Page 20 of Into the Fire: After
I only had a moment or two left.
Decon and prelim.
Whatever that was sounded like I was about to be searched head to toe, inside and out. I had to hope that the doc would keep to his word and not hurt my alphas. I had to hope, too, that they wouldn’t be subjected to the same scrutiny as I would be, giventhey were an unexpected addition and not the main concern regardless.
I layered my hands over Lin’s. Meeting his gaze made my eyes burn with tears. Even more so as I pressed so gently against his finger on the tender bump behind my ear. “I love you,” I said in a broken whisper.
I pressed his finger harder and collapsed forward so my forehead kissed his. A sob broke through my lips, and I hoped the motherfuckers looking on chalked it up toraging omega post-heat hormones, and notextracting a foreign device from a still-raw incision on my scalp.
Lin’s breath hitched slightly as he felt the small square shape slip free from my hair. “You are my whole heart, Omega.”
“Wrap it up, Ms. Maddox,” came the nasally voice of Dr. Tightass.
I pulled away from Lin, trying to speak with my eyes what I couldn’t with my words. Instead, I whispered as softly as I could, “Brooks is alive.”
Utter relief made Lin’s face crumple, and Caine behind me grasped my arm. “Brea?” he asked.
I swallowed. “Don’t know.”
I don’t knowwas better thandead…but barely.
“Your time is up,” the doc said, and a rough grip pulled me from the van.
We stood between the open doors, my eyes dancing between my two alphas, taking in every bit of them I could before I couldn’t anymore. “Please, please don’t hurt them.”
“Well, that’s up to you now.” I shuddered at the cold indifference in his tone. Hilt grabbed my face again, tearing twin growls from the van before us. “You’re a clever girl, Ms. Maddox, so I’ll speak plainly. You misbehave, and I will bring your alphas to you.Piece. By piece.”
Ice surged through my veins.
“How many fingers and toes do they have between them? How many eyeballs? Tongues? Ears? Cocks?”
Terror and rage shook through me like an earthquake.
“Count them, and that’s how many chances you have to comply before we put what’s left of your alphas out of their misery, strap you down, and carry on our work. Do I make myself clear?”
My head bobbed in a frantic nod, terror and fury swimming through me in equal measure.
“And do you believe that I’m a man of my word?”
“Yes,” I said through a choked sob.
I wanted to tear his fucking fingers off.
“Good,” Doc said, dropping his hand from my face. “I hope for everyone’s sake that you’re a woman of your word, as well.” He relinquished me, only for the guard to grab my arm and frogmarch me away from the van. When the elevator doors closed, their scents disappeared, and I knew I was finally, truly on my own.
Eight
Brooks
Everybeatofmyheart landed like a pickaxe in my chest. The woods had long gone quiet after the distant slamming of car doors and retreating engines. I stood frozen, leaning against our SUV.
I wanted to be numb. Harden into stone. Or simply join the legion of the forest, and sway in the wind, and watch over the follies of anonymous wanderers. Distant and disconnected.
Of all the things I’d do for Taryn—which was just about any fucking thing—turned out saying goodbye was the hardest…by about a million miles.
I hadn’t seen them grab her. There was no way in hell I could've watched and not stopped them, which would’ve ruined her plan.
Damn, I wished I’d ruined her plan.
