Josh was silent.
Cole walked toward the front of the house. He didn’t like where this was going.
“You owe me,” Stewart said again. “If you don’t start earning your keep, I’m dropping you.”
Cole wasn’t willing to stand on the sidelines anymore, and he had the good excuse of the arrival of the delivery truck just as he rounded the corner to the front of the house.
He found Stewart squaring up to Josh, his hands fisted by his sides. Josh stood still, his head bowed.
Cole moved toward them. When Stewart spotted him, he backed off.
“Think about it, Joey. I’ll send you the details for the party.”
He got back in his car and drove off, narrowly missing sideswiping the delivery truck as it turned in the driveway.
Cole gave the driver a wave as he crossed to Josh’s side. He was careful not to touch the omega.
“Josh?”
After a few seconds, Josh glanced up. He seemed dazed, his eyes sliding past Cole and searching for something.
“Stewart’s gone, the delivery’s here. Want to help me move the bales around to the back?”
The delivery driver was already unloading them onto the driveway.
“Sure,” Josh said after a long pause.
They quickly got the bed of the truck emptied and sent the driver on his way. Then he and Josh worked side by side, carrying the bales around to the stables and stacking them in a neat pile against the wall.
“Can I ask a question?” Cole said when the silence between them grew a little too oppressive.
“I guess.”
“How’d you meet Stewart?”
He knew that in most cases, people went looking for stardom: modeling agencies, open auditions. But it sounded like Stewart had scouted Josh, and not the other way around.
Josh blanched, and Cole almost regretted asking. “If you don’t want to talk about it…”
“No,” Josh said. “I don’t speak about it much, but it’s not like it’s a secret. I guess I’m not especially proud of my past.”
They hefted another bale of hay onto the growing pile.
“My dad was only a teenager when he got pregnant, homeless, on the streets. Gave me up pretty quickly. Omega adoption wasn’t a popular thing then like it is now, so I was raised in foster homes. Once you hit the teenage years, even the fosters don’t want you, so it’s group homes all the way. The one they stuck me in was for older teenagers. The people who worked there liked to make a bit of money on the side, and they used us to get it.”
“What are we talking here?” Cole was horrified at the possibilities that skittered through his mind.
Josh shrugged, like it was no big deal.
“Whoever was willing to pay for access to us. Mostly brothel owners or pimps. Guys pushing drugs too, omegas are popular drug mules. Whoever could pay most got dibs on the prettiest of us, which is how I wound up with Stewart as my agent.”
Cole set down the bale he was carrying and just stared at Josh.
“He bought you?”
“It wasn’t like that. He paid the guys who worked at the home a finder’s fee for me. I was one of the lucky ones. A lot of the others ended up tied to pimps and strung out on drugs. Not many of them are still around these days. The more fortunate ones ended up in adult entertainment. You wash out of that after a few years; you get old far quicker than you age.”
Josh sounded so jaded, but also resigned. Like this was just how life was.
“How old were you?”
“Fifteen. Stewart lied and said I was sixteen, got me a forged birth cert and everything. It meant I could work enough hours on set to get bigger roles, and they didn’t need to worry about school for me.”
Cole grabbed the next bale and heaved it up onto the pile.
“Are you going to that party?”
Josh was silent for a long moment. “I don’t know. I’m not sure I have a choice, if I want to get another acting job.”
“You really love acting that much?” Cole asked.
“It’s my life.”
A life he’d practically been sold into, a life that treated him like a piece of meat and not a person. Some life.
Chapter Sixteen
Josh didn’t know why Cole was so interested in his past or his present. Though the alpha’s pointed questions did have him wondering.
“How much of that did you overhear?”
Cole had the grace to look embarrassed, even if his reply was defensive. “I heard raised voices, wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
“Alpha protector or alpha overprotector?” Josh asked, though he couldn’t really be angry at Cole.
“Bit of both,” Cole admitted. “Look, if you really love acting, surely you can find another agent, move to another country, or try another medium. Maybe the stage?”
“It’s not that I love it,” Josh admitted. “It’s my job. Each new part is just another role to play.”
“Then why not leave?” Cole said. “Start over. Find a new career, retrain as something else.”
“Where?” Josh said bitterly. “How?”
“Surely you’ve got money from all those films you were in? Some of those were pretty big, right? Those blockbusters pay well.”
Josh leaned back against the wall, avoiding Cole’s gaze. “It doesn’t work that way for me. My contract is with Stewart. I don’t get paid for individual films. I get an allowance from him, and the rent on my apartment is paid. It’s enough to live on.”
“That doesn’t sound like a lot of money or a good deal for you,” Cole said.
Josh could hear how carefully he was controlling his tone.
He shrugged, still avoiding looking in Cole’s direction. “It’s pretty standard. Most of the omegas I’ve worked with had something similar. I’m paying Stewart back, you see. For things like lessons and coaching, photos, auditions he’s gotten me. In fact, if I break the contract or he drops me, I’ll probably end up owing him money. I have about a thousand dollars to my name. That won’t stretch far.”
When he finally looked at Cole, the unhappiness on the alpha’s face said it all.
“Do you have a copy of your contract?”
The question wasn’t one he was expecting. “Um, sure. I have a paper copy back at my apartment. But I think I’ve got one in my email somewhere. Why?”
“Oliver could look it over. He’s got experience with legalese.”
Josh’s skepticism must have shown on his face, because Cole laughed and said, “He’s an omega advocate.”
“But I thought he was mated to your pack’s alpha?”
“He is,” Cole said, looking amused.
“And he has all those babies.”
“He does.”
“And he’s an advocate?”
“A pretty great one, at that. Got Duke custody of Jack when no one else could. We’re lucky to have him.”
Josh felt a complex combination of shock and envy. No alpha, no pack, would ever feel they were lucky to have him in their midst. He was damaged goods, fruit past its best.
“There’s no point,” he said quietly. “I signed the contract, I agreed to it. This is my problem. I just have to suck it up and make the best of things.”
“No contract gives someone the right to exploit you like that,” Cole said. He stepped closer, closing the distance between them.
Josh pressed back against the wall and resolutely refused to meet Cole’s gaze.
“He’s not exploiting me, he’s giving me opportunities.”
Cole didn’t touch him, but his hands settled on the wall either side of Josh, boxing him in.
“He’s using you for his own benefit. Isn’t he the one who sent you to that alpha’s house for sex? Do you think Stewart didn’t know that the plan was to film you? Do you think he didn’t tell that actor to give you something to make you a little more compliant, a little more into it?”
Josh tried to swallow a sob. He knew it was true. He’d never
have agreed to it if he’d known what the alpha had planned to do. He’d been set up, and it had to have been by Stewart.
“Josh?” Cole murmured.
He finally lifted his head, a lone tear trailing down his cheek. The depth of the compassion on Cole’s face surprised him.
“I wish I could take it all back. I wish it had never happened. I wish I’d stayed home in my apartment and hid under the covers until daylight. Because now I’m stuck. I don’t have any options except Simon. I know what that’ll cost me, what it’ll make me.”
The alpha’s hand cupped his cheek, his thumb brushing the errant tear away.
“I know you feel like you’re trapped, stuck between a rock and a hard place, but you’re not. You have choices, beyond the scraps Stewart is offering you and trying to dress up as a gourmet meal. Choices that don’t mean ending up on the streets or in some unsavory role where you have to compromise yourself just to get by.”
It sounded too good to be true, which meant it probably was.
“I’ve never met an omega who had those kinds of options,” he admitted.
“You need to spend more time around Oliver,” Cole said, looking thoughtful.
He cupped Josh’s cheek again, and Josh leaned into the touch, letting his eyes fall closed. It felt nice to be held like this, without expectation. He opened his eyes, stood on his tiptoes, and pressed a kiss to the alpha’s lips.
Cole didn’t kiss him back. He pulled away a fraction, his smile sad.
Josh was confused. “You don’t want me? I thought, after this morning…”
“I meant every word I said, Josh. But you’re hurting right now. You need comfort, a shoulder to lean on, not a roll in the hay.” He indicated the bales stacked next to them and, despite himself, Josh giggled.
“But you’re not saying no?”
“I’m saying there’s a time and a place, and this isn’t it. You’re up in the air right now, your strings have been cut. You need stability, not alpha posturing.”
Josh didn’t know quite what to make of Cole.
“I’ve never met an alpha who turned me down,” he answered honestly. “Are you sure I’m your type?”
Cole leaned in, his eyes sweeping up and down Josh’s body, the heat in his gaze obvious. “Oh, I am very sure about that.”
He stepped away again, leaving Josh swaying a little in the face of his intensity. Cole held out a hand and waited for Josh to take it.
When he did, the alpha tugged him away from the wall, his grip warm and firm. He let go as soon as Josh was upright and steady, nodding toward the house. “Let’s wash up and walk over to the packhouse. We’ll see if Oliver’s free for a chat.”
Josh wanted to refuse, wanted to go back to his room and hide under the covers. Yet a part of him was intrigued by Oliver and all that the omega had done. Josh could never measure up, but maybe he could learn a thing or two.
Chapter Seventeen
They arrived at the packhouse just in time for lunch. Cole hadn’t planned it that way but decided it was for the best when he realized Josh would get to meet Kira and the others. The omega seemed, if anything, a little shy when faced with Eric and Toby, the pack’s two omega charges. Eric’s adoption had fallen through in the wake of all the changes that had happened with the children’s home after Oliver’s parents had died. But the little omega had come on in leaps and bounds in recent months, so it seemed like things had worked out for the best.
Musing on what he’d learned about Josh that morning, he wondered if he saw something of himself in the two little boys. He’d been that kid, passed from home to home, never given a chance to settle. What could he have become if he’d had a stable pack to grow up in?
They sat down around the table and passed out the food. Josh didn’t seem to have much of an appetite, moving the food around on his plate more than he attempted to eat it.
When Duke and Thorn started a discussion that got a little heated, Josh butted in, saying something that made both alphas laugh, diffusing any tension. He was pretty good at that.
Eric, sitting opposite Josh, was nervous about a stranger at the table. He kept sneaking little peeks at him when he thought the omega wasn’t looking. Josh, for his part, didn’t seem to notice, fiddling with his napkin. Not, not fiddling, folding. When he’d finished, it had two floppy ears like a bunny rabbit, and Eric laughed with delight as the origami bunny hopped all over Josh’s plate, nibbling at his food. He passed the bunny across the table, and Eric played with it, shooting glances at Josh now and then, making sure the omega was watching.
Cole laughed when Josh stole his napkin and started making another, passing it down the table to a wide-eyed Toby. Duke willingly surrendered his own napkin so that Jack could have one too. It had the advantage of distracting all three toddlers while endearing them to the new arrival. Cole could tell that Josh would be a firm favorite among them.
“I think you’ve missed your calling as a children’s entertainer,” Thorn pointed out. “I don’t think lunch has ever been this calm.”
“It’s just tissue paper,” Josh said easily.
Up until that point, he’d seemed to be enjoying the meal, more relaxed than Cole had seen him in days. Abruptly, he appeared self-conscious and withdrawn. Cole knew he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed, as Duke gave him a questioning look. He could only shake his head. He didn’t get it either.
Wanting to give Josh a break from the scrutiny he knew was being aimed his way, he turned his attention to Thorn.
“So, how’s life as a firefighter treating you?”
Thorn’s expression turned dour.
“That bad, huh?”
“One of the guys has a chip on his shoulder about packs. Keeps bringing up articles from newspapers and the internet about how we’re supposedly dangerous, unhinged, shouldn’t be allowed roles of responsibility. He’s really starting to get on my nerves.”
“I must get a few pointers from him,” Cole joked.
It was the wrong thing to say, and Thorn actually rose from his seat. Duke made a grab for his arm and half the adults at the table spoke up, but it was Josh’s voice that cut through the rest.
“What do your colleagues say, when he brings that stuff up?”
Thorn blinked at the question and sank back down into his chair.
“They tell me to ignore him. He’s a big conspiracy nut, tends to get focused on one thing for a while. They say he’ll move on eventually.”
Josh sat forward, his focus on Thorn. “Can you wait him out? You’re former army, right? You must have discipline and training in spades.”
Thorn leaned back in his chair, regarding Josh curiously.
“You’re right, I shouldn’t let him get to me. Besides, he’s only a reserve. Half the time he’s there, he’s not even on shift.”
“Look for ways to shut him down,” Oliver suggested, weighing in on the conversation. “When he brings the subject up, acknowledge and dismiss. You know, like… Is that so? I hadn’t heard that. Hey, Bob, did you see the game last night?”
“Or turn it around on him,” Josh added. “Start wondering out loud why he’s so interested. He’s probably jealous.”
“Jealous?” Thorn scoffed. “The guy thinks we’re lunatics.”
“And yet they’re trialing you on the team, and he’s only in reserve,” Cole pointed out. “I think Josh has a point. He’s trying to discredit you to make him feel better about his own inadequacy.”
“When did you get a degree in psychology?” Thorn grumbled.
Cole was about to up the ante when Josh pressed a hand to his arm.
“Too much time listening to Kira,” Cole joked instead.
The conversation moved on to other things as everyone finished the last of their food. Cole helped carry the plates back to the kitchen, managing to steal a moment alone with Oliver.
“Hey, do you have some time today to talk to Josh? He’s got a lot going on, and I think he could use some advice, both of the omega and t
he legal kind.”
Oliver hid his surprise well. “Sure.” He glanced at his watch. “I could talk to him now, if he doesn’t mind being surrounded by cubs for the duration of the conversation.”
“I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” Cole said. “Thanks.” He took the dishes from Oliver’s hands and started stacking them in the dishwasher.
Josh followed him into the kitchen a moment later.
“I’ll help.”
“No need, I’ve got it,” Cole said, about to tell him that Oliver would talk to him instead.
“Okay. Then I’ll head back,” he said abruptly, walking toward the back door.
“Wait,” Cole said just as Oliver called, “Josh?”
The omega’s shoulders fell, and he turned around. “Yeah?”
“Can you spare some time to sit with me and the cubs? Cole said you might need a bit of advice.”
Josh glanced at Cole, who gave him an encouraging nod.
“You’ve got enough on your plate without adding me to your list,” Josh said to Oliver.
Cole tried not to make his frustration audible, turning back to the dishwasher.
“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t have the time,” Oliver said, patient but firm. “Come on. The cubs will be delighted to see you.”
Once they were gone, Cole grabbed some coffee and returned to the dining room. The other alphas and Zane were still sitting there.
He joined them, waiting for a lull in the conversation. “Is it just me, or is there something… different about Josh?”
His phrasing wasn’t quite right for what he wanted to ask, but he wasn’t sure how to be more specific about something so subtle.
“He certainly blows hot and cold,” Duke said.
“Maybe it’s an acting thing,” Zane suggested. “Putting up a front around strangers.”
“It’s more than that,” Brax said. “Take brunch as an example.”
Cole almost groaned at that. “Let’s not.”
“No, hear me out. I know it ended badly, but there was a portion of it where things were going really well. No fights, minimal tension.”
Keeper (The Lost Pack Book 2) Page 8