Free Promising Peter (Bad Boy Alphas) (Shrew & Company Book 6) by Holley Trent

ready to hand her over to her brother just yet, or to participate in the clash of fangs and claws that would probably come immediately after, so the best he could tell, he had two choices.
    He could call Soren and see what he suggested, or he could call their father.
    He decided against Soren, figuring his brother was likely near Tamara at the moment, and Tamara was certainly with Bryan. So, he checked the time and called his father. As far as he knew, his father was in Romania, though he moved around so much, keeping track was pointless.
    “You are in deep shit, boy,” his father said in lieu of hello.
    “I see Soren or Tamara have gotten in touch, then.” Peter rolled his eyes and lifted the lid of his cup so he could dump sugar into his coffee.
    “Tamara. Soren is… indisposed .”
    “Meaning what?”
    “Meaning he’s obviously having the same problem as you, but being more closely watched so he doesn’t snatch some woman up and haul her away as if he were a stray dog and she was just a scrap of meat.”
    “What woman?”
    “I don’t know, and specifics don’t matter. Where are you?”
    “That doesn’t matter, either. I have a problem.”
    “ Obviously , you have a problem. Actually, two problems. The first is named Dana Slade-O’Dwyer. You snatched her receptionist. You know how she is about her girls.”
    “Yes, I’m certain she’ll try to castrate me at her earliest convenience.”
    “With no anesthetic. And you’d deserve every second of the pain. You probably already know the second problem.”
    “Bryan.”
    “That’s right. What were you thinking?”
    “Andrea’s my mate.”
    “And?”
    “And I did what I had to do.”
    “You may believe that, and I’m not going to argue with you. I had a long night and am lacking my usual patience.”
    Peter scoffed. “Patient” wouldn’t have been one of the traits he ascribed to the man.
    “Obviously, you’re not calling to inform me of your whereabouts, so what’s wrong? Did you stumble into some county where you have an outstanding warrant out for your arrest?”
    “Whatever. I don’t have any warrants right now.” As far as Peter knew, anyway. Keeping track was hard sometimes. “I called you because there’s something wrong with Andrea.”
    “What’s wrong?”
    “Tell me you’ll be discreet—that you won’t call anyone and say anything.”
    “What’s wrong ?”
    “Promise me first.”
    “You don’t trust me?”
    Peter scoffed again. “I learned most of what I know from you.”
    “So no .”
    “Tell me you won’t talk.”
    “Fine. I won’t call anyone or say anything.”
    “Not even to Mama.”
    “Is the circumstance that dire?”
    “Possibly. I don’t know.” Peter walked to the coffee table in front of the sofa and sat on the edge.
    Andrea had turned her head ever so slightly.
    “Tell me,” Father said. “What is wrong?”
    “I can’t wake her.”
    “What did you do to her?”
    “Nothing!” Peter shouted.
    Not even a flinch from Andrea. She should have heard—should have moved . Her nose might have been bad, but her ears worked just fine. He leaned forward and pressed a hand to her cheek. Warm, at least.
    “When did she fall asleep?” Father asked.
    “Around eleven last night, I suppose. I wasn’t keeping track.”
    “Did you see her fall asleep?”
    “Yes. I was…beside her.”
    “Uh-huh.”
    Peter would have had to have been deaf to have missed his father’s incredulous tone.
    “Or under her. Whatever. Geography doesn’t matter. But she was crying, and I don’t know why.”
    “I could think of some reasons.”
    “I swear she wasn’t afraid. No more than she usually is, anyway. She’s not fighting me.”
    “No?”
    “No. Why do you sound so skeptical?”
    “I’m just making sure. I mean, you’ve never had issues before with getting women to say yes, but obviously this one has created some troubles for you.”
    “No, this woman has not created troubles for me. Tamara and Bryan have.