Page 42 of Knot Happening

Seems like Tatum should know the man behind the mask.

Chapter Twenty

Tatum

There For You Alpha Beta Omega Living and Care, or ABO Care for short, is a beautiful facility, and I take a steady breath as I walk in the front door. It smells nice in here. Clean, but also like someone took the time to disguise the hospital scent. It’s not a hospital, but some of the residents require medical care. Mom will be one of them.

“Tatum Cray, here to meet Mr. Trace.” I try to smile without looking as nervous as I feel as I speak to the pretty older woman behind the reception desk. She winces.

“Mr. Trace no longer works here, Hun. Did you mean…” She pauses as she clicks the button on her mouse a few times, focusing on the computer screen. “Mr. Hamlin? Sorry, he’s only just taken over while I was on leave. I’ve never been great with names, and he insists we call him Terry.”

“Uh. Okay?” I say, a little thrown, because just last week I spoke with Mr. Trace’s personal assistant, and she didn’t say shit. That and her oversharing just sort of caught me off guard.Most people I come across seem to barely give a shit when you approach them at their job. Like the counter girl at the Boutique.

“Sorry about that, there’s been a lot of changes for me over the last twenty-four hours.” She winces again, and my heart starts racing.

“Is everything okay, are you still accepting new residents?” I ask a little too frantically, when the elevator dings, and an Alpha steps into the small waiting area. His scent hits me in the face like a ton of stinky bricks. He smells like celery and parsley. Not the least bit alluring, but I can tell he’s wearing scent enhancers.

“Everything is just fine, Ms. Cray. You can come with me. I’ll escort you to my office personally. I’m Mr. Hamlin, the new resident coordinator. My family recently purchased this facility. My brother is the new owner, in fact,” he says as he approaches me, holding his hand out for me to shake. I would rather roll around in mud, than shake his hand. There’s a bottle of hand sanitizer, though.

He smiles, looking me up and down in a way that makes me very uneasy. I’ve spent many weeks working at Haze, a place where Alphas just like this one spend my entire shift looking at my body with greedy desire.

But his gaze doesn’t give me that vibe. It’s more of an evaluation. He’s estimating my value. What I’m worth. What I have to offer. I don’t like it at all.

Mr. Trace had been kind and gentle. He was a Beta. Neutral. Someone who wouldn’t be a threat to Omegas, and wasn’t domineering to other Alphas. On equal ground with Betas.

But this man? He feels…different. Or maybe I’m just paranoid. Maybe the simple fact that I expect to be watched at work makes it feel okay. Or maybe it's the extensive security team, and numerous bouncers that are in every corner that make me more comfortable.

I’m glad I didn’t bring Mom with me. I can’t focus on her and get a feel for this place. She needs all my attention.

There’s another meeting set for tomorrow, so Mom can tour the facility again and potentially move in. She’s already been here once, but all she said then was ‘okay…’ Meg came with us, and she thought it was amazing. Thank fuck.

If all goes well, then I’ll be moving her in here tomorrow. They’ve had an open room reserved for her for some time now. I got into contact with Mr. Trace just a few days after getting hired at Haze.

“Hi,” I say, as I shake his hand, not liking the cool clammy touch against my skin. The second he releases me and turns his back on me to lead the way to the elevator, I sanitize my hands. The older woman huffs a very soft laugh, her eyes twinkling with humor.

This Alpha is not the kind of man I’d usually get into an elevator alone with, but I don’t have a choice, do I? This is the best facility for a hundred miles, and I don’t want to restart the search. He won’t be personally looking after Mom. The nurses and doctors will, and unless they also hired all new staff, I’ve met them before and liked them.

Mom won’t be around this guy, only I will have to deal with him.

“Let's get to it,” he says, as we step into the elevator.

An hour later, I’m sitting in his office, gaping at the number written on the contract I haven’t signed yet.

“This is over twenty grand higher than I was quoted two months ago.” I swallow thickly. Sure, I have fifty thousand dollars, but I was hoping to make the money stretch longer. Maybe buy a reliable car. Cover moms stay here for the first six months…

“Things have changed. Mr. Trace wasn’t appropriately charging for the level of care provided here,” he says coolly, looking unfazed by my panic. At best, he looks peeved.

“Fifteen thousand a month!” I gasp, that's more than double what I’d been expecting. I’ll have to beg Declan for more hours. Additional responsibilities. I only have enough for three months.

“Is there an issue?” he asks, but I’m too shocked to respond. What choice do I have? Mom needs to be here. But… I would need to make nearly twenty grand a month to cover the cost of both of our lives. “We do have an alternative plan. You would need to provide a higher deposit. Then we could drop the monthly cost to nine point five a month.”

Mr. Hamlin picks at a piece of invisible lint on his perfectly tailored suit, as his scent overpowers the spacious office. I doubt he can even scent me. I can’t even scent myself!

My thoughts are spiraling, because there's no way I could possibly make fifteen grand a month work. What are the chances that I’ll meet more clients like Kodiak?

But Mom needs to be here. I don’t want to take her somewhere less expensive. I want her to get the best care possible. I’m not cut out for this. For watching her die. Watching her wish she was dead and only holding onto life for me. Barely.

If she’s here, they can get her on medications. Get her into a routine. She won’t be left alone for hours and days while I work. She won’t waste away on a couch until she does finally leave me here, all alone. They’ll take her out for walks and do things like art therapy. She’ll have group activities and so much human interaction… Everything I can’t give her. Not alone.

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