Page 105 of Red River

"Sam!"

"Yes, Sam!" I throw out triumphantly.

We both burst out laughing.

Oh yeah, I was probably being a jerk now, but there was a deep satisfaction in knowing how powerful this news was—how it would ripple through our family.

All of Sam’s doubts and anger suddenly seemed misplaced. Maybe it was petty, but I just grinned. In a way, I had my villain-redemption arc. Fate was pulling the strings here.

But just as I went to pressCall, a message notification popped up.

I frowned. "It’s from Oliver."

Archer leaned over to glance at the screen.

"Please, come back quickly."

We exchanged looks. Then, in unison, we sat up. Archer grabbed my hand, steadying it when he noticed the faint tremor in my fingers.

"Easy," he murmured. "Whatever it is, we’ll handle it."

I nodded, swallowing hard. "I know. I trust you one hundred percent."

He only nodded back.

Within three minutes, we were packed and back on the pontoon.

I tucked my phone away, staring at the shoreline ahead, but it looked empty. My heart was pounding, though I made an effort to stop myself from over-worrying.

The second I stepped onto the sand, I saw Oliver rushing toward us from the house.

And the look on his face told me—whatever this was, it was big.

"Hurry up," he breathed out. "Some guys showed up a while ago—they want to talk to you."

I stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Who are they?" Archer asked before I could choke out a word.

Oliver hesitated. "I think they’re… safety enforcers."

My stomach dropped. I felt the blood drain from my face, and I wobbled slightly.

Then I glanced at Archer. He furrowed his brows slightly before turning and heading straight for the house without a word. I ran after him, my gut twisting.

Was there ever going to be an end to our problems?

Inside the living room, Van and Igor sat on the couch. Igor looked pale and tense. Across from them were two men—one alpha, one omega, both middle-aged and dressed likegovernment agents in sharp suits, their expressions official and unreadable.

The moment we walked in, they stood up. The omega stepped forward, his nostrils flaring. Archer and I probably reeked of sex.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Wilson. We’re with the Department of Family Affairs. Oleg Tana and Edgar Dunn," he said, gesturing toward his partner. "We’re here following a report from the school counselor in Darton regarding some concerning incidents—"

Before we could even react, Igor shot to his feet. "I already told you what happened with those ‘concerning’ incidents!" he snapped. "Everything I said to the principal was just to get his sympathy so he wouldn’t suspend me!"

He moved closer to them, standing defiantly with his hands on his hips.

The omega agent frowned. "We understand. But we still need to take a closer look at your home environment. You told the counselor that your bedroom door was removed and that you were being forced into a strict training regimen, waking up at dawn…"

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