Page 15 of Claimed By Two Alphas

Just my goddamn luck. The lights weren’t that easy to access. I felt bolts and metal in my way, making it impossible to reach the taillights.

Now what? I couldn’t escape, and I couldn’t signal anyone. I was John’s prisoner until we got to where we were going, and then, who knew what would happen from there?

I wasn’t sure how long I was in the trunk, ten minutes or forty. Time played a trick on my mind as I lay there wondering where I was going.

Then the car stopped. I held my breath as I listened to the sound of frogs making that weird sound they made. There was another noise, but I couldn’t make out what it was.

The trunk opened, and John glanced down at me. There was no remorse in his eyes, no apology that he’d done this. “Get out.”

“Fuck you. I’m gonna stay right where I am.” I shoved backward when he reached for me. His beefy paws were clawing air before he finally got ahold of my arm. He yanked me so hard I hit my head on the side of the trunk. Pain burst through my skull, but John didn’t care. He pulled until I was lying on the ground.

“Get up.”

“What’s going on?” I demanded as I pushed to my feet. “We just had a conversation back at Bailey’s. You seemed fine.” I could read your thoughts. “Why are you doing this?”

He snatched me up by my arm again and led me to a dock. From what I could tell, we were in the middle of nowhere. I heard an alligator snap its jaws. More frogs croaked, and I was getting attacked by an army of mosquitoes. It was as if I was made of sugar or something. Thank god I’d worn jeans to work and not shorts, or they’d have more flesh to feast on.

Across the river stood a small cabin with Jamboree Airboat Service on a sign directly over the door. I’d never been to John’s company, but no wonder his business was suffering. Who would want to pay for an airboat ride when this place looked so hard to find? I didn’t even see a road past the cabin, just a ton of trees and underbrush that was growing wildly and untamed.

John shoved me into the little rowboat tethered to one side of the dock. There was a second boat tethered on the other side. That one looked in better shape, but I wasn’t going to point that out. I didn’t want to be here to begin with.

Soon we were gliding across alligator-infested waters toward the cabin. He knew I wasn’t going to jump out and try to swim away, not if I valued my life and didn’t want to end up in the belly of a few alligators.

The boat bumped up against the dock situated by the cabin. As soon as he’d tied the boat, he grabbed me and hauled me out.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked again. “What do you plan on doing to me?”

I eyeballed the dark water and saw outlines that could belong to alligators. They were watching me, waiting to see if John would toss me in. One was even bold enough to come right up to the dock and snap its powerful jaws, like it was taunting me.

The screen door creaked loudly in the quiet night as John opened the door. He shoved me inside and then followed.

“Sit.”

“Fuck you.” I looked around. From what I saw—the interior wasn’t brightly lit—there was a counter on the left of the single room, a display rack of post cards and brochures, and trinkets people could buy. There were hard plastic chairs lining the middle wall and, to my right, close to the door, was a couch. A sad, lumpy, hemorrhaging couch the color of melting orange Popsicles.

Maybe the melting part was stains, but I didn’t want to get close enough to confirm.

The one thing I hadn’t noticed was an airboat outside. Had John sold it to make ends meet? Did I care anymore about this sad sack of an excuse? Before he’d taken me, I’d been gung-ho to throw a fundraiser for him. Now? Well, let’s just say my thoughts weren’t pleasant.

“Sit.” John shoved me down onto the couch. I scooted to the edge, wanting as little of me as possible touching the stained fabric.

“Fine, be an asshole, but at least tell me why you kidnapped me,” I demanded.

He scratched at his protruding belly hidden behind the overalls. “Say one more word and I don’t care what kind of deal I made. I’ll toss you into the swamp.”

I pressed my lips together, fuming. First chance I had to run I was hauling ass. John wouldn’t be able to catch me if I took his only boat. I had to be fast enough because I wasn’t strong enough to take him down. He was at least six to eight inches taller than me, and I was five-eight. He also had about one hundred pounds or more on me because my scrawny ass only weighed 120 pounds. He was just one of those tall, burly men that looked like giants. I felt like a calf sizing up a bull.

Or a teacup pig sizing up a big, fat, potbelly brethren. That seemed like a better comparison since John reminded me of a potbelly.

He strode behind the counter and started looking for something. He kept shuffling papers around and turning in a circle, checking things behind him, too.

I eased off the couch and took a step toward the door.

“All it takes is for me to shove you good and hard and you’ll go flying into the swamp.” He pinned his gaze on me. “Wanna find out who’s faster?”

I sat back down and prayed Delvin and Joshua found me. If they didn’t, I just might take my chances with those gators.

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