Page 81 of Unbonded
And then I hear it. A soulful tenor that rises over the whimpers and haggling. In just a few chords, he’s turned the dancefloor classic into something deeper, more compelling. A threat, but without the happy disco vibes of the original.
Gonna burn this goddamn house right down.
The other alphas are glaring at him, some muttering to shut the fuck up so they can hear the bidding. But the songman – Declan – just tucks his hands behind his head and belts out the next verse.If you think you're getting away, I will prove you wrong.
Someone kicks at his chair, but in the next beat he moves smoothly from lyrics to a sharp, piercing whistle, and all hell breaks loose.
I dig my heels in and roll away from the ring of alphas who are shouting and pulling their guns. There’s a chattering sound that makes my teeth ache, and I realize it’s boots on the metal stairs. A moment later, men in tactical vests pour into the room like a black tsunami. Someone gets a shot off, but Declan’s still whistling, and most of the buyers are standing frozen in shock. The newcomers swarm over them, punching and snarling, and a loose gun skids my way. I scoot forward so fast my muscles scream, but I hiss in victory as I snatch it up with my cuffed hands. I've never fired a gun in my life, but that doesn’t mean I won't give it my best damn shot!
“Get the fuck out of my way.” The biggest alpha, his voice distorted with rage, breaks away from the incoming wave. Even the frozen alphas are falling back from the nightmare in their midst, his dominance shoving them aside like they’re holes in the air. I’m too low to see his face, but I can smell him, and my entire body clenches in need. “Bram!”
He turns, his eyes narrowed, but even through the dark slits I can see the glow of eyeshine.
Bram is the nightmare.
But not mine.
I drop the gun and hold my hands up, beseeching. When he catches sight of me, he growls and seems to swell to the limits of his tactical vest. Not relieved, butfurious, his gaze tracking from my cuffed wrists to my tear-streaked face. When his glowing eyes travel down my soaked gown, I can’t stop my body from twisting, another wave of heat slicing through me. I cry out his name again, and this time he comes, shoving an alpha so hard he slams into a metal shelf.
I squirm up, flopping onto my ass, and he drops to his knees between my shaking thighs. He gives another low growl and his thumb presses against the raw pad of my bottom lip. “Bitten.”
It’s like he’s dredged the word from the bottom of his soul.
“By me. To hold the pain in.” His teeth clench and I shake my head, trying to grab his vest with my cuffed hands. “I don’t care. Just kiss me. Please, Bram!”
I’m begging – the first time since King dragged me out of the coffee shop – and he doesn’t make me wait. His clenched fists soften, sliding around my back, and his mouth descends on mine. Not in some violent display of passion, but the way you’d kiss the life back into something you thought you’d lost.
Another hand touches my cheek, and I look up into Corbus’ beautiful face. He’s dressed like a dark angel, and there’s a simmering emotion in his eyes that I’ve never seen before. “E bent mijn liefje, je bent mijn hart, Kate.”
I don’t know what he’s saying, but I soak up his scent as I collapse against him, my tears soaking into his collar. I can feel all the pain and fear bubbling up inside me, but I pull back, now worried for another reason. “Corbus! I had to give your ring away. Is it safe?”
He cups my face, his lips brushing mine. “Yes, my love, but I don’t care about that now. All we want is to take you home.”
Home.
I don’t think of the building, as beautiful as it is, but of the people who’ll be waiting there.
“Yes! Please.” Now I’ve started begging, I can’t stop, and the tears come down harder when I see Lachlan's face. His sunshine smile is so shattered, the dam breaks wide open on my barely-there bravado, and I feel like my heart is about to burst. “Lachlan…”
“Oh, sweetheart. Katie. Thank fuck you’re okay.” He stares down at my bound hands, and a horrible grating sound comes from his chest. “Where the hell are the keys?” I squirm, trying to get my arms around him, and he cups my face, storm clouds in his eyes. “Did they touch you, Katie?”
“They tried. I stabbed that one and puked on another.” It’s only then, I realize I’ve been kissing them with this mouth, although Bram doesn’t seem to be waiting for an apology. Instead, he’s back on his feet, heading in the direction of the alpha with the bloody cuff. But King is in his path, and when he catches sight of Bram, he tries his best to claw his way out of reach. But the alphas are an unmoving wall caging him in. Half are still frozen, while the others are either down or nursing bloody wounds. Corbus and Lachlan tighten their hold on me as Bram grabs King by the neck and drags him back in our direction. “Fuck! Let me go! I didn’t even touch her, I swear!”
“You stuck a gun in my side and then forced your tongue down my throat,” I spit, glaring up into his face. “You dragged me into this nightmare, just so you could keep me after they auctioned me off. How did you put it? You hoped I wasn’t going to take too long to heal, so you could have me for yourself.”
A growl reverberates in Bram’s chest, but Lachlan is on his feet, every line of his body humming with violence. “You blackmail her, kidnap her, and thenassaulther?” He punches King so hard in the gut, the other man falls to his knees. “You don’t even deserve tolookat her, you piece of trash!”
King coughs and gags, but before he can get his feet under him, Bram drags him over to the nearest window and rips away the black plastic. With a thump of his fist, he sends the glass plane crashing into the alley below and shoves a cowering King up against the ledge. Night air swirls around the shattered glass, the hint of stars peeking through the rain clouds. Bram steps back, but when the other man stares fearfully over his shoulder, Bram just nods at the window.“Jump, asshole.”
The command crackles across my skin like an electric charge. My hair stands on end, and it’s not even directed my way. King stares out into the darkness for a single heartbeat, then clambers over the ledge. His clothes catch on the broken glass, but it doesn’t stop him from throwing himself out of the third-floor window.
I shudder in Corbus’ arms, but Bram is already turning and looking for his next target. Most of the alphas are still recovering from the force of his command, but Brennan has pulled a knife and is backpedaling towards the door. “Come one step closer,” he shrieks, “and I’ll gut you like a pig!”
Bram is on him in half a dozen strides, knocking his wild swing aside and punching him in the throat with a crushing blow. Brennan gives a gurgling scream, but Bram grabs him by the hair and wrenches his head back, exposing his bobbing throat. “You were going to sell my mate. For yourcut, right?”
“It’syourfault,” Brennan wheezes, his hand clawing at Bram. “You stuck your fecking nose in my business…”
“Take that blade and cut your throat.”
