Page 81 of Alpha & Omega

“I’m honestly not sure yet. I don’t want to overstep my bounds, especially since I’ve already done that once, which caused the initial rift between Kingston and me. For now, if you’re capable, keep the bar running. Do any of you have access to the business’ bank?”

“Pippin, Stix, and I do,” Ajax said, who sat with Aiden curled on his lap. “But we can only make deposits.”

“Good. What about orders? How well is the bar stocked?”

“We’re fully stocked for now. Alpha likes to always have enough on hand.”

I nodded. “When Kingston wakes up, he’s going to have to give you all access to the business credit card and keep up with the supply because he’s not going to be working for a while. I can help with that, too, dealing with suppliers for my restaurant. So, do you all think you can keep the bar open?”

They all nodded.

“We’ll do whatever it takes,” Stix said.

“That’s a start. Let me see if I can come up with a plan, because this will be more than just keeping the bar running. This is going to be a massive financial burden for Kingston, and for you, too. Let me sleep on it, since I’m exhausted right now. I’ll do what I can to come up with some ideas. You all do the same thing, too.”

To my surprise, half of them came at me and pulled me into a hug, thanking me.

I had money set aside for a rainy day, and while Harley’s is doing really well, it would take time before I started to see a significant profit. So, I was reluctant to contribute financially, but I would as a last resort, not just for my sake, but because Kingston was proud. He wouldn’t like it at all.

When we pulled away, I coughed back my emotions. “Okay, let me head home and get some sleep. I’ll be back later today with some food for you all. Try not to live off the vending machines. And let me give you my number in case anything changes with Kingston or if you need to reach me.”

Stix plugged it into his phone. “I’ve added you to our group chat.”

“Thank you.”

I left the hospital with a worried mind and a heavy heart, but now I felt useful because I had a purpose. That was so much better than my previous freak out when I learned about his accident.

“Wait!” someone yelled after me.

I turned to find Nacho running toward me as I made my way down to the parking garage.

“Can you drop me off at home? I need to check on Sam. He’s freaking out.”

“Yeah, of course. Do you need help?”

He shook his head. “Thanks, but we’ll be okay. I know what to do.”

We drove in silence for a while before I asked, “How are you holding up?”

“Oh, not so good, but I need to be strong for Sam now. We made such good progress with therapy and his fear of doctors, but this really sets him back. We’ve been trying to get him into the therapist’s office so she can test him for shit properly, but…” He sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands. “Now we need to start all over again. If Alpha dies… we’ll never be the same again. None of us. Sorry…”

“It’s okay. He’s in really good hands. His doctor seems very capable.”

“But his leg…”

“He’ll walk again. That’s a promise. It’ll take time, but he’ll be back on his proverbial feet. You’ll see.”

I pulled in front of Nacho’s apartment, which was a run-down building, reminding me of how closely connected they were to Kingston. If he failed, they would all fail. It made me even more determined than ever to come up with some sort of plan to keep Alpha’s open and help cover the financial burden of Kingston’s medical expenses.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“You’re welcome. Call me if you need me to come get you. It’s no problem.”

He hopped out and looked at me. “What about your work?”

“I’m covered for now. Let’s worry about you all and Kingston.”

He nodded and closed the door before running into his apartment.

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