As Ally put the phone to her ear, she heard Shaya’s voice sobbing, “Ally, if you’re not alive, I’m going to kick your ass.”
“I’m alive,” Ally assured her with a smile. “Is Bruce okay?”
“Yes, he’s fine. The drugs have worn off. Hurry home. I need to see you with my own eyes.”
“Not yet. I have somewhere to go first.”
“You’re going after Rachelle,” guessed Shaya.
“Yes, she was behind the kidnapping.”
“I want to be there!”
“No, you all need to keep an eye on Miranda and Kerrie. They need to be heavily guarded in case a few of Miranda’s pack—or previous pack, as the situation now stands—come to help her. Some of the guys were smitten with her. Besides, I’ve got some backup with me.”
“Make sure Rachelle feels some serious pain.”
“That won’t be a problem. This shit needs to be dealt with once and for all.” The bitch had had the chance to leave Ally be, but she hadn’t. Now Ally needed to be the one to end it. Ally handed the phone back to Bracken, whose smile was a little bloodthirsty. Apparently he was also eager to see Rachelle punished. Derren, on the other hand, didn’t seem at all pleased.
He kissed her hair. “Baby, I get that this is something you need to do—”
“Then back me up on this.”
“—but you were drugged not so long ago. You’ve got cuts and scrapes, which I’m guessing are thanks to your crazy idea to leap out of a trunk.”
“They’re not bad, and they’re healing fast.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Then, pray tell, what is?”
“Baby, do you have any idea how fucking terrified I was for you?” The fear still hadn’t left him, still threatened to break his composure. If he hadn’t known through their mating bond that she was alive, he would have lost his fucking mind long before now. “Could you not give my heartbeat a chance to get back to normal? Do you really have to walk right back into more danger?”
Ally met his dark, tormented gaze. “I have to do this now, Derren. The tigers were supposed to take me to a spot a few miles from here. Rachelle’s intention was to join them later today. I need to get to Collingwood territory before she leaves.”
“If the tigers call and tell her you got away, she’ll probably flee, worried you heard them talking about their plans.”
Ally shook her head. “They spoke in Mandarin. She doesn’t know I speak the language. And cocky as she is, she won’t believe she’ll ever get caught.” Rachelle had gone too long without having to face any consequences for her actions against Ally. “I have to deal with this now.”
“She’s right.” Cain sighed. “I don’t like that she’s right, but there’s no escaping the fact that she is.”
“Eli, we’re making a pit stop at Collingwood territory,” she told him.
The Head Enforcer glanced at Derren in the rearview mirror. “I know you’re not totally okay with this, but you know she has to do it, right?”
After a long sigh, Derren nodded. “If I’m lucky, Zeke will do something stupid, and then I have an excuse to tear out his throat.” The thought lightened his mood a little.
When they finally crossed the boundary into Collingwood territory, Matt’s enforcers nervously let them pass while one of them called Matt on his cell phone. As soon as Eli pulled up in the parking lot, Matt came strolling toward them with Zeke at his side. Matt’s smile was genuine but shaky.
“You have to stay in the SUV, Cain. They won’t be able to see you through the shaded windows.” At his disapproving growl, Ally reminded him, “You can’t be seen. Your link to me can’t become common knowledge for both our sakes.”
He was silent for a short moment. “Kill her, Ally. Nothing else will stop her from coming after you.” Ally suspected he might be right about that. “But don’t do it quickly. Make her hurt, make her bleed, and make sure her pack mates see how well you can fight so they don’t dare even think about avenging her death. Got it?”
Nodding, Ally said, “Got it.” Only once the other males were out of the SUV, awkwardly greeting the Collingwood Alpha and Beta, did Ally hop out.
Zeke’s gaze skimmed over her, taking in the dirt and healing abrasions. “Shit, Ally, what happened?” He went to move toward her.
“Not too close,” warned Derren in a deceptively cool drawl. “I’m not in a tolerant mood right now.”
“Come inside the house,” invited Matt. “We’ll talk.”
“We’re not here to chat,” Ally told him. “Where’s—” She stopped as movement caught her eye: a blonde female was jogging toward them, shock flaring in her eyes at the sight of Ally. Rachelle. How grand.
“What are you doing here?” Rachelle sneered at her. “You and your friends told us to stay away from you. Yet here you are.”
“Yes, not where you expected me to be, I’ll bet.” Ally smiled inwardly when the Beta female’s eyes flickered nervously. “Coming after me was by far the dumbest thing you’ve ever done. Seriously, even for you—someone whose elevator doesn’t go to the top floor—it was stupid.”
Rachelle’s tired sigh was actually very convincing. “So you’ve come here to accuse me of something, I see.”