Dogfight (Alpha MC: The McKinnon Brothers Book 1)

by Alana Hart

  From Frankie.

  It had come in not five minutes ago. She opened the text and dropped the phone. Her lungs froze. Scrambling, she knelt and stared at the image on the screen of Frankie with a chain in his hand, and Connor kneeling before him, the other end of the chain around his throat, angry red welts swelled up where the chain was wrapped.

  Another text vibrated the phone, and Casey screamed, almost dropping it a second time. The words blurred and cleared as she blinked the wetness from her eyes.

  Like my new dog? Trade him for you, bitch.

  God damned Connor. What the hell was he doing there?

  Wasting no more time, Casey threw on the jeans from last night and a gray tee shirt. She stuck her feet in the boots Connor had grabbed for her, and ran to the door. The plan was to get to town, steal a car, and drive as fast as she could without getting pulled over. She had been asleep no more than four hours, which meant Connor had left her as soon as she passed out and, as fast as he rode, got to Frankie’s in less time than that.

  If she found a good car, she could make it in three hours. What she would do when she got there, she hadn’t figured out. She didn’t think Frankie was an honorable type of guy and would probably kill them both anyway. But she would think of something on the way.

  She yanked the front door open and froze.

  Standing before her were two very tall men in leather jackets. One had a mass of curly hair.

  Aidan.

  Had the MC sent Connor’s brothers to kill her? Instinct took over and she turned and ran. She didn’t get far. One of them grabbed her by the hair, pulled her back, and slammed her against the wall. A hand wrapped around her throat, squeezing her bruised neck.

  She pulled on the other brother’s hand, Liam, and kicked her feet where they hung.

  “Frankie has Connor,” she sputtered, her words barely audible.

  Aidan put a hand on Liam’s forearm, and the younger man set her feet back on the ground, but he kept his hand around her throat.

  “How do we know you’re not lying?” Liam snarled. Apparently he was one of those shifters who didn’t like humans. Or maybe just her.

  She handed him her phone. Aidan took it and the brothers’ faces paled. They exchanged a look, and then Liam turned his eyes on her. All three brothers had the same eyes; blue-green and bright. Same brown hair, too, but where Connor kept his thin on the sides and long on top, Aidan had a jumble of soft curls, and Liam’s hair was a wild mess, swooping off in different directions. All three were gorgeous.

  “Where is he?” Liam growled.

  She swallowed. Liam gave her throat a squeeze.

  “Are—are you going to kill me once I tell you?”

  Liam’s mouth quirked at the corners. “If I was, do you think I would tell you?”

  Good point. Damn it.

  “But I will kill you if you don’t tell me.”

  “Aidan can find him.”

  “It’ll take too long,” Aidan said. He spoke more slowly, calmer, than Liam. “Tell us where he is and we’ll tell the alphas you’re dead. You can take off and start over.”

  She frowned. “I don’t believe you.”

  Aidan’s light eyes pierced her, staring harder than Connor ever had. “Then I’ll find him myself.” He pulled his phone from his pocket. “Liam.”

  Liam wrapped his other hand around her throat.

  “Wait! Wait! Okay, I’ll take you to him.”

  Aidan shook his head. “Tell us where he is.”

  “I—I don’t know the address, or the town,” she lied. “It’s in the Berkshires, but that’s all I know. I can show you, though. I’ll remember the route we took.”

  They hesitated, glancing at each other.

  “Please,” she said.

  Aidan’s brows furrowed, but Liam glared at her.

  “Don’t think for a second that he cares about you, lady.” His eyes raked her body, the distain in them making color rise in her cheeks. “Maybe he wanted a taste of trash pussy, but he won’t love you. You’re not one of us.”

  Her cheeks got hot. “I still don’t want him in Frankie’s hands. And, I’ll—I’ll go with Frankie. It’s what he wants. You can get your brother out, Frankie’ll kill me, and everyone is happy.”

  “Everyone but you,” Aidan said softly.

  Casey took a breath. “I don’t matter.”

  “Damn right you don’t,” Liam spat. He released her neck, standing close, towering over her. Both brothers were taller than Connor. “Ride with Aidan,” Liam sneered down at her. “I don’t want your cunt touching me.”

  Aidan glanced at his brother, but said nothing. Because she meant nothing.

  Liam took the lead, Aidan gesturing for her to follow. It was already quite warm out, but Casey shivered, her skin icy.

  They had hidden their bikes at the top of the long driveway. They both had custom bikes, most likely made by Connor. Both had wolves painted on the tank. Liam’s bike had a metal wolf’s head snarling over the headlight.

  Aidan handed her a small helmet. She strapped it on and slid onto the back of Aidan’s bike, but didn’t know where to put her hands. Did he hate humans as much as Liam?

  He spoke over his shoulder. “Hold on if you don’t want to end up road kill.”

  She wrapped her arms around his middle and pressed her face into the soft leather, the howling wolf under her cheek. Neither offered her their jacket.

  The bikes roared to life and gunned down the side streets, growling like monsters as they got to the main road.

  Well, Casey thought as they reached the highway and picked up speed, she’d found a way to get there, and they would get Connor out. Her fate, on the other hand, would soon be in the hands of the sadistic Frankie Sway. Unless the wolves showed her some mercy for helping get Connor out and killed her quickly.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Connor lay in a cage, bleeding and panting. Frankie had connections. When Connor showed up, sneaking onto the property, he made it as far as the lake when they caught him. He’d heard the near silent pop of a gun and then felt the sting as a bullet hit his shoulder. If it had been a normal bullet, he would have healed, but they had shot him with a silver bullet.

  If the fairy tales got one thing right, it had been that silver was a werewolves’ weakness. Poison was more like it. Electrified poison.

  Even now, as he lay in the brand new silver wire chain link cage, he shuddered at the pain of the collar around his neck. It was some newfangled thing, Frankie said. He got it from a friend late last night. It forced shifters into their wolf state, and kept them from shifting back into human. It also kept them in pain and unable to do much in the way of fighting back.

  Apparently more people knew about shifters than Connor realized.

  They had gotten him to the farm, tangled in silver chains, and then Frankie took a thicker silver chain and beat Connor until he was sliced and bleeding all over. He remembered a picture being taken, but didn’t know who it had been sent to.

  He was holding onto the hope that he could get out of this. For one thing, they had tried to set Frankie’s dogs on him, but he was a shifter, higher on the food chain, and he alpha-ed them into submission. He had almost set the dogs on Frankie’s men, but they were quick and the dogs were afraid of Frankie with the chain in his hand.

  For another thing, Frankie had it in his head that he was going to tame Connor enough to use him in his dogfights. No matter how much Frankie beat him, there was no fucking way he would tame him. Connor would die before he let a human treat him like an animal.

  He huffed a bitter laugh, licking his cut lips. This had been the sort of thing that the alphas warned their family about. Evil humans who would hurt them, try to cage them, treat them like dogs, or slaves.

  Maybe all humans weren’t like Frankie, but enough were, Connor thought. He had deluded himself into thinking he could take on Frankie and his crew. He knew Frankie would call in more men once he knew what Connor was, so why hadn’t he c
alled in back up as well? He knew why. Calling back up meant turning himself in to the alphas, giving up Casey, and he wasn’t going to do that.

  At least Casey was safe. Far away from him.

  The door banged open and Luis and Gio came in, their lips curled unto sneers. Frankie had six men with him, seven if you counted Victor. That was eight men in total he needed to kill. Eight men who knew what he was. What his family was. He had heard them talking about using Connor as a secret weapon for his fights, so no one outside this group knew what he was.

  Luis and Gio opened the cage, chains in one hand, silver prods in the other. Gio picked up the chain connected to Connor’s collar and gave it a hard yank. Connor yelped and got shakily to his feet.

  “Boss got a surprise for you,” Gio laughed.

  He limped behind them, snuffling through a bleeding nose. And then he smelled her. His head snapped up, and his heart sank. Standing in the middle of the yard, the sun shining down over them, was Victor, huge and wearing his leather gloves. He held Casey in a tight bear hug.

  She struggled, kicking, but he held on, a smile on his face. Frankie and his men stood in a circle. Gio led Connor to the middle and kicked him down. Casey seemed to realize who the dog was because she stopped fighting and stared at Connor, horror in her eyes.

  “What did you fucking do to him?” she screamed. Victor smacked her mouth.

  Why was she here? Not for him? He wasn’t worth it.

  Frankie walked around Connor, the chain hanging from his hand, Connor’s blood glinting off of it in the sunlight.

  “My friends,” Frankie said, his voice even, steady, deadly. “I did make it clear when I hired you, Connor, and when I took you to bed, Casey, that I wouldn’t tolerate being lied to. Yet, both of you went snooping through my personal computer.”

  Casey was watching Frankie warily as he passed her, walking around Connor.

  “I haven’t figured out why you’re here. I assume Mr. McKinnon came to kill me. Seeing your brethren butchered for money must not sit well with you dogs.” Frankie smirked as his men laughed.

  Connor took deep breaths. He could heal, but the beating he took, and the silver around his neck was making it difficult to heal properly or fast.

  “You, Miss Keene, can’t figure you out at all. You are very good at hiding your tracks. Tell me, why did you get close to me? What did you hope to gain?”

  Casey pressed her lips together and glared at him.

  Frankie shrugged. “Not a problem. I doubt there is anyone out there who’ll look for you. Here is how this is going to work. Luis.” Luis came into the middle of the circle with a small table and rope. “My men will each have a turn taking what you so willingly gave to me. While they enjoy themselves, I will work on this beast.” His dark eyes stared greedily at Connor. “In time he’ll submit. Just so he knows I’m not playing, he can watch you get fucked to death. You’re a resilient woman, I’m sure it’ll take some time. But my men are more than up for the challenge.”

  Frankie nodded to Victor. The men came forward, and Casey’s screams rent the air. She fought hard, scratching, kicking, punching, but Victor sunk a meaty fist into her stomach, and she dropped to the ground in a heap. Like a rag doll, Casey was draped over the table, her arms yanked across, and ropes wrapped around her wrists.

  Casey gasped and gagged, while Victor stood behind her, rubbing his cock against her ass.

  Connor growled and got to his feet.

  “No, no,” Frankie said. “You stay down and watch. By the way,” He knelt and took Connor by the snout. He glared into Connor’s eyes. “I want my bike back.”

  Frankie stood, the chain clinking ominously. “Victor,” he said.

  Everything happened very fast then. Victor yanked her hips closer to him, the ropes pulling on her wrists. Casey screamed. Connor felt her pain, felt the fear and disgust and the desperation. And then he felt strength trickle through the pain.

  Howls filled the air. Connor’s heart leapt. He glanced around as strength flowed into him, giving him enough energy to stand.

  Frankie swung the chain in an arch, and it came cracking down over Connor’s back, but this time the sting fell on numb skin.

  Connor felt the inch-long silver needles inside the collar pierce his neck as he shifted. His body felt like it was being shredded, ripped apart by razor wire, Frankie beating him as Connor’s body changed from wolf to human. Finally he stood on two legs, and ripped the collar from his neck.

  Frankie stared in horror. Connor swung his arm, sending Frankie flying. The men around him yelled and converged, but two more wolves broke from the trees and attacked. Connor shifted again and went for Victor.

  The big man had managed to loosen Casey’s jeans, but he smiled savagely when he saw Connor coming at him. He left Casey tied to the table and charged at Connor. The two collided in the air, hitting the ground with a nasty thud. Victor punched Connor’s sides. When he grabbed Connor’s mouth, Connor bit him hard. Victor wailed in pain.

  All around him, Connor could hear and feel the fight. His brothers were there, they were taking on three men each, and winning. That was the thing about shifters, they were stronger in a pack, even a small one like this. They fed off each other’s energy.

  Victor attempted to strangle Connor, having pinned the wolf to the ground. But then Connor howled. His brothers stopped long enough to howl with him, and then Connor surged into Victor’s chest, knocking him down. The beast of man’s eyes went wide a moment before Connor sank his fangs into either side of his face. He shook his head, feeling Victor’s face shred in his mouth, his fangs scraping bone, and then there was a crunch as Victor’s neck snapped.

  Everything went quiet.

  Connor licked his lips and left Victor’s body in the sun. Aidan and Liam panted, torn and broken bodies behind them. Liam gave a small bark of joy. Connor worried about him sometimes, too young and too close to the pack, but right now he was glad to have a brother with no qualms about killing humans.

  But, how had they known he was here? Damn it, Casey. She wasn’t on the table anymore; the ropes hung from the table legs. He sniffed the air and felt her fear coming from the kennel. He could smell something else, and the scent made his stomach clench.

  Connor shifted, and his brothers followed suit.

  “She’s in there,” Connor said.

  Aidan glanced at the kennel. “So is Frankie. One word and it’s over.”

  Liam punched his arm. “Come on, brother. Job’s done. Go home and take your punishment like a man.” He winked.

  Connor stared at the kennel. He could leave now and let it be done. The alphas would forgive him for running; he would be punished, but forgiven. If he went in after her, that would be it. His tie to the pack would be done.

  Aidan put a hand on Connor’s arm. “She’s not worth it, brother.”

  Connor stared at the door. “Maybe not, but I can’t let her die like that.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Frankie clamped his sweat and blood-soaked hand tight over Casey’s mouth. The end of his gun jammed against her neck, cold and deadly. She shook, her eyes on the door. It was quiet on the other side. The fight was over, but who had won?

  “Don’t you say a fucking word,” Frankie whispered in her ear.

  She watched as feet blocked the light under the door.

  Silence.

  “You try to get in and she dies, McKinnon,” Frankie yelled, startling Casey. He must have assumed his men had failed. The feet moved, but didn’t leave. Frankie pressed the gun harder into her neck.

  From outside, there was a short, sharp bark.

  Behind them, Casey heard growling.

  Frankie spun, taking her with him, and then they faced six very large fighting dogs, all growling and advancing on her and Frankie. They had barreled into the kennel so fast that neither of them had noticed the dogs’ cages were open.

  Frankie laughed. “You think my dogs will attack me? They fear me!”

  Another ba
rk from outside. One of the dogs inside barked, charging at Casey and Frankie. He yelled at the dog, commanding it so stop, but the dog only went wilder. Frankie backed away, keeping her in front of him.

  “I mean it, McKinnon,” Frankie called, but his voice had lost its edge. “Get the fuck out of here.” He cocked the gun, the sound loud, chilling Casey’s heart.

  The silence that followed stretched too long. Casey thought maybe Connor had decided to leave her behind. And then there was a round of howls, the sound both chilling and beautiful.

  The dogs snarled, moving in for the kill. Frankie yelled commands, but nothing worked as the dogs darted at them, retreated, and darted again. One of the dogs bit Frankie’s leg. He yelled, outraged, and turned the gun on the dog.

  “No!” Casey shouted, grabbing his arm. The gun went off, the bullets lodging into the walls. She and Frankie struggled for the gun. A huge rotti-pittbull lunged at Frankie, his jaws latching onto his gun arm.

  Frankie screamed, terror widening his eyes. The gun clattered to the floor. Casey felt the sharp scrape of fangs on her ankle, and then pain ripped across her shoulder as she was yanked from the kennel, and then landed on the ground.

  Connor slammed the door closed. Frankie screamed, his dogs snarling as they ripped him apart.

  Aidan and Liam shifted into humans, and all three stood before her, naked and decorated with tattoos, some the same, others different. She stared up at them, her gratitude in her eyes. Liam scoffed and left her in the dirt.

  “Five minutes,” Aidan said, and he followed Liam.

  Connor watched them go and then looked at Casey, his gaze cold and urgent. “You have somewhere you can go?”

  She nodded. “My friend’s in—”

  “Don’t. If I don’t know, they can’t get it out of me. Take one of Frankie’s cars and go. Don’t stop until you get there. Don’t call the police. Let Jenny Cartwright die.”