Page 189 of Knot my First Rodeo

"When we get home, every prospect gets questioned," Gears growls through clenched teeth.

Then Acid's mouth curves. "After we deal with this one."

Briggs exhales and turns toward Autumn. "You don't need to see him again. I'll go sit with you in the house."

Autumn's shoulders loosen slightly.

"No." That single word from Gidge cuts through everything.

"No?" Autumn blinks.

Gidge shakes her head. "No." The redhead steps forward. "You are not hiding in that house." Gidge points toward the shed. "That asshole followed you across the country. He watched you. He stalked you. He put his hands on you."

Gidge stops directly in front of Autumn.

"You know what men like him count on?"

Autumn doesn't answer.

"They count on fear, they count on women hiding. They count on women being too scared to look them in the eye."

Autumn swallows.

"Maybe you're scared." Gidge offers her a small smile. "Maybe your hands shake, and your stomach hurts. But you walk into that shed anyway. You look that coward in the eye, and let him see exactly what he failed to take from you."

The words settle over all of us.

Hunter looks toward his sister, then toward the shed and back again.

Gidge reaches out and squeezes Autumn's shoulder.

"You're a powerful fucking omega, Scrappy. Act like it."

Autumn lifts her chin and starts walking toward the shed.

Chapter

Fifty-Five

Autumn

Hunter opens the door and steps inside first, followed by me and my guys.

Peter's head snaps up. For one sickening second, his whole face transforms—relief flooding those hollow eyes, lips twitching into something that might've been a smile if he still remembered how. The ropes creak as he strains forward.

"Hunter. Thank fuck." His voice cracks. "Tell these idiots to untie me."

Hunter doesn't move. He just stands there, silhouetted against the weak light bleeding through the doorway. I feel one of my alphas’ arms tighten around me, his body pressing closer, and I know—even before Peter opens his mouth again—that this is going to get so much worse before it ends.

"I found her." Peter's words tumble out faster now, desperate and giddy. "I brought your sister home."

Silence.

My breath catches in my throat because he means it. There's no doubt in his voice, no shame, no wavering. He genuinely believes he did something right.

"She doesn't know what's good for her." Peter's gaze slides past Hunter, searching for me. "She's confused. I can fix it."

Fix it.