Chapter Thirty-Six

Hollis

The gentle thud of a heartbeat under his ear left him confused as Hollis surfaced from sleep. He flicked his tongues over his teeth, hating the furriness he encountered. Opening gritty eyes, Hollis peered up at the man he was lying on.

Huh?

What day was it?

What had he missed?

Hiding was the only thing Hollis considered when he caught a whiff of himself and the pounding at his temples brought with it a flicker of a memory of the night before. Had Taylin come to the door naked?

Hollis wasn't sure, but he got the impression he was going to find out. Question was, how much trouble was he in.

The way he smelled …

"I can hear you thinking. And judging by how your heart rate has just picked up, I'd say you're recalling some of what happened last night." Hollis couldn't decide if the rumbly voice vibrating against his ear sounded amused or pissed.

Chancing another look at Taylin, he gave him his bestest smile, although he wasn't feeling it with how hungover he was. "I… it was… you see…" Hollis groaned and buried his fiery face in Taylin's chest. He'd never been good at evading.

"You went to Sinful and got an eyeful while getting drunk. That about sum it up?"

Was that amusement?

He peeked at Taylin, searching his expression. "Yes," he whispered. "Are you mad at me?"

The grin Taylin aimed at him took away the panicky feeling wanting to take hold. "I was at one o'clock when what you said implied Jupiter took you to a sex club. Smelling as you did, it was touch and go as to how fast I could find my brother and rip his head off."

Hollis squeaked. "No… Jupiter didn't take me there. Frey did."

Taylin's brow quirked up. "I should have suspected he'd be the one to encourage you." He ran a finger down Hollis's nose and tapped the end. "I wasn't aware you liked to frequent places like that. Are you interested in voyeurism?"

When Hollis shook his head, he groaned at how it made the thumping at his temples increase. He shifted to sitting so he could rub at the sore spots. "Frey didn't mention what the place was before we went. As soon as I figured it out, I was clear, one drink, then we were leaving together… "

"How did that work out for you, love?"

The light dancing in Taylin's eyes made Hollis bury his head in his hands, muttering, "They wouldn't listen to reason, and I couldn't leave them alone."

"They have you wrapped around their fingers." Taylin chuckled, stroking his fingers over Hollis's hands. "You're a soft touch, and they know it."

Hollis dropped his hands and scowled, or he would have if it didn't hurt. "I am not," he replied indignantly.

"Whatever you say, love." Taylin came up to sitting and effortlessly lifted Hollis onto his lap, nuzzling at his neck.

He growled and quickly pulled away. "You need a shower."

"Could you make me a coffee first?" he fluttered his eyelashes. "Please."

Somehow it worked and, caffeinated thirty minutes later, he was feeling more like himself and smelling of fresh lemons from the shower. He walked into the bedroom where Taylin had dressed casually in jeans and a black sweater and was sorting through his suitcase. Now his head was clear, Hollis frowned. "I've just realized it's Saturday, how did you manage that with your schedule? Not that I'm complaining." Obviously, having Taylin home was amazing.

Taylin stopped what he was doing and his grim expression caused a ball of dread to form in Hollis's stomach. "We managed to fit in more than we planned, and two canceled meetings led us to rearrange the trip to Design Detailing & Co. The video I sent was before… before we found the basement. "

Hollis walked to Taylin as the tension rolled off him. It was as if he was looking through Hollis and he shivered in the room's warmth. The robe he wore did little to combat the chill as Taylin continued.

"They chained them down there… kept them against their will." His hands formed into fists. "Beat them and treated them like they were worthless."

When Hollis touched Taylin's hand, it was icy cold. Much like his eyes when they stared at Hollis. "They're all divergents. Every last fucking one of them." His voice broke and tears tracked down his cheeks as Hollis came forward and hugged Taylin hard.

It took a second for his arms to move and for Taylin to hug him back. Then he crushed Hollis to him. "We had to hold Booker back, it took six men to restrain him. Only he wasn't the only one who wanted to kill those cunts. Wanted to rip out their black hearts and fucking burn them alive!"

Violence, the kind he'd never suspected Taylin capable of, was there in the depth of his emotions, none of which he held back as he clung on to Hollis as if afraid to let go and do exactly as he threatened.

"What happened to them, the alphas?" Hollis whispered, almost too afraid to ask.

A shudder ran through Taylin. "Arrested and placed in jail for now. I'm sure they'll get some slick divergent hater to get them out. But we have the evidence, all of it. We made sure to get pictures and video evidence in case they have someone torch the place. "

Hollis looked at Taylin's taut features, tear stains gracing his cheeks. "You think they'll do that?"

"They might. Who the fuck knows? Dad suggested collecting as much as we could to validate the statements and conditions of the omegas."

Hollis swallowed the bile burning the back of his throat at what that was. "The omegas, they're safe, right?"

Taylin gave him a grim smile. "We found a hotel close by to the factory and booked out every room solid for the next six months. They'll stay there if that's what they want. Get whatever they need to help them heal. If it's at all possible."

"What about their families?"

The severity of Taylin's changing expression gave a wallop to Hollis's gut better than a mule. "They're picked based on being rejected by their family because of who they are. The animals sold it to them like they'd be their new family."

Horror swarmed through Hollis and the coffee made a hasty retreat from his stomach and up his throat. His mouth watered as he gagged. He spun out of Taylin's arms and darted to the bathroom. He barely made it as the coffee reappeared in a violent gush, splashing the toilet bowl. Tears streamed down his face at such evil.

Large hands stroked up his back as he heaved and cried into the toilet, unsure how to process the information when his animal was in total accord with him—devastated. Utterly devastated at how those omegas had continued to suffer after their visit a month ago. A month. Thirty days. How hellish would that feel ?

Hollis couldn't even contemplate it. He had no point of reference. None.

"Don't blame yourself," Taylin murmured, more in tune with Hollis than he'd possibly given him credit for.

He coughed, spat, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, glancing back through blurry eyes. "How can we not? We left them there," he rasped past the awful taste in his mouth. "The suffering…" he sobbed.

Collected in Taylin's arms, he found himself cuddled, sitting in his lap on the bathroom floor.

"I know." Sadness dripped from his words. "But we can't go back and change what's happened. We can only move forward from here. Give them opportunities to flourish without the oppression."

Hollis's blurry, tear-drenched eyes met Taylin's, begging. "You promise?"

Taylin rested his forehead against Hollis's, making it easier to see him as he cupped Hollis's face, gently. "Yes, love. Those men now have Popi and Dad fighting in their corner. They can't lose with that."

On Monday morning, Hollis strolled through the reception area with Taylin at his side, holding his hand, giving the few people milling around that early something to look at. Hollis had more pressing things to be concerned about though, and folks gossiping wasn't anywhere on his agenda.

They'd spent the rest of their weekend eating far too much cake and binge watching box sets on the TV. Most of that time, they'd stayed close, holding or touching, appreciating the closeness. Neither wanted to dwell too much on the reasons why.

Both of them had avoided news channels on the TV that could alert them of the ongoing situation which had erupted like a volcano around the omegas. The only updates they'd received were from the brothers. They did their best not to sink too deep into the ‘what ifs' they'd chosen to bench talking about when it upset Hollis.

Today had rolled around far too fast and with it came the reality they were going to have to deal with the horrors and Hollis was going to have to watch the video footage Taylin had mentioned. But first, he would need to deal with the Wilder and Jupiter situation before talking to Frey. Hollis continued to get flashes of the evening, which added to his worry list.

The elevator opened in front of them and Taylin released his hand, moving it to the base of his spine to guide him in. The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable and Hollis felt no need to break it. Breakfast had been a quiet affair, as had the commute to work, both lost in their thoughts .

Hollis's floor came first and when the doors opened and the first person he saw was Wilder, he had to control the urge to sigh at not getting a cup of coffee first to fuel him for the conversation.

Taylin hadn't shared what he'd gleaned from Jupiter about Friday night, and Hollis wasn't sure he wanted to know. There were still a few blank spots and filling them in could wait.

Taylin's hand moved around his hip and before he could utter a word, he became glued to Taylin's body and a hot, hungry mouth claimed his in a kiss that short-circuited millions of brain cells.

Hollis couldn't remember what he was supposed to be doing when Taylin withdrew and, after a couple of seconds, nudged him out of the elevator. "Have a good day," he said just as the doors shut and he disappeared.

"Wow, he sure looks like he knows how to deliver a kiss. I thought I was going to have to get a bucket of water to cool you both down."

Wilder's voice was enough of a bucket of water to remind Hollis he was at work and that for a brief moment, he'd forgotten the other man was watching.

"Yes… what… can I say," he said, stumbling over his words, blushing hard enough he sensed he was glowing sufficiently to get used on an airport runway to guide a plane in for landing.

Wilder slapped him playfully on his shoulder. "You're so lucky."

Hollis eyed the sullen expression that came with those words, and this time he did sigh. "Let's go to my office."

They walked silently down the passageway, passing no one on their way to Hollis's office. Inside, Hollis slipped off his suit jacket and hung it up, rolling up his sleeves while Wilder went and perched on the seat opposite Hollis's desk, giving him worried glances. His gaze darted between his hands and Hollis repeatedly.

"You remember what I said on Friday night?" Wilder started as Hollis sat.

"Yes," he admitted.

"I didn't mean it. I was drunk," he rushed to say, his gaze not quite meeting Hollis's, one hand going to rub at the leg of his sage green slacks, the other forming into a fist that rested on the arm of the chair.

"I see," Hollis murmured, staring at Wilder, showing he wasn't fooled, not in the slightest.

"You're fantastic at the look," Wilder said, slumping in his seat as he circled a finger in the air. "Like a parent who knows their child is telling fibs."

Resting his elbows on the desk in front of him, Hollis came forward to place his chin on his knuckles, continuing to hold Wilder's gaze. Seeing no way to avoid this, he considered how best to broach the subject. "If you want to lie to me about your personal situation, that's up to you. Dealing with Jupiter, that is where I come in. You are his PA and whatever is going on between you—"

"Nothing is going on," he replied, jumping up out of his seat to pace in front of Hollis's desk. "He's an insufferable asshole. Demanding and picky. Forcing me to act like his personal secretary for dealing with the substantial number of men he bonks." He swung to face Hollis, eyes blazing with a wildness that caused a knot of tension to gather at the top of Hollis's shoulders.

"Do you have feelings for Jupiter?" he asked, against his better judgment.

Emotions too varied for Hollis to guess at, flashed over Wilder's expressive features. If Wilder did indeed have feelings for Jupiter—which Hollis suspected was the case—this was going to end in tears for the little raccoon. Jupiter was a playboy and Wilder was way too softhearted for his own good.

What looked like resignation came when Wilder came to a halt. "Maybe… I don't know. He makes me so mad I wanna punch him… then…"—he blushed a deep shade of red—"I get these urges to jump his bones when I see something beyond the asshole he comes across as most of the time. It's making me crazy."

Never having had the same compulsion, or not to the same degree as Wilder, Hollis struggled to find the right reply that would help. "You know Jupiter's reputation…"

Wilder plonked himself back in the chair, groaning. "Yep… and that's without what we witnessed on Friday night." He ran his hands through his dark locks, disturbing them. "See, this is why I came to talk to you. You always tell me the truth I need to hear."

Hollis didn't correct Wilder about what he'd not seen on Friday. "I can't tell you what you should do in your personal life," Hollis murmured, thinking on what he'd decided as the best way to handle this situation. "I can only do that with work."

Hollis's anxiety at what he was about to do got him up and around his desk to crouch next to Wilder. "As I suggested before, swapping you to a different Starling brother is the best solution. It would give you some breathing room to gain a better perspective, so to speak."

This time, Wilder didn't make any objections. Instead, he did something that made Hollis's worry increase and nodded slowly. "Maybe that's for the best."