Nix picked up his phone, answering, “Hello?”
Ronin started to stand. “I’m going to have to get out of here. I’m surprised I haven’t gotten a call yet. I’m already an hour late for my meeting.”
“That sucks, man,” Maddox said. “Hopefully we can get together again soon.”
Ronin smiled. “Yeah man, hopefully. If you guys get a chance, pop into Wildwood. I’m sure Finn and Dax would love to see you too.”
“We’re on our way,” Phoenix said, then hung up the call right as Ronin was about to leave the table.
“What’s up?” Maddox said.
“Just got a tip on the bounty. We have to head out before we miss him again,” Phoenix said.
“Who are you after?” Ronin asked. He couldn’t help being intrigued. Their thing sounded so much more interesting than his.
“Drug dealer. Aaron Sharp, skipped bail. Fifty grand bounty. Easy money.” Nix shared all that while putting on his leather jacket.
“If you want to tag along, we can tell you more on the way,” Maddox suggested. He got to his feet and pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket and tossed it on the table.
Ronin looked at his watch again. Fuck, Rick would kill him, but he wanted to ride along. “I’m in,” Ronin said, not giving it much more thought. Rick would already be pissed, soo... yeah.
“Where’s the fire?” Robbie asked, coming over to their table.
Ronin glanced over at Zander to see what his friend would say.
“Sorry, cutie, but we have to run off.” He placed a kiss on Robbie’s cheek, then stepped back. "Work,” Zander sighed.
Robbie’s eyes appeared disappointed.
“If I can, I’ll call you tonight, and hopefully we can together. If not, it’s definitely my loss.”
Robbie nodded. “I’d like that. Midnight, remember.” He winked at Zander before turning away and heading towards the bar.
“Okay, guys. We have to go,” Nix said.
They all nodded and headed for the exit, moving through the bar at lightning speed, and none of them stopped until they reached a van in the parking lot. He would come back and get his car later.
They jumped in, with Maddox behind the wheel, and sped out of the lot. Whatever they were about to do, Ronin’s blood was pumping. This was more exciting than meeting any pack Alpha. Yup, he would take whatever ass chewing he got from Rick.
Chapter Two
Ollie
Ollie’s heart was racing in his chest, and no matter what he did, he couldn't seem to slow it down. Everything seemed magnified, especially the sound of feet shuffling on the cement floor on the other side of the room he was locked in.
How had he got himself into this? Why did he think running away was the way to solve his problem?
A loud crash had him burrowing further into himself, but he still couldn't help looking in the direction the sound came from. It looked like one of the someones... one of the two girls, or omegas as they’d called them—Ollie tried remembering her name... Sophie, yea, that was it—Sophie had bumped into a table, the only piece of furniture inside the room they were in. A lamp stood on top of it and nearly came crashing to the floor, but thankfully, her reflexes kicked in, and she managed to grab the lamp before it could hit the floor.
“Sorry,” she mumbled as everyone glanced her way.
Oliver breathed a sigh of relief, as did every other omega in the room. None of them wanted to draw attention to themselves, and they really did not want Anton coming back into the room. Ollie closed his eyes and breathed in and out in a bid to calm his nerves, but it wasn’t working.
His brain still supplied images of his death, and it was all he could do not to run to the door and bang on it, begging to be let out. But from the whispered words he'd caught and everything he’d learned, Ollie knew that would be a very bad idea. So, he sat quietly in a corner, praying that he got to see his family again, all the while wondering where he was... Ollie still didn’t know where on earth he had been taken, and he had yet to find out why he was even here, though none of this would have happened if he hadn’t found out he was a freak. He knew he could pinpoint the moment his life had changed and gone to shit.
Ollie could remember the day, time, and the moment he realized his normal life was over. He was out for a run, the same as usual. Since he turned sixteen, running had always been his quiet time. It centered him and made him feel free. Thankfully, the house he'd grown up in was on the edge of a large forest with awesome running trails.
One minute he was running as a man on two feet when suddenly, out of the blue, everything changed, and he was on four legs, his vision in black and white. He’d been running on a trail beside a lake, and when he saw his reflection, instead of the face that he was used to seeing in the mirror staring back at him, he saw a wolf.
It had taken Ollie a couple of seconds to realize he was the wolf, and it was his reflection staring back at him. At first, he thought he was caught up in some kind of bizarre dream until he realized it wasn’t, and it was actually him who’d turned into an animal. He was a freak. It had taken some time to change back, and it wasn't until he imagined himself as a man again that he was able to get back on two feet. And to top it all off, he’d been completely nude.
Ollie had no choice but to run away from home, from the two adoptive parents who loved him and had never treated him as anything but theirs.
All he could think was what if he did that thing again and hurt one of them? Or his little brother? God, he missed Lucas, but he knew it was because of the people who brought him into this world that he was this thing. And he knew for sure, if his adoptive parents knew what a freak he was, they would have kicked him out... or worse... Though right now, he couldn’t think of what could be worse than this.
He had quite literally wound up living his own nightmare. He glanced around the room again, but there was still no indication of where they were. He’d even lost track of how long he’d been there. Days… weeks… maybe a month… he wasn’t sure anymore. The days and nights all ran together.
At least they didn’t have to sleep on the ground. The ratty mattresses they had were better than nothing.
There were six of them sharing the space, four guys and two girls. And Ollie could tell none of them were happy to be there. Okay, even an idiot could tell none of them were happy to be there. The smell of fear and despair was heavy in the room. That was yet another thing he’d realized—emotions had smells. And those were not the only things he could smell.
His newly very-sensitive nose was overwhelmed by the stench of un-showered bodies in the room, but the man who had lured him here, Anton, didn't allow them showers often. Maybe every couple of days.
Anton... “the Alpha” as everyone else called him, was the only one that came and went as he pleased. He would come in the room, grab someone, and take them out, bringing them back much later.
Whenever they came back, they were either in tears or completely silent. Ollie had finally found the courage to ask what was going on, and one of the guys, Jax, had explained it to him, and that was when he realized it could get a lot worse.
Anton was basically running a brothel. He came in and took omegas to meet alphas who would use them as they pleased. The man was a monster, making money off the omegas who he kidnapped.
It was also during that conversation Ollie learned what he was. He was an omega, and soon he would be used as a plaything by anyone who paid for him. He knew he shouldn't be grateful not to have been chosen because it meant someone else was... but so far Anton hadn’t taken him to anyone.
Oliver had heard horrible, dirty details from the other omegas, stories of how they were raped and beaten. He thanked whatever god was keeping Anton from choosing him... but something in his gut told Ollie his days were numbered.
Right as he had that thought, the door opened, loudly hitting against the wall, and Oliver couldn't help but jump. He looked up and saw that Anton had entered the room. “Jax, you’re coming with me,
” he announced. Ollie heard his new friend whimper as Anton grabbed him by the arm and pulled him towards the door. The despair in Jax’s eyes as he was dragged away had Ollie wishing he was braver.
But he’d learned his lesson. The first time he’d tried to intervene, Ollie had gotten a slap for his trouble, the gaudy-as-fuck ring on Anton’s fingers leaving a cut on his cheek.
Tears ran down Jax’s cheeks, but still he didn’t say a word, even as his eyes silently begged someone to save him.
Oliver's heart thudded in his chest as Anton pulled Jax through the door and shut it behind him. Even as he felt like a failure, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief at not being the one that was taken. He wasn't the only one that had the same thought, since there was a collective sigh in the room by those that were left behind.
Oliver and the other omegas glanced at each other. There was resignation in their eyes, each of them knowing that would be them. Even Ollie knew his luck would soon run out.
"No one will ever run and get away from me." The sound of Anton’s words echoed in Oliver’s head. He had heard him speak those words over and over since he’d been brought there, and, as far as Oliver knew, Anton had lived up to them.
There was only one omega that had managed to escape, but that was before Oliver had been there. What was his name? Damon or something... he couldn’t recall. That man had run, but no one knew if he had escaped and made it to safety. If they were to believe Anton’s words, then Oliver would be led to conclude that he hadn’t.
But Ollie thought maybe Anton was lying. He refused to end up dead in a ditch, just another statistic. They needed to do something.
“Time is running out,” Oliver said his voice low. “We need to plan our escape.”
No one replied at first, but then he heard it... a collective snickering around the room. “Are you out of your mind?” Shawn asked.
Oliver shook his head. “No. I’m dead serious. We can’t sit around just waiting for Anton to pounce. We have to act, and the sooner the better.”
Sophie laughed and sniffed. “Yea, coming from the only person that has never seen the horrible, harsh reality outside of those doors,” she muttered.
“Sophie, let’s be real…” Marco started. “Ollie here is just plain naïve, and we can't blame him for the fact that he’s clueless to what we’ve endured. We don’t wish it on him... on anyone.” He stared off into the distance like he was remembering... finally, he shook his head and added, “Right?”
Oliver swallowed, trying to get rid of the sour taste in his mouth. They were right, he hadn’t been through what they had... he shouldn’t talk. Though it might make him sound horrible, Ollie admitted he didn’t want to go through any of it. He didn’t want to go through what they had, so he needed to figure a way out.
“I’ve seen your bruises and your scars,” Oliver sighed. “I’m not naïve. I can never imagine what you've been through.” No one said a word, so he took it as permission to go on. “But, if we don’t do something, we may never see our families again. My parents... my baby brother...” His voice caught just thinking about them.
Shawn clapped, startling him. He lifted his head and met the other omega’s gaze, surprised at what he saw.
Shawn had a smirk on his lips. “I’m not foolish enough to run, only to have Anton’s words bite me in the ass. He says you don’t run, and you don’t. Devon ran and who knows what happened to him. This is better than dead.”
Devon… that was his name.
“He could have gotten away,” Oliver argued.
Shawn snorted. “Yeah, right. No one gets away.”
“And he could have not,” Sophie supplied.
Oliver could hear anguish and hopelessness in their voices. Fuck, he prayed like hell he wasn’t here long enough to feel it.
God, if you’re listening… if you exist… please get me out of here.
Oliver nodded. “You’re right. We don’t know what happened to Devon, but he wasn’t scared of taking a chance. Don’t you want to at least try... be as brave as he was?” Ollie knew he probably sound like something out of a fortune cookie... but he couldn’t give up. His life couldn’t end in this horrible, depressing room.
“Brave?” Marco’s voice was snide as he finally chimed in. “Don’t you mean stupid?”
Oliver heaved a sigh. “It doesn’t appear that sticking around here is doing us any good. I know I’m not one to talk, but being used only to benefit Anton can’t be the way we live for the rest of our lives. How much more can you guys take?”
Oliver looked over to where Cybil was rocking back and forth. Her knees were pulled to her chest, and her eyes were cast downward at the floor. “What do you think, Cybil?” he tried.
She didn’t reply, but just kept on rocking back and forth. If you listened, you could hear her humming a song. She was the youngest of the group, as she had just turned nineteen years old. When she looked up, her eyes were glazed over from crying. “I want to get out of here.” Her words were so quiet, they had to strain to hear her.
Oliver looked over at Shawn, Marco, and Sophie. “If we don’t at least try, then we'll definitely regret it,” Oliver said. “I know that it won’t be easy, and I also know that it won’t be tonight, or even tomorrow. I’m sure Anton will be back soon. I’m just saying we need to figure this out because we don't deserve this. We are omegas, and that doesn’t mean we have to be weak.”
“Says the guy that just figured out he's an omega and what omegas even are,” Shawn shot.
“Yea, okay, you’re right.” Oliver nodded, agreeing with Shawn. “So I’m just figuring a lot of stuff out, but it doesn’t make what I'm saying any less true.”
He took a deep breath. He had never been around shifters before until he was brought to this warehouse. He wasn’t sure how to interact with them, but someone had to take charge. Before he could come up with something else to say, the door to the room flew open again, this time slamming back against the wall. Oliver jumped and his eyes hesitantly lifted, meeting Anton’s.
Anton moved into the room, holding Oliver’s gaze for a moment before looking away to the other omegas. “What’s going on?” he asked. “Something is different.”
“N… no, it’s not.” Shawn’s voice came out shaky, his arms around his legs that had been pulled up to his chest.
Anton turned his attention back to him. “What are you doing?” he shot, his eyes on Oliver narrowing. He moved closer to him, and Oliver swallowed, terror engulfing his whole body. But somehow he managed to keep eye contact even though his brain screamed, This is it. My turn to be the one singled out.
“You look guilty of something,” Anton said, coming closer to his mattress.
Oliver tried to make himself even smaller, burrowing his body into the wall and wishing he could disappear into it.
“I’m not, Anton. I swear.” Oliver's voice was a quivering mess, and he hoped that didn’t make him sound guilty. It was to be expected, right?
Anton’s eyes were on him for a long moment, and Oliver could feel the sweat trailing down his back. He was holding his breath and didn't let release it until Anton finally nodded and turned around.
His gaze landed on Cybil, and he walked towards her. “You’re coming with me,” Anton said as he grabbed onto Cybil’s hand and pulled her after him.
“Please. Don’t do this,” she cried. They could all hear the tears in her voice. “Please, I'm begging you.”
“Oh, shut up,” Anton snarled.
Cybil clawed at his hand, but it didn't budge. She began to scream, “You won’t get away with this. I promise you won't.”
“I already have, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Anton replied, his voice smug. Ollie heard the taunt in his voice, when he said, “I have the perfect match for you.” Anton's laughter echoed throughout the room as he left, slamming the door.
Oliver stared straight ahead, the sound of his heart racing the only thing he could hear. None of them said a word. Sophie, Sha
wn, and Marco turned on their mattresses so they were lying down facing the wall. The room was eerily quiet, the only sound their respective breathing. All Ollie’s talk about bravery had left him the moment Anton walked in, and as much as he wanted to do something about it, terror paralyzed him.
Maybe this wasn’t one of those times you could save yourself. They needed help, lots of help.
The door opened, and Anton walked back into the room. He had Jax by the elbow and unceremoniously dumped him on the ground. Jax whimpered, and Oliver looked up and saw his bloody face. It felt like someone had reached in and squeezed his chest. Anton simply spun around and walked out of the door.
Oliver looked over at Jax, taking in his friend, and he felt tears run down his cheeks. The omega was badly beaten and still on the ground, not even trying to move towards his mattress.
He stood up and went over to Jax, putting his arms around him and helping him to his feet. Ollie led Jax over to his own mattress and gently helped him down before lying next to him and wrapping his arms around him.
He held Jax as he cried, feeling helpless and utterly useless.
“Ollie is right.” Shawn’s voice broke the silence. Oliver twisted his neck and saw Shawn had walked over and was standing looking down at him and Jax, his hands on his waist as he nodded. “You’re right,” he said. “We have to do something... but how?”
“That’s the question that I don’t really have the answer to,” Oliver admitted sadly. “But I'm sure we can figure it out together. I don't know about you, but I don't want to wind up like Devon, no one knowing if we’re dead or alive.”
Everyone nodded in agreement with that. They had to do something before it was too late.
Chapter Three
Ronin
“That was fucking amazing!” Ronin couldn't help the excitement in his voice as they pulled back into the parking lot of the bar after having caught the creep and handed him over to state law enforcement. “You guys do that every night?”
Home in His Arms Page 2
