Page 51 of Secured By the Buyer

Caleb strides in, followed by Oliver, whose flushed cheeks and ruffled hair make it clear what they got up to while away.

Caleb walks over to bring my target in and assesses it with an appraising eye.

He raises one eyebrow at me. “This your first time firing a gun?”

“Yeah.”

“Huh.” Caleb studies the grouping of bullet holes again. “Not terrible. Keep practicing with Jade like this, and you’ll be a better shot than him soon.”

“Hey!” Jade protests. “I’m an excellent fucking shot.”

Caleb claps him on the shoulder. “Prove it.”

A pang of longing fills me at their back-and-forth. It’s clear they’re close, more like brothers than teacher and apprentice.

As Jade and Caleb move further down the counter, I’m left standing awkwardly with Oliver.

I glance at him, unsure of what to say to this stranger who I have an unreasonable insecurity about.

Oliver extends a hand. “It’s great to officially meet you, Milo. Liam told me how he found you at the auction. I’m so relieved you’re safe.”

I accept Oliver’s handshake, searching his face. He seems sincere. Faced with his kindness, I just can’t bring myself to resent him anymore.

“Thank you for helping them.” I drop my gaze. “I don’t know what would have happened to me if you hadn’t.”

A shudder goes through me as I consider what my fate would have been. If I hadn’t met Liam and had been sold to a different bidder.

“I’m just glad I could help,” Oliver replies softly. He hesitates, then adds, “I’ve been trying to expose what’s happening to the Omegas in our neighborhood for a while now, but I didn’t have the influence or resources of a family like the Rockfords. It’s because of their support that we’re finally making progress.”

That catches me by surprise. “Our neighborhood?”

Oliver’s expression turns a little sad. “I grew up only a few blocks over from where you lived.”

Now that he reminds me, I remember my old coworker, Kayla, mentioning how the playboy Caleb had fallen for a poor Omega from our neck of the woods after a mugging or something. Now I wish I’d paid more attention, or read the article in her magazine.

I study his face and realize he looks familiar.

The memory clicks into place, and I blurt out, “You’re that guy who was always coming into the convenience store and taking pictures of the missing persons’ flyers! The one always asking nosy questions…”

I trail off with a wince.Way to put your foot in your mouth, Milo.

Oliver just laughs, unoffended. “Guilty as charged. I suppose I’ve always been too curious for my own good. Digging into other people’s business is an occupational hazard of being a reporter.”

He winks, and I find myself cracking a smile in return, surprised by how at ease he makes me. I still can’t wrap my mind around the fact that abillionaire like Caleb married someone from my crappy neighborhood. And Leo used to be a server at some strip club before catching Nolan’s eye…

I frown as a thought occurs to me. “Do the Rockford Alphas have some kind of kink for slumming it with poor Omegas? Is that why Liam chose me?”

Oliver laughs. “I understand why you’d jump to such a conclusion, but I think they just see an Omega they want and that’s it for them. Society’s opinion be damned. They’re the black sheep of the elite but too rich to be snubbed.”

Hope unfurls in my chest. Maybe it’s not so farfetched to dream of being with Liam. “So, are you training down here to get into the same business as Caleb?”

“Oh, no.” Oliver shakes his head. “I just want to learn how to defend myself the next time someone shows up to kill me.”

Taken aback, I half reach for his arm before thinking better of it. Who knows what his psycho husband would do if I touched his Omega. “Do you fend off a lot of assassination attempts?”

He shrugs with far less concern than he should. “Often enough that I want to be able to take down an assailant.”

I touch the handguns. “Does the thought of killing bother you?”

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