Page 52 of Bonded By Christmas
It’s a good thing that I can sense his emotions in the bond. It helps me understand how serious he was about not moving, and I gasp as he slows the vehicle, tosses a knife over my back and out the open window, and immediately moves to shift gears as he speeds away.
Holy fucking shit.
What the hell have I gotten myself into with these guys?
On the plus side, my body seems to settle down with the heat symptoms right about the time I go into shock for the second time in two days.
On the downside, we arenotheading toward Wilder’s house. I don’t realize it until Callum pulls into an area I’ve never been before. It’s close to the water and has a rundown vibe that doesn’t match the security guarding the gate we pull up to. Cal rolls down the window, and one of the men waves him through.We weave through unfamiliar warehouses, and he pulls into a small covered-parking area. It has a covered walkway that leads to one of the buildings.
He shuts the car off and turns to me.
“I wanted to go home to nest,” I say, and I have no idea whythoseare the words that come out of my mouth. I mean, they’re true, but also, there are clearly more important things going on and better questions I could have asked. “What happened outside the store?”
“I’m sure you would be more comfortable at home, snuggled up in your nest. I promise I’ll get you there as quickly as I can.” Callum twists to face me as much as he can in the compact seat. “I need you to think back to those men last night. Did they have any patches or insignias on any of their clothing? Maybe a ring? Did any of them mention a club name or affiliation?”
“Why are you asking me this?” I ask as my mind races a mile a minute. “No. I don’t remember anything that stands out.”
“It’s okay,” he says soothingly. “We have their wallets. Nothing they were wearing stood out to me either, but it’s always best to ask everyone involved so you don’t miss something obvious.”
“The only things they said to me were about what they were going to do to me.”
“Fuck, Lace.” Callum pulls my hair out of the way and runs his thumb just under his new bondmark. It’s sore and a little tender, but the warmth of his skin offsets the minor discomfort. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
“Grim was.” I wrap my hand around his wrist, giving him a reassuring squeeze. The black hoops in his lower lip flex as his jaw tightens, and I ache to find a way to help him relax. It’s an omega’s purpose in life, after all. We’re meant to comfort and soothe alphas. “I’m not sorry they’re dead. They deserved it. I’m actually grateful they won’t have the chance to do that to someother unsuspecting woman. I don’t believe that was a onetime thing.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” he agrees, brushing his thumb over my jaw. “If they were still alive, I’d make them wish they weren’t. They got off easy. I’d have made it hurt.”
I tilt my head as I try to determine exactly what he means. Is he saying he would have tortured them? Because, if so, I kinda agree that’s the least they deserved.
“Anyway, come on, I need to get you inside,” he says.
“What are we doing here?”
“Wilder is going to keep an eye on you while Grim and I do some hunting,” he says so nonchalantly that it makes it hard to understand how I ended up here. “That blacked-out SUV gave me bad vibes, and Ialwaystrust my gut.”
“And you think it might have something to do with the men last night?”
He shrugs. “Can’t rule it out. At least, not until we do a little investigating. I popped their tire, so they’re stuck there until they can swap it out or get a new vehicle brought in.”
My chest gets tight.
Holy shit.
Charlotte and Lucky!
I’m not sure how I didn’t immediately think to check on them, but she wasn’t at the clinic when I packed up my locker.
I guess I thought the problem was handled last night, so there was no point in worrying her by telling her the few details that I could without incriminating Grim.
“I don’t know how long Grim was watching me, so I’m not sure if he even knows this part, but the entire reason those guys were after me is because I ran into them earlier in the night. Well, I didn’t. My friend’s son did…” I go on to explain the details of how Lucky spilled his cocoa when he ran into the guy whoseemed to be in charge. “If they have friends who want revenge, Charlotte and Lucky could be in danger.”
“Everything in me says that even if you ended up on their radar because of the kid, the reason they focused on you has to do with you being an unbonded omega.” His lips tip up. “Or you were yesterday.”
Jesus.
Thinking about how quickly everything has changed is enough to fry my brain, but then again…
“Charlotte is too. She works at the pheromone clinic. Please, Callum. I need to make sure they’re okay.”
