Total pages in book: 173
Estimated words: 168701 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 844(@200wpm)___ 675(@250wpm)___ 562(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 168701 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 844(@200wpm)___ 675(@250wpm)___ 562(@300wpm)
Tyson lunges forward, his pupils blow and he half-shifts, looming over Wyatt. “Did you fuck with my house?”
“I never said I did,” Wyatt replies, and it’s obvious he’s trying hard not to shrink away. “They won’t hit the button if I get there within the next five minutes, so let’s fucking go then.”
He’s trying to act nonchalant, but he is definitely about to shit his pants.
Stacy is bawling, face buried in Greyson’s shirt.
Sherry’s eyes are dry now as she pulls away from Jase and moves in Wyatt’s direction.
“Fuck,” Jase cusses.
“I’m not gonna let anything bad happen to our pack if I can stop it,” Sherry says. “Maybe we can work things out if our packs are connected this way.” She gets to Wyatt, and he grabs her and pulls her close, nostrils flaring as he buries his nose in her throat.
And Bailey and I exchange looks like… what the fuck?
“Stay here,” Riley orders, kissing me. “I need you to stay here and stay safe. I’ll get your sister back here. Promise. I love you.”
“I love you,” I whisper,” But Riley…”
“Stay here, Rikki,” he says.
“No, baby,” I deny.
“Mate,” he looks into my eyes. “I love you and we’re partners but in this, I’m taking the lead. Fuckin’ please. Don’t fight me on this.”
“Look after Stace for me?” Grey asks me. “I’ll get Jessica back. Promise.”
Aunt Mimi steps up and puts her arms around Stacy. “I’ve got her. Go ahead.” Aunt Mimi looks at me. “Let them go.”
“Darlin’,” Riley says, looking deep into my eyes. “Please stay here.”
“Don’t get hurt,” I demand.
He kisses my neck and heads for the door.
I’m not happy about it but I watch Riley and several others move toward the back door.
Tyson turns to go out the front door instead. Running.
“With Ty,” Linc calls out and Riley gives him a thumbs up.
“I’m goin’ to Amie,” Mase states, heading out behind Linc.
“I don’t trust Wyatt at all,” Vivi says as soon as the space has emptied of men. “I’m getting a bad feeling about Ivy.”
“Nobody should trust Wyatt. Ever,” Stacy says with such conviction that you can feel all our panic levels rise.
“Let’s hurry,” I shout, grabbing Dani’s hand.
“Where are we going?” she asks.
“To make sure nothing goes wrong at Ivy’s,” I say.
“You’ll stay and protect her and everyone here?” I ask Aunt Mimi, Ronnie, and Vivi.
“We will,” Auntie vows.
“Keys, Vivica?” I request. “Shit. Who’s sober?”
“Me,” Ronnie advises. “And I was already coming.”
Vivi tosses Ronnie her keys.
52
Riley
Me, Grey, Jase, Joel, and Mitch walk with Wyatt Meadows and Sherry Creed out of the building. We follow for less than a one-minute walk before Meadows calls out, “Comin’ in, soldiers, stand down.”
We step through some thick woods into a small clearing.
There are four male shifters, armed with guns standing shoulder to shoulder. Machine guns.
My blood runs cold, and I can feel the chill in my connection with my pack. Fuckin’ machine guns. This could go bad. Very bad.
I’m also aware of Ty’s heightened state of fury through our pack connection, which is probably why he and Mase ran to us, feeling it from the other five of us.
I know he’s run to make sure his mate is all right. I know if I were in his or Mase’s shoes I’d have done the same.
“Where’s Jessica?” I demand.
“Stand down, soldiers,” Wyatt states again, obviously grandstanding. “Show ‘em.”
They move out of the way to reveal they were in front of her.
“Jessie!” I call.
She’s breathing steadily but she’s out. I can’t smell her. I can’t smell these four betas either. Jessie is blindfolded, gagged, and bound, and lying on the grass all dressed up and I’m pissed that my sister-in-law is lying on the ground like this.
“Fuckin’ move,” I snap as I close in. Two of the assholes lift their guns and point them at me.
“Down, men,” Wyatt grinds out.
I lift Jessie up and glare at the fuckers as I move back to my group with her in my arms.
She’s out, but looks unharmed.
I’m still not fuckin’ happy. Not about any of this. I want to turn Wyatt Meadows into mincemeat. He ordered a hit on Tyson. Had his sister poison several alphas. He had my mate abducted and then attacked her and me at the cabin. He tried to kill three of us that day and wanted to take my mate. The list of this guy’s crimes is long.
“Now, there’s been the exchange,” Mitch says carefully, “Anything else put in motion before our agreement, has it been disabled?”
“Yeah,” Wyatt says. “I’ve just told my men to stand down.”
“Smoke,” I say.
“Lie,” Grey says. “Absolute bullshit. What’ve you done?”
I see multiple sets of nostrils flare.
“No idea what you’re talkin’ about,” Wyatt Meadows lies with a shit-eating grin on his face.
Grey takes a step forward, about to lunge for him, when he presses Sherry in front of him, holding onto her, using her as a shield. Her eyes fill with panic. My first thought is, yeah, this is the kind of mate you’d get fated to, Sherry Creed.