Page 80 of Pack Obsession

Julian’s face twists into something inhuman. “I told you that you’d die here.”

The pain at my side is distant, unimportant. I grab his throat with both hands, squeezing.

“Not... alone...”

A gunshot rings out. For a moment, I think it’s hit me, but there’s no new pain, just a strange numbness spreading from my side. Julian’s eyes go wide with shock, and a red stain blooms on his pristine white shirt across his chest.

Nash stands close, gun steady, despite the blood running down his face. “Get the fuck off him.”

I stare down at Julian’s body, at those dead eyes that will never again look at Casey with that revolting hunger that made my insides boil.

“Good riddance,” I mutter, though the words catch as fire rips through my side. The blade wound—I can sense blood soaking my shirt, making it stick to my skin. Worth it, though. Worth every drop to know Casey’s safe.

Nash moves like a shadow through the aftermath, gun steady as he checks each of Julian’s men. They’re all down, groaning, some not moving, but he’s not taking chances. Smart. We didn’t get this far by being careless.

“Two of them won’t be getting up,” he confirms, voice cold. Then he’s at my side, staring at my wound. “You’re bleeding all over my crime scene.”

“Dramatic much?” When I try to straighten, the room tilts dangerously. “Okay, maybe a few stitches wouldn’t hurt.”

“No shit.” Nash gets under my arm, taking my weight. The movement sends fresh agony through my side, but I grit my teeth. I’ve had worse. Much worse.

We make our way toward the door, leaving behind the wreckage of furniture and bodies. “Call the cops,” I tell Nash as I take one last look at Julian’s corpse. “Let them see exactly whatkind of operation he was running here. Get this whole place shut down.”

“Already on it.” Nash adjusts his grip as we reach the hallway. “You good?”

I nod, though my vision’s starting to dance at the edges. All I can think about is Casey—her fierce spirit, the way she fits against me like she was made for us. “She’s safe now. Really safe.”

“Yeah, she is.” Nash’s voice softens. “And once we get you patched up, we can focus on making her all ours.”

A growl builds in my chest, but it’s one of satisfaction rather than threat. “She already is. She just doesn’t know it yet.”

We stumble toward the rear door.

The knife wound throbs, reminding me we’re not quite done, but for the first time since we found her, I can breathe easier. Julian will never hurt her again. And soon, very soon, we’ll show her exactly what it means to be cherished by three Alphas who would burn the world down to keep her safe.

Chapter

Twenty-Two

NASH

The garage door of our safe house where we told Axel to take Casey whispers shut behind us, sealing away the day. Logan slouches in the passenger seat, one hand pressed against the bandages beneath his shirt.

“Think any of Julian’s other associates will come sniffing around?”

“Let them try.” Logan groans. “Though I doubt it now that he’s gone.”

I drum my fingers on the steering wheel, remembering the satisfying crack of the gunshots and the way Julian’s body crumpled. “Been dying to put that bastard down.”

“Worth every fucking second.” Logan’s jaw tightens as he shifts. “Though next time, I’d prefer not to get stabbed.”

“Drama queen. It barely nicked you.”

“Tell that to my side,” Logan mutters as I kill the engine.

“Stop being dramatic.” I eye the dark stain spreading beneath his shirt. “Though those stitches probably need checking later on.”

“We could’ve been here thirty minutes ago if you hadn’t insisted on that detour.” He shifts in his seat, jaw clenching.

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