Page 14 of The Alpha's Chosen Outcast

“I won’t kill her before your dress is done.”

“Trey!”

I put my hands up in submission. “Okay, okay, I won’t kill her.”

I look over at Heather and realize she’s glancing back and forth between us with wide eyes. She must think we’re psychopaths, just casually discussing the possibility of her murder.

I sit down in one of the chairs and reach toward her. She flinches. I can’t really blame her.

“You heard me, Heather. I’m not going to kill you.”Yet.

“You know my name?”

“Yes. I recognized your scent at first, but as the Alpha’s heir apparent, I also know all the names of the exiles, as well as all other lawbreakers.”

“Oh.” She pulls her knees up and puts her arms around them.

“I promise you, if you stay here and keep out of sight, you’ll be allowed to live. I mean it. Not even a stroll down the street.”

It’s a lie, but if it works to keep Heather and Violet calm, so be it. I do not want to deal with hysterical women again. That is my worst nightmare. This is a close second.

Heather isn’t hysterical, but I can smell the terror coming off her. We need to make this better, or she’s never going to be comfortable designing Violet’s dress.

“Heather, what do I have to do to help you feel safe here?”

She takes a deep breath in, holds it, then lets it out. I stay silent while she gets her bearings.

“Okay, I can stay here and not let anyone else know where I am,” she repeats my rules. “But my boss knows I’m here and the shop owner.”

“I can handle them.”

“What do you mean by that, Trey?” Violet interjects.

“Calm down. It means I’m going to pay them off. Money speaks volumes.”

“Okay,” she sits down too.

Heather speaks again, her voice still small.

“What about the dress reveal? My boss is dead set on putting my name on the design. She wants me to get credit for what I do.”

“That’s fair,” Violet says.

“No,” I turn to Violet. “She can’t be named as the designer. That would show people she was here and that I knew about it the whole time. We can’t take that risk.”

“It’s okay.” Heather murmurs. “I don’t need my name on the design, but someone needs to convince Jessie of that.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” I tell them.

“And after the wedding?” Violet needs more reassurance.

“She can go back to wherever she’s been hiding and become invisible again.”

“Really?” Heather asks.

“Yes. You haven’t been discovered yet, and I’m guessing you know how to disappear again, even if it means starting over. Am I right?”

“You are.” She nodded, dejected.

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