Page 97 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

“I’m sure you’ve done some investigating,” Kyle said. “You’ve seen the missing money, right?”

“Yeah.” My tongue was heavy and dry in my mouth.

Kyle nodded. “It didn’t vanish. Sure, your dear old daddidhave a gambling problem, but it wasn’t so bad as that. No, the money didn’t go toward that. It went to something else.” He scratched idly at his chin. “You see, I guess your old man held out hopeyou’d come home with your tail between your legs at some point. The old fucker went years thinking you would, yet you didn’t.” Kyle shook his head and gave me his best imitation of a sad frown. “When he finally came to terms with that, he came looking for poor Dallas here. I guess his guilt got the better of him, and he wanted to make amends of sorts. He needed an heir, and Dallas was his best bet.”

“I’m sorry, Cole!” Dallas cried miserably. He was on his knees in the gravel, on the verge of tears. “He made me do it. I swear.”

“Made you do what, Dallas?” I asked.

“I’m still talking!” Kyle snarled.

The man had kept his calm and professional demeanor whenever we interacted. Even when he could have been angry, he was jovial and tranquil. In an instant, that mask slipped away, showing the beast underneath. Trent tensed even more, ready for anything.

Kyle smoothed his suit and visibly brought himself back under control.

“As I was saying, your father—the wino, the drunk, the gambling philanderer—came looking for Dallas. It was easy to give the old man what he wanted. He was already drinking his mind away, and with Dallas with him, it was simple to feed him even more liquor. Dallas here, at my order, cozied up to the old man. Got him to sign some papers.”

“Holy fuck,” I whispered, seeing where this was going.

“You see, the old man did sign over the pack’s money to me, but the main thing he signed away was the pack itself. The pack and the town. Since your family is the alpha family, you ownthe deeds to many of the businesses and homes within the city limits. For all intents and purposes, you own the whole town. Which now belongs to me, thanks to that drunkard that fathered you.”

Trent and I growled in unison, snarling out our rage and shock. This couldn’t be happening. There was no way.

“The old man did come to his senses a little toward the end. He never realized we’d played him. He thought he was signing the pack over to Dallas.” Kyle gestured toward my brother, who was now openly sobbing on the ground. “One day, at my instruction, Dallas vanished, leaving the old man to think his bastard son ran off with everything. With no money to run the pack, he came begging to me again. This time, instead of asking for his son, he asked for a loan. We made it look like it was for his gambling debts in case anyone came snooping.”

Kyle chuckled and hefted the money bag. “The old fucker never knew. This?” He shook the bag. “It was his money all along. I loaned the asshole his pack’s own money. Dumb prick.”

The chuckle, the way he seemed to relish the way he’d played my father… it sent me into a frenzy. My wolf was begging to come out, to rip this fucker’s throat out, and I was real close to letting it have its way. On a snarl, my canines extended.

“Say the word, Cole,” Trent muttered. “I put one between his eyes and blow those brains he thinks are so smart out the back of his head.”

Kyle’s smile vanished, and he eyed Trent. “Was that a threat? Because I can do threats, too.”

He snapped his fingers again, and a man emerged from the sedan, pressing the barrel of a gun to Dallas’s head.

“What’s the play, Garrett?” Kyle asked. “Do I have my associate spray the ground with your baby brother’s brains? Is that what we’re doing here?”

Trent and I looked over at Dallas. My brother was no longer sobbing. Now, he was staring at the gun in frozen horror. I had no doubt that Kyle would command his man to kill him.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Kyle said, regaining his calm, cocky composure. “Your father did ensure that Dallas took over as the next pack alpha. The paperwork is ironclad. You and your hard-case friend here will leave Harbor Mills. Once Dallas is fully recognized as alpha, he will sign it over to me and I will take control.

“If you doubt I’m telling the truth, I have proof,” Kyle added. “Jadaveon? Can you bring the will?”

A massive mountain of a man stepped out of the car. He didn’t even bother hiding his gun. He held it in his left hand, and in his right was a thick stack of papers folded in half.

He strode over and slapped the papers into my hand. With furtive and desperate fingers, I unfolded it and read, hoping beyond hope that Kyle was lying. The pages weren’t original, but copies. He’d been smart enough to keep the real will hidden somewhere.

My heart sank. He was telling the truth. My father had willed the pack to Dallas in the event of his death and also officially recognized him as his son. Kyle was going to take over Harbor Mills.

“Dallas,” I said. “I don’t know how, but I’m going to get you out of this. I promise.”

“You know,” Kyle mused, running his hand along his chin. “I have another demand. When you leave, you leave that pretty little lady of yours. Avery. I think she’ll like things better here when I take control.”

Her name coming from his mouth sent me into a blind rage. A threatening growl erupted from my throat, and I took a heavy step toward Kyle. The other man’s composure slipped for a moment, and I enjoyed the brief look of terror on his face as he took a quick step back. His two men turned their guns on me, aiming the barrels at my chest.

“Cole, stand down,” Trent warned. “We’re outgunned here.”

I clenched my fists so hard, the bones in my hands ached. I pictured myself ripping and tearing him apart, but I held my ground. I couldn’t help Dallas if I had a dozen bullet holes in my chest.

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