Page 11 of Such a Brave Omega
“He won’t stop,” I confessed. “If you get involved with me, it will only lead to trouble.”
Bronson sighed and came to perch on the side of the bed. “Trouble I can handle. What I can’t handle is going to sleep at night wondering if you’re okay.”
I couldn’t deny this man the truth. No matter how embarrassing or humiliating. “I don’t have anywhere to go. I was living out of a seedy motel. I bought my dinner with most of the last of my money. I have nothing.”
“You have me,” he said, taking my hand in his. “You have me.”
“I don’t want to be a burden.”
“You’re not. Not to me. Let me take care of you. I have a comfortable home and make a good living. Let me help you get back on your feet in a healthy way. No more surviving.”
No more surviving sounded nice.
“I don’t even know how to live in a healthy way,” I admitted. “It’s been too long.”
“Then I’ll teach you.” Goddess, that sounded loaded. I would bet this strong, serious alpha could teach me all kinds of things.
I sighed. “Are you sure?” I asked, stroking my thumb across the back of his hand. Because how could I not touch this man?
“I’m sure. I even brought you some clothes. It’s not much. We’ll get you some more but it’s enough to get you out of here without flashing someone.”
Snorting, I watched as he fished out a bag from the tiny bedside table. I hadn’t even seen him put that in there. “I might want to flash someone.”
“Not on my watch. The only person you will flash is…your mate.”
Going with Bronson scared the living crap out of me, but not going, well, that was a mistake I didn’t want to make.
Chapter Eleven
Bronson
Finally, it was time to take Tate home. And by home, I certainly did not mean the fleabag motel where he’d been paying by the night. To all appearances, some of the clientele was paying by the hour. While we were waiting for the manager or clerk to come to the desk, I counted three separate omegas wearing clingy clothes going in and out of a couple of rooms on the end, accompanied by alphas who were most certainly not their own.
My wolf and I both bristled that Tate had ever stayed here. What if one of those alphas had happened upon him when he was going in or out of his room and decided to force themselves upon him? “None of those guys ever approached you?” I asked, just in case one of them needed to die soon.
“Not those, no. A couple of others, but the sex workers hanging around on the corner swooped in and informed them that this was their turf and that ended that. I tried to make it really clear that I was not in their line of business, and since they didn’t threaten me or anything, I guess they believed me.”
“I see.” Nobody here at the moment we could tear up. I banged the bell on the counter a couple of times. Tate didn’t have the key to his room on him when he went to the hospital, and since he hadn’t been paying for the room, his things were probably not in there anyway. “Anyone work here?” I raised my voice. “Is there a manager on-site?” It was the middle of the day, and the door to the office was unlocked. Surely, someone was on duty. I was considering climbing over the counter and searching them out when, finally, the curtain dividing the office from whatever lay behind twitched and a short, balding male covered with freckles hustled out, rubbing his eyes.
“Can’t a girl get a moment’s rest around here?” She planted his hands on his hips and glared up at us. “All the hourly rooms are taken. You’ll have to come back this evening.”
“I’m not here for…that,” Tate said in a low voice. “Remember me? I was staying here and then didn’t come back to check out?”
Her gaze narrowed. “Oh, it’s you! If you want your things, you’re going to have to pay for the nights we’ve been holding onto them.”
“This omega has been in the hospital after a serious accident,” I said, barely controlling my temper. “And what is your fee for holding on to a few bags for someone?”
“We charge the full room rate,” she blustered. “After all, we didn’t know if you’d come back and need to use it.”
“So, you kept the room empty all this time and never rented it?” The traffic outside, people coming and going, had kicked up while we stood there. “Is that your contention?”
“Correct.” She bobbed his head with assurance. “That is what I did.”
After all his time in the hospital, Tate did not need this. What he needed was to be tucked into bed in my comfortable home—preferably my bed—and convalescing. I probably could throw a few hundreds at this weasel shifter and get Tate’s belongings and be on our way. Or tell her to keep it all and buy him new things.
But even this early into knowing the omega, I recognized he had his pride, and everyone had a care for their belongings, no matter how meager. Well, what was the point in going to law school if you didn’t use your license to fight the bullies of the world.
“Mr. Tate?” I really needed to get his last name at some point. But it felt like we’d skipped right past that point already. “Can you identify for me which room number you stayed in?”