Secured by the Buyer (Taken by His Alpha #3)

Chapter 8

8

I peek at Jade from the corner of my eye.

After I was hauled out of the office and my hands and legs were bound to stop me from attacking anyone else, I had been plunked down on the sofa in the living room to sit beside Jade.

The other Omega has a mulish set to his jaw and leans back against the cushions, his arms crossed over his chest in defiance.

One of the twins towers over him. “How did you let a drugged, underweight kid get the jump on you? I trained you better than this!”

“Oh, fuck off, Caleb.” Jade turns a glare on my Alpha. “You said he was a kitten.”

“Kittens still have claws!” Caleb retorts, anger flaring in his dark-brown eyes .

In a chair off to the side of the couch, the other twin groans, adjusting the ice pack on his groin as he winces with discomfort. “They also bust nuts, apparently.”

I bite back a smirk, remembering the satisfaction of punching him earlier.

“You’re acting like a baby, Damien,” Jade snorts.

“At least I wasn’t tangled up in bedsheets,” Damien snaps.

Caleb throws his hands up. “You’re both acting like children.”

“I know you are, but what am I?” Damien mocks, and Jade opens and closes his hand in a yapping gesture.

It’s obvious they’re all close. I was right not to trust the other Omega.

“Ignore them.” My Alpha kneels in front of me, his red-brown hair falling over his forehead. He gives me a reassuring smile, but concern tightens his features. “How about some soup?”

He lifts a spoonful toward me, the steam carrying the rich scent of chicken and vegetables.

I turn my head away. “I’m not hungry.”

My stomach betrays me with a growl, and Liam raises an eyebrow. “I’m beginning to think you’re in a constant state of hunger. ”

I glare at the reminder of how we first met, back when I thought he was flirting with me. He was probably aiming for two slaves for the price of one.

“Please?” he begs. “Let me feed you, princess.”

I glare some more. “How do I know it’s not poisoned?”

“Here.” He takes a bite of the soup, making a show of swallowing it before he holds another spoonful out for me. “See? Not poisoned.”

“Great.” I wiggle my hands tied behind my back. “Untie me so I can feed myself.”

He appears conflicted, uncomfortable with the situation.

“Please, Alpha,” I whimper, leaning closer to him, my bottom lip trembling. “I’m so hungry. Won’t you untie me?”

His focus drops to my bound arms, and his face softens with sympathy. For a moment, it seems like he’ll give in.

“You’re still bleeding from the fork he stabbed you with, Liam,” Caleb cuts in. “Don’t be stupid.”

Anger flashes through me at his interference.

“And you .” Caleb wags a finger at me. “No utensils until you prove you can play nice.”

I snap my teeth at Caleb’s outstretched finger, missing by only a hair .

He snatches his hand back. “Bloodthirsty little thing, aren’t you?”

His twin laughs, then groans and adjusts the ice pack on his groin, wincing as he does so.

“Hey, don’t bite that. It’s dirty,” Liam chides, cupping my cheek and bringing my face back to his.

The soothing touch lures me in, and I press into his warm palm before I catch myself and glare at him again.

Everything about this man confuses me. His red-brown hair and dark-brown eyes don’t match the image of the man who purchased me.

Head turning, I sniff Liam’s wrist to confirm once again that his pheromones are the same, and the scent fills me with comfort, even though I know this Liam is a bad person. Why else would he be at a slave auction?

Yet my Omega insists this Alpha is safe, that he’ll protect me, and the contradiction leaves me feeling lost.

“It’s okay, Milo.” Liam’s thumb traces a soothing arc across my cheekbone. “We don’t want to hurt you.”

“Then untie me,” I plead, my voice cracking. “Please. ”

“No can do, kid.” Caleb’s cold tone brooks no argument. “You’re a little too stabby at the moment.”

My focus shifts to Liam’s shoulder, where a dark patch of blood stains his shirt. If my instincts hadn’t fought against me, I would have aimed for his neck or eye, and then I might have made it out the window.

But the thought of hurting my Alpha causes my stomach to twist in protest.

Is it the Mark he gave me that tricks me into thinking he’s not evil? It’s the only explanation for why I want to trust him, despite how he tied me up.

Liam strokes my cheek, his touch gentle. “It’s okay to be confused, Milo.”

Caleb snorts. “That’s not confusion in his eyes. That’s murder. Keep him tied up while we figure out what to do with him.”

The words send a shiver down my spine. Are they going to dispose of me?

“Wait!” I turn back to Liam. “You ordered me into Heat for a reason, right? You wanted me pregnant! I’m probably already carrying your baby, so you can’t get rid of me! I promise I’ll be good and won’t try to escape again. I was just confused because of the drugs.”

The room falls silent, tension thick in the air .

Damien breaks the silence. “What do you mean by ordering him into Heat?”

Liam’s hand drops to the side of my neck, massaging behind my ear in a way that makes me want to melt, but his attention remains on the others. “There was a pre-purchase request for the product to be delivered ready to breed. Since Milo wasn’t in Heat, they forced him into it.”

Liam turns back to me, and I straighten before he catches me enjoying his touch. “Did they inject you with something after you left the runway, princess?”

“Yeah.” Reminded of what he did to me, I jostle my shoulder to dislodge his hand from me. “They pumped something into my arm.”

“Dammit,” Damien curses. “Probably Inducates . It’s been flooding the black market.”

“ Inducates ?” Jade’s brows furrow. “What’s that?”

“It’s an injectable drug that forces Omegas into Heat,” Damien explains. “Scientists developed it overseas for Omegas with irregular cycles, but it has dangerous side effects, so it’s illegal here.”

Jade bristles. “Then why the hell aren’t we destroying it at the docks?”

“Because our family isn’t in the drug business anymore.” Caleb’s hands curl into fists. “We knew Caruso was slime, but to order an Omega be forced into Heat? If Liam hadn’t already killed him, I’d go do it right now.”

Confusion washes over me as I turn to Liam. “Wait, I thought you were Caruso.”

Liam shakes his head. “No, princess. I was only impersonating him to gain access to the auction. And I’m glad I did, or I wouldn’t have been there to intervene for you.”

“Intervene?” I blink, trying to process the information, but the scent of him messes with my ability to focus.

“Saved your ass is more like it,” Damien chimes in, smirking. “You’re lucky Liam has a soft spot for pretty redheads. He blew our entire mission for you.”

“Shut it, Damien.” Liam glares at the other man before turning back to me. “What matters now is that you’re safe, Milo.”

“Safe?” I scoff, wiggling in my bindings. “You call this safe?”

“Well, you were going to jump out of a third-story window,” Caleb says dryly. “We’re protecting you from yourself, too.”

Liam’s lips part, but a knock at the door stops whatever he planned to say.

Caleb goes to answer it, and an older man in a doctor’s coat enters, carrying a medical bag .

Liam rises and greets him. “Dr. Wallace, thank you for coming at such an early hour.”

Dr. Wallace takes in the scene, frowning when he spots me before his attention turns to Liam’s wounded shoulder. “It appears you had a little accident. Take off your shirt and have a seat so I can assess what we’re dealing with.”

“It’s a minor flesh wound, and not what I called you here for,” Liam tells him. “You can check on it after you examine Milo.”

The doctor glances at me again. “He seems fine for now. Stop dawdling and strip. I have a shift at the hospital that starts in two hours, and it’s a long drive back into town.”

Liam sighs and strips off his top, revealing a well-muscled torso, which I vividly remember rutting against. What I didn’t recall was the large clock tattoo on Liam’s right pec. It covers half of his chest, curving around his ribs to disappear under his arm.

Jade leans over and whispers, “You’re drooling. Are you hungry for something besides soup?”

Eyes jerking up, I catch Liam staring back with satisfaction.

Damien fake gags. “Gross.”

“You’re just jealous you’re not the hottest brother in the room,” Jade teases .

Damien nudges his identical twin’s leg with his foot. “Did you hear what he said about us?”

Caleb shrugs. “I only need to be attractive to Oliver.”

“Oh, yeah?” Damien arches an eyebrow. “What’s your obsessed little Omega up to?”

Caleb smirks. “He’s tied up and gagged, waiting for me to return.”

A spike of fear goes through me. Does Caleb have a slave like me at home? Should I expect the same fate in my future?

Jade leans over once more. “Don’t worry. Oliver is Caleb’s husband, and he most likely put the handcuffs on himself. I’m sure Oliver’s very happy right now.”

Recognition slams into me as I remember the magazine my coworker was reading earlier, and I blurt out, “You’re Caleb Rockford.”

I struggle to recall what his spouse looked like but can’t pull up a face. He’s someone stunning, no doubt, to have caught his attention.

Caleb’s lips curve into a smug smile. “So, you’ve heard of me.”

Too late, I realize it might be dangerous to admit I know my captors and duck my head. “No.”

Jade snorts. “Too late to lie now. Allow me to introduce everyone.” He points at Caleb. “That’s Caleb Kane Rockford, and his twin is Damien Kane Rockford. And that hunk of meat you’re drooling over is their older brother, Liam Kane Rockford.”

Glancing between them, curiosity gets the better of me. “Why are all their middle names the same?”

“It’s in honor of our father, whose last name was Kane,” Damien explains. “He took Rockford from our mother so we can’t lay claim to the Kane inheritance.”

The explanation confuses me. What does a last name have to do with anything?

Jade shakes his head at me. “Rich people problems, right?”

The confusion deepens. “Aren’t you also a Rockford, too?”

“Alas, I am not.” Jade pouts. “I’m but the lowly son of the housekeeper.”

“I’m going to tell Mrs. Bustly that you called her lowly,” Damien threatens.

Jade whips toward him. “You better not, you tattletale.”

Dr. Wallace interrupts their bickering, a bloody gauze in his hand as he inspects Liam’s shoulder. “What sort of weapon caused this wound?”

Damien and Caleb both yell, “Fork! ”

The doctor doesn’t seem fazed by this news. “Are you up to date on your tetanus shot?”

“I’m not sure,” Liam admits. “The fork was small, though. Tiny even. It’s fine.”

“Best not to risk it.” He opens his bag and lifts out a syringe.

Liam pales. “Is that necessary?”

Jade cups his hands around his mouth. “Wuss!”

“Shut it, brat,” Liam growls.

Turning back to me, Jade pushes up his sleeve, revealing a shiny red scar on his arm. “I took a bullet a couple of months ago and didn’t cry about it.”

“You shouldn’t brag about failing to dodge a bullet,” Caleb chastises, and Jade hunches his shoulders. “Next time, take out your target before you’re shot.”

Jade tugs his cuff back down to his wrist. “You’re such a nag.”

“You’re getting cocky. This kid is proving to be a better fighter than you.” Caleb gestures at me. “All he needed was a plate to take you down.”

Anger surges through Jade as he stands and stomps toward the door. “Fuck you!”

“Where are you going, brat?” Damien calls after him. “Come back here! We need an Omega, so Milo feels safe! ”

A middle finger shoots in his direction before Jade storms out of the front door, leaving it open.

Through it, I make out a hall beyond, so that’s not a viable escape route. If not for the rope around my legs, I might have tried, regardless.

“You’ve been too hard on him since the shootout at the docks.” Damien tosses his ice pack onto the table to stand. “I’ll go cool him down, but you better offer him some positive reinforcement next time you’re training.”

“He doesn’t need positive reinforcement,” Caleb snaps. “He needs to be more aware of his surroundings or choose a different profession.”

Damien shakes his head at his brother. “I’ll never understand how you landed Oliver with your personality.”

“What does that mean?” Caleb stomps after him. “What’s wrong with my personality?”

The two men leave, the door slamming shut behind them, and I flinch at the loud noise.

“All done.” Dr. Wallace chuckles as he returns the syringe to his bag. “At least that little commotion distracted you from the shot.”

He finishes bandaging Liam’s wound, the gauze a stark white contrast to his tanned skin, before snapping off his gloves to pull on a new pair .

With wry amusement, he turns to me. “Now, onto my original patient. Let’s undo those bindings so I can examine you.”

“No,” Caleb says, at the same time I demand, “Why?”

The only reason I can think for the doctor to untie me is to have me strip, and the thought sends shivers of fear down my spine.

“From what I understand, you’ve been through quite a traumatic experience.” Concern creases Dr. Wallace’s brow. “I need to assess the extent of your injuries.”

“I wasn’t injured, besides the drugging,” I snap, my heart pounding.

A pitying expression crosses his face. “Ah, yes, but there was also intercourse involved.”

Blood rushes to my face, and I press back into the cushions, glaring at him. “I’m not taking my pants off, and if you try, I swear I’ll kick your teeth in.”

Abandoning his shirt, Liam comes over to join me on the couch, pulling me closer while positioning my body so I can’t bite him. His comforting warmth envelops me, and even though I can’t trust this Alpha, I melt against him.

“It’s okay, Milo.” His low voice soothes me. “If you don’t want Dr. Wallace to perform a physical exam, he won’t. But he does need to take some blood to check for any drugs in your system and examine a couple of your wounds.”

“Do you mean the Mark?” My stomach churns with anxiety.

Liam stiffens, a hint of genuine regret on his face. “I’m so sorry for doing that without your permission.”

His apology further confuses me. Why wouldn’t he want to leave his Mark on me? Is he one of those Alphas who wants a whole harem of Omegas to call their own?

“Yes, Dr. Wallace needs to examine the Mark,” Liam continues, “and also your arm.”

I remember the pain when I touched it earlier, and panic sets in, my breathing growing shallow. “Wh-what’s wrong with my arm?”

Liam cuddles me closer, releasing calming pheromones into the air to dull the edges of my fear. “The auction house injected you with a tracker. We need to remove it.”

I shudder, bile rising in my throat. They put a tracker in me, like some household pet.

Because that’s what I am.

No matter how much Liam’s pheromones call to me or how kind he appears, I’m still his property.