Rufus was sweating now. “Thank you for your service, sir. Morgan might have been a bit over eager, meeting a new alpha in town, but I can assure you if he said anything you misconstrued, it was taken out of context.”
“He was lying to me. I demand restitution for my mate.”
“Stop. Please stop.” Billy stumbled as he got out of his seat, moving away from Cord and Rufus. “Maybe Morgan was right,I don’t know. Is it considered an alpha favor when Anthony helped me get my rental and loaned me the money for the first and last months? I paid him back within three months, but is that considered a favor?
“And then there were Cece’s parents. They’re alphas. They loaned me money for groceries when I was kicked out of my parents’ house. I paid them back by mowing their lawns for three months rather than be beholden to them, but maybe that’s considered an alpha favor, too?
“And what about my clients? I’m sure some of them are alphas, although I wouldn’t know because I get all my coding work online. But is it considered a favor when they pay me for the twelve to eighteen hour days I work, completing their projects in a satisfactory manner? I wouldn’t know that either.
“I do know that you, Morgan, have ruined my first-ever date with my mate. Ruined it with your lies because you’re jealous. You’ve always been jealous of me and the way Cece and Tristan stayed my friends when you dropped me like a hot potato the moment I was homeless.
“I was never a wild child. My alpha mother threw me out of the house the moment I was eighteen because she couldn’t abide having a gay son in her house. She called me a useless abomination, hell-spawn, fit for nothing but a life in the gutter because, in her eyes, all I was fit for was taking an alpha’s knot up my ass. My existence disgusted her, and that’s the gods’ honest truth of it all. You can scent that, and so can anyone here. So I hope you’re happy. I hope you’re satisfied that you’ve ruined what could’ve been the start of a happy life for me, Morgan, but I swear, I will never forgive you.” Billy was yelling loud enough for everyone to hear. “I will never come back here…”
“Neither will I or any of my family.” Cece appeared by his side, taking Billy’s arm.
“And Anthony won’t come here again, either,” Tristan said, standing on Billy’s other side. “Nor me with any of my dates. I’m reporting your behavior, Morgan, to the Omega Hearts Foundation, and you won’t be allowed there again either, you just wait and see. We’ve put up with your lies for years, but to hear your father try to make this Billy’s problem, when anyone with a nose could smell the lies coming out of your mouth when you were talking to Cord is unforgivable. Unforgivable.”
“Guys, come on.” Rufus was looking really worried now, and Cord wondered how much influence Cece and Tristan’s family had in town. “So my son got a bit mouthy. It’s an omega spat, a bit of jealousy, maybe, but this reaction is extreme.”
“No, no, it’s not.” Cord took off his jacket and draped it over his chair. “From what I hear, this is an established pattern of behavior, blaming Billy for the sins of his parents when all he’s done is hold his head high and lead a decent life. Your son, on the other hand, blatantly lied to an alpha he didn’t know about an omega he’s known all his life, and for what? To make himself look better? To lie his way into my pants? Billy, mate, I apologize for this, but would you mind stepping outside for a moment with your friends? I’ll be there shortly to take you somewhere decent for lunch. Bullet…”
“What do you need?” Of course, his teammate would have his back.
“Call the commander. I’m about to level this place to the ground.”
“I’d help you, but don’t waste your energy just yet.” Bullet nudged his shoulder. “Billy has finally spoken his truth, and the town has listened. This place is done for. Take a look for yourself.”
Looking over to the door, Cord saw Billy with Cece and Tristan leaving, but it was as if they’d started a parade. One by one, every single customer, alpha, omega, and betas alike, got up, threw their napkins on the table, and followed them out the door. Three of the server staff left, too, and then the chef came out from the kitchen, throwing his apron on the ground as he made for the door. Within two minutes, the only people left were Rufus, Morgan, Bullet, and Cord.
“Well, that’s a mating lunch that’ll go down in the history books.” Bullet slapped his shoulder. “Shall I give you a hand with Billy’s gifts? You didn’t even get a chance to give them to him yet.”
“No I didn’t, and all because some mouthy little upstart couldn’t be bothered to take my order.” Cord looked at Rufus, who was alternating between glaring at his son and looking around at his empty tables. “Omegas are meant to be cherished and cared for – there’s nothing wrong with doing that. But that ruling applies toallomegas, not just the ones you’re related to. What you did to Billy, your attitude and assumption that it was him that was causing trouble, was, as I believe Tristan said, unforgivable. I hope you get a good price for this restaurant because I will be suing you for a sizeable restitution for my mate. From the looks of things…” he followed Rufus’s glance around the empty room, “selling this place might be the only way you can raise the money.”
“Everyone knew about Billy. There’s been rumors about him for years…” Rufus tried one last time.
“Rumors started and carried on by people like you and your son. Or maybe it was the stories told by his parents, who, rather than be honest about their lack of parental skills and homophobia, told lies instead. I don’t know. They’d better pray I never meet them.” Cord scowled. “But you can take this to the bank, Rufus.You and your son, both. Billy has a protector now – in fact, he has my whole team behind him - and if I hear one word against him again, it’s you and your son I’m coming after. I’m warning you now. You do not want to meet up with me on a dark night. And no, that’s not a threat, it’s a promise. Maybe if your son had the same work ethic Billy has, none of this would’ve happened today. Let’s go, Bullet. My mate still needs lunch.”
“You’ve left me with all the parcels,” Bullet grumbled.
“I need my arms free. I have a mate to cuddle.”
Chapter Nine
“It’s not much, but it’s home.” Billy unlocked his front door, hardly believing he was bringing an alpha back to his small house. After the huge embarrassment at the restaurant, and Billy’s own meltdown, he wouldn’t have blamed Cord at all for wiping his hands of him and leaving him to his own devices.
Instead, Cord had taken him to his favorite Wonky Pig, had basically bought them two of everything on the menu, and then quietly insisted to Bullet and the omegas that Billy was in capable hands, and that they now needed some privacy. As Cord was staying with Bullet, that privacy was at Billy’s house. Cord did offer to get them a hotel room, but Billy had just about enough of being out for the next week.
“I couldn’t believe the number of people who came up and talked to me when we were waiting for you outside of Paradox.” Billy knew he was bordering on rambling, but he was nervous, and it was what he did. “Some of those people have never said a word to me my whole life, and then you come along. Suddenly, they are apologizing to me, and being nice to me, congratulating me on my mating and everything else. It was all very confusing. Did you want to come through to the kitchen? I usually eat in there.”
“Bullet told me something along the lines of you’d finally spoken your truth, and people heard you.”
Was Cord’s voice even deeper? It certainly sounded like it. Billy gave an embarrassed laugh even as his body started to heat –am I doing that just because of his voice, or is it because we’re finally alone?
“No one ever wanted to listen to me before, but still, here we are. It’s probably not what you’re used to, but I try and keep it clean and tidy. If you’d like to take a seat, I’ll grab my other chair from the room I use as an office.”
He darted off down his small hallway, grabbed his chair, and cast a guilty look at the dark screen on his computer.No. Cord is more important right now.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had so many gifts in my life.” Billy giggled as he came back into the kitchen to see Cord piling up some parcels on the kitchen counter. “Tristan’s brother and Cece’s parents sent me congratulatory gifts this morning as well. Wasn’t that sweet of them?”
