by Sara Dailey
Letting out a heavy sigh, Luke got out of bed and reached out his hand to help me up as well. “Well, I guess we better get you ready, then.” Once he’d gotten me to my feet and my crutches under my arms, he whispered, “Promise you won’t leave my side.”
After I reassured Luke that everything would be fine, I told Gavin to give us five minutes and then plastered a smile on my face that I hoped hid the anxiety building inside me. I was about to face all the people that I’d set out to deceive. But I needed to do this. That I knew, but it didn’t make me any less freaked out about the whole thing.
*****
We arrived at the house just as Cade, Alli, Teagan, and Alli’s parents showed up. A sickening feeling crept through me that I couldn’t explain. It was eerily quiet as we all acknowledged each other, but only with a few head nods and small smiles. Nobody spoke as we all followed Cade up the driveway to the front door.
Once inside, the house appeared to be empty. The lights were off, and Noel was nowhere in sight. Cade flipped on a few lights and looked around. “My mom’s probably in the bedroom with Dad. It’s early so maybe they’re still asleep. You all hang out here. I’ll be right back.”
Cade headed through the living room toward a hallway that must have led to the master bedroom, and after Luke told my brother to keep an eye on me, he hurried to catch up with Cade. Maybe he sensed something was off too.
Seconds later, there was some commotion coming from the direction they had headed, which was quickly followed by muffled voices, and then a thunderous wail erupted from the bedroom. Without a word, we all rushed down the hall.
Gavin helped me hobble hastily behind them, but before we made it, someone else let out an ear-piercing shriek. Gasps and sobs and stifled words came from the bodies filling the doorway that were blocking my view. Slowly they filed into the room. Gavin walked ahead of me, and before I could see what was going on, I heard Cade calling out to his father, repeating, No, no, no.
My brother moved to my side so that I could get into the room. I couldn’t make sense of what I was seeing at first, but when realization struck, my eyes widened in shock as I let out an anguished cry of my own. Gavin put his arm around me as I watched in horror as Luke attempted to pull Cade off of his father’s dead body.
CHAPTER 59
Drew
My face still throbbed from the beating I took from that assface meathead last night. But that’s okay because one day soon, he will be the one begging me for mercy. Mercy that would never in a million years come. Killing his stupid bitch was just the beginning of the pain I’d planned on unleashing on him once I got out of here!
The morons they had guarding me refused to acknowledge me. As much as I tried to get them riled up, it was useless. They refused to utter a single word in my presence. I thought for a moment that Aiden would give in and start cussing me out or something, but nope. They just sat there and stared at me like I might suddenly acquire super human powers and burst through the iron bars.
I looked over at Gage, who was picking at the toe of his boot. “Hey man, aren’t you bored as hell? It’s driving me insane. Got any cards? I could totally handle a game of Texas Hold’em right now.” Gage didn’t look up. He just continued picking away at his damn boot. “Fine, no poker. How about Go Fish? Solitaire?” No response.
Oh my God. I’m going to die of boredom. Brian better be trying to figure out how the hell to get me out of here.
I heard the doors open upstairs and I thought, finally someone different to look at! But my excitement was short lived, and I instinctively backed up to the far wall of my cell as the entire pack began to file into the room. From the look of them, something serious had gone down. What the hell did Brian do?
The girls had red, teary eyes, while the guys marched in looking like they were out for blood. My blood. Their reaction couldn’t possibly be over Scarlett. They didn’t even know her that well.
I made every effort to appear unfazed, but no one spoke and that alone took my anxiety to a whole new level. They all just stared at me. Finally a woman walked over to Aiden and Gage and pulled them aside to whisper something to them. I tried to pick up what was being said, but I couldn’t hear clearly. I did, however, pick up on their body language. As the woman spoke, Aiden’s back straightened and his hands closed into clenched fists. When he looked back over at me, he had nothing but rage his eyes. This is so not good!
My heart attempted to leap out of my chest when Luke and Scarlett walked in the room hand in hand and stopped right in front of my cell. I swallowed down my disbelief and tried to recover quickly. I threw my hands in the air and declared, “Ahh! She lives!”
I watched as Luke pulled her tightly to his side. I couldn’t believe that he would forgive her. It was pathetic really. There was no way in hell I’d ever forgive something like that. Unless…
The epiphany it hit me like a ton of bricks. Scarlett did look sickly the last time I saw her, and even though Luke managed to pummel me with ease, he too looked like death-warmed-over and wasn’t nearly as strong as he was when he took on Aiden and Cade at that New Year’s Eve party. Holy shit! They were mated!
I laughed my ass off right there, locked in a cage surrounded by an angry mob that surely wanted to see me dead. But it was just so damn funny that I couldn’t help it. This whole situation was hilarious. Or maybe I really was starting to lose my mind.
I finally got a hold of myself and wandered up to the front of the cell. Looking Scarlett square in the eyes, I sneered, “Damn girl! We told you to screw him, not mate with the son of a bitch! You really can’t do anything right, can you?”
Luke actually growled at me, and Scarlett had to take his arm and pull him away when he tried to reach for me through the bars. I was about to make a smart-assed comment about Scarlett already wearing the pants in the relationship when Cade came busting in the room. I’d never thought he looked all that tough, but the look on his face was nothing short of murderous rage. He stalked over to Aiden and yanked the key to my cell from his hand. Within seconds, my cell was open and a very angry Cade was in my face.
I tried to consider my options here. Yes, I was a decent fighter. If I was 100 percent, I could probably take Cade, but I had just been beaten within an inch of my life, and Cade wasn’t my only problem. The entire pack was watching my every move. There was no way I was getting out of here alive.
“Sit,” Cade ordered, pulling me by my hair and shoving me down into the chair in my cell.
Cade circled me, obviously trying to calm himself down a bit. “I’m only going to ask you this one time. Where is my mother?”
His mother? Oh! I couldn’t have hidden the grin on my face if I had tried. I figured the damage was done, so I went ahead and gave in to my laughter.
“You think it’s funny?” Cade shouted. “You sick bastard! My father is dead, and my mother is missing and you think it’s funny?”
They actually went through with it. Brian and Noel killed Marcus Walker. Good! “Oh yeah, it’s hilarious. And I’m laughing because you’re about to learn that your mother is a fucking whore!” I said.
“Ugghhh.” My head was whipped back by the force of Cade’s hand. He actually backhanded me like I was his damn bitch. I stood up and spit blood at his feet. “You hit like girl!”
Cade pulled his arm back, and I prepared myself for the punch he was about to throw, but his phone began to ring. He looked torn. I could see how badly he wanted to hit me, but at the same time, he was so worried about his mother that I knew he would stop and answer that call.
“You might want to answer that,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
Cade stepped out of the cell and pulled his phone out of his pocket. Gage shut the door to my cell and turned his attention to Cade. Confusion spread across Cade’s face as he stared down at the name displayed on the screen of his phone. He looked from his phone to me and then back down at his phone, and I knew right then that I was going to be all right. Overcome with relief, I b
egan laughing like a madman because I knew exactly who was on the other end of that call.
The phone continued to ring, so through my laughter, I advised, “You better get that, Cade. You of all people should know how testy she can get.”
Cade answered and put it on speakerphone. “Hello?” he asked tentatively.
“There’s my girl! I knew you’d find me! I miss you, baby,” I shouted loud enough for her to hear me.
“Cade Walker, if you touch one hair on my man’s head, I swear to God you won’t live to see another day!” she warned with nothing but conviction in her voice.
Cade’s jaw dropped. He looked around at the faces in the room before he uttered, “Kendall?”
“Actually, dipshit, I go by Avery now. New pack, new name, new man. A true alpha this time.” She paused for a moment, probably waiting for Cade to reply, but he must have been too freaked out to respond. “Cat got your tongue, Cade? Well, let’s just cut to the chase, shall we? If you ever want to see your mother again, I suggest you prepare yourself to make a trade. Drew for Noel, no negotiations. Otherwise you’ll be an orphan by nightfall.”
Every pair of eyes in the room shifted their attention to me and the shock on their faces was priceless. All I could do was smile. I knew my girl would come to my rescue, and I couldn’t help but call out, “I’ll see you soon, baby!”
CHAPTER 60
Luke
My father didn’t take the news of Marcus’s death as I expected. I thought he would react as Cade did, bursting with rage and the desire for revenge. Maybe it was because he was still suffering from the effects of the sedative or maybe he was even stronger than I thought. Either way, I figured I’d never know what he was feeling inside in that moment. Hiding his emotions was his specialty.
My dad didn’t say a word. Instead, he sat motionless in his bed, his head bowed, his hands still in his lap, as if he hadn’t heard us when we told him that Brian had murdered our alpha. But when I looked closer, I saw that his eyes were clenched shut, and I realized that he was struggling to keep it together. Marcus was no longer the alpha of this pack, my father no longer his enforcer.
As I looked around my father’s bedroom, the next generation of leaders looked back at me. Cade and Allison, our alphas. Aiden, Teagan, and Gage would no doubt become trusted advisors. And now I was the enforcer. I knew it would happen one day. I just didn’t expect it to be so soon, and I certainly didn’t expect to have the support of a mate behind me.
As if she somehow sensed I needed it, Scarlett laced her fingers through mine, and when our eyes met, she gave me the strength I needed to get through this. Her eyes said it all. She believed in me. She loved me. She was going to be by my side every step of the way.
“Cade, Luke, Aiden,” my father said softly, “it is up to you all, to not only save Noel, but seek vengeance for our alpha’s demise. We must show the Crescent Hills Pack that we are once again united and strong.”
“We will, sir,” Cade said as he stood up. “You have my word.”
Letting go of Scarlett’s hand, I stepped in to stand at my alpha’s side. Aiden didn’t hesitate to step up as well, and we all came together ready to do whatever we had to do to make Crescent Hills regret the moment they decided they could take down our pack. This was far from over, but together, we were going to make it right.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Sara Dailey and Staci Weber have been friends and coworkers for so long that they finish each other’s sentences and answer to either name. They both have an addiction to romance novels, sweet white wine, and sexy rock stars. They both live in League City, TX, with their husbands and kids. Web of Lies is their fifth novel together.
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