Page 99 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

I hung up, having barely heard a word she said. I was too focused on Cole’s face as he walked across the room and sat heavily on the sofa.

“How did it go?” I asked.

“Fine,” Cole grunted as he stared off into space, his face drawn and strained.

“You really are the worst liar,” I said, moving to sit across from him. “What’s wrong? You look like shit.”

Cole wouldn’t meet my eyes, just kept looking down at the floor. “It was bad.”

“What does that mean?” The skin along my back rose in gooseflesh.

“We gave Kyle the money, but he sprung some news on us we weren’t ready for.”

He was being maddeningly cryptic. “And that is?” I asked.

“Kyle manipulated my father towards the end. Got him to sign over all the pack finances and the deeds to the properties in town to Dallas. It wasn’t gambling debt. It was all a trick to get the town and the money. My father borrowed the hundred grand when he realized there was a problem. It’s all gone to shit, and now Kyle wants what’s his by rights.”

Cole bunched his fists on his knees, his knuckles so white, I thought the bones would protrude from his skin.

It was like I’d been slapped. What the hell was he talking about? Dallas had helped Kyle steal everything? Was that what he was saying? Could that even happen?

“Everything?” I said. “Are you sure?”

“He showed us the will, with Dad’s signature on it. Every fucking thing has been signed over to Dallas. Which basically means it’s been signed over to Kyle. My brother was forced into it.”

I stared at him, but he still wasn’t meeting my eyes. I had the feeling there was even more to the story that he wasn’t telling me.

“What else?”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s something else you aren’t telling me. Is it about how you’re going to get the pack out of this?”

“It’s nothing for you to worry about. I’ve got it handled. I’ll fix it.”

He was tense, rigid as a steel cable. He didn’t look the least bit like he had it handled. He was scaring me.

“Maybe,” he began, and his voice took on a strangely hopeful tone. “Uh, maybe you and Ash should get out of town for a bit? Until everything has been figured out.”

That trickle of fear turned into a full-blown raging river of terror.

“Cole, if you’ve got this figured out, then why are you telling me to take Ashton and run? That sounds like the exact opposite of being handled.”

As if a stick of dynamite had gone off within his chest, Cole snapped his eyes up at me and pounded a fist on his thigh.

“Can you just do what I ask, for fuck’s sake?” he shouted. “Can’t you trust me?”

I recoiled as if slapped. Ashton’s door burst open, and he came running down the hall, snarling and growling. Ashton moved between me and Cole, leveling a finger at his father.

“Don’t you raise your voice to her. I never want to hear you shout at her again. Got it?”

Now it was Cole’s turn to look like he’d been slapped. The anger and anxiety on his face melted away under the heated glare of his son. Now, he looked ashamed of himself and sorrowful. He stood and backed toward the door.

“I’m sorry.” He shook his head hard. “We need some space.” In a miserable and apologetic tone, he said, “I didn’t mean to lose my temper with you, Avery. I’m sorry.”

Ashton’s shoulders sagged as Cole backed closer to the door and opened it.

“Why are you being like this?” I asked.

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