But what should he do? He’d already invaded the unit.
As Teal reached for his cell to try Sorcha again, every hair on his forearm went rigid. Pricked to awareness by a sound so faint, he almost missed it.
A moan.
Low and anguished.
Drifting down from the second floor.
Teal took the stairs two at a time, grateful he wore sweats and a T-shirt instead of a constricting suit.
Outside one of the bedrooms, he halted. Even without hearing another cry, he felt Sorcha’s tortured energy. He knew the other omega was behind that door.
Teal blinked, sucking in a ragged breath. At first, his mind would not process what he saw. The evil he’d discovered.
Fastened to the door and doorframe were two metal latches. Connected by deadbolts.
Thick, brand-new, shiny deadbolts.
Dale and Abe had locked Sorcha in his room.
“Uuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnngh.”
“Sorcha?” Teal called out. Another barely audible whine was his reply. He knocked frantically. “Sorcha, please let me know you can hear me!”
For moments, Teal heard only weak wheezing breaths. Finally, he received a near-indiscernible, “Teal?”
Thank stars! The omega bond he shared with his young neighbor flared, even without direct touch. Teal was almost certain he knew what was going on. But he needed Ronan to know for sure.
“I’m here, my darling. I’m going to help you.”
Another whimper carried through the stale air. Teal tried to get Sorcha to talk to him, but the other man was in too much distress. Teal willed him to maintain his faculties until Ronan arrived. He wanted the little omega to make decisions for himself.
Teal wiggled the locks, testing their strength. He’d need tools to either break them or smash the door down.
From inside, Sorcha sobbed pitifully.
With a shaky hand, Teal drew out his phone.
Ronan answered on the second ring, construction noises in the background. “Hey, beautiful. Fancy hearing from you in the middle of the morning.”
Teal wasted no time.
“Ronan! You need to come home right away! It’s an emergency.”
“Emergency?” Ronan’s tone shifted immediately. “What’s wrong? Are the boys okay?”
Teal pinched his nose, trembling as Sorcha released another agonized wail. “Sorry. Yes. The boys are fine.”
“Okay. Then what’s the emergency? And what’s that groaning in the background?”
As if in answer, another sickening, tortured sound escaped from behind the door.
“Ronan, you need to come home now. It’s Sorcha.”
Teal registered his husband’s sharp intake of breath. Then shuffling sounds and muffled voices as Ronan shouted to someone that he needed to leave.
By Ronan’s short breaths, Teal knew he was gathering his things and rushing to his car as they spoke. “Talk to me, baby. What’s wrong with the little one?”
