Page 76 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

He ignored that. “I have my reasons for putting some heat on you and all your little friends. Good reasons. Call it a favor for Dallas if you want. Making up for the past, maybe.”

“Well, you can stop any time you want. You’ve made your point. If you keep pushing, then Cole is going to push back. Got it?”

Kyle’s voice dropped to a threatening growl. “Avery, you should be careful who you place your bets on. I don’t think you understand who I am and what I’m capable of. If Ireallywanted to take over Harbor Mills, no one could stop me. When push comes to shove, I know who’d come out on top. I’d make damn sure no one got out of that fight whole. You can tell Cole I said so, too.”

The line went dead, and I stared at my phone, breathing heavily.

Ashton was looking at me, his jaw muscles twitching. “Was he saying he might try to hurt Cole?”

“I’m not sure. He was trying to talk big, but regardless, we have to tell Cole. He’ll want to know.”

I dialed Cole, not sure what his reaction would be, but positive that it would be anything but good.

18

COLE

As I pulled up the long driveway to the alpha house and saw what awaited, I groaned.

“Well, shit,” I hissed.

A dozen cars sat parked around the house and on the grass in my yard. People milled about in front of the closed garage door, waiting for me to arrive. Every one of them was a pack member. Some I recognized on sight, others by having seen them in passing or having known them when I was a kid. Business owners and those members of the pack who needed financial assistance. There could only be one reason for them all to be here.

Before I even got out of the truck, they fired questions at me.

“Is the pack not paying for electricity anymore?”

“I got a shut-off notice yesterday, Cole.”

“I can’t afford to pay these utilities, it’s not in my budget. The pack accounts have always handled this.”

“Are we getting left out in the cold?”

I held my hands out for calm. “Can everyone please hang on a second?”

Because the Garrett family had always owned the water company—all the way back to when indoor plumbing had finally become standard in the 1920s—I’d decided to put a hold on all pack members’ bills until the finances were handled, but that was only a drop in the bucket compared to the electric, internet, and mortgage bills due. This was the panic I’d anticipated. I’d hoped we’d have a few more weeks before it got too bad. Clearly, that estimation had been way off.

At the back, I spotted the pack elders. Some of them were business owners, but the fact that they were all here meant this was serious.

I raised my voice to be heard. “Let’s talk.”

After some grumbles and adjustments, the people grouped themselves into a semi-circle around my porch like it was a stage. It did make it easier for me to see and hear everyone.

“I know you’re all wondering why your bills aren’t getting paid,” I began.

“Damn right, Cole,” a man at the back hollered. “Your daddy always had the utilities paid up on time. The mortgages, too. All he asked was us paying him a small amount of rent each month. What’s going on? Are you trying to cut that deal out?”

“No. I assure you, I am not. This came as a surprise to me, too, when I returned home. To be totally honest with you…” I took a deep breath. This was the part that was going to suck. “The pack is out of money.”

The silence that greeted that pronouncement was deafening. Many eyes stared back at me in abject disbelief and shock.

One of the elders raised his hand.

“Chuck?” I said. “You got something to say?”

He nodded. “Is this something Lance caused? Before he died, I mean?”

A grumble ran through the crowd. Not angry. More like a bunch of people had come to the same realization.

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