Page 127 of Pack of Crooks

Taking a breath, I open the door to the bedroom, gaze landing on Vivian tied up in a chair, cheeks stained with tears and mascara, a gag muffling her shout when she spots me. Other than the tears, she’s relatively unharmed.

“Oh Vivian.” I rush toward her, hauling Kill with me, and tug the material out of her mouth.

“Hazel! You have to help me, these men—” She stops, catching where my hand is linked with Killian’s. “What the fuck is going on?” she whines, voice trembling.

Fuck. This is probably so traumatizing. “You’re safe, I promise.” I tug my hand out of Kill’s, give him a warning look, then focus on my friend.

“You kidnapped me?” she asks, voice hoarse.

I shake my head. “No. That was Ellen’s doing. She just asked my pack to do it otherwise she’d hurt me.” Three growls rip through the air. “Down, boys,” I tell them then undo Vivian’s restraints, hating how shallow her breaths are. “You’re safe with us.”

She probably won’t believe that, not after being forcefully taken and tied up.

Her pants grow more frantic. I finish undoing the last knot and pull back, searching her face. “Tell me what you need.”

“Space,” she rasps.

Nodding, I put three steps between us. Her eyes pingpong around the room, chest heaving as she starts to hyperventilate.

“You’re okay,” I soothe. “You’re safe. My pack won’t hurt you.”

Vivian trembles. “I nee— I.” She chokes on her own words.

“I’m sorry,” I tell her before calling Ellen into the room. “Help her calm down.”

Ellen’s tough exterior shatters at the sight of her omega. “Vivian, take a deep breath,” she commands, voice cracking.

Vivian does as her alpha demands. “Fuck you, Ellen,” she snarls, shooting to her feet and moving deeper into the room. Putting as much space between her and her ex-lover as she can.

“Take three more,” Ellen demands, inching toward her.

I catch the alpha’s arm, stopping her. “Not yet.”

Ellen glares at me.

My men close in around us, and the alpha blanches. Vivian’s heavy breaths fill the silence. Ellen looks away.

“What’s going on?” Vivian asks, sniffing. “I want to go home.”

“You can’t,” Ellen tells her, breaking our stare off. “You’ll stay with me.”

“With you? You broke up with me!” Vivian screeches.

“Tristan threatened to hurt you if I didn’t,” Ellen says quickly, tone desperate. She tries to tug out of my hold, but I keep a firm grip, holding her in place until Vivian is ready for me to let go. Ellen growls but stifles it when she remembers my pack is still veryTeam Murder Ellen. “I had to do it, Vivi. Please, you have to understand. I’d never let anything hurt you.”

“Youhurt me,” Vivian croaks.

“I know,” Ellen whispers, head hanging. “I was trying to keep you safe.”

Vivian sniffs, releasing a shaky exhale. “So you kidnapped me?”

Ellen’s mouth opens and closes, floundering. I hate the alpha, but Vivian has no idea what kind of man Tristan is, so I jump in.

“Tristan is dangerous. If Ellen hadn’t demanded my pack bring you here, I was going to have them take you to our apartment.”

Vivian’s features pinch. “What do you mean by dangerous?”

“He kills people,” I admit. “I don’t know that Ellen breaking up with you would have been enough. He might’ve had you killed anyway just to hurt Ellen more.”