Page 143 of Knot my Alphas

Gazing at us, he picks up the call.

“Mom’s in the garden shed in the west wing courtyard,” Damon’s breathless voice sounds from the phone. “Go check on her right now.”

Caleb snatches the phone from Raiden’s hand. “Go,” he barks at Raiden, sending him running in the direction of the courtyard.

“What about Callahan?” Caleb asks as Raiden disappears down the hallway.

“The two women have him,” says Damon. “They were already waiting in a car right outside the gates. I had to give him up before they’d tell me where they’re hiding Mom. We’re so fucked if they lied to me.”

“Is anyone tailing them?”

“They warned me against it,” says Damon. “The bitch had a fucking remote on her.”

“Fuck!” Caleb shouts and starts running down the corridor.

We hurry after him and soon come upon an open doorway that leads into a walled courtyard. Bare trees dot the vast area. Dried flower beds cover most of the ground here.

Caleb hurries along a winding stone pathway and jogs around a bend.

Following after him, I spot Raiden in the distance. He’s kicking the doors to a small rundown cottage.

“That’s the shed!” Julian says, pointing at it and running past me.

I follow him and Caleb as the door falls off its hinges.

“Mom!” Raiden shouts in an anguished tone.

“Is she there?” Damon’s anxious voice sounds from the phone in Caleb’s hand.

“Yeah. Mom’s here...” Raiden’s voice filters through the doorway.

I enter the shed after Caleb and Julian, recognizing the dark, shadowy room that I’d seen in the video call.

I take in a deep breath as my gaze falls on Caroline. She’s still unconscious and tied to a chair.

“Be careful, Raiden,” Caleb says in a commanding tone. “It’s best to let the experts handle it.”

“But, Mom!” Raiden says in a pain-filled voice. “What if they detonate the bomb? Maybe they planned to have us all in here before blasting it off.”

I move closer, taking note of the wires that are wound around the packets of explosives. There’s something strange about them.

Kneeling before her, I gingerly reach out to check the wires.

“Don’t touch it, Iris!” Raiden shouts, grabbing my wrist painfully.

“Wait,” I say, enduring his bone-crushing hold. “I don’t think it’s a bomb.”

“What?”

“The wires are simply entangled with each other,” I say, gesturing at the haphazard jumble of black wires. “I’ve seen enough movies to know the wires should at least come in different colors. These are all black. And this clock? It looks too fancy.”

Raiden’s hold on my wrist loosens.

He crouches beside me and takes a closer look.

“You’re right...” He grabs at the wires and they all tumble into his hand. “The fuck...”

“They duped us,” Julian says, exhaling a heavy breath and leaning against the wall of the shed. “Of course, it’s not a real bomb. Our security had been way too tight for them to bring in any explosives.”

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