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Worse because Talis was shot, and I didn’t know if he was still alive. Levi had chased after me, and I’d heard Evander’s shouts, but then the machine gun went off. Did any of them survive?
I choked on a cry, my head sagging forward. All I’d wanted was for them to be safe. No matter what happened to me, I just wanted them to live happy lives. But death came to us. The gunmen had swarmed the house, and it was all because of me.
Because of my fucking father.
I hated him. I thought I loathed Julian Birk before, but it was nothing to the seething hatred coursing through me now.
That man in the hub, Walton, his life was ruined. No matter the money he received, it wouldn’t make up for what happened. And all those people who died today, at the hospital, and downtown. Dozens of people. Not only professionals, but innocent citizens as well.
So much death and for what? For political favor?
By the time the helicopter had touched down, I was done with tears. I’d not waste any more on my father or myself.
Someone hauled me to my feet and led me out of the helicopter onto a lawn. I could feel its softness beneath my feet. My heat made me ache, but while I kept stumbling as I was dragged along, I silently fought it. The whir of the helicopter’s blades faded as it took off and we went inside somewhere.
My heart beat heavily against my chest. Where were we? I tried to listen for any telltale sounds, but it was quiet. Just our footsteps on the floor and a man muttering we needed to go to the room on the right.
I was taken down a hall, and my breaths came in quick succession as we stopped. We stood on a plush carpet. I straightened my back. Terrified as I was, I wouldn’t cower.
The mask was plucked off my head, and the brightness of the lights blinded me for a few seconds. I blinked several times while my eyes adjusted.
“Good of you to finally come home,” my father’s tight voice twisted my stomach. He stood in front of his big mahogany desk dressed in an immaculate, expensive suit. No speck of dirt on him. Never.
Immediately I wanted to scream at him, to tear his face off with my nails. He had controlled my life since before I was born and now he had ruined it. I was ripped away from my Alphas and for what? Were they still alive? There was only one thing I could say. “Why?” My voice cracked from anger.
“Have you any idea what I must do to maintain the Birk family pride?” Julian raised his brows. He walked slowly along the length of his desk. “Not that I need to explain myself to you. Like your brothers, you have failed to do what is needed, so I must take control of the situation.”
Like my brothers? I swallowed hard. They worked themselves to death overseas for the family business. I couldn’t even remember the last time I saw both of them at home. He’d never complained about them. Me, on the other hand, he always found something to be disappointed with.
My father walked over to stand in front of me. His upper lip curled up in disgust. “Look at you. You’re a complete mess. And you let a mere soldier,” he spit out the word and nodded to the bite mark on my neck. “Claim you. You’re weak, like everyone else in this family. I can’t give you to Senator Grant now. He won’t touch you.”
How did he know that Talis claimed me? Was this the info Walton was passing along to him? It didn’t matter. I knew the laws as well as my father. “Talis is a far better man than you’ll ever be. Now that he’s claimed me, there’s nothing you can do.”
“Really?” Julian rolled his eyes as if I was an idiot. “Common laws do not apply to people such as myself. You will be cleaned up, sent overseas to Iraq, and given to Bahir Hassan. He needs another Omega to breed, and then he’ll owe me a grand favor. I’ll be sending Kienna to the leader of the resistance in Bahir’s country. So whichever one of the two is in power will be under my thumb.”
No, no, no. This couldn’t be happening. I swallowed back a whimper. Why did I think my father would respect the law after everything he’d done? And Kienna! I’d wanted to rescue her and now she was going to suffer a fate as horrible as mine. She didn’t deserve this.
“You can’t…” I croaked, knowing very well that he could. My life was a waking nightmare.
“There’s nothing I can’t do.” Julian paused as one of his security team by the door motioned to him. Sighing, my father went over to him.
The uniformed man whispered, but with how silent the rest of the room was, I could hear every word. “A seaplane passed over and landed in the neighbor’s garden. Prisoners have been taken on Haverhill by the coast guard. Police are en route to the manor. Arrival time: eight minutes. What are your orders, sir?”
A seaplane! That meant Talis was alive. I didn’t bother to hide my sob of relief. I knew, I just knew all three of my gorgeous Alphas were coming for me.
And they’d fight to the death for me.
Oh God. I glanced around the room. There were six armed guards just here. I had no doubt there were twice as many on the grounds. I couldn’t let my Alphas die. I refused to let that happen.
“Keep everyone in position. The morons will come to us.” Julian looked at me when he said that. Bastard. “Send someone undercover to the island and have him do away with the prisoners. No statement linking me to them must survive. As for the police, no worries. I pay their salaries anyway.”
The Beta stepped out into the hall to pass on the orders.
I had never thought much about what my father did to maintain the ‘family pride’ for most of my life. Never would I have guessed he was this corrupt. He didn’t even break a sweat as the Beta gave him news that everything could crumble. He casually gave a death sentence to all the gunmen he’d hired and didn’t bat an eye that the police were coming.
There was a knock at the door and Gerard stood rigidly in the entranceway. “It’s nearing noon, sir. Will you be having any guests for lunch? And what would you like me to do for the rest of the household?”
“Gerard!” I started toward him and was yanked back into place by the man beside me. “Gerard, you have to help me!”
