“Yes, but it can’t get out at the moment, now don’t change the subject. What do you need?”
“They are kicking him out unless he is a paying patient. They said they haven’t got the beds for a rogue, ”
She answers.
Bullshit, it’s only at half capacity, ” Valen growls behind me. Jenny looks down.
“It’s because his Rogue Valen, no one helps rogues, you should have seen us getting this place running.
We couldn’t even get a handyman in without blackmailing them, ” I tell him and he seemed appalled at
my words. Considering who his father was, he didn’t seem to hold the same views of rogues, well, at
least not as strongly.
“How much?” I ask her, knowing how hard she tried to get him in there.
" She breathes before rubbing both hands down her face.
“Use the funds. It’s what it is for. When he gets out, he can come work at the hotel for a bit,” I tell her.
Knowing that was a big chunk out of the emergency rogue funds, not that anyone would complain, it’s
what it is for.
” Don’t worry about it. I will handle it, ” Valen says behind me.
“It’s fine, Valen. We have the money here, “
“I don’t care about the money. They gave him a place
there. If he is doing well and not causing trouble, they have no reason to kick him out, that place relies
heavily on donations and tax payer’s money. I’m assuming it’s the main hospital since rogues can’t use
the private ones, ” She nods.
“I will take care of it, if not. I will place him in one of the private ones if they kick up a stink, but they won’t.
My pack funds half of that hospital, ” Valen tells her with a shrug.
” But I will need his information, ” Valen tells her, and she looks around her desk before grabbing a sticky
note and writing his name and dob on it and address. She hands it to him, and Valen folds it placing it in
his pocket.
“Are you sure, we a have fund for this sort of stuff?”
I tell him.
“Positive, but I would like to know more about this fund you have for your employees, ” he answers.
“Thank you, Alpha,” Jenny nods, and I see her shoulders relax like a tonne of weight had just been lifted
off her shoulders.
” Go home, Jenny, rest,” I tell her, but she shakes her head.
“I am good until you find someone to take over, ” She says just as Tatum walks in. The bell sounds, and I
glance over at the door.
“Ah, just the man I want to see, ” Valen says, and Tatum raises an eyebrow at him.
“Ah, yeah. Didn’t you want me to keep watch again?” Tatum asks him, unsure.
“Nope, change of plans, I will tonight, but I have another job for you, ” He motions toward the desk.
“You want me to move it?” Tatum asks, confused. “Nope. I want you to man it. Everly is down a staff
member, “
“What?” Tatum asks before staring at Jenny. “Yeah, I don’t think that is a good idea, “
“Are you saying I can’t answer some phones and work the front desk?” Tatum asks like I just insulted his
intelligence.
“It’s more than answering phones,” I tell him.
” Can’t be that hard,” Tatum says, walking around the desk. Jenny looks up at him wide-eyed before
looking at me.
“See, he can handle it,” Valen says. Why could I tell this was a bad idea. I pinch the bridge of my nose
and shake my head.
“Valen, he is a security guard, not a secretary, ” I explain.
“See, killed two birds with one stone, he is now guard and can do whatever Jenny was doing,”
“This is a bad idea; I am sure I can find someone else, “Nonsense, Jenny will show him, and you can
show me these photos,” Valen says, nudging me toward my office out the back. I glance at Jenny, and
she shrugs before getting up. Tatum takes her seat, and she starts explaining things to him and how to
use the different phones.
With a heavy sigh, I give in, though he would definitely be the most buff secretary we have had manning
the counter. He looked out of place behind the desk with its pink stationery.
Unlocking my office door, I step in and move to one of the bookcases grabbing down the Hotel photo
album. I sit at my desk, and Valen comes over to stand beside me.
Opening the front page, there was an old black and white photo of Valarie’s parents from when they
owned it. I pull it out and pass it to him. In the photo were a man and a woman holding a baby, which
Valarie said was her.
“That doesn’t look too bad?” Valen states and I snort before flicking through to when I first came here
and the photos Zoe and I took. I passed them to him before also grabbing one out Macey’s brother took
of us facing the ruined hotel with our backs to the camera. All four of us standing out the front. Valarie
was also in it, cigarette between her fingers at she looked at the rundown place. I hand it to him.
“This the woman?” He asks, and I nod. “And Macey, Zoe,” he says.
“So you all started it together. The place looked like a dump, ” He states.
“It was, “
“So the four of you did all this?” he asked, sounding incredulous.
“Yep, four rogue -whores and three babies restored this entire place, ” I tell him. “Who took the photo, ”
“Macey brother, “
“He didn’t help?” I raise an eyebrow at him. “What are you trying to say?”
“Nothing, just four women, fixed all of this,”
“We may be women, but we are resourceful. Besides, Macey is more manly than her brother. She fights
like a guy too, so stay on her good side,” He laughs, handing them back.
“Noted, she definitely looks like a scrapper, “
“Oh, she is. I watched her beat a man with a zo kg bag of flour once. She hauled it around like it weighed
nothing,”
“What he do?”
“He asked her how much?” “How much for what?”
“How much for a night Valen, he thought because she was a rogue, she was prostitute, that was when
we first opened up. It was a bit of shock when they found the place was run entirely by rogues. We
ended up with a few creeps in at first, “
“So how did you handle that,”
“A few of the older ladies started bringing their sons in for the night shifts. Day shifts were easier. Macey
would turf anyone that looked at us wrong, ” I laugh.
“Come on, we should check Valarian and give Zoe a break, ” I tell him, and he follows me through the
hotel to the apartment. I was stopped a few times by different staff, and by the time I got back to the
apartment, it was dark.
Walking in, Zoe was doing puzzles with the kids. She smiled as she glanced over the back of the couch
at me before her eyes narrowed on Valen and her lip pulled over her teeth. She stood abruptly, pointing a
n accusing finger at him before remembering the kids were in the room.
I had no idea why she was mad, but I could tell she was livid about something. She stepped over the
kids and moved toward him. Valen, completely unaware of her anger, says hello to her when she opens
the door behind him and shoves him out, slamming it shut behind her. I moved to the kitchen window and
peered out, and Valen had his hands in the air. I cracked the window open a little to eavesdrop.
“You keep your creepy sniffing friend away from my daughter,” she snarls. I glance at Casey, wondering
what happened. Valerian looks up at me.
“Aunty Zoe is upset because we asked what shampoo and washing liquid she used,” Valarian explained,
which only made me more confused.
“You tell him to jeep his sniffer away from my daughter, “
“He just liked the soap you use,” Valen tried to explain.
“Casey said he sniffed her repeatedly, ” Casey growls at him.
“I will speak to him, but it was nothing bad. He just said the soap smells nice, geez,”
” It’s fucking creepy. You don’t go around sniffing peoples kids, if that don’t set off alarm bells in your
head, nothing will,”
“My beta is not a creep. He would never harm your daughter Zoe,” Valen defends Marcus.
“Keep him away from my daughter, ” Zoe huffs before going back to the door. She steps in and
straightens her clothes, going back to the kids like nothing happened.
Valen stepped in, looking awkward as hell but the tension left the moment Valarian spotted him and
jumped up off the floor.
” Dad! ” he squealed, rushing over and Valen caught him and picked him up, kissing his cheek and
hugging him tightly.
“I missed you, ” Valerian gushes, squeezing tight.
“I missed you too,” Valen tells him before setting him on his feet. Zoe watches them, and I noticed Casey
did too before looking up at her mother and snuggling against her. It must be hard seeing Valarian with
his father. Casey saw hers but usually only for s minutes when he would stop in randomly before telling
her some lie about needing to go to work. Yet she hadn’t seen him since Officer Richards found out.
“Are you staying for dinner? One of the chefs sent up stuffed capsicums, you’ll like those, “
“There is plenty there. She always sends up too much,” Zoe says. Having calmed down, her eyes dart to
Valen’s neck, and she raises an eyebrow at me before smiling. Of course, she would be happy. I look at
her when Valen speaks.
“I was hoping to stay the night. Tatum is playing secretary in your foyer, and since Marcus is definitely off
the table now?” Valen says, looking at me.
“You can stay for dinner, but we don’t need a guard, “Please, mum, he can sleep in my bed; I’ll share
with him,” Valarian whines.
I tell him.
“That’s not necessary, Val. We have a couch, but your father has,” I stop knowing he admitted to wanting
to stay, proving he has nothing better to do.
“One night, and only one, Valarian, ” I tell him before also looking at his father, so he knows not to ask for
a second night.
“Ah, see, I get to stay for the night,” Valen tells him while Valarian tugged on his hand, dragging him
towards his puzzle.
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