Page 31 of Rescued by Four Alphas (Claimed by the Four Alphas #2)

"You pumped her full of experimental compounds for days," I argue. "Surely you must have something that could counteract them."

"Those compounds have broken down already," Reid explains like I am a child. "They served their purpose in accelerating fetal development. Any lingering effects are from the physiological stress, not the drugs themselves."

I slam my fist into the wall beside his head, leaving a dent in the drywall. Reid flinches but quickly regains his composure.

"Violence won't change anything, Mr. Stonefang," he says. "You can beat me, torture me, even kill me, but it won't wake your mate. Only time will determine if she recovers."

The door opens, and Evan steps inside. His appearance surprises me… I didn't expect him to leave Dahlia's side.

"Has he talked?" Evan asks me, his voice is flat and empty.

"No," I reply. "He maintains there's nothing to reverse, that the drugs have already metabolized in her system."

Evan nods slowly, then turns to Reid. "I see."

Unlike me, Evan appears perfectly composed. His suit looks freshly pressed, his hair neatly styled. Only the shadows under his eyes and the tightness around his mouth reveal the toll of the past few days.

"Dr. Reid," Evan says pleasantly, "how is your daughter doing these days?"

The blood drains from Reid's face, leaving him ashen. For the first time since we captured him, genuine fear flashes in his eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he says, but the slight tremor in his voice betrays him.

Evan laughs, the sound devoid of humor. "Come on now, Doctor. Isabelle Reid, twenty-two years old, is currently completing her residency at Johns Hopkins. Quite brilliant, like her father."

Reid struggles to maintain his composure. "My daughter and I don't have a relationship. I haven't seen her since she was born."

"Is that so?" Evan steps closer. "That's unfortunate. Since you're not close, I suppose you wouldn't need to know that she has about two hours left to live."

"What?" Reid stands abruptly, "What have you done to her?"

Evan shrugs, examining his fingernails with feigned indifference.

"She was injected with just a simple experimental compound.

It's a modified version of your own MX-47 formula.

It's quite fascinating how it interacts with the central nervous system.

First paralysis, then organ failure. I'm told it's exquisitely painful. "

"You're bluffing," Reid whispers, but his voice lacks conviction.

"Am I?" Evan pulls out his phone and shows Reid the screen. I can't see what's displayed, but Reid's face contorts with horror. "My men are with her right now. Such a shame. All that potential, wasted."

Reid lunges at Evan, but I intercept him easily, pinning him against the wall.

"You can't touch her!" Reid shouts, struggling against my grip. "She's innocent! She knows nothing about my work!"

"So were Dahlia and our children," Evan replies coldly. "Yet that didn't stop you from experimenting on them, did it?"

"Please," Reid begs. "Not Isabelle. I'll tell you anything you want to know."

Evan raises an eyebrow. "Why should I trust you? You've lied to us repeatedly."

"I swear I don't know how to cure your mate," Reid insists, "I didn't create an antidote because none was needed.

The drugs were designed to metabolize completely after serving their purpose.

If your doctors say she's physically stable, then it's simply a matter of waiting for her to wake up naturally. "

"That's not good enough," Evan says. "I already know that."

"The government officials," Reid blurts out.

"I can give you the names of everyone who supported my research, everyone who provided funding and protection.

They'll continue the program even with me gone.

I can tell you where to find all my research data, the locations of other facilities, everything. "

Evan steps forward and pats Reid's head like one might pet a dog. "Good boy. Now, was that so difficult?"

Reid calls out names, locations, access codes, and information we've spent days trying to extract from him.

"My men will verify everything," Evan tells him. "If any detail proves false, if any location is incorrect... well, you know what happens next."

"Please," Reid begs. "After you confirm everything, you'll leave Isabelle alone?"

Evan tilts his head as if considering the question. "Perhaps. If your information proves useful enough."

I release Reid, and he slumps against the wall, defeated. I've never seen him broken, desperate, and terrified.

"I never thought I'd see the day," I remark. "The great Dr. Reid, reduced to begging."

We step outside the cell, and the door locks behind us automatically. Once we're in the hallway, out of Reid's sight and hearing, I turn to Evan.

"How did you find his daughter?" I ask.

Evan's lips curve in a slight smile. "I'm on my way to becoming one of the most powerful and influential men in this country, Onyx. I will know everything."

"And the injection? The MX-47 compound?"

"A bluff, of course," Evan admits. "I've had people watching his daughter since we captured Reid, but no one has approached her. The photo I showed him was merely her leaving the hospital after her shift, taken from surveillance footage."

"Fucking brilliant," I mutter. "He completely broke."

"Everyone has a pressure point," Evan says. "For men like Reid, who believe themselves above human weakness, finding that point just requires more creativity."

"And now we have what we need."

"Yes." Evan checks his watch. "His list of government contacts will prove invaluable, and the coordinates of his other research facilities will allow us to shut down the entire program."

"But it won't wake Dahlia," I point out, the hollow ache in my chest intensifying at the thought.

"No," Evan admits, his confidence slipping for just a moment. "But it will ensure no one else suffers from what she did."

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out.

I answer immediately. "What?"

"Onyx," Axl says, his voice so charged with emotion it's barely recognizable. "Dahlia has woken up."