Page 75 of Psycho Alphas: Part Two
Ace’s grin was broad as he gave me a fake smile, and then exited out of the room.
There was a ringing silence in his wake. “Do youbelievehim?” I asked after far too long.
Rogue gave a so-so motion with his head. “Dunno, but what’s the harm in finding out? You got a better idea?”
I already had people trying to find Bella’s location, but even once she was dead, it didn’t save us from Carrion.
“Are you okay with him screwing with her like that?” I was surprised. I expected Rogue to be more angry than I was. “You want to just let him fuck with her like?—”
“She’s not afraid of him.”
“So what?”
“So.” He shrugged. “You give him more power if you decide you’re going to be on her behalf.”
“I’m notafraid.I just want to put a bullet in his skull.”
“But you can’t, and he knows that.”
“You were the one beating on him?—”
“And what happened when I did?” Rogue demanded.
My mind cycled back to Thistle darting between them looking nervous and helping him up. Rogue, it seemed, hadn’t missed that.
I rubbed my chin, anger still bubbling up. “Yousawwhat he was doing—you think I should’ve played along?”
“I think we should manage himifhe becomes a problem. If you let him negotiate over possibilities, he gets more than he deserves.”
“So you want to let him?—”
“Show her affection?” Rogue asked. “Far as I can tell, she was happy.”
“But he’ll only do it if he gets what he wants?”
Rogue rolled his eyes. “He’sbondedto her. He might hate it, but he needs her to survive if he wants to—and hedoes. We go with him to the mansion, he sees it as a win, shegetsa win—and we can let him play his cards for us to see.”
I stared at him, something bitter curling my lips, but Rogue shrugged.
“Until the moment she’s upset, I don’t give a fuck what he does. Let him scramble.”
What?
Had that looked like scrambling to him? “What if he playsher?—?”
“Sheheatbondedhim. Alphas like him don’t like losing—he’s grappling with that. Let him—and let her find her footing. Youknow what I want to see?” Rogue asked. “I want to see him on his knees before her. That’s it. But if you can’t get your shit together, you’ll hand him the power to take that from her, too?—”
“I won’t?—”
“Thenlet her lead.”
TWENTY
ACE
I knew I would find her waiting for me. The faintest trace of a thunderstorm filled my lungs as I turned the knob on the door to my room.
Sure enough, there she was, and it was a sight I wasn’t prepared for.
