Chapter 10 Chapter 10
Amber
The ride to wherever they were taking me felt endless.
The car was silent except for the sound of the tires crunching against gravel. I kept my head down, tears blurring my vision as I fought against the bonds holding me. My wrists ached from where they’d tied them, and the gag in my mouth felt suffocating.
Why is this happening to me?
Irma growled in the back of my mind, pacing like a caged animal. You have to fight. You have to stay strong.
But how could I? My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might burst. The scent of the Alphas surrounded me, their presence oppressive and overwhelming. I turned my face to the window, praying that someone—anyone—would see me. But the road was deserted, nothing but trees and shadows stretching out into the distance.
The car came to a jerking stop in front of an uncompleted building, its skeletal structure looming like a shadow in the night. My stomach churned with dread, and my pulse hammered in my ears as the doors clicked open.
“Get her out,” one of them ordered gruffly.
Rough hands grabbed me, yanking me out of the car like I weighed nothing. My legs nearly buckled as my feet hit the gravel, but they dragged me forward, their grips bruising as they hauled me into the building.
The air inside was cold and stale, the faint scent of mildew clinging to the walls. The unfinished room was a mess of concrete dust and broken debris, but all I could focus on was the oppressive weight of their presence.
One of them shoved me forward, and I hit the ground hard, the impact jarring my wrists and sending a sharp pain through my knees. I barely had a moment to catch my breath before the leader barked an order.
“Take off your clothes,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion.
The words froze me in place. My mind reeled as I stared at him, my body trembling.
“D-don’t,” I stammered, my voice shaking as I scrambled back on my hands and knees. “Please, don’t.”
“Do it,” he repeated, his tone sharper now. “Or we’ll do it for you.”
The other men chuckled, their laughter cruel and mocking.
“Come on, sweetheart,” one of them said. “Don’t make it harder than it needs to be.”
“No!” I sobbed, my voice breaking as tears blurred my vision. “Please, I’m begging you. I’m pregnant. You can’t do this—please, it’ll hurt my baby!”
For a moment, there was silence. I thought—hoped—that my words had reached them.
Then they laughed again.
“Pregnant, huh?” one of them sneered, crouching down to look me in the eye. “You’re even sexier when you cry, you know that?”
Tears streamed down my face as I shook my head, my chest heaving with panic.
One of the men stepped back, his expression uneasy. “Wait,” he said, his voice quieter than before. “She’s pregnant? I don’t know if we should…”
The leader’s glare bore into the reluctant Alpha, who had taken a hesitant step back. “Are you serious right now?” he snapped, his voice laced with venom. “You’re really going to back out because of this? What, you’re scared because she’s pregnant?”
“I just don’t think this is right,” the man muttered, his eyes darting between me and the others. “The client didn’t say anything about her being pregnant. This wasn’t part of the deal.”
The words made ice creep up my spine. They were hired?! Who would hire these men to do something so despicable to me? Who hated me that much?
The leader’s expression twisted with anger, and he let out a harsh laugh. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Are you really going soft on us now? If you’re too much of a coward to do the job, then get the hell out. But don’t expect a single cent of what we’re being paid.”
The reluctant man shifted uncomfortably, his jaw tightening. “It’s not about being a coward,” he said, his tone firmer now. “There are just some lines I won’t cross.”
“Lines?” the leader spat, stepping closer to him. “Don’t talk to me about lines. Reed hired us to do a job, and we’re going to finish it. You think he’s going to let us get away with half-assing this?”
I gasped, the name hitting me like a slap to the face. My chest tightened, and my vision blurred with fresh tears. Reed. My best friend. The person I had trusted more than anyone. He had sent these men after me.
The realization crashed over me like a tidal wave, leaving me trembling on the cold floor. More tears spilled down my cheeks as I shook my head, unable to comprehend it.
“No,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Not Reed… He wouldn’t…”
The leader didn’t even glance in my direction, his focus entirely on the reluctant Alpha. “You listen to me,” he hissed, grabbing the man by the collar and pulling him close. “If you don’t want to do this, then fine. Walk away. But don’t think you can come crawling back. You walk out that door, and you’re done. Don’t show your face around us again, or we’ll make sure you regret it.”
The reluctant man stood his ground, his expression hardening. “I don’t care,” he said, shoving the leader’s hands off of him. “There are just some things I can’t do, no matter how much money’s on the table.”
“Pussy,” one of the other men muttered, his voice dripping with disdain.
“Pathetic,” the third sneered, shaking his head in disgust.
The reluctant Alpha ignored them, his shoulders squared as he turned toward the door. “Do whatever you want,” he said coldly. “But I’m out. Good luck explaining this to Reed.”
The leader snarled but didn’t stop him as he walked away. The sound of his footsteps echoed through the empty building, followed by the slam of the door.
The silence that followed was suffocating. My chest heaved as I struggled to process what I’d just heard.
Reed had done this. Reed had hired these men to hurt me. Sleeping with Rayne was a mistake, I didn't do it on purpose…
A fresh wave of tears spilled down my cheeks, and a soft sob escaped my lips. How could he? Does he really hate me that much?
“Good riddance,” the leader muttered, turning his attention back to me. “Now, where were we?”