Page 78 of Alpha's Redemption

I pray it will kill me. I can’t handle her screams, her cries, or what I’ve seen. I want to tear my eyes from my head to unsee the horrible things they did to her, the horrible things I was forced to watch, and the vile things she’s enduring.

Only, death doesn’t come.

Carter swiftly walks over, turning my head enough that I don’t aspirate on my own vomit.

“There, that's better. Can you see? Don’t want you to miss the show,” he taunts, wiping my wet eyes before he grabs my hair and drags me through my vomit so I have a better view of the new man raping my friend. Anger burns through me and I roar, my fury forcing words out.

“I hope Marcus rips you to shreds, you fucking pig!” I scream and Carter laughs and drops me on the floor. The back of my head smashes the pavement just before I see his foot come toward my face and everything goes black.

Time is lost to me when I come to. I have feeling in my limbs, yet my mind feels stunted. Warmth presses against my back and a body shakes, which makes me turn my head to find Zoe huddled beside me, her knees clutched to her chest—the dead look in her gaze is agonizing. Sluggishly, I pull myself up to a sitting position and lean against the wall she’s leaning against. I press closer to her, trying to warm her naked form; she looks like she’s been bathed in blood.

“Zoe?” I murmur, but she just stares vacantly ahead. I turn my head to find Carter on the phone.

“I’ll hand the little one back; send the rogue to get her. But Ava stays until you stand down and hand the city back over to Valen. And don’t forget my money,” he snarls into the phone before hanging it up.

“What’s going on?” one of the men asks, glancing over at us.

“Grab her. Her friend is going to do the exchange at the bridge.”

“And if she doesn’t bring the money with her?”

“Then we toss her over, but Everly won’t risk her sister. You, watch Ava,” he says to the ash-blonde one.

“Grab the bitch. She’s coming with us.”

“What about Valen?” the dark-haired man says.

“Not an issue. He knows if he follows the woman, I kill Ava. He wants her back? He stands down as Alpha and relinquishes his pack to me,” Carter says and I gasp.

“And John?” the man asks.

“He wants to swap places with his daughter. We’ll let him sweat it for a bit, maybe send him some pictures. But I think our only chance is keeping her. John will die for his girls, and Valen knows that. We aren’t doing the swap. Besides, I want John to live with the knowledge he’s the reason his family is dead.”

“Well, obviously. But what next?”

“Once Valen stands down, the city is ours. Then I’ll get revenge on Alpha John when I kill his daughters and grandson,” Carter says, confusing me.

“And her?” he motions toward me.

“We kill her. But first, we’ll play with her,” he cackles loudly while walking out. The dark-haired man moves toward us and reaches for Zoe, who spits on him. He backhands her and I launch forward only to be kicked in the face by the other man as she’s dragged out kicking and screaming by her hair.

ChapterThirty-Three

Valen

We find Marcus when we locate the car down a ravine by the reserve. He’s furious, and I can't get a coherent thought out of him—whatever he’s feeling through the bond is making him want blood. He’s more crazed than any forsaken I’ve come across; it takes 12 of my men with me to take him down. We have to sedate him, which only causes fear to twist in my stomach.

Zoe's car is on its roof—tire tracks in the mud tell us they were run off the road—but there’s no sign of the girls. We have the entire city out looking for them. None of us can locate them via the mind-link. Slasher pack is also out searching further away. John is beside himself and Everly is a frantic mess. In a matter of minutes, our worlds were once again turned upside down. I had sent men out looking for Carter and he was located quickly. He gave the council the all-clear to search his pack but they found nothing. Everly is convinced Nixon has come back and taken them, but makes no sense.

They’ve been missing for two days when the first ransom call comes in.

A growl tears out of me when I hear Everly answer the call and Carter's voice is on the other end.

“Now that I have your attention, and you have been unable to locate them, you will meet my demands,” Carter states.

Everly stares at the phone, checking the number—it’s definitely Carter's. She puts him on the loudspeaker and my brows furrow. The bastard even helped us search his pack territory! Is this some sick game to him?

“Carter?” I ask.

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