Page 82 of Unclaimed Bonds
“Don’t you dare,” I threaten through clenched teeth. I swing my right arm, gripping Luke’s and twisting, releasing his hold on me. I stand and smash my left fist into his face.
I jump on the table and wrap my hands around Beta DuPont’s throat and squeeze. He grabs my wrist with both hands, digging into my flesh with his filthy nails, but I don’t flinch or release him. I squeeze harder. Kneeling, I lean in closer. I can smell the stench of his rotting breath.
“Listen, you miserable, fat, power-starving, Alpha wannabe. Listen well because I will only say this once. Seven years ago, when your territory suffered from a drought, reducing your crops and slowing your wine production, even though I was advised against it, I bought thirty percent of your business shares. I even convinced my brothers to invest in eight percent and my parents to invest another three. When you and your horrible son pissed everyone off within the LS territory with your assholery and unprofessionalism, I still bought and stocked your wine in my hotels, even when my restaurant manager and concierge threatened to quit if they had to deal with either of you one more time.
“Five years ago, when I discovered that your winery expanded outside of the LS territory, I imported your wines from Rome even when it cost me more money, just so everyone working under me could avoid interacting with you. I jumped in as a silent investor in your whiskey distillery. Ifronted thousands of dollars to your startup and recruited other investors and marketers. As if that isn’t enough, I buy and stock your whiskey in all of my hotels, restaurants, and clubs. My clubs exclusively use only your whiskeys and wines in our signature drinks. When your son pissed off my friend and business partner, Jacques Gattefosse, he wanted to burn your business to the ground. I convinced him to let it go. I have copies of all of my investments, purchase orders, and more, if you want to challenge me on this.”
Beta DuPont’s face turns a shade of purple. I ever so slightly loosen my grip to offer him enough air so he doesn’t pass out. He swallows, and when I see color return to his cheeks, I lean in and squeeze.
“I sent investigators to your territory to investigate all the attacks you claim were done by the rogues. Do you know what we found instead? There are no rogue attacks. Each attack occurred within your own territory. In fact, the incident with my guard happened when he caught them vandalizing your warehouses. Your pack tortured and nearly killed my guard, chaining and collared him to a wall in one of the storage closets for three days.” I clench my hand around his pudgy neck even harder.
“Jessica…” my father warns.
“The only thing you have on me is that I crossed your territory line to save my guard! When I find that coward son of yours, I will make sure he endures every form of torture he imparted on my guard.”
He squirms and digs his fingers into my wrists.
“You need to think carefully about how you want this to go. Unlike you, I have the power to be your salvation, or your destruction.” I squeeze his throat one last time before shoving him away from me.
Landing in his chair, he instantly grabs his throat, wheezing and gasping for air.
Large hands pull me off the table. “Enough, Little One. Let us take care of the rest,” my father whispers into my ear. “Guards!” he yells. The conference room door crashes open. Anders leads three guards and the twins.
Luke stands off to the side, wiping blood from his nose with the back of his shirt sleeve. He sends me a murderous glare.
Fuck him, traitorous ass.Glare at me all you want. You deserved that punch.
Despite all the commotion, Alpha Rhineheart remains seated, staring vacantly in the distance, not even displaying concern for his Beta.
Young Alpha Dimitri looks down at his father. “Aren’t you going to do something about this?” he asks. Alpha Rhineheart simply laughs.
Beta DuPont, still wheezing and coughing, croaks, “I want her arrested for murdering an innocent child to fake her own death, murdering two of our pack members, threatening my son’s life, and threatening my own.”
Luke, still dabbing at his nose, turns toward Beta DuPont and nods. “I agree. An arrest should be made today.” Beta DuPont’s eyes brighten. I twist out of my father’s arms.
Young Alpha Dimitri stands from his seated position. “You can’t arrest her. I can testify that everything he said is a lie!”
“She murdered two of our pack members!” Beta DuPont wheezes.
“Enough!” My father’s booming voice echoes within the room.
Luke commands, “Guards, arrest this man for the abuse of a minor living in his household and arrest these two for conspiring in the attempted murder of a minor living in the protection of their pack.”
I freeze in shocked silence. Wasn’t he on their side mere minutes ago?
Luke leans forward, his hulking form hovering over both the Alpha and the Beta. “I know that you lied about everything! You want to test me and ask me how?” His lips curl in a snarl.
“She set it all up! She mutilated herself, slicing her arms, stabbing herself in the leg, and cutting off her eyelashes and her hair. Please, you can’t believe her lies!”
Luke punches the Beta. Jeremy catches the Beta before he falls to the floor. Luke replies, “You wouldn’t have known any of that unless you were involved. She didn’t run to the falls because I found her hanging from a tree just over our territory boundary.”
The Beta stammers, “She—she—she planned it. I’m sure of it!”
Luke clasps the Beta by his shirt. “She was dead when I found her. She wasn’t just mutilated—she was beaten until her face was unrecognizable, her back torn to shreds by wolves! I had to cut a hole in her throat so she could breathe, to perform CPR. When her heart started to beat again, we still weren’t sure she would survive because she nearly bled dry! I carried her barely living body to the clinic. I stood there and watched a team of medical professionals work on her lifeless body, doing everything they could to bring her back to life! Through all of that, her survival was not guaranteed because her little body was so malnourished and unable to heal on its own. I sat next to her bedside while tubes, wires, and machines kept her alive. For two weeks, she laid in a coma, and I prayed for a miracle to bring her back to life, healthy and fully functioning. Do you want to know the best part? When she finally woke up, she had no memory of who she was, of who attacked her, or of her life before she came into ours.”
The Beta’s face pales, and his eyes widen.
“You set yourself up with all your lies! As much as I want to kill you right now, I want the motherfucker who put his hands on her!” He punches the Beta again. This time, Jeremy steps aside, letting him slam into the wall.
