Chapter Twenty-Eight
Willow
Don’t tell. Don’t tell.
I clamp my mouth shut and do my best to fight off Cujo’s Alpha bark, but his leather and whiskey scent swirls around me, pressing down with his dominance, and I can’t break free. Sweat pops along my brow in beads before trickling down the side of my face.
“Malachi.” The name squeezes past my lips, huffing into the air. My throat closes, and I choke, gagging hard, like his name alone might conjure the man.
Dry heaving strong enough to make my stomach ache, I pitch forward and nearly fall off the couch. Lincoln grabs my hips with his big, strong hands and snarls at Cujo.
“The FUCK?” he thunders, his caramel apple scorched with violence. “I swear if you force anything on her again, I will put you down.” His anger ignites my own. Launching off Lincoln’s lap, I slam my fists against Cujo’s chest.
“Why did you do that?” I screech. “Do you know what you’ve done?”
While Malachi won’t appear in a puff of smoke simply by saying his name, Cujo’s created an enormous problem. I’ve been forced to break my cover. There’s no way around it. At tomorrow’s check-in with Calloway, I’m going to need to tell him.
My honesty with the agents is pivotal to not only my safety, but our chance at making sure at least one member of Pack Mordred pays for what they’ve done. I need to make it to that trial.
And hopefully Pack Mordred will, too.
“Of course I do. Got the name of the piece of shit who put his hands on you, so I can make sure that he only has a finite number of days left on this earth.” This smug Alpha understands nothing. He only wants to get his own way.
Where is my taser?
The irritating giant smiles at me with his perfectly white teeth, long black hair tucked in a neat man bun. Fixating on the tattoos crawling up his neck, I try my best to come up with a rational explanation rather than sounding like a hysterical hyena.
“I can’t tell you why, but don’t touch Malachi. His trial needs to happen; it’s a matter of life and death.” It’s the only way to see whether his pack members will come for him. If he dies quietly in prison, there’s nothing to draw them out of the woodwork.
“He’s already been tried in the court of Cujo and found guilty.
Sentenced to death. I’ll make it discreet.
Now, would you care to make my life easy and give me a last name?
” Cujo reaches for me, but I quickly stand, skirting away from his hands.
While I know the offer is coming from a good place, he needs to get his head out of his ass and listen to me.
I’ve been over a thousand scenarios with Gavin and Calloway, trying to figure out why Devlin and his pack of psychos took us.
Until that night, I had never seen or heard of them.
While held captive, my father didn’t recognize any of the six pack members.
As far as I could tell, there wasn’t any conflict between my family and them.
The only rationale we came up with is that since my parents are all dead, our family fortune is set to be split equally among the Banyan children.
And the fewer of us there are… the more the remaining sister would get.
Putting three of us on the kill list.
“No. Although I do want him dead, he can’t die right now.
Are you listening to me?” Cujo’s eyes have taken on a faraway gleam, like he’s imagining the different ways to murder Malachi.
It’s a look I know well because I’ve seen it in the mirror on more than one occasion.
But there’s too much at stake to indulge in those kinds of fantasies.
“And why is that? In what world should the excrement who tortured you get to live to see another day?” I look beseechingly at Linc, hoping he’ll read between the lines, but he just shrugs.
“I’m with Cujo on this one. Behind bars, Malachi’s an easy target.” Linc scratches the stubble on his chin. “We have enough contacts to make it look like an accident. Then, once he’s in the ground, you’ll be out of witness protection. We could all move on with our lives… together.”
Of course, now these two neanderthals see eye-to-eye.
While the thought of forever with these men by my side is intriguing, there’s so much more at play. The desire to explain bubbles up in my throat, but I push it back down, holding it in.
WITSEC has rules for a reason. Plus, if they find out who I really am, will they still want me?
Or just see me as a means to securing their financial future.
In twenty-six years, I’ve never met a single man who was interested in me, Wilhelmina.
I’ve always been a stepping stone to my famous parents.
But Linc and Cujo—they don’t know anything about me, yet they’re promising to kill to keep me safe.
Would it change if they find out my net worth?
“Please don’t. You both need to forget this conversation ever happened. If the agents find out, I’ll disappear so deep into WITSEC that you’ll never see me again.” I toss my hands up to the sky, not knowing whether it’s the truth or merely a threat, but it’s enough to get their attention.
“Baby girl, you’re not making sense. Once Malachi is gone, you’re free.” Linc crosses the room, pulling me in for a hug. Although I shouldn’t, my arms band around his waist, and my nose sinks into his abdomen, huffing deeply at his sweet scent.
“He’s not the only danger, there’s a huge pack.
And I’m not the only victim. Please don’t make me say any more.
There’s so much going on here that you don’t know.
Please just give me time.” My Alpha’s scents around me grow ripe with frustration.
I can sense they want to push for more details.
Irritation slams against my omega instincts, creating frayed edges that make it hard to breathe. An intense longing for my nest arises.
Run. Nest. Home. There’s a pounding in my skull.
Reining in my emotions, I step away from Linc and scurry around the room, collecting my clothing that ended up strewn about. Sensing my disquiet, Bruce presses himself into my leg, placing his body between the Alphas and me.
“Hey, buddy.” I pat his head. “Ready to go home?” I need to get out of here before I spill more secrets.
Scanning the space, I spot my keys and move to grab them.
“Willow. Don’t do this.” Linc snatches the keys first, standing between me and the door. “It’s late. Stay here tonight. Even if you don’t want to be in the same bed, you can take mine. I’ll sleep in the spare bedroom.”
Cujo radiates heat, pressing himself against my back and boxing me in. Being between the two makes me want to give in. Let them take care of everything.
You can’t.
“We all need space to decompress. I’ve already told you too much. I want to leave.”
“No,” Lincoln growls, and Bruce growls back.
“Yes. And you need to respect my autonomy; otherwise, we have no shot at ever making this work. I need someone who’s willing to stand by my side, not an Alpha who’s going to try to control me.
I’m not your puppet. Now, get out of my way.
Or Bruce will make you.” Threatening to sic my dog on them is probably a little far, but surprisingly, it works.
Resigned, the two rough bikers move aside for me.
“Keys.” I hold out my hand to Linc, meeting his gaze. Even though my every instinct begs me to submit.
“If you run, I’ll find you. This is giving you a little space. I’d better see you tomorrow, baby girl.” Warmth blossoms in my chest.
Get out of here now. I’m out the door and down the stairs in the blink of an eye, with Bruce at my side.
My car looms before me, and as soon as the cabin is in my rearview, a heaviness fills me.
A welling up of emotion that makes me want to cry and pound my fists with frustration at the same time.
I’m shocked they allowed me to leave, but I know this isn’t over, and now I need to face the music.
I have to tell the agents about the piano key and blowing my identity.
Cujo and Lincoln have enough information to find out everything; it’s only a matter of time.
As I watch them standing in the doorway, this goodbye feels more final than it should. But maybe that’s how it was always supposed to be.
Love isn’t meant for everyone.