Page 47 of Knot Forever

“One fucking dollar, you absolutebastard.” Adam rounds on him, spittle flying from his mouth as his eyes bulge. “Where the fuck is my money, King?”

Marcus frowns. “I’m sure I don’t know. All I asked was for you to read out the total.”

He stands, steady hands adjusting his tie as though he hasn’t just blown the Williams pack apart, starting with their bank account. “Consider your favor fulfilled. And as it happens, we have an income requirement for attendance here - that it seems you no longer meet.”

At his nod, the two security guards grab Adam and Julian. The crowd parts, muttering furiously, and I catch several phones flashing as the two are pulled away. Adam twists, turning to stare over his shoulder. Our eyes meet.

“You,” he seethes. “You will pay for this, you littlewhore.”

In a second, Seth and Asher shift so I’m behind them, staring at their backs.

“Did you just threaten our mate, Williams?” Asher’s voice sinks into my bones like silk, so low and dark that it takes a second for his words to filter through. My heart thumps.

Our mate.

Clean, fresh cotton fills my nose, and I step back into Marcus as Seth and Asher stalk forward.

“I actually think we’d like to handle this removal ourselves, Martin.” Seth’s voice is perfectly even. Too even.

“Can’t have people think we’re going soft,” Asher murmurs. “Occasionally we do like to get to… get involved in the operational side of things.”

“Get your fucking hands off me,” Julian snarls. There’s a cracking sound, and Julian screams.

“Oh, dear,” Seth says mildly. “Looks like you’ve twisted your ankle there, Williams. Such a shame.”

“This is illegal,” Adam shouts. “Help!”

I glance around, but everyone around us is either melting away, or chatting with their backs to the scene in front of them. There are no phones in sight now.

Arms wrap around me, the firm grip undoubtedly Marcus, and I lean into him with a sigh as he presses his face to my hair.

“They’ll never touch you again, Nova,” he promises me as Seth and Asher drag them away. “They have no money. Soon they’ll have no connections, not once the video begins to circulate. They will lose everything. And it’s not enough to make up for what they did to you, but it’s a start.”

My eyes close, and I turn in his arms until I’m pressed against him. “Marcus.”

These men. Every single one of my defenses have blown down like dominos around them.

“They hurt you,” he says firmly. His eyes scan my face anxiously. “This is something I could do to make it better. Does it help?”

I press my face into him, breathing in the comfort of his scent. “You… thank you, Marcus. What you’ve done… it’s made me feel safe.”

And safe is something I haven’t truly felt for a long time. Not since the first time Julian dragged me to that fucking bench and strapped me down, leaving me hungry and scared in a house full of unfamiliar alphas.

Marcus clears his throat. “Good. Can I take you home now? I think I’ve had enough, and Seth and Asher will know where we’ve gone.”

I pull back, taking in the lines of strain around his eyes. “Of course we can. Let’s go.”

Marcus holds out his hand, and I turn my back on Adam and Julian. He leads me to the elevator, down the walkway and through the door we entered earlier on in the evening.

As we sit together in the back of the car, my eyes start to close. Marcus’s scent surrounds me and it’s pure comfort as I wriggle into him. His arm wraps around me, and I sigh.

“Marcus?” I murmur. “Can I stay with you?”

I’m already asleep by the time he answers.

Chapter twenty – Nova

Ittakesawhilefor me to wake up fully. Shuffling, I try to move, and a low growl rolls out across the room, making me freeze as I glance over my shoulder.

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