I shuddered.
“I could call someone for you,” the woman offered, bringing out her cell phone.
I wanted Leighton.
Maybe if I told her everything, about my family and my brother… Maybe she wouldn’t let him take me back. Leighton was kind. Would she give me a dark bond to save me? Even if she hated me? I almost opened my mouth and asked if it was possible, but an arm draped across my shoulders.
“That’s so kind of you, ma’am,” Tobias’ smooth voice washed over me. “My sister isn’t having a good day, but I managed to catch up with her.”
I froze.
For a second, I couldn’t move an inch, not even a twitch.
Then I began to tremble, shudders wracking me as I glanced to my side, confirming what I already knew.
My brother had found me, and he was doing exactly what I’d expected him to.
The woman’s eyes widened as she looked at him. I imagined he got that reaction a lot. Tobias was handsome in a dangerous businessman kind of way. He carried himself with cocky confidence and no one doubted his competence. She was clearly doubting mine, though.
“Oh, that’s wonderful. I’m glad you’re safe then, dear.”
His fingers dug into my shoulder in silent warning. I wasn’t going to say anything. The woman wouldn’t get out one word before Tobias brought out his gun and shot her between the eyes.
My escape had been short-lived, after all. If I couldn’t get out of his grasp, I was going back to a bond that I didn’t want—that I didn’tchoose.
I nodded, failing to force a passable smile. She continued on her way, her dog yipping at birds. Tobias dragged me in the opposite direction, forcing my injured feet onto the pavement.
“You’ve done some very bad things, sis,” he muttered. “Jonathan was a friend of mine.”
He was. It made me all the more happy that I’d killed him.
“If you weren’t so valuable, I’d do to you what you did to him. Father would never have to know I caught you. I’d hide your body somewhere it would never be found, and he could believe you escaped us, even though you never fucking could.”
I walked with him, flicking my eyes around. We were in public, but the residential area was quiet. There had to be a way for me to escape.
Even if he shot me in the back, it would be better than going with him.
“But you’ve got that magical omega pussy, sweet sister. You’re the key ingredient in a business alliance that’s going to make us a lot of fucking money. You knew that, and you just don’t want to do your part for the family, even when everyone else is.”
It took everything in me to curb my disgusted reaction.
His part in the family was working for Father. Mine was apparently gifting myself, body and mind, to whomever they told to bond me.
“I hope you didn’t go off and fuck some alpha. Did you, Kiara? There’s blood on you. Did some big alpha force himself on you? Actually, I hope that did happen. It’ll fucking teach you to run from us again.”
Ambrose would never. He’d been horrified when he realized he’d harmed me at all. I couldn’t imagine him doing anything sexual without my consent. The two alphas I’d met had changed everything I thought I knew about alphas.
We drew closer to a black van every second, and when the door slid open my heart jumped. If I got in that van, I’d never be seen again.
No dark bond would save me.
Nothing would.
I couldn’t go back.
I palmed my knife. It was the only friend I had and the only thing I could trust to help me out of this situation. Tobias didn’t know I had it. The blade wasn’t obvious and he underestimated me. He was cocky. The asshole should fear me, considering I’d stabbed his friend’s throat to shreds with this blade.
Inhaling shakily, I steeled myself and waited until the last possible second. I wouldn’t vanish behind the bulky body of the van and be gone forever. I yanked out the knife, tearing my shirt in the process, and sliced at Tobias.
