leaving. They’re heading out?
The Omega inside of me dreads being left alone in a place that isn’t mine. But I have to get myself settled. I have to place phone calls and figure out furniture so that I’ve got a functioning nest for what’s coming.
I have to pull out of this and move forward.
“No, no,” I say with a shake of my head as I unload the last of the groceries. “You guys have done enough. Thank you so much for your help.”
“Here,” Walker says.
