Page 55 of Wicked Vengeance

“If something happens and we don’t make it out of this…” My voice breaks as I trail off.

“We’ve got her, Red. But you’re making it out of this. You’ve got a beautiful little girl waiting for you who needs to meet her mother,” Ro says, hugging me tightly.

“Thank you both.”

Tears threaten to fill my eyes, but I shove them back. If I open up that lock box, I won’t be able to do what needs to be done. Ro lets me go, letting Dax step in to kiss my forehead. “Don’t you dare fucking die.”

“I don’t plan on it, D.”

“Give ‘em hell, Red,” he says, echoing the words he said as I was driving away from White Harbor to come here. It makes me smile, knowing they’ve had my back since I met them.

This is going to work. It has to. My family’s survival depends on it.

“Okay. Here’s the plan…”

Chapter 39

Royal

“Get him in the chair. Restrain him.” King’s voice faintly penetrates the darkness in my mind.

Thank fuck! I’m not dead!

As the floaty feeling leaves, the pain in my head returns, reminding me that someone knocked me the fuck out with something. I don’t know how much time has passed. It could have been hours or days, but I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve woken up, so maybe not that long. If it’s morning and Raena got my note, my brothers will track me here.

Maybe they're already on the way.

I just need to survive a little while longer. My eyes feel like sandpaper, dry and scratchy when I try to peel them open. Rope drags across my feet, then tightens on my ankles. Every instinct I possess tells me to fight them off– get the fuck out of this situation, and quick. But I’m alone with people who would sooner shoot me in the head if I inconvenience them. I honestly don’t know why they haven’t done that already, but I don’t think I want to push my luck anymore. It was stupid to run off on my own. If I get myself killed before my people find me, they will resurrect me just to murder me themselves.

Groaning, I finally get my eyes to cooperate when the asshole reaches for my hands to bind them to the chair. He snatches my arm harder than necessary. “Look who’s awake, boss.”

“It’s nice to see you too, asshole.” I grit through my teeth when he grinds my wrist bones together.

“Son. I’m so happy you're awake. I brought you home.” King gestures around the living room that I’m just now realizing is fucking mine. “I know your brothers were alerted when we arrived. I made sure to trip the security system. I’m sure they will be here shortly to save their precious brother. Those two would do anything for you. You just better hope they brought my little whore with them.”

The laugh that comes out of me sounds foreign. “You’ve lost your goddamn mind if you think, for one second, those two would give up our girl. But good luck with that.”

“I think you underestimate them– and just how much they truly love you, Royal. Don’t sell yourself so short. Look, see for yourself.” King says, his voice a sickening kind of sweet that turns my stomach sour. He walks to me, holding his phone up to show me the security footage. Maddox and Alek are walking up the long driveway. Alek has someone thrown over his shoulder, and my stomach drops out of my ass when I see her long red curls swaying with each step. The closer he gets to the camera, the more horrifying the details become. Her feet are bound with something, and when Alek turns, I can see her hands are the same. The blindfold over her eyes doesn't let me see if she is conscious or not, but with the way she sways limply over my brother's massive shoulder and not fighting him, I’d say she’s out cold.

“No… No, no, no, no, no.” They wouldn’t betray her like that. They fucking wouldn’t. The fight I pushed down earlier rises up quickly, my arms and legs pulling against the restraints to get free and fix this fuck up.

Oh God! I did this.

Two of King’s men cross the room to open the front door. Bile rises in my throat when my brothers step inside with my Angel.

“Let him go,” Alek demands, his face a mask of stone and his voice devoid of emotion like I’ve never heard from him.

“Pl-please don’t do this, Alek,” I plead, fighting harder against the ropes holding me back. “Turn around and leave with her right now.”

“Don’t listen to your brother. Bring her in and save his life,” King says calmly. “You’re making the right choice. Family first, right?”

“He’s lying. Please. Get her out of here. Now! Maddox, please. Take her and go. What the fuck is wrong with you? Go!”

“You left us no choice, brother,” Alek says, stepping into the house past the guards and bringing Raena’s unconscious body to the couch in front of me. He lays her down gently, her head rolling to the side. Tears stream down my face as I fight against the ropes harder, my skin shredding with every pull.

“She’s all yours, King. Take her and go.” Alek growls. King steps up behind the couch, leaning down and twirling a finger around one of her curls before brushing her hair back from her face.

“Welcome back, Little Wolf.”

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