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Chapter 26

"Tanner," the muscular guy, with bright new-school tattoos, says, holding out a hand for me to shake.

"Locke." I offer a friendly smile, despite the fury I feel seeing Laken wrapped around the unknown alpha.

Bless shoves her shoulder into mine, forcing my arm forward as we approach the car.

I extend my hand to the man, and we shake, even though I'd much rather bury my knife in his carotid artery.

Bless moves to the trunk with her second-in-command and longtime lover. Stacia pops the trunk and steps back.

"On the right, I give you Braxton Barrett, my shithead brother." Bless smiles a little ferally. "On the left, well, it's a two-for-one special, since no one wants to deal with his slimy ass."

I frown, swiping my fingers over my throat and cutting my eyes to Laken. My intentions were to have this conversation without her as a witness, but I was more optimistic yesterday.

Ranger Cavanaugh leans over the trunk, ripping the bag off my cousin's head. He tilts Braxton's face toward the light and nods.

I've heard all about Ranger from Bless and Stacia. Apparently, he's someone who inspires fear, even to those in power. Unfortunately for him, fear is an emotion I rarely experience. Worrying about Laken's safety was the first time I felt true terror in more years than I can count.

"They should be sedated for another hour or two, but you should get them where you plan to keep them," Bless says, shoving her hands into her pockets. "It was a pleasure doing business with you. Laken, good to see you're in one piece. Locke can stop losing his shit now." She laughs. "Ladies, load up!" Her bark echoes in the air, and her team gracefully disappears back into the woods.

The men I brought from Chicago stand around the two guys Bless and Stacia originally took down. It's really not a good look for them. Their dogs could sense the danger, but somehow, the men ignored the signs.

"Who are you?" Ranger asks, shoving Braxton back into the trunk. "I don't mean whatever name you're going by currently."

Laken gasps, looking at me with wide eyes.

"My name is Declan Barrett." I swipe my long, dark hair up into a bun, securing it with the tie around my wrist. "We share a common enemy. My younger brother, Avan, currently runs the family. I was passed over for my birthright when my business plans didn't align with that of my fathers and uncles."

"Who is this, and why do I want the added complication of taking possession of them?" Ranger asks, ripping the mask off Will.

I grimace.

Laken squeaks. "Oh, shit! Is that Will?"

"Trust me, he's deserving of being in there for more than just what he did to you." I step closer, running my hand down her spine. I'm surprised when Tanner doesn't growl at the contact. I focus on Ranger and go on. "I'll tell you more once we're somewhere secure, but Will has intricate knowledge of the business my family was hoping to conduct in Chicago."

"Fine," Ranger says. "I'll take them. You, however, are not taking my wife."

"My husband is cranky because Tanner bonded me before he could." Laken rolls her striking blue-gray eyes. "A lot has happened since I called you from Boston, but we would love to have you. If we're lucky, the housekeepers managed to detoxify Kate's scent from the place."

"Ooo, she's still salty about that," Tanner says, laughing.

"I did not extend any such invitation," Ranger growls, dropping Will back into the trunk.

"No, honey." Laken twists, giving him a bright smile. "As your wife, I did."

"Holy shit." Tanner chuckles. "It's crazy hot when you politely tell him to fuck off."

My head tilts as I glance between Tanner and Ranger. There seems to be a level of tension there that I might be able to use to my advantage.

Tanner is an unknown player to me in this game. He also has a bond with Laken. That complicates things, but so far, he's significantly more tolerable than Ranger Cavanaugh. It was pure luck that my team was able to get a bead on his location to begin with.

My first order of business upon arriving in town was to put my men in place to watch the Assurance compound in shifts.

They stayed in the woods, but yesterday, they were able to track a vehicle from the Assurance property to the gated mansion that I assume belongs to Ranger.

Once Bless's team arrived, we split the forces.

My team watched the Assurance compound again while Bless put several of her team in strategic locations to watch for movement at the property we suspected belonged to Ranger.

The British dick who owns Assurance wouldn't guarantee me a meeting, but luckily, the team verified Laken was in one of the two SUVs that left this morning. It was a mad scramble to coordinate everything necessary to have the ambush in place by the time they drove back through.

"Maverick, Gunner, get your useless asses over here," Ranger growls. "Seriously, did they put up any kind of fight?"

"If it had been men trying to change that tire, they could have done some serious damage, but…" I shrug.

Bless made the right call on that one. It was nearly a peaceful takedown, and then it was a waiting game for the second SUV to come through.

"As I expected," Ranger growls.

"Am I good to send my guys back to the hotel?" I ask. "Or am I going to need them?"

"He probably won't try to kill you if you're holding her." Tanner steps closer, and Laken stretches out her arms.

I'm shocked, but not displeased.

I scoop her up, and her cherry pie smell floods my nose. There are hints of Tanner's scent, but I ignore them as she coos, wrapping her arms under mine.

"I have a lot to tell you," I whisper close to her ear.

"Yeah," she agrees in a shaky tone. "Me too."

Two of my guys put the tire back on the car before they filter back to the vehicles they came in.

Laken stays wrapped around my front as I scoot into the SUV. Tanner and Ranger are still talking to Maverick and Gunner near the front of the SUV. "I have to tell you something, and I need you to not freak out."

"I've been pretty consistently freaking out for the last ten days," I say mirthlessly. "But I'll do my best."

She glances over her shoulder to make sure the others aren't able to listen in. "Remember when you saw me outside my doctor's office the day I was kidnapped?"

"Yes." My hand runs down her back as I study her terrified expression.

"They did lab work to see when my heat would hit. They also ran a pregnancy blood test, but I only got the results today. It was the first chance I had to call."

"And?" I ask, licking my lips.

"I was pregnant before I was kidnapped," she whispers. "I'm baffled. Will and I haven't been together in months! I had to have gotten pregnant the night I went to break up with him. I don't see how it could have been before then, because I got checked for STIs the week after we broke up. They did a pregnancy test then, but it was negative…" Her hands dig into my sides. "I wasn't with anyone else in that time frame. I didn't even know they were going to run a pregnancy test when they ran my hormones."

"Does your newly bonded alpha know all of this?" I ask, glancing out the window to make sure they're still preoccupied.

"No, I literally found out as we pulled up to this whole situation." Her head shakes against my T-shirt. "I'm so sorry. I never would have called you and gotten you mixed up in all this if I had known."

My heart races.

If she was already pregnant the night we had unprotected sex all over Will's apartment, it would have shown on that first test. Especially since they hadn't fucked in over a month.

But that test was negative.

I'm guessing that's because she conceived that night with me. It would take a few weeks to show up, which means…

That baby is mine.

"I've been nothing but one nightmare after another for you," she whispers.

"Enough," I growl, tilting my head down to capture her mouth. Her cherry scent floods my nose as she gasps against my lips.

She pulls back, pushing up on her knees. "I've created a huge mess."

No, I'm pretty sure that would be me. She's carrying my baby, but she doesn't remember sleeping with me.

Let alone all the times I snuck into her apartment and made her come on my hand. "We need to talk about that night at Will's penthouse—the one you can't remember."

Her eyes widen, but the front door to the SUV is ripped open and Ranger climbs inside.

I mouth, "Later."

She nods, snuggling back to my chest.

Shit just got super fucking complicated, but I'm finally at her side, and I will be from here on out.

I just need to find a way to inform her of the fact her baby daddy isn't who she thinks it is without her hating me when the truth comes out.

"Braxton goes in spot number one. The other one, I don't even know what he's done outside of being a shitty boyfriend," Ranger growls. "It doesn't matter. Put him in number three, and don't fuck it up."

"Are you sure you don't want to handle that yourself?" Maverick asks.

"It's your basement of torture." Gunner nods. "That really feels like a you responsibility."

"I have to do everything myself," Ranger mutters. "My house is freshly clean. Pack your bags and get those mutts out of here."

"Nah, we've got a gift on the way for your omega to apologize for fucking up her rescue." Maverick laughs. "You'll have to deal with us for another couple days."

Laken sighs, squeezing my hand before releasing me to walk over to Ranger. She glances at Maverick on the way. "All is forgiven with the shitty rescue." She makes it to Ranger and leans up on her tiptoes to kiss his jaw. "I thought the basement torture dungeon comments were jokes. Don't hurt Will too badly. I need to speak to you, Tanner, and Locke as soon as possible."

"I told you I would make your ex regret his poor life choices." Ranger bends down to give her a kiss that makes my blood boil.

I'm genuinely fucking shocked to see Tanner with a placid look on his face. I can only imagine what's going to go down when he realizes he bonded my already pregnant omega.

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