Ch 14: Reunion

"Sir, this way!"

More pops of noise that sounded like gunshots rang out. Hans let out a squeak, and I basically stayed glued to the floor not knowing what to do. Screams and cries sounded from outside the room. More and more guards rushed in. I felt someone grab for my hand.

It was Hans. "Conrad, we have to go! Come one!"

"Where the hell are we supposed to go?"

We didn't get much time to decide as Ross sounded out some kind of order that his guards seemed to hear above the chaos. One grabbed for Hans and another for me as we were both lead away to another room through the same side door the wine servants had come from.

My mind defaulted to autopilot. With a beating heart and one-track mind, I bolted down a long corridor followed by Hans, Ross, and a few guards. The whole building seemed to shake beneath my feet.  Was it the noise? The panic? It was hard to tell at this point. Only one word kept rushing through my mind: run, run, run.

"Ah!" I stopped and turned as soon as I'd heard the cry. Hans who was behind me seemed to have tripped in the rush. Without thinking, I bolted back and grabbed for him.

"Come on, kid, we gotta keep running!"

"I-I know, I-"

"What the hell is going on?" I looked up to find Ross and the guards rushing back. One guard hauled Hans while another put a hand on my shoulder. We were running again in less than a minute and yet, I swore the gunshots were  getting closer and closer.

"Sir, here! We'll update you on the situation! Mikhail should meet up with you in a minute or so," the guard explained as we were herded into a room that was definitely smaller than the ballroom but seemed just as spacious. The carpeting was a rather elaborate pattern of dark maroon and gold, the lights  were dimmed and the window curtains drawn. Part of me wondered how this even fit into the hotel. Really, I was trying to push away thoughts of the name the guard had said and the chaos in the distance.

When the guards left, Hans became even more panicked if that were possible. "They're not staying?" He squeaked. The poor omega was absolutely shaking and drowning in his own sweat. He looked about ready to cry which took me a bit off-guard. I jokingly called him a kid but even when he'd been almost kidnapped he'd kept on some visage of grim maturity. Standing anxiously in his white trench coat and nervously playing with his hands, Hans looked more and more like a small boy.

It was some kind of strange compulsion that lead me to drape an arm over his quaking form and bring him into what I hoped was a comforting side hug. Hans looked up at me in surprise but returned a weak smile. Ross regarded us stiffly.

"There are guards all over the hotel. And my husband should be here soon," he said it formally and with a bit of distance. Definitely a little more distance then when he was rubbing in Hans misery to him.

I flinched and tried not to think too much about that comment. Was Mikhail his husband? It made sense since Mikhail was some sort of special agent. Had they married the whole time we....? No. No, I wasn't thinking about it. Instead, I focused in on the perplexed gaze Ross seemed to be giving us, more specifically, my arm over Hans' shoulder. Some part of me, the delta instincts or something, was a bit unnerved and wanted to back-up so an alpha would stop giving me the attention.

Ross seemed about to say something when another shot rang out. It was close. Way too close. Then a banging. A thunderous sound that sent my heart up my throat. At the far end of the room was a set of double doors that had been kept locked but now shook and rattled with a screaming furry.

Hans and I didn't have enough time  to fully process and panic when Ross grabbed us both and hauled us back into the corridor we had come from. Instead of running back, he shoved us both into a janitorial closet. I could hear the double doors rip open with a loud bang! just as Ross closed the closet.

He held us to him. It was surreal experience. Occasional gunshots sounded out. Sirens were heard somewhere in the distance. Part of me was still jacked up on adrenaline and ready to bolt at any sound. The other part was considering the close proximity with which all of us stood inside the closet. Ross had a hand wrapped around Hans' waist and kept the omega pressed up against him like one would expect a mate too. I'd almost think they were mates except that Ross had a hand on my shoulder to keep me close as well. When I tried to push myself away, Ross let out a low growl. It made me jump. Hans seemed to grow even smaller and leaned into Ross while I had an even greater urge to both pull away and move closer.

"Stop struggling," he ground out. "Now is not the time."

He was right, of course. I still had thoughts about punching him for talking to Hans the way he did and then clutching the omega like he actually gave a shit outside of a life or death situation. Luckily, I wasn't that unhinged with resentment and went still. I tried to ignore the hand as his grip tightened.

Despite the occasional sounds in the distance, it was silent. Nothing sounded from the small ballroom next to us. Not since the double-doors had been broken. Horrible images conjured their way up.

The shooters were probably feeling their way around. A deadly silence. What would follow, I  couldn't stop thinking about. They'd check the ballroom. Then they'd check the corridor. They'd see the custodial closet. They'd open it and then-

Suddenly, there was shouting. It was nearby. Somebody cursed. A moment of silence. My heartbeat had to be heard from at least a mile away in the stillness, and I could barely process the fear that  seemed to roll off Hans in waves. There was another sound. A door opening. The door to the corridor.

Without thinking, I leaned into Ross. The alpha didn't seem to be perturbed. In fact, his hold on my shoulder seemed to tighten, painfully so. What was the point in worrying? I could die. Right now. I could be dead. Footsteps seemed to  draw ever closer. I closed my  eyes and felt my back meet Ross's chest. I thought about my family, Elise, Declan, Vinnie, Joe-

"Ross?" The voice that sounded out was a bit raspy and gruff. It was a male's voice. It had a certain lilt to it. A russian touch.

The door opened.

"Misha?" I was stunned. I barely noticed my  slip-up as I stared into pine green eyes that looked just as stunned. I hardly noticed the bullet-proof vest, the heavy black boots, the gun and the small drops of blood on his face. All I could see was green. A little more stubble on the chin but it was nicely  trimmed as it always had been. Couldn't say the same for his hair which was a curly mess.

He backed up and the door opened a little wider. Somewhere in the distance, sirens screamed out. They were definitely by the building. I moved to the side as Ross and Hans filed out. It was too exhausting to even think about moving. I had the urge to lie down in the closet and let the world around me fade.

"I took out the two men," Mish began slowly, quietly. I grit my teeth at the familiar accent that touched his T's and vowels. "You can come out now."

I took a few hesitant steps. He moved out of the way. Ross and Hans were standing with some apprehension by the wall. As I stepped out, Mish-Mikhail god dammit, went to talk to Ross. They spoke in hushed whispers while Hans played with his hands.

I'd tell the kid a joke. He looked like he'd burst into tears at any moment.

Smiling at him, I began to talk when a noise sounded out. It was a small noise. Innocuous. Mikhail and Ross seemed too caught up in their conversation to notice. In fact, they looked like they were having an argument if Ross scenting up the place with annoyed alpha signals was any indication. I looked back to the small ballroom. The door leading to it was left slightly ajar. Mikhail had said he'd taken out the men in there. Could someone have...?

I slowly tread closer. Someone called my name but I drowned it out as I swore I heard something else move. Then the door burst open. We all started down the barrel of a gun and into the eyes of an alpha who seemed more than a little unstable. On his left forearm, bared proudly, was the symbol of a blue dragon.

The gun wasn't aimed at me even thought I was only a few feet away. It was aimed at Ross and Misha. He looked seconds away from pulling the trigger and both seemed to have barely registered that he was there. My mind went into auto-drive. It wasn't exactly the smartest move, I'll give you that. I have the propensity for being an idiot at times. In all fairness, someone could have died, and I sure as hell was  not going to let  that happen if  I could help it. I lunged at the man.

"Conrad!" I barely heard the words as a white hot searing pain shot through me. My mind was a jumbled mess. Was I shot? Did...did he shoot me? Was this it? What about Misha, Ross, and...and shit. Hans. They were here for Hans. They had to be. Dominic  was here for Hans. Hans! Was he safe? Was....

I felt my tenuous grasp on consciousness break as everything blurred and faded into black.

-8-

Beeeep. Bbeeeeep. Bbeeeeep.

White walls. A searing headache. Bleary, dried eyes. If I didn't know any  better, I'd say I was in a very specific, inconvenient part of hell. Then I realized I might just be hell. A hospital. I was in a hospital. I wasn't exactly in any capacity to shoot up so I more-so struggled my  way up to a sitting position as the horrible realization dawned on me. Numbers, expenses, bills, my meager salary and even worse savings all shot through my head. I couldn't pay for a damn hospital.

I glanced around the room, willing my heart to settle. It was a standard, white vanilla walled, sanitized little room with flowers on the counter at my side and a window with a calming green view of the fields outside. I attempted  to push through the pain as I heaved my body out of the bed and onto my feet. My clothes were gone and the pain was dizzying. The bandage from my shoulder to my elbow didn't  seem promising. It didn't matter. I needed to find a doctor or a nurse and let them know I couldn't stay here another minute.

With a deep breath, I heaved  the door open. A glance down outside revealed a long, empty hallway. My first defeated sigh since waking up came out but I kept walking, or limping, down the hall. There were footsteps around the corner. Finally,  someone I can  ask for hel-

My weak knees seemed to finally have given up, and my thoughts cut short as I found myself falling. I fully expected a blow to the head and a solid concussion. Instead, I found myself in the arms of a strong alpha.

"Careful there."

The voice. The smell. I looked up.

Joe. Blue-eyed, blonde haired Joe. Gray fitting suit, angular handsome face, trimmed beard, playful smirk Joe.

I tried to get my bearings. My heart seemed to beat faster and faster with each passing second. Was that really him? Or some illusion hatched up by my masochistic mind which may very well still be pumped full of pain-relieving drugs?

I didn't have a chance to reply or a chance to escape his grasp. Not that I could seeing as how even walking was not an option. He lifted me up slightly and carefully pushed me up against the wall, his powerful arms and body holding  me there with little room to fight or move.

"You should be in bed," he whispered softly, leaning down and whispering into my ear. His breath was warm and strangely comforting against the sterile coolness of the hospital. I felt strange. He had to be fully aware that I was in nothing but my hospital gown and tight black boxers. The way he said bed, so slow and...promising. I shook my head. No. What the hell was going on? What the hell was he doing all the way in New York? How did he find me? Was he looking for me?

I wanted to ask him all these questions, but I wasn't exactly in the right frame of mind. Instead, I shook my head and glared at him.

"No, I need to leave." My voice came out shakier than I wanted it to. "I can't exactly afford to be here." I put my hands on his chest. It was an action meant to push him away but I had barely enough power to lift them much less push so they sat there idly much to my chagrin. Joe raised a brow.

I knew what he wanted to do. I knew the bastard too well. He was trying not to laugh or smirk but the twitch at the corner of his mouth said otherwise. Just what exactly he found so funny about my meek protests had my blood boiling.

"We're paying, Con. Relax and go back to sleep."

I stilled when one of his hands wrapped around mine. When I tried to pull free, his grip tightened.

"Don't call me that, asshole," I spit out as I tried to free myself. "And let me go. I don't need anyone to pay for me. Who the hell is 'we' anyway?"

Joe sighed like he was the one with a raging headache and a cruel ex coming back to haunt him.

"Ross, Misha, and I. We're paying for you. And considering the Blue Dragons just shot up a high-end hotel trying to get to you and Hans, you're not going anywhere. Ross and I are taking you both under alpha protection."

I stilled. A million different questions shot through my head. Namely, who the hell thought this sick joke was funny at all? Two of my ex's and an asshole alpha were basically  taking me under a prison-like control normally reserved for omegas. It was like I had been thrown into some sick twisted fantasy in the mind of a professional sadist.

I twisted and turned in Joe's grasp but to little success as he quickly slipped his arms beneath me and lifted me up off my feet in a bridal hold.

"Let go! I don't need your protection! Put. Me. Down!"

My shouting did little to deter him as we crossed into the hospital room. He sighed again.

"You were a lot cuter when you were acting like a grown man."

The slap that followed seemed to stun him. There was a bright red handprint on his left cheek as he gingerly set me down on the bed. I grit my teeth and looked away, knowing there were tears in my eyes. With arms crossed and a beleaguered sigh, I slumped back.

"How dare you. You left me to the streets asshole. And I almost died not too long ago. Of course you'd jump to being a condescending jerk. Always easy to tease the pathetic delta, huh?"

There was a long pause. I didn't turn to look at him. My eyes stayed strictly glued to the window. There was a sigh. A few footsteps and then the door was closed. I shut my eyes.

I was starting to consider that hell might just be the more promising prospect.

-8-

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