Page 69 of The Knotty Princes Club

Kinsey

War

Iscream,cryingandsmacking my hands against the windshield. Jarvis glowers, continuing to shoot until he runs out of ammo. I’ve never felt such pain before in my heart. I feel as if I’m about to die. This can’t be happening. This can’t be fucking happening.

“Kinsey, we have to get in the back. The windshield will eventually give out. He won’t be able to get through to the cargo.” Arsenio tries to move me, but I swat him away, my cries ringing in my ears as I lose control.

And then I see it.

Movement.

Wilder pushes on his elbows, aiming his gun at Jarvis, and he shoots him in the back. Jarvis spins around in surprise, not falling to the ground. He scrambles, looking for coverage, but the nearest tree is a couple of dozen feet away. And he hasn’t reloaded.

Reaching into his jacket, he tries to grab another weapon. Arsenio flings the car door open, and he and Wilder pull their triggers at the same time, shooting Jarvis with perfect accuracy. I squeeze my eyes shut, watching as the alpha collapses, his head unprotected and vulnerable.

Holy shit. They did it. They still managed to take him out, even though things didn’t go as planned. I suck in a couple of deep breaths, sliding across the seat until I drop to the ground. Wilder hops up and runs to me, not letting me get far. I jump into his arms, wrapping my legs around him and hugging him so tightly that he grunts.

“You fucking scared me. You really fucking scared me. I thought you were dead.” Tears blur my eyes as I relive the moment over again.

He kisses my temple, shifting my face until he can kiss my tear-stained cheeks, working his way down to my mouth. He brushes his lips to my trembling ones, breathing heavily, his emotions playing on mine.

“I’m so sorry you had to see that, Kinsey. I needed to surprise him. He hit my bulletproof vest.” Wilder eases away, showing me the metal fragments buried into his protective gear. “He was too much of a cocky bastard to double-check to make sure he actually got me. He wanted to go after you. Hurt you. That’s the worst way to destroy an alpha.”

“I still want to spank you. I don’t think my heart’s going to ever slow down. I feel sick.” I inhale a slow breath, shuddering with the nerves.

A soft cry steals my attention, and I peer over Wilder’s shoulder at the omega entertainer that Jarvis dragged out here. Arsenio keeps his hands in the air, shuffling closer to her. She’s probably wound up from Jarvis’s pheromones and the fear he instilled in her.

“You’re safe. I’m from Gilded Sands. Take a deep breath. I’m not going to touch you. I’m just trying to get a look at you to make sure you weren’t injured.” His voice remains even, and he pulls out his cell phone, calling his brothers.

The omega cowers against the tree.

“Desmond, I need you. Jarvis is dead. Alert the soldiers. We’ll make the formal announcement on the way home.” Arsenio shifts and looks at me. “Kinsey, will you help me? It looks like she’s bleeding.”

Wilder tightens his hold on me for a second, his deep-seated nature not wanting to let me go. I stroke my fingers over his jaw, kissing him one more time, and then I loosen my legs until I land softly on my feet.

My legs wobble with each of my steps, my whirlwind of emotions leaving me weak. Exhaustion threatens to send me to the ground. It’s as if everything just hits me at once.

“Oh, no.” The soft voice murmurs to the air. “Let me help you.” I don’t even get to take another step before two cool hands grab mine. I turn my attention to the omega standing before me. I don’t remember seeing her move. I think everything is just too much. It’s taking a toll and I’m crashing.

“I’m supposed to help you.” I blink my eyes, my whole body going out of whack.

She laughs softly, squeezing my hands. “Was this your first heat? You shouldn’t be out here. You need days to rest.”

“No, it’s just been a while.” I waver on my feet again, turning toward Arsenio. “If it’s okay, we’d like to take you back to our territory. We’ve taken all of Madame Tamsin’s omegas. You will be safe.”

“Will you help me get home to my pack in Pacific Crest? I was kidnapped by an enemy of my alphas. I just want to go home. It’s why Madame Tamsin deemed me a Knotty Girl. So, I wasn’t allowed to be seen in the club.” The omega crinkles her nose at the thought. “I just hope they haven’t claimed another.”

If their bond was built on more than just breeding and the trading of power, there’s no way those alphas would just meet with another. Even if it wasn’t something serious, it would still be unlikely.

“We just need your pack name. We’ll call it in immediately.” Wilder speaks up for the first time since the omega got within my space. Both he and Arsenio keep their distance.

“Lavender Hills,” the omega says, her face softening as if she daydreams about home. “My name is Cecilia.”

I give her hands a little shake. “We’ll get you home, Cecelia. We promise.”

She finally releases me, taking a step back to put space between us. Wilder fills the spot she left behind, lifting me back into his arms so I can hug him with my whole body. Arsenio motions to Cecilia to follow him to the armored vehicle. She gets in back, staying in the far corner, ensuring that she doesn’t intrude on our space. It only takes thirty minutes for Enzo and Desmond to appear with a dozen men.

“Everything is in order. We’re going to guard the perimeters, ensuring no one leaves. We’ve captured as many of their soldiers as we could as long as they surrendered. News will spread fast. They had expected a war. Jarvis was trying to draft every pack to join him, but there was resistance.” Desmond stands next to Arsenio, showing him some images that he doesn’t let me see.

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