Page 2 of Rot In Knotty Pieces

I snort out a laugh. “It can’t be that bad-”

“They blew up Bonnie’s house.”

“What?”

“Blew it up. Kaboom. Explosions. Fire. Nasty phone calls with threats of violence.”

“Oh.”

“OH?” Mark snarls into the phone. “Did you just say oh?”

“It is kinda adorable. Like a love declaration. Actually, kinda sweet.”

“If you think property damage and threats of death are sweet, then, yes, it’s like a goddamn bouquet of roses.”

I snigger.

“How are you coping with it?”

“Well, you know, they threatened to kill Vicious.”

I stop laughing.

“Mark, what did you do?”

Mark is silent for a long moment, and then he growls. “Just remember that I didn’t want this. I didn’t want to be part of this business. I was happy with my dogs and my job at the camping center.”

“Mark,” I say in warning.

“You all forget who the hell I am.”

“I don’t.”

“And the only reason these shits are still alive is because I love you, but I’m warning you, if you don’t get them under control soon, you won’t have alphas.”

“Mark!” I growl.

“Don’t fucking growl at me. You bit them, bonded them, and took off with their wounded omega. You don’t get to land us in this shit and then growl at me for being who I am. Push me into being a person I’ve fought tooth and nail not to be.”

I close my eyes and try to calm my panic.

“Please don’t kill them.”

“If they threaten my sisters, parents, or dogs just one more time, they are going to find out that just because my kill count is zero doesn’t make me the least trained.”

“Okay. Okay. Wait. Hold on.”

I rub my temples.

“Are you near them?”

There is a heavy silence for a long moment.

“Yes.”

“Can you pass the phone or make it so they can hear me without the rest of the world hearing me, too?”

“Well, aren’t you in luck that I was planning a little nasty surprise for them later,” Mark mutters. “Please hold.”