At First Blush

Chapter 33

CW: references to abuse, human trafficking, and sexual assault

Ben stood in the office above the lounge, looking through the blinds. He watched as Ollie sprinted across the open space, and his lips twitched a little. Good boy. He lost sight of him when he crawled under the conveyor belt, which is just as well, because Jesse was stomping up the stairs, swearing under his breath. 

He paused, frowning, then demanded, "Fuck, you're up here? Why didn't you say anything?"

Ben shrugged, letting his gaze trail back to the maze of bins and crates. "You both seemed to have it under control. Shawn followed him pretty closely." He lied, turning from the window. Jesse huffed, rolling his eyes.

"I'm not like super worried. Mostly just pissed the Slime puked on my baby. Fuck. When's Lee coming?"

Ben's gaze darted to the clock on the wall. "Should be any time now. Besides, you know you can't reach him while he's on his bike."

Jesse made a disgusted sound, going to the window, peering through the blinds. "Fuck, can barely see through these filthy things. Whatever. Hope that when Shawn finds him, he won't break him too much. Can't sell used Omegas for top dollar, after all."

Ben's skin crawled, going numb. But he said nothing. His silence must have provoked Jesse, because his golden gaze flicked to him, and his cruel lips curved in a smile that made Ben's stomach clench in fear. But all he did was casually reach out a hand, gripping Ben's ass hard. Ben fought the flinch, but wasn't successful. "You can get more for a used Omega than a used Alpha, though," he commented, his voice maliciously teasing. He squeezed again, making Ben's sticky underwear press against his skin in a way that nearly made him vomit.

A door downstairs opened, and Jesse dropped his hands. He turned and Ben took a second to brace his hands against the thin windowsill, fighting down the vomit and rage and pain.

"Lee! Up here!" Jesse called, jogging down the stairs. Ben heard them talk quietly, heard the thud of Liam's helmet. He turned his head at the sound of Liam's heavy boots on the stairs. He was peeling his gloves off, his face composed.

"So we have a wild Omega. How annoying. I'll probably have to ask for two thousand less when I'm done with him," he said idly, going over to Ben, cupping his neck. His touch was light, soft, caressing, and to Ben, this felt so much worse than the rough grip Liam usually used.

"I think you can still ask for more. He's only been with another Omega, so he's not stretched out." He felt his mouth say. When Liam's hand tightened around his neck, he flinched.

But Liam only pulled him into a kiss that was way too tender and intimate. Ben hated it. Hated it so much. Liam broke the kiss, and gave him a smirk. "I knew there was a reason I kept you around. Okay. How's this," he glanced at Jesse, who had his arms crossed. He looked more annoyed than Ben felt he had any reason to be.

Liam either didn't notice or didn't care about whatever got Jesse's hackles up. "M-O-22-1H, AV. How's that?" He asked, gaze on Jesse as the other Alpha begrudgingly took out his phone, typing it.

Ben swallowed as he translated: 22-year-old male Omega, has had only one Heat, and hasn't taken Alpha cock yet. He hated how Liam and his group had mastered the way of making the Omegas they shipped sound like nothing more than a crate full of product. No one ever questioned those numbers on the invoice.

"That would work. Might even get some bidding action because of the one Heat. The Suits love that shit. Means he's trainable." Jesse acknowledged, and Ben turned his face away.

"I might actually have a buyer in mind. Allure still taking Omegas?"

"Sure, but like, it'll cost more on our end for the staging. They're fussy about that shit."

"Maybe, but the return investment is better than trying to list him for a private buyer. And through Allure, we still get a cut when they put him into the mill system."

"That's true." Jesse was quiet for a long time, then, "I forgot a condom."

Ben had a split-second warning before his cheek exploded in pain. He staggered back, only to lose his footing as Liam, lightening quick, had his baton out and extended, cracking it behind Ben's knees.

He went down, hitting the heavy office desk on the way down. Fingers in his hair, yanking him back up, and Liam squatted above him, gaze golden red, lips curled. "You're such a disgusting whore." He spat in Ben's face, then slammed his head into the side of the desk again. "Can't keep your legs from spreading for every Alpha, huh? You're no better than an Omega. And Jesse?" Ben didn't take his gaze off of Liam's, and Liam kept his gaze trained on Ben.

"Y-yeah?" Jesse's voice quavered a little, more than Ben had ever heard.

Liam shifted, and Ben heard Jesse grunt in pain, and knew that Liam had got him with his baton. "Stop touching what's mine. You know I hate when my fuckholes are loose." His hand left Ben's hair, trailing down his spine, to grab his ass, fingers digging in. Ben bit his lip so hard it bled, but he didn't whimper. His pants squelched softly, and Liam's lip curled. "And forgetting a condom? Leaving him sloppy and wet? If you're going to fuck my toys at least be sneaky about it. Clean up your mess."

Ben was hauled to his feet, and bent over the desk. He exhaled, closing his eyes, letting everything fade away.