Page 13 of The Alpha's Forced Bullied Mate

My last vivid thought before sleep was how in the world Hector could get the jump on me in my own home. The Beaufort-Bravecrest ranch wasn’t the type of place to get invaded. Battles didn’t often come to our doorstep, particularly with how the security team ran things around here.

Yet, regardless of Fred’s frequent instruction and Kylie’s security text reminders, I had forgotten all about my nightly perimeter sweep, and now I was paying the price for it.

I gritted my teeth.If Turner hadn’t been playing that album so loud—

But that was unfair to Turner. It was just as much my house as it was his. We shared the space together, and when I knocked on his door, I should have told him to turn the volume down instead of encouraging it. That was just what I got for being neighborly.

I should have locked my door. I should have double-checked that I locked the back door. Stupid, stupid, stupid…

Ugh, it didn’t matter in the end. I was trying to lift my head, to balance my body on the bumpy ride I was taking through a shadowy world. Nothing felt too unusual, but I got the feeling that I was moving fast and steadily through the night, heading to an unknown location. My nostrils twitched as I tried to identify my surroundings. No amount of blinking seemed to clear my vision.

I twisted my body to shift my position—and then teetered over the edge of something. With a gasp, I fell, smashing my face into a rough-textured carpet that smelled like old chips and cigarette ash.Gross, I hope I didn’t just inhale something nasty.I tried to put my hands beneath me, but they were bound behind my back.

“Stop moving around back there.” The leather of the seat squeaked. “Goddangit, hang on, Cherry Pie.”

My heart raced as our speed slowed, tires rumbling like a broken tailpipe attempting to work properly, and then white noise as the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. I heard thethunkof a gear shift moving into park, the snap of a seatbelt, and theclickof a door handle.

And then the white noise was louder.

Cool air poured into the cab of the vehicle as I tried to steady my breathing.

Goddess, oh sweet Goddess, I’m not built for a kidnapping.

The thought alone made my heart rate skyrocket, and I struggled to breathe through my panic. Thunder clapped overhead, sending a shock of panic through my system as I tried to wiggle around, to turn myself over like an injured turtle attempting to get off the highway.

One long, sustained horn blared past me, and that was when I realized Iwason the highway. On the side of the highway, more specifically, in the back of Hector’s car who had immobilized me.

Who haddruggedme.

Beside me, the rear door popped open, allowing more air to flow into the car. Though it was a soothing breeze that eased the sweat off my forehead, it didn’t stop me from trying to twist away with frustration. The smell of burnt autumn leaves with a hint of rain tinted the air, a scent so distinct and masculine that it prompted my pause.

But not for long. “No.”

“Yes—you’re a mess. Now stop squirming like a worm before you hurt yourself.”

“You didn’t. Tell me you didn’t. Youass.”

Strong hands grasped my shoulders, sending another shock through me. This one wasn’t panic, though I wished for it to be. I wished for my senses to simply confuse one adrenaline for another. Because that would be so easy, right? That would make me feel better, considering the way I acted when Hector had pinned me face-down to the ground.

Please, don’t tell me I’ve spent a whole day in a car without a shower or a shake.

That flighty feeling I got in the pit of my stomach whenever I fell from a high place consumed my gut as Hector planted me upright on the seat. His scent was strong now, soaked with a musky sweat that told me he was running high on adrenaline himself—and there was something else there I could smell that was sharper than usual, a tangy citrus that made me want to lean forward and offer my mouth to him.

I panted through the strange urges, willing them to go away as I squeezed my thighs together. That did nothing to get rid of the quickening sensation in my slit, so I tightened my entire body as he strapped a belt over my lap. His hands wandered my thighs for a split second before tightening the belt, causing me to quake as my heartrate soared.

He touched my chin. With a gesture like that in any other context, I might have slapped him. Scratch that—hellyeah, I would have slapped him. Open palm, fingers splayed, wrist loose with a fierce follow-through of my shoulder swinging into the motion. I could have popped him in the forehead with my head. It sure was sturdy enough to do that.

Yet, at the same time, I couldn’t stop myself from shuddering under his oddly expressed care. His thumb swept my lower lip, danced at the corner of my mouth, and then dropped to hold my chin firmly. “Stop it.”

“Youstop it.”

He laughed. “Can’t. We’re halfway there.”

“Turn around and take me home right now.”

“I can’t do that, Cherry Pie. We’re on the run now.” He glanced over his shoulder. “We need to move fast.”

I swallowed hard. “From what?”

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