Page 108 of In Knots

“This isn’t a negotiation, daughter. It’s an order. We are going right now. I can drag you away naked if you want, or you can put some damn clothes on. Look at you,” he spits. Then pulls me towards the edge of the bed. I try to cling to the mattress, to the sheets, but he’s stronger than me and it’s no use. Soon, I’m tumbling onto the floor in a heap, landing with a bang. Scoffing, he turns and walks to the doorway. From there he calls out to the other men I can see lurking behind him. “Find my daughter some fucking clothes!” And the men start hurrying about.

“I’m not leaving,” I say. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here.” My father remains with his back to me and doesn’t say a word. “Where are my alphas?”

“Those scumbags are not your alphas.”

“They are and I’m not leaving them. Where are they? What have you done to them?”

“Nothing,” he says, coolly, “yet. But that will change if you don’t do as I say.”

A cold chill runs down my spine. What does he mean by that?

“How did you find me?”

“When you have a lot of money, Alexa, anything is possible.”

Wrapping the sheet around my body, I stumble to my feet. Steadying myself, I bundle through the door, streaking straight past my father before he realises what’s happening, and into the living room. Several of his men turn to watch as I run across the room and through the open door.

“Alexa! Come back here right now!” my father commands. “What are you doing, you fools? Grab her!” I don’t wait to see if the men are following his orders. I scamper down the stairs, nearly tripping on the sheet as it catches around my legs. I grab the bannister and keep going, screaming the alphas’ names as I do

I can hear muffled cries in return and grunts. As I stumble into the dark workshop, I spy them pinned against the walls by at least a dozen men, all dressed in suits like the others. One stands in front of them all and when he turns to look at me, I can see he has a gun in his hand, I skid to a halt and freeze.

He isn’t the only one, I can see guns clutched in other hands too.

“Alexa,” Cam warns softly. His lip is a bloody mess and so is his eyebrow. The others look no better. I sob, one hand rising to cover my mouth, my body pulled towards them despite the gun pointed at my head.

There are more footsteps on the stairs behind me and then I’m grabbed.

Buzz growls and Bear struggles against the arms that hold him, a fist coming up to connect with his jaw.

“Take your hands off her,” Ryan snarls, trying to reach me.

My father walks into the space between me and the pack. He glares at me and then turns to stare at the four men. Above him a lightbulb swings, its pale light illuminating him and him only.

“Let me be clear. If you ever come within a mile of my daughter again, if you try to contact her, I will end your lives.”

“No Daddy,” I screech. He can’t be serious. My father is a well-respected member of the community, upstanding, law-abiding. He is not the kind of man who hires thugs and makes threats.

Is he?

“It’s her life,” Cam says calmly. “You have to let her make her own decisions.”

“I don’t have to let her do anything. She is my daughter. Mine not yours. Let’s be truthful here, you haven’t even claimed the dirty bitch. You clearly aren’t serious about her. And I’m taking her home.”

“We’re very serious about her,” Cam says, his eyes locked on mine. “She’s our omega and this is her pack. You can’t take her from us.”

My father laughs. “You’re in no position to do anything about it.”

Bear struggles against the three men holding him down and again they hit him, this time with the butt of a gun across his cheek. I gasp, tears streaming down my cheeks.

“Stop!” I beg. “Just let them go! Let me go!”

I shake my arms, trying to loosen the grip of those holding me, but my father jerks his head and I’m led towards the door.

“No,” I scream, digging my heels into the floor. “No, I’m not going.”

“Alexa!” Ryan shouts. “Alexa!”

It’s hopeless. I’m dragged along easily as if I’m nothing more than a ragdoll. I squirm in their hands, turning my head, trying to find my alphas through the gloom. They’re all struggling now, trying to break free, trying to reach me. But there’s nothing I can do, nothing they can do, and before I know it, I’m being bundled into the back seat of a car, the door slammed behind me. Immediately, I scramble up, yanking on the door handle. It’s locked. I drum my fists against the window as the car pulls away, screaming their names.

I see the defeated faces of my alphas staring back at me through the car window. Then something stabs my arm and the world dies away.

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