Page 40 of Alpha Geek

She felt like the earth was shaking under her feet as the connection cut away like scissors severing a taut wire. She felt it in her body, sending her backward in Nick’s chair and crashing against the wall.

Scarlet flew into the room the moment Amelia fell back.

“What happened?” she called out.

Amelia had thankfully landed on her behind and had narrowly missed smacking her head against the wall. She shook from the sudden loss of connection but stood promptly. She was a woman on a mission.

“It’s Craig,” she said sternly. “Tripp’s brother. I just know it.”

TWENTY-TWO

TRIPP

The lies that Tripp had told Amelia lingered in his mouth. Sticky and uncomfortable. Even if she knew the truth now. He only hoped she listened to him and stayed away. He couldn’t lose her too.

He had to do something about the situation. Craig knew she was a shifter. How he knew, Tripp could not even fathom. The leak would not have come from Nick’s company. So who had told Craig?

Craig had intelligence on Tripp and those closest to him. Information that should be impossible to get. How the hell had he gotten the information? Who was the leak? Whoever it was, they were the reason Craig had kidnapped his mother.

Tripp thought grimly to himself, whoever they were, they’d better start praying.

The alpha wolf inside him growled in agreement. Tripp moved restlessly in his seat.

After he had spoken with Amelia via their psychic link, Tripp tried reasoning with Craig’s lackey. Just then, Tripp’s phone buzzed, and he was shaken out of his reverie. He wasn’t sure why Craig’s goons had not taken his phone away yet.

Looking at the screen, he saw that it was Nick. A wave of relief washed over him. It was quickly followed by fear.

Was Nick calling because something had happened to Amelia?

“Hey,” he answered his phone. He looked around the room he was in. It was cold and damp. “Is Amelia okay?”

Amelia was the only reason that Nick would be calling.

“How are you, Tripp?” Nick’s voice was filled with concern. And he hadn’t answered Tripp’s question.

Tripp’s hand tightened around the phone. He only relaxed his grip when he heard the plastic crack.

He exhaled heavily; he was still getting used to his shifter strength.

“I am fine, Nick,” he said through gritted teeth. He didn’t need to tell Nick where he was. “Is Amelia okay?”

“She is okay. But you’ve fallen off my map. I can’t track you anymore. Where are you?” Nick’s voice was soothing. He was trying to keep Tripp calm.

He ended the phone call then. Maybe Nick would be able to trace the call. Maybe that was why he had called. He couldn’t afford them to come in guns blazing. That would effectively put his mother and Amelia’s lives in danger.

The room was cold, and it was bizarre that he was even noticing. He hadn’t gotten cold since Amelia gave him the serum.

He had to think. He had to devise a plan. He was stronger now that he was a wolf shifter.

He had always been smart. And he had inherited his father’s negotiation skills.

Maybe if Craig deigned to speak to him, he could talk to him. Negotiate.

And get his mother back safely.

But he had to do it alone. Even involving Nick would put a target on Amelia’s back. It would also put Gloria in mortal danger.

And those were not risks he was willing to take.

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