Page 100 of In Control

If I can make him see reason …

“I don’t love you,” I repeat, hoping the message will sink in.

He swallows down his anger, adjusting the tight tie at his neck. “And who are you in love with?” he says with false sweetness. “That pack? Are you selling yourself to them like a whore?”

I stand, the chair behind me tumbling to the floor. “I’m not a whore.”

“But you will be if you give yourself over to a pack like a cheap slab of meat for them to tear apart. I won’t allow that, Sophia.”

“You don’t get a say!” I shout, despite my efforts to keep my emotions in check.

He jolts at my raised voice and his face turns angry.

“I’m afraid if you can’t behave in a civilised manner, I will have to return you to your room without any dinner. When you have regained your manners, we can speak again.”

“No,” I say, swiping for the knife. He stalks around the table and I lunge at him, slashing through air with the knife. He darts away, side stepping my attack. I try again, and again. And every time he dodges me with ease until at last he grabs my wrist and squeezes until I scream, dropping the knife.

“Let me go,” I plead. “Please, Justin, this is ridiculous. Let me go.”

“No, Sophia, you’re mine. You aren’t going anywhere.”

He pulls me along so violently my arm tugs in its socket and I have no choice but to follow along behind him.

23

Roman

The four ofus scour Sophia’s apartment, turning it upside down, hunting for clues – anything that will point to the psychopath who’s grabbed her. We can’t be certain that’s what happened here, but as soon as Gabriel said those words we all knew it to be true.

We find nothing. Nothing at all.

“We should call the police,” Liam says.

“Fucking police will have us lined up for the crime quicker than you can say panda car,” Gabe mutters.

“We should still call. We don’t know what the fuck we’re doing here and he could …” Liam swallows, his Adam’s apple sliding up and down his throat and the muscles in his jaw twitching.

“Youcan call the police,” Esra marches towards the door. “I’m not hanging around here waiting for them to show up.”

“Where are you going?” I call.

“To the college. I’m going to track down all her friends and her supervisor, anyone she’s ever spoken to. Find out if anyone knows anything.”

“She has a best friend, right?” Gabe asks, swinging his gaze between Liam and me. “Renee? Or Rhian?”

“Rosie,” I say, “an old college friend who’s with a pack.”

“I know who she is,” Liam says. “One of the pack is a junior doctor. I’ll track the pack down, find out if their omega knows anything.” He heads for the door too.

“I guess I’m heading for the police station then.”

“Wait!” Gabe shouts and we all freeze. “Let’s keep each other updated here, OK? If we find anything out, or even if we don’t, we check in.”

“You’re right.” I stroke my hand down his back, feeling how tense he is. Knowing we all feel the same.

I can’t believe we let this happen again. That we didn’t force her to tell us who it was, that we didn’t hunt them down and fucking pound them into the ground.

I need to know she’s OK. I need to hold her in my arms and know she’s safe. If anything happens to her …

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