Page 18 of Cause Of Death

I wait as quietly as I can, but my breathing is so loud in the silence that it takes me a moment to hear the scuffing scrape of something being dragged across the ground. I scramble to my feet, a wave of dizziness overtaking me, but I fight against the blackness, refusing to succumb to it no matter how enticing it is.

The moment I spot Angel dragging the body of the—surprisingly—still living sigma, I scramble to help her. I bend down to grab his feet, swaying once more as my consciousness wavers, but through sheer force of will I straighten and take my share of his weight in my hands.

“Thank you,” she murmurs, but I only dip my chin in response. She shouldn’t be thanking me for such a minor action on my part, especially not after everything she’s already done to keep me safe and whole.

I wait until she lowers the sigma’s shoulders to the ground before I release his ankles. This one smells like raw onion and yeast, and I recognize his scent as the one belonging to the man who hauled me from the SUV. I glare down at him, my fingers clenched around the hand grip of the taser, itching to pull the trigger. I don’t, though. It’s not my call to make, at least, not yet.

“Why is this guy still alive?” I grit out, my curiosity mingling with my fury. “Why didn’t you kill him like you did the others?”

Angel glares at me and rolls her eyes, fisting her hands on her hips belligerently. I belatedly realize that the chill of the evening is beginning to lace the air, and she remains stark naked.

My coordination is still shot to shit as I struggle to remove my oversize hoodie, offering it to her with an outstretched hand. She blinks at me, as though surprised by the consideration, and then mutters another soft, “Thank you,” as she takes it from me and pulls it on.

If it was oversize on me, then on her it looks like one of those fleecy snuggies, drowning her smaller frame until it falls to her knees. The front pocket bulges with the cable ties and duct tape, which she pulls out as she smooths the material over her body. A wicked smirk crosses her face as she darts a glance over to me, then tilts her head in invitation.

“I’ve kept Tweedle Dum here alive because I have questions that need answering, and I suspect he’s my best bet of obtaining them. Help me strip him down and bind him up, and then I can get to work.”

I nod and step forward, an eager and willing accomplice. While I’m sure that my dad is probably having kittens right about now, Angel is right. For the moment we seem to be safe,and I doubt that a few extra minutes will make much difference in the grand scheme of things. Once “Tweedle Dum,” as she calls him, is secure, I can see if I can reach out to Dad. Until then, though, I need to follow her lead.

After all, if it wasn’t for her, I’d likely be dead.

I just hope that Adam and Brody made it out okay.

Iam going to be insomuch trouble when I get home.

On the one hand, I’ve managed to keep Kieran Prince breathing, but he’s not looking that good. He has multiple open wounds littered over his hands and head. The glimpse I got of his back, as he stripped his hoodie only to offer it to me, makes me wonder if his adrenaline is running so high that he’s not actually feeling any pain. I honestly hope that’s what’s going on with him, because the very thought of him sustaining any nerve damage—no matter how temporary—makes me want to burn the world down.

Tweedle Dum had been about as much of a challenge to overcome as the other three sigmas. The most difficult part in subduing him was ensuring that I didn’t kill the asshole, because, as I told Kieran, I have questions.

Plus, I need the pass code to his phone. Fucker doesn’t have facial recognition, and uses an old-fashioned PIN instead.

With Kieran’s assistance, I soon have Tweedle Dum stripped of his wallet, phone, keys, the gun and knife he had tucked inhis boots, and his boots as well. While his feet are several sizes larger than mine, they’re the smallest of all the sigmas. It’s getting dark, and cold, and I’m going to need to put something on my feet before too long. Wandering around an abandoned building in the dark—without anything to protect my feet—is idiotic in the extreme, and his boots are my best bet. I’m both physically and emotionally exhausted. Shifting multiple times a day—and holding partial shifts as well—is tiring, and I hadn’t prepared myself for this possible outcome.

My own fault, I suppose.

I turn to face Kieran, ready to give him directions on what I need him to do, but blink at the number of wallets and phones held in his outstretched palms.

“I don’t know what they did with my stuff, but I pulled these off the other bodies while you were dealing with Tweedle Dum over there.”

I glance down at the proffered bounty, then back up at the omega.

“Did you use any of their devices at all? Did you try calling or texting anyone about what happened?” I blurt out, biting back a curse at the possibility that I’ll soon have to deal with incoming security.

To my shock, Kieran shakes his head in the negative.

“No, I didn’t. I’d like to apologize for what I said earlier. Obviously, you know who I am as you used my name. You know who my father is, and who my family are. You know I’m someone who certain types of people find attractive as an easy opportunity to make some fast cash.” He rubs at the back of his neck, a dull red blush suffusing his skin.

“This isn’t the first kidnapping attempt I’ve endured, nor will it be the last. When I said that there’s a protocol in place, it’s more to do with the possible need for medical intervention on my behalf. You see, I have a condition?—”

“P.I.D.D.” I state, nodding as his eyes widen at my statement. “You have primary immunodeficiency disease, and as such, areextremelyvulnerable to infections and diseases. The accident, subsequent abduction, and trauma your body has experienced in the aftermath of it all is probably going to tank your immune system until it crashes, so we’ll need to get you medical assistance as soon as possible. There’s just one problem with all that, Kieran.”

He stares at me, his eyes conveying so much emotion. Shock, fear, and curiosity are all there, but the most speaking one is the wariness creeping into his gaze. I nod.

“You see, I know alotabout you, Kieran Xavier Prince. I know yourtruedate of birth. I know who your security team is. I know every appointment and entry on your daily schedule.I know what the inside of your home looks like.”

Kieran gulps and sways on his feet, flinching away from me as I step forward to steady him. I halt, raising my hands in a gesture of peace, then indicate for him to sit against a wall. I remain where I’m standing, showing him with my actions that, despite my words, I’m no threat to him. Not now.

Not ever.

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