Chapter 146

Kadeem's eyes flash like lightning.

The wind picks up, stirring the night air and whipping up a swirl of leaves. On the ground nearby, Susan's tresses blow gently across her face, still staring lifelessly into the darkness ahead.

"Guess you've got it all figured out," Kadeem says quietly, almost eerily calm. His gaze shifts to Riley, who's lying unconscious on a bed of leaves. "But you forgot her."

"Collateral damage," Bob shrugs. "I was planning on having her killed anyway. No way I can trust her."

A low growl rumbles from Kadeem's throat. "No deal, then."

Bob laughs. "If you think you have any kind of leverage over me, you're sadly mistaken. I've got more than enough to ensure your compliance, including your sweetie over there." He gestures lazily in my direction as he approaches Riley, still hovering somewhere between life and death.

"I'll give her a warrior's end," he says, staring down at her. "The Council will believe she died trying to stop you, trying to protect the pack."

Next to her, Jack groans and begins to stir. Without hesitation, Bob sends a brutal kick to his skull before he can fully come to. I can't contain my sickened shock and gasp out loud.

"Oh dear," Bob says, turning to me. "You still don't get it, do you? Your boyfriend was the one behind all of this."

"He's not my boyfriend-" I begin, but Bob cuts me off with a callous laugh.

"Please." He rolls his eyes, then swivels his head over to Kadeem. "You don't believe her doe-eyed crap, do you?"

Kadeem responds with a frigid stare.

"Shut up," I snap at Bob. I try to catch Kadeem's eye, but he won't look my way.

"And for the record," I add defiantly, though my voice trembles slightly, "I don't believe you. Jack is a good person. He's-"

Now, Kadeem looks at me. His irate expression screams, "Are you kidding me?"

"Sorry sister," Bob interrupts again. "How else do you think I knew where to find you tonight? And that's just for starters."

I hate it, but the doubt starts to creep in.

"It's how I knew you weren't really 'Chelsea,'" he continues.

I inhale sharply. Shit, that makes sense. Shit, shit, shit.

"And that the children belong to Kadeem-"

"And WHERE are they," I demand, emotion boiling over when I think of my quints. "You still haven't told me-"

"They're fine," Bob chuckles. "As long as Kadeem does what he's told." He grabs a roll of duct tape lying in the dirt. "Better get you tied up, too, princess. You're starting to get some spark back in you." He jerks my arms behind my back.

"Ow!" I shout- more in protest than in pain.

"Just hold tight," he says, the strip of tape dangling from his teeth.

He starts to wind the tape around my arms. My body is still like Jello, but I fight him as much as I can. It only amuses him.

"Feisty as ever, Ardal. I've always liked you for that... Together, though?" He waves his hand at me and Kadeem before he tears off the tape. "A little like a firebomb."

"Who cares what you think," I shoot back, my heart racing with fear and anger. "And I never liked you. Never. So just shut the fuck up and take me to see my kids! I need to be sure they're okay."

In my periphery, Kadeem is shaking his head at me, mouthing at me to stop.

Bob moves to my feet. "Be good, and we'll see about it."

"This is bullshit!" My mind starts to click into gear. "How- how can you expect Kadeem to go along with anything, unless he knows for sure they're safe? And what about me? What's there to stop you from killing me as soon as you get what you want from Kadeem? You don't know that I'll keep your secret. When you've seized power and-"

"Bingo," Bob says. "'Power' is the key word. I'll have it- and you won't." He smiles. "You'll be free, of course, to scream to the world anything you want."

He finishes rolling the duct tape around my ankles and leans in close, dropping his voice, taunting me. I don’t think I really knew hate, until this moment.

"But you won't," he says. "You never will."

"Back off, Bob." Kadeem's voice comes from behind us in a low pitch.

Bob is so close. I can see every line on his face. Every pore. I can feel his hot breath on my skin, stinking of stale cigars. He disgusts me.

"Because, darlin'," he whispers, "If you even dare to-"

Aiming right for his smug smile, I spit in his face. He recoils in disgust, wiping my saliva off of his lips. In retaliation, he backhands me so hard, my head spins, pain exploding in my skull. Then he curls his hand into a fist and throws his arm back to strike me again.

"Stop it," Kadeem barks. The sound of it is so ferocious, so alpha, that Bob hesitates reflexively, dropping his arm for a moment, before he grits his teeth and gets ready to take another swing.

Kadeem's voice cuts through the air again. There's a sly tone to it now. "Something just occurred to me. I can't help but wonder, Bob... how good of a show do you want me to put on?"

Kadeem's gaze locks onto mine, a familiar twinkle in his eye. "Dally, what was that Broadway thing you were belting out the other day?"

Dally.

The silly nickname he gave me when we first met. I outgrew it at 12 and made him stop using it. The only time he ever called me by that name again was at our wedding, when he whispered it into my ear, trying to calm my jitters before we said our vows.

"Don't be nervous, Dally."

Sadness nearly wallops me.

"Um, Hamilton?" I feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment as I clear my throat. I had no idea he overheard me.

"Yep, that's the one," Kadeem confirms, glancing at his uncle. "I can go full, on-Broadway, original-run, Hamilton kind of good. That's the top of the range, just so you know. Treat us decently, and I’ll give the pack a stunning look at just how traitorous, dangerous, and blood thirsty I am. I'll make you look like Superman."

Bob scowls at him, but Kadeem just grins back mischievously.

"But if you lay a hand on her again," he warns, "Or give anything less than basic moral treatment, well… let's just say, my performance may not be up to par. It might get a little ugly. We're talking, high school production of Cats level bad."

Kadeem shakes his head and sighs dramatically. "I'd really hate for that to happen to you, Uncle Bob. This is your shining moment after all. Oh and by the way, if you want Hamilton-level, don't forget about getting an ambulance for Riley, too. Give her the same chance as Ardal here, to keep her mouth shut till you've stepped in as alpha. Otherwise, with some mutual cooperation, you might just make it to the Tony's, Mr. Producer."

Bob breaks out his phone. "You know, you're not as dumb as you look."

Kadeem shrugs. "Yeah, well." He sends me a wink.

Bob is thumbing through his phone. He places it to his ear and glances down at Kadeem. "Time to get this show on the road, Lin-Manuel."