Chapter 029
HANNAH
FIVE DAYS LATER
The first thing I noticed the moment I stepped out of the vehicle was the absence of people. For some reason, the guards that had been stationed around my house for as long as I could remember, were not there. Frowning, I wondered why. Had the Wallace called them off? I honestly doubted that. My mates took my security very seriously.
"Did you want to go somewhere else?" my driver asked from behind me.
I turned, found I was still grasping the car door handle.
"No. No. I'm good," I said.
I stepped away from the car and the driver drove off. I reshouldered my backpack, half of mind on the amount of homework I had to do. As I stepped over the threshold, I froze. I opened my mouth to scream.
The man standing opposite me with a wicked looking dagger at my mother's throat put a finger to his lips, motioning for me to be quiet. He was tall, built like a barrel. There was evil etched on every line of his scarred face. My head spun. I was in danger. My mother was in more danger. What could I do? I had to save her somehow. But how could I when he was within inches of killing her?
Perhaps I should scream for help. As though he read my thoughts, he pressed the blade against my mother's neck. It parted her skin like butter. A thin trail of blood flowed from the wound. Beginning to panic, I nodded, silently letting him know that I would not make a sound.
Behind me, the front door slammed. I realized someone was behind me but my instincts kicked in a second too late. Before I could turn, I was shoved further into the room. I stumbled, fell on my knees.
"Here you go," someone growled.
My hair was held in a viselike grip and I was thrown bodily against my mother who had been released and was sobbing quietly on the floor. I blinked back the tears of pain, focused on my mother. Fear and panic made it difficult to breathe.
My mother had been so beaten and battered that blood covered almost every inch of her body. It streaked her face, matted her hair.
"Mom," I sobbed, temporarily forgetting our danger and beginning to crawl over to her. "Are you o-"
My words were cut short by a terrific stab of pain on my cheek. Stunned by the slap, I could only blink stupidly up at the man who had hit me.
"You blind, girl?" he growled. He jerked his head towards the scarfaced man. "He gave you a sign not to speak until you're fucking spoken to. Got it?" I just stared at him. If I spoke, he would hit me again. Already, he had begun to crack his knuckles threateningly. "I said, get it? Nod if you do, dumbo!"
I nodded quickly. The man gestured for me to scoot over backwards. I did. A few paces away, my mother lay shivering on the floor, and staring at the unfolding scene with one bloodshot eye.
"Good," said the scarfaced man, stepping forward. "Now listen and listen good, Hannah. I'm going to give you some instructions. If you at any point disobey me, your mother isn't going to be as pretty as she is now because believe me, right now she is." I flinched as a sharp looking switchblade jumped into his hand as if by magic. "The next time I come here, I'm going to carve her up with my little toy here. She'll bleed all over your miserable looking rug, and when after we make sure you've seen her that way, after we let you know it's your damn fault for getting your mommy all cut up, guess what we'll do."
One of the men barked out a laugh. "We'll kill her and then we'll kill you too."
"Yeah. Do you understand me so far?"
Before I could respond, he grabbed my hair, forced it to bob up and down. I shuddered at the thought of the picture they had painted. I clapped my hand over my mouth to keep the sobs in, but the tears ran down my cheeks.
What did these men want? What was going on and most importantly, where were the guards who were supposed to be protecting us?
The other man laughed. "I think she's gotten it now. Look at her shake like a frightened little mouse."
I heard the scarfaced man's joints pop as he squatted in front of me. "In two days, at the meeting with the Alpha- Ah. Yes. You have finally figured what this is about, haven't you?" I felt my eyes widening, bugging with horror at the realization of what was happening. Asher had sent these people here. My mother had been right. The meeting really was a ploy to manipulate this situation to their advantage. Only the goddess knew what horrors Alpha Dawson had in store for me and my mother now. I wish I had made my decision that day.
I was brought back to the present by a stinging slap on my cheek, the force of which rocked my head backwards.
"Good. You're back," the man who had slapped me said as he straightened. "Looked like you zoned out there for a moment. You've got to listen. This is the important part."
"Now at the meeting you must choose Asher as your mate or there will be consequences." He paused and I nodded again. "A nobody like you with a traitor for a father can't disrespect the Alpha and expect to get away with it. If you don't choose Asher, if you play any games or attempt to contact those assholes triplets, we'll know. We'll find you and we'll kill you."
"Sounds like a line from a fucking movie," the second man guffawed. "But it's true, girl. Wonder how we got your security out of the way? What do you think happened to them, huh?"
I shook my head. I didn't know, and frankly I didn't think I wanted to. These men looked like they could have done unspeakable things to get them out of the way.
"Ah. Smart girl. It's better you don't know, I guess. There is nothing we can't do here in the Alpha's territory and even beyond, see? So we can find you anywhere and at anytime. Those pretty legs of yours wouldn't be able to run fast enough to get away from us. Only..." he looked at my legs in a way that made my skin crawl. "... they wouldn't be so pretty anymore if you're dead for days in a shallow grave. Tell me, Hannah. You'll cooperate, won't you?"
Again, I nodded.
The second man made a threatening gesture.
"You can talk now, bitch!" he bit off.
"Y-yes," I stammered. "Yes, I'll do it. I'll choose Asher."
"Good girl." The scared man patted my cheek. He stood up, gestured to the other man just as the front door opened and yet another of the thugs looked into the house.
"We're leaving now," said the scarred man.
In seconds, they were gone. I rushed to my mother who was struggling to sit up.
"Mum, are you okay?" My hands ran over her, checking for serious injuries and broken bones.
"It's okay. I'm okay," she said weakly. "It looks worse than it feels."
"Oh mom." Weeping, I threw my arms around her. "I'm sorry this happened. It's all my fault. You were right. The meeting was a trap. I'm so sorry-"
"Don't. Don't apologize Hannah. This is not on you." With some effort, she pulled out of my embrace at gripped my forearms. "Now listen to me. At the meeting, you must choose Jace, Chase and Cade."
"I can't! Didn't you hear what those men said? They will kill us if I don't choose Asher. I won't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you because of me."
"And you wouldn't be able to live happily either. You and I will never be free if you choose Asher as your mate. You'll be miserable-"
"I'll survive," I said glumly, remembering the few torturous days when I had been forced to act as Asher's slave. I didn't want to go back to being that but what other choice did I have? "I will find a way to as long as I know you are safe."
"And what kind of life do you think I will live knowing that my daughter is being treated worse than an animal? You will never be happy with Asher. Choose the good option fate has given you. Choose the triplets. The Wallace's are powerful. With them on your side, Asher can't hurt you."
Just a look at her rapidly swelling eye decided me. The pain she was undoubtedly passing through brought more tears to my eyes.. I pushed to my feet.
"My mind is made up, mum." It hurt to say the next words, but I had to say them anyway. "I can't let them hurt you so I will choose Asher."
I left to get some ice and clean clothes for for her.
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