Dallas stuck his tongue out at his brother.
I leaned back in my chair, content to watch the chaos that I’d caused seeing that it was far more entertaining than the book that I’d been trying in vain to read.
All we needed was Lennon chiming in with her sizzling quips and it would be perfect.
The curtain that covered the door to Dallas’s room was abruptly yanked open and instead of his doctor a pair of Secret Service agents plowed into the room.
“Room is clear,” one of them said as they both flanked the doors on either side. “Phoenix is clear to move in.”
I sat up straight, realizing the implications of his words and so did the rest of the guys.
Zeke and Brooks scrambled to get up from their seats and when Dallas started I shot him a quelling look. There was no way in hell the President of the United States would expect a sick man to get out of bed and if she did I was going to snitch on her to her daughter expeditiously.
“You don’t need to get up,” Athena said as she swept into the room, not dressed in her usual suit but instead a blue jogging suit and her silvering blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. “This isn’t a house call.”
Vincent Collier and Arthur McDaniels came in after her and the two agents that had preceded her left, shutting the door behind her.
This meant that the conversation that was about to happen was supposed to be a private one.
My stomach dropped.
“Sit,” she said and began to pace back and forth in the small room.
Everyone watched her, our faces moving with her as she moved. She looked like Lennon when she was like this—without the powerful suit and face of makeup and I was pretty sure that scared me more than anything.
“Ma’am?” I finally asked after what felt like forever watching her pace.
“I need another minute,” she said, holding up her hand.
So we waited some more.
I glanced at Zeke and Dallas and could see the irritation etched on their faces.
‘Calm down,’I mouthed to them, hoping they would remember that the last time we pissed this woman off we’d ended up separated from Lennon for two weeks and Dallas had ended up in the hospital.
“McDaniels,” Athena said suddenly, stopping mid-pace. “Show them the video.”
For once, her normally disinterested beta chief of staff gulped and nodded as he reached into his messenger bag and pulled out his laptop.
“We received this video approximately five hours ago and have been able to confirm the veracity of their threats,” McDaniels explained as he wheeled the hospital table next to Dallas’s bed around and set the laptop up on it before opening it.
The screen lit up and a blurry image flashed on the screen and began playing.
“Good morning,” a digitally modified voice played through the speakers. “I am sure you are wondering where your daughter is after her visit to the hospital yesterday evening.”
My throat tightened as the screen cleared and I saw a limp Lennon propped up in a chair with a blindfold tied over her eyes. Two men wearing furry wolf masks were standing behind her, each holding one of her hands so that she was holding up a newspaper with yesterday’s date on it.
“As you know, Alphas Primus has been calling for you to change your stance on many things for years, President Holloway, and you have refused to listen. Not only that, you have continued to let your omega child out into the world to spread her filthy propaganda about so-called omega’s rights, flouting the traditions that have existed for thousands of years.”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” I heard Dallas say as he leaned over the bed and did just that, the sound of his vomit hitting the floor a backdrop as the voice continued.
“Now, you may be asking: what can I do to have my precious child returned to me? It’s very simple. You will go on the news within twenty-four hours and you will drop out of the election before the American people can cast their first in-person vote on November 4th. Then we will give you the location with which you may find your daughter. This will be our last contact with you.Alphae primum, alphae semper.”
Then the video of Lennon cut and the room was silent.
My first emotion was confusion followed swiftly by a white hot rage.
“How thefuckwas she kidnapped in the first place?” I asked Collier, standing up and getting ready to push his head through the wall. If he hadn’t had such a fucking chip on his shoulder when it came to me and my team this wouldn’t have happened—us being her pack or not.
