Page 96 of Knot All That Glitters: Part 2

“We’ll make sure she has the best doctors looking after her, baby girl. The best physical therapists. We’ll take care of her.”

I don’t doubt they will, but doctors can only do so much. “This is my fault,” I whisper, and his face goes hard, but the hands he uses to cup my face are soft.

“No. No. This is not your fault, Haven. This is Frederick Bell’s fault and no one else’s. You hear me?”

“I hear you,” I repeat, but it doesn’t mean I believe it. This is undoubtedly my fault. I need to be the one to fix it. I at least need to be a part of fixing it. Which I can’t do if I’m sitting here on the edge of my bed, letting Creed coddle me.

I push to my feet. My alpha stays kneeling. His hands grip my hips and he nuzzles his head into my stomach for a moment before standing as well. When I try to go around him, he doesn’t let me, big hands sliding onto my shoulders to keep me in front of him. “I need you to do something for me, okay, baby girl?”

My chin tips back so I can take in his features. “What?”

“I need you to let us handle this.” I frown, denial already on my tongue, but he keeps talking. “He wants you to react, to go after him, to give yourself up to save her. But baby girl, you have to know he won’t just let her go. Right?”

After a moment, I nod. Because he’s right. My father assaulted Ren. Kidnapped her, tied her up and shattered her knee. He can’t just let her go after that. Ren will go to the police. He can bark at her not to, but if she doesn’t, then Moira will, or I will.

Hell, we should do that right now.

We have the video, that’s proof enough, even if his face isn’t on the screen. Ren called him by his name.Senator Bell.It’s enough to convict him of assault of an omega. But the time it would take for the police to mobilize might be time we don’t have, time Ren doesn’t have.

“If I have to go to save her-”

“No.”

“To stall for time,” I continue, like he hadn’t protested. “Then I should do that, Creed. He won’t hurt her anymore if I’m there.”

“You don’t know that, Haven. He might hurt hermoreonce he has you. Once he doesn’t need her.”

I hesitate. “Maybe I can talk him into letting her go.”

“That won’t work.”

Hadn’t I just agreed that it won’t? Hadn’t I just agreed that he won’t just let her go because she could bring him down?

“I can’t just sit here and do nothing, not while she’s being tortured.”

“She wouldn’t want you to put yourself in danger for her, Haven. You know that.” He’s getting frustrated with me, I can feel it, but he’s still so fucking careful, keeping his tone low and his hands gentle where they’re resting on my shoulders. “We can’t let you do that. You’re our omega. Our fated mate, baby girl. We’ll do what we need to in order to keep you safe.”

Creed gives me a pleading look. “Don’t make me bark at you to stay put, baby girl, please. Don’t make a liar out of me. Don’t make me break my promise to you.”

“But Florence,” I start and he cups my cheeks, thumbs wiping away my tears.

“I know, Haven. I know. We’ll get her. I promise we’ll get her, but you can’t do what he says. You can’t go in there alone. Okay? You can’t put yourself at risk like that.”

I want to argue. I do. But I know if I do, Creed will follow through on his threat. I don’t want to do that to him, or to me. Neither of us will come out intact on the other side.

I nod into his palms. “I won’t make you break your promise to me.”

He presses a kiss to my forehead with a sigh. “Thank you.”

I nod again, not meeting his eyes. “I’m going to check with the others, see what they’ve planned.”

He drops another kiss on the crown of my head. “I’ll finish getting dressed and be down in a minute.”

Stomach twisting, I leave him, making my way downstairs and to Hale’s office. The three other alphas in my pack huddle around his desk, talking in low voices, but they all look up when I enter. Jude’s on me in a second, his arms wrapped tight around me, my head tucked under his chin as he rocks us back and forth. “You’re okay.” It’s not a question, but I answer like it is one anyway, nodding against his chest.

“I’m okay.”

He blows out a breath and walks me over to the desk, keeping his arms banded around me. “Good, bellybutton. I’m glad.”

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