Except the package was Dimitri. And this was a trap. When he arrived, he would be surrounded. It was going to be him versus over twenty of Ethan’s men.
I had to get out of here before that happened.
My wrists were bound behind me with zip ties that bit into my skin with every movement. The gag in my mouth made breathing difficult, forcing me to pull air through my nose in shallow, panicked gasps. But my legs were free—a mistake on Ethan’s part, probably because he thought I was too weak, too scared, to try anything.
He didn’t know me at all.
I scanned the entire space. The front door was not an option. Ethan’s men were clustered there like bees. Behind me, I saw a broken window. That was going to be my escape route.
I waited until he turned his back, his attention on one of his wolf shifters near the entrance. Then I stood slowly and started backingaway. The plan was simple: fling myself out through the window and run like hell.
It might have worked had it not been for that bottle of beer I accidentally knocked to the ground, drawing attention to myself.
“Hey!” Ethan yelled. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
I turned swiftly, about to throw myself over the window, but someone grabbed me from behind. Large hands yanked me backward with brutal force. I hit the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of me, my shoulder taking the brunt of the impact. Pain exploded through my body. It was the wolf shifter Ethan had been speaking to.
“Going somewhere?” Ethan’s face appeared above me, twisted with fury. “Did you really think you could just run?”
His boot connected with my ribs before I could even try to curl into myself. Once. Twice. The third kick drove all the air from my lungs.
I tried to scream, but the gag muffled everything into pathetic, strangled sounds.
“You stupid bitch.” Another kick, this one to my stomach. I tasted blood in my mouth. “You and Dimitri killed my Mate! You destroyed everything we built. And you thought you could just escape?”
The man grabbed me again, hauling me upright and holding me in place while Ethan slammed his fist into my face. My head snapped to the side, stars exploding across my vision. Blood filled my mouth.
“You’re going to die here,” Ethan hissed, his face inches from mine. His breath smelled like rage and desperation. “But first, Dimitri is going to be here to witness the spectacle, to watch me rip you apart piece by piece. And then, when he's broken and begging, I’ll finally end him. Too bad you won’t be able to see it.”
He hit me again. And again. My face, my ribs, my stomach. Each blow was calculated to cause maximum pain without killing me outright.
Finally, Ethan stepped back. I sagged in the grip of whoever was holding me, blood dripping from my nose and mouth onto the concrete below. My entire body achedwith pain.
“Much better,” Ethan said, surveying his handiwork with a smug smile. “Now you look appropriately terrified.”
He stood straighter, checked his watch again, then smiled. “Any minute now.”
As if on cue, I heard the sound of an approaching vehicle. A single car engine growing louder. That must be Dimitri. Fuck!
I didn’t care if I died here. Knowing Adele would have Dimitri left me with some level of relief, even if it was sad that I wouldn’t get to watch her grow. But I knew Dimitri wouldn’t want that. Wouldn’t want a world without me in it. Knew he’d walk straight into hell itself if he thought it would save me.
“Let him through!” Ethan yelled to his men outside, and seconds later, Dimitri was in the warehouse. His eyes swept across the place, landing on me. And when he saw my condition, his face twisted into pure, unfiltered rage.
“Let her go.” His voice was low, deadly calm in that way that meant he was seconds from snapping. “This is between you and me, Ethan. Leave her out of it.”
“Leave her out of it?” Ethan laughed, the sound sharp and bitter. “You both killed Selene, Dimitri. You think I believe that bullshit on the news about you defending yourself?” He scoffed. “Obviously, Selene’s strength is no match for yours. Which means the tussle must have been between her and Isabella. So no, I’m not letting her go. She’s absolutely part of this.”
Dimitri’s eyes flickered gold, a sign that his wolf was just tethering at the surface. Barely controlled violence radiated from every muscle in his body.
“Let her go, Ethan. This is the last time I’ll ask.”
And to that, Ethan let out a hysterical laugh. “You still think you have power? You think you’re in control. Look outside, Dimitri! I have twenty plus men waiting to rip you apart if you dare to make the wrong move.”
In an instant, the laughter died down on Ethan’s lips, and his face contorted into a frown, showing what a maniac he was. “Let me tell you how this is going to work, Dimitri. I’m going to give you thegreatest show of your life by making you watch me kill your precious Mate. And I’m not going to kill you just yet. I’ll find that daughter of yours and finish what Selene started—you’ll watch that, too.”
My blood boiled listening to him threaten Adele.
And then I’ll torture you until you’re begging for mercy. I’ll show the whole world just how weak you are,” he continued. “Only then will I end you.”
