Page 14 of Knot my Alphas

“Are you sure Iris isn’t somewhere inside the house?” Raiden asks in a desperate voice.

“The app shows she isn’t there,” I say, holding my phone up for him to see.

His expression darkens as he stares at the screen.

“Are you guys staying at Dad’s station?” Damon asks.

“Yeah,” I reply. “Don’t worry. We’ll come over right away. Just give us an hour and we’ll be—”

“No,” Damon interrupts me at once.

“What?”

“Don’t come here,” he says. “I don’t want us wasting any time. Iris is in Callahan’s hands right now. I have no idea how that happened but that bastard has her. We’re all aware of his intentions toward her. He won’t spare her when he’s got her all to himself. We need to get Iris away from him.”

Raiden nods in agreement. “Damon’s right,” he says. “We can figure out how he ended up inside our home later. Our priority should be Iris’s safety.”

I want to agree with them but I’m concerned about the situation at home. Our men died tonight. I can’t abandon the ones who’re left behind for selfish reasons.

Iris is my fated mate. She holds my heart in her hands. And yet, I’m unwilling to shirk my responsibilities when my soldiers need me.

“Why have you gone quiet?” Raiden shouts, banging a fist on the table.

“He’s worried about the situation here,” Damon replies in a grim tone, reading my mind perfectly.

I stare at my phone but in my mind’s eye, I can see my brother’s face.

“I’ll handle the situation here,” Damon says. “Medical personnel, as well as military authorities, will be gathering here like flies within the hour. If you come here, you won’t be able to leave. You have an excuse to be away tonight. Make use of that time to bring Iris back.”

“Are you sure you can manage everything on your own?” I ask.

“Trust me, Caleb. I’m in control of my emotions despite feeling the urge to rip someone’s head off. The staff sergeants are also here to help. We’ll handle everything here.”

“Have you guys noticed something odd?” Raiden asks in a suddenly low voice.

“What?”

“Callahan’s always there when the Black Widow shows up,” he says in the same low, analytical tone. “Think about it. He was the one managing the investigations regarding the hostage situation three years ago. Earlier this week, he was present at the mayor’s mansion when the attack happened. And tonight...he was at our home when the Widow struck us. There’s got to be a connection somewhere.”

“I’ve been thinking about it since the day you told me about his involvement with the Black Widow case from three years ago,” Damon says in a thoughtful tone. He exhales a heavy breath. “As I said, we can figure this shit out later. Right now, we’ve got to get Iris away from him. He’ll hurt her if we don’t do something.”

The mere mention of her being hurt sends a pang through me. It’s enough to clear away my dilemma.

“All right, then,” I say. “We’ll go get her.”

“Hell yeah!” Damon shouts.

Raiden gets to his feet and grabs his jacket. “Let’s go.”

“Get in touch with me the moment you have her,” Damon says. “If I don’t pick up, send me a fucking text.”

“Got you, brother,” I say and switch off the call.

The light buzz from the wine has worn off, leaving me feeling more focused than before.

“Let’s grab a chopper,” I say, meeting Raiden’s grim gaze. “It’ll be the quickest way to reach Fort Callahan.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” says Raiden. “I don’t trust that man. He’ll happily shoot us down after giving some bullshit excuse about breaching the security of his estate. We know what he’s capable of. He’ll manipulate any situation for his own gain.”

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