Page 76 of Betrayed Alpha Bride

“Yeah, it wasn’t easy. Benny and Jace both bit it—they went after the kid.”

Dan lets out a low whistle. “Both dead?”

“Yep.”

“Oh, well. More money for us, then,”

Both of them laugh. Their humor sickens me.

“It’s a shame we didn’t get the kid,” Dan says, crouching down beside me and grabbing my hair to turn my face up. “But this is the one we were told to get, anyway.”

“So, do you want to just kill her now?” the other guy asks.

Fear like nothing I’ve ever known floods through me, ice-cold waves of terror that make me feel sick enough to pass out. As my breathing speeds up and burns my throat, I start shivering violently.

You can’t take me away from Nico!

Dan grins, showing his sharp teeth and glaring at me so hard, I can see the whites of his eyes. Along with the paralyzing terror, I feel a sick and horrible guilt.

I should have trusted my instincts and gone after him that day he ran into me in town. I should have told Galen to check them out and run them from the territory.

Dan yanks my head up further, exposing my throat and making me scream into the gag. Tears flow down my cheeks as all my emotions collide together, leaving me shivering in shock.

Galen, oh my God, Galen, I’m so sorry! I should have told you… I should have told you everything!

Now he’ll never know how much I love him!

“I know that’s what we’re supposed to do, Shawn,” Dan says, answering his friend’s question. “But here’s the thing. We got paid, right?”

“Half the money, yes. The other half comes when we can prove she’s dead—and that the alpha knows it, too.”

“Yeah. And now with Benny and Jace gone, the money looks quite a bit better, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah. But what are you suggesting?”

“I think we should keep the little lady,” Dan says, running his finger up and down my neck. He’s still holding on to my hair, forcing my head back, and the pain is getting so intense, black clouds are crowding into my vision.

“Keep her?” Shawn asks. “Why?”

“Well, this guy paid a nice chunk of change for us to get her, and promised more on proof of her death. But how much do you think the rich alpha would pay to get her back?”

What guy?

Random moments connect in my mind, bringing me to a sick conclusion.

Kit… it has to be Kit!

“Yeah, right, Dan!” Shawn scoffs. “He’ll just fucking kill us! We’re two men down now as well. This is too risky.”

“I think we can persuade him,” Dan says, looking into my eyes. His finger slides down my throat, across my chest, and down to the neckline of my dress. “Besides, she’s a lot cuter than I thought she’d be. Seems a shame to waste a cutie like this. I’d like to have a little fun with her before we make any hard decisions.”

“You’re out of your fucking mind, Dan!” Shawn snaps. “Let’s just waste the bitch, go to the meetup point, and have our cash wired over. This job was a quick in-and-out, and now two of us are dead, and the fucking alpha is on our tail—and he’s pissed!”

“It’s a real shame you couldn’t get the kid,” Dan says, letting me go and standing up. “We could have jammed him up properly, then. He’d pay anything to get his son back—or the crusty old matriarch would, at least. They’re loaded, Shawn. We could make twice the dough here. It would compensate for the loss of Benny and Jace.”

“That alpha is coming right now,” Shawn warns. “It won’t be that hard to track us, and he’ll have the whole pack with him. They’ll tear us to shreds.”

“My guy on the inside tells me that the whole pack won’t follow,” Dan argues. “Not to save a half-breed bitch, anyway. The alpha may be coming, but no one’s going to fight for her. I say we have a little fun with her, then hold her hostage until the alpha hands over some real cash. If I’ve got a knife to her throat when he gets here, he’ll tread carefully. I promise.”

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