Chapter 4

4

P ain explodes in my hip as I crash to the floor next to Caleb, shards of glass from the shattered patio door spraying all around us.

The panic that didn't register when I found Caleb in my room surges through me now. Someone just tried to shoot me.

Before I can process what's happening, Caleb crawls forward to close the curtain over the slider. More bullets rip through the fabric, hitting the couch and sending stuffing flying. My heart hammers to see the place where I had sat only seconds ago now filled with holes.

"Oliver, put your pants on !" Caleb shouts, his Alpha Command getting me to move amid the chaos when nothing else could have .

Crawling through the minefield of glass fragments, I wince as they dig into my palms and knees. I reach my jeans and pull them back toward the safety of my desk, shaking them out as best I can before pulling them on. It's difficult to button them with my hands trembling, but I manage to do it.

I grab my laptop and the folder lying on top of it, shoving them into my computer bag, then snatch up the pic of me with my little brother, stuffing it into the back pocket.

As I do, Caleb shuts off the lights in the apartment, plunging us into darkness.

I freeze, waiting for my vision to adjust to the dim light in the room coming through the bullet-ridden curtain. Caleb moves to the window that faces in the same direction and parts the edge of the drapes far enough to peer outside.

"Come on." Caleb beckons me over to him.

Clutching my bag to my chest, I crouch and race to his side, my pulse thundering every step of the way as I wait for more gunshots.

"What's happening?" I whisper, trying to control the quiver in my voice.

"Stay low and stick with me." Caleb tugs me toward the door. "We're getting out of here."

After the darkness of my apartment, I flinch at the bright lights in the hallway. I follow Caleb without question, glad at least one of us has a plan.

The sudden chill of the cement stairs beneath my bare feet jolts me back to my senses as Caleb leads the way down, each step echoing around us. I shiver as goose bumps rise on my naked chest and clutch the handrail with my free hand, afraid my shaking legs will fail and send me tumbling to the landing below.

Once we reach the bottom of the stairs, Caleb motions for me to stay against the wall while he peers out into the dim lobby.

My breaths come out in desperate gasps, the air too thin as I struggle to fill my lungs. A light-headed sensation sweeps through me, the adrenaline coursing through my body threatening to overwhelm my senses.

"Oliver." Caleb turns back to me and grips my jaw, tilting my face.

His intense gaze searches my features for any sign I can't keep going. As his pheromones wash over me, my racing pulse slows, my breathing evening out.

"Good," he murmurs, releasing my face. "Once we leave the stairwell, we need to move fast. We're going to go out the back entrance, through the parking lot, and into the alley to the left. My car is parked behind the next building over. Understand? "

I nod, my chest rising as I take in deep, steadying breaths of his scent.

Caleb's eyes flicker over my exposed skin, and he frowns before shrugging out of his thin sweater, revealing a tight black undershirt and the shoulder holster that holds his gun.

"Put this on." He passes it to me. "You're too much of a target like that."

I fumble with my satchel, slipping the shirt over my head with shaking hands. The fabric smells like Caleb, a mix of leather, gunpowder, and a distinctive Alpha musk that helps to settle my nerves.

"Ready?" he whispers.

I clutch my computer bag to my chest so that it won't bounce around when we run. "Ready."

With a final, sweeping look over me, Caleb steps out into the lobby. I follow, sticking close to Caleb, half expecting a gunman to come rushing through the front doors.

At the back entrance, Caleb motions for me to press against the wall while he peers outside, scanning for any signs of movement.

Satisfied the coast is clear, he gestures for me to stay on his heels.

As soon as my bare feet touch the cold cement of the parking lot, a sharp pain shoots through them, the rough surface abrasive under my tender soles. I bite back a whimper and focus on keeping up with Caleb's brisk pace.

"Stay crouched," he whispers, guiding us through the parked cars in a low run.

My heart races, the space between my shoulder blades itching with the fear of a bullet tearing into me at any moment. Still, I follow Caleb without hesitation, trusting he'll keep me safe.

Darkness descends when we enter the back alley, and the lights from the street cut off. I stumble forward, the brief flashes of Caleb's pale, muscular arms in the shadows keeping me moving.

As we come out in the next parking lot over, Caleb catches my arm. "Almost there."

He hurries me toward a black sedan with tinted windows, and I relax with escape in view.

But before we reach the vehicle, a scuff of shoes echoes from behind us, followed by a male voice shouting, "Freeze!"

Fear slices through me, chilling my veins and making it hard to breathe. Did the shooter catch up to us?

"Keep going." Caleb's grip tightens on my bicep as he pushes forward. "I'll handle this."

My heart hammers as I stumble toward the car .

The shout comes again, higher pitched this time, tugging on my memory. "I have a gun, and I'll shoot if you don't let the Omega go!"

In a split second, Caleb releases me and pulls his weapon from its holster, turning on the other man.

Instinct takes over, and I lunge in front of him to block his aim, my arms spread out. "Wait, don't fire!"

A deadly calm settles over Caleb's face. "Move."

The order shivers through me, but he didn't use Command, so I stay in place as I peer over my shoulder at the other person.

I spot the young Alpha from earlier—the one who propositioned me—standing at the back door of his apartment complex. He's unarmed, but he clutches his cell phone in one hand.

"I'm fine." I fight against the tremble in my voice. "You should go back inside."

Concern fills his eyes. "I saw him dragging you into the parking lot."

"I'm okay," I assure him.

His focus drops to my bare feet, and his face hardens with determination. He doesn't believe me. In his position, I wouldn't believe me, either.

"Move, Oliver," Caleb orders again, his tone cold.

When I turn back to face him, he still has his gun out, and I can't help but think about what will happen if he uses it.

My hand shakes as I touch his stiff arm. "He's just a local high schooler being brave. We should go."

For several heartbeats, Caleb studies my face, and I hold my breath, knowing I can't stop him if he wants to shoot the young Alpha.

Silently, I plead for Caleb to see reason, to understand this kid doesn't deserve to die for trying to save me.

The weight lifts from my chest as Caleb puts the gun away, his jaw clenched. "Get in the car."

Not needing to be told twice, I hurry around to the passenger side and slide in, dropping my bag at my bare feet. Caleb climbs behind the wheel, and the engine roars to life. He peels out of the parking lot, headlights off until we reach the street.

My heart pounds hard, adrenaline still coursing through my veins.

A few blocks away from my apartment, Caleb wrenches us over to the curb and slams to a stop. I throw my arm against the dashboard to avoid being slammed into it, cursing myself for not putting on my seatbelt.

Before I can react, Caleb fists my hair and yanks me halfway across the center console, growling into my face. "Next time you step in front of my gun like that, I'll fucking shoot you. And if you ever again beg for someone's life to be spared, you better be on your knees when you do it."

My heart pounds, and I nod, the motion pulling at my scalp from Caleb's tight hold. A shiver goes through me, focus dropping to his lips, and his nostrils flare.

"You're so fucked in the head," he says, and I'm not sure if he means himself or me before his mouth crashes over mine in a hard, dirty kiss.

It's pure dominance, his tongue forcing its way in, teeth clashing and breath mingling. He tastes sharp and bitter, like the anger boiling beneath the surface of his skin. Whether he meant this to be a punishment or a reward doesn't matter as I respond, my body straining toward him. Only the fist in my hair keeps me on my side of the center console.

As suddenly as it began, Caleb releases me and shoves me back into my seat. My head spins from the intensity of it all, and my face burns with shame at how willingly I gave in to him.

"Put your seatbelt on," he orders, and I scramble to obey, my hands shaking as I fumble with the buckle.

As the car speeds through the city, the landscape changes from the grimy streets of my poor neighborhood to the shining lights of downtown. The adrenaline that coursed through me during our confrontation dissipates, leaving me with a hollow sensation in my chest.

"Where are we going?" I ask, tongue sweeping out to catch the lingering taste of Caleb's kiss on my lips.

He ignores my question, focusing on the road ahead.

I swallow the lump in my throat and stare out the window, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.

Eventually, the cityscape gives way to a neighborhood of sprawling mansions, each one more opulent than the last. I gawk at the grandeur of it all, wondering where on earth we are.

When he pulls through a wrought-iron gate, I glimpse an enormous estate before we descend underground. He parks in a garage filled with expensive vehicles, some costing more than I've made in my lifetime.

"Follow me." Caleb slides out, slamming the door shut behind him.

Shock sticks me in place for a heartbeat. I unbuckle my seat belt, grab my bag, and limp after him, acutely aware of the pain shooting up from my bare feet with every step now that adrenaline no longer blocks it out.

He leads me to an elevator, and as the doors close behind us, I sag against the wall, studying his hard profile. "Where are we?"

"We're at Rockford Manor." The words come out clipped and cold.

The name sends a shiver down my spine. I've written dozens of gossip columns about this powerful Alpha family, for which they sent Caleb to kill me.

And now he's brought me to the very heart of their inner sanctum.