Alpha Province_Precious Angel

  Alpha Province: Precious Angel

  Kenzie Howard is devastated when her abusive father sells her to a pimp for money, but when she hears the plans for her, she’s terrified. She manages to escape by stealing a car, but doesn’t get far before the pain of being used as a punching bag gets too much.

  Jayson Cannon is horrified at finding his mate unconscious, bruised, and battered in a car on the side of the road just outside of Ambrose, North Dakota. He calls in the doc and his brothers, Jordan and Jenson, to help him get their mate back to his home.

  The three brothers are worried about how they’re going to explain to their mate that they’re panther shifters, but that ends up being the least of their concerns when they have to claim their mate to save her life.

  Just when their relationship is strengthening, danger comes to Ambrose and Kenzie goes missing. Jayson, Jenson, and Jordan hope they aren’t going to be too late to rescue the love of their lives.

  Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Shape-shifter

  Length: 67,464 words

  ALPHA PROVINCE: PRECIOUS

  ANGEL

  Becca Van

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  ALPHA PROVINCE: PRECIOUS ANGEL

  Copyright © 2017 by Becca Van

  ISBN: 978-1-64010-844-8

  First Publication: December 2017

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2017 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

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  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  My name is Becca Van. I live in Australia with my wonderful hubby of many years, as well as my two children.

  I read my first romance, which I found in the school library, at the age of thirteen and haven’t stopped reading them since. It is so wonderful to know that love is still alive and strong when there seems to be so much conflict in the world.

  I dreamed of writing my own book one day but, unfortunately, didn’t follow my dream for many years. But once I started I knew writing was what I wanted to continue doing.

  I love to escape from the world and curl up with a good romance, to see how the characters unfold and conflict is dealt with. I have read many books and love all facets of the romance genre, from historical to erotic romance. I am a sucker for a happy ending.

  For all titles by Becca Van, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/becca-van

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Author

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Epilogue

  Landmarks

  Cover

  ALPHA PROVINCE:

  PRECIOUS ANGEL

  BECCA VAN

  Copyright © 2017

  Prologue

  Kenzie Howard screamed in agony as another kick slammed into her ribs. Tears blurred her vision and even though she was huddled in a ball trying to protect herself from the agony of another boot to her side, it didn’t help.

  She’d done everything for the man currently beating and kicking her as if she was a punching bag, and yet it hadn’t been enough, would never be enough.

  “You’re a fucking cunt of a slut just like your mother was.”

  She’d come home from working in the supermarket hoping and praying that he would still be out with his buddies or in bed asleep in an alcoholic stupor. She’d been hoping to sneak into the house and creep to her room where she would be safe behind the locked door, but he’d been sitting at the kitchen table drinking and staring at the clock. He’d been drinking more and more and hanging out with bad men.

  She had no idea what he was mixed up in, but there was no way she was hanging around anymore. She’d promised her mom on her deathbed to look after her dad, but she couldn’t take another beating, that’s if she survived the current one.

  Her father had become an evil monster.

  The next kick was so hard something cracked. The searing pain was so excruciating she couldn’t even make a sound. Her arms were up around her head, but they ended up around her ribs as agony ripped into her side. She was in so much pain, she couldn’t even take a breath. Finally, when she was able to draw in a small gasp of air, the pain in her ribs intensified and the tears flowed faster.

  “You were supposed to be a fucking boy, bitch.” Her father roared with fury and kicked her again. There was so much hate in his eyes, and yet she’d stupidly done everything she could to win his love. He used to be so different, but her mom’s death had destroyed him. However, he’d hardly ever looked her way and Kenzie began to suspect that he wasn’t her real father. She had none of his features or coloring. In fact, the man her mom had married had black hair and brown eyes. Her mother had been auburn haired with green eyes, and although Kenzie’s nose and eyes were nearly the same shape her mothers had been, they were the only similarities. The more he beat her the more she suspected she was right. Her father always spouted profanities and cursed her deceased mother, too. The first time he’d done that, she’d been so angry she’d trembled with fury. She’d shouted back at him and he’d hit her so hard across the face, her feet had left the floor and she’d slammed into the wall behind her.

  She’d put her own life on hold to make sure the house they lived in remained theirs. She’d worked two or more jobs to make ends meet, to pay the rent and the bills and for the food they ate. She’d cooked, cleaned, washed and ironed his clothes, getting no more than four hours sleep, only to get up and start all over again.

  But for what?

  He’d never once told her he loved her. The day her mother had died had been the day her father turned his hate-filled gaze on her. Her life had been a living hell for the last ten years, but Kenzie had had enough.

  If she survived this night, it would be the last time her father ever laid a hand or foot on her.

  “If I’d known you were a fucking girl I would never have married your slut of a mother. I’m going to make a lot of money off you. You’re going to pay me back for all the years I’ve had to look at your ugly face,” he yelled so close to her ear, her eardrum reverberated with pain. “I know you’ve been holding out on me, girl. You think I haven’t seen you making cow eyes at that little shit you work with? How many times have you let him fuck you? How many boys have
stuck their cocks in your cunt?”

  She whimpered when he grabbed a handful of hair and shook her head back and forth like a rabid dog on a killing rampage. The muscles in her neck wrenched, causing her to moan with pain, but when he lifted her to her feet by her hair, she screamed as her tortured ribs protested. She swore she felt the fractured bones move.

  A slap landed on her cheek and the afterburn seared into her skin.

  “How many, slut?”

  Kenzie opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out. He roared with anger, spittle hitting her cheek as he shook her some more. There wasn’t a part of her body that wasn’t bruised or hurting. She had no idea how long he’d been beating her for this time—it could have been minutes, but it felt like hours. Closing her eyes, she tried to remove herself from the torment, the suffering cruelty at the hands of a man who was supposed to love her.

  She prayed the next blow would kill her and end her anguished agony and she’d finally find peace.

  She didn’t see the blow coming but the hard punch to her head was too much. Darkness invaded her mind and this time instead of trying to keep it at bay, she embraced it.

  * * * *

  When Kenzie tried to open her eyes, she couldn’t. It took her a few minutes to work out that her face was so enflamed and bruised, her eyes were swollen shut. Her head was throbbing so bad she felt sick to her stomach and each shallow breath she took sent agony ripping into her side and lungs. She moaned as she rolled onto her other side and whimpered when her bare feet connected with something solid. There was a familiar droning sound in her ears, one she’d heard before, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint it. And then it hit her.

  It was the sound of tires on a road. The surface beneath her was hard and she was so cold she was shivering. She didn’t want to move again, but she needed to work out where she was and who was with her. After inhaling another shallow breath, she bit her lip and tensed her muscles, trying to mentally brace for the pain she knew was coming. She leveraged up onto her elbow and cried out when her head hit something solid. She clutched at her throbbing skull and whimpered as she flopped back onto the hard floor.

  Kenzie started to shake when she realized she was in the trunk of a car. No wonder she was so cold. Her arms and legs were bare, as were her feet. She had no idea where her shoes were, but she was too tired to care. Winter was over, and spring had arrived, but the nights were cold and there was still snow on the ground in places. She now wished she hadn’t taken her sweater off the moment she’d entered the house after she finished her shift at the supermarket. She also wished she’d worn her normal pair of jeans instead of the skirt she’d chosen.

  She’d foolishly been trying to catch the eye of the young man who came in to stock shelves, hoping he’d ask her out on a date and eventually take her away from all the abuse her father had dished out.

  They’d been foolish childish dreams. Tears welled and rolled down her face.

  Her father didn’t own a car, nor did she. There hadn’t been enough money for such luxuries. Had he hired someone to take her away and kill her? Had he called one of his drunk friends to get rid of her?

  Kenzie tried to stifle the sobs ripping up from her aching chest, but there was so much pain in her heart, it wouldn’t be quelled. Each time her body shook, searing agony shot through her until she was so light-headed she reached for the darkness again. A sigh of relief escaping her parted lips just before she passed out.

  * * * *

  She woke to silence. There was no more sound of tires droning on asphalt. She whimpered with pain as she rolled from her uninjured side to her back and tried to stretch her cramped legs out as far as she could. When her feet didn’t connect with anything, she sighed with relief as her cramped muscles lengthened when she extended her legs. Slow awareness returned, and she realized she was no longer lying on the cold hard floor in a car trunk, but on something soft. She forced her swollen lids up and surreptitiously gazed about from under her lowered lashes. She was in a huge, cavernous room of what looked like a warehouse, and she was alone.

  After listening intently, she slowly eased back onto her side and pulled her legs up toward her chest. She stopped all movement when her ribs burned and throbbed, and sucked in small amounts of air. She didn’t notice her eyes were closed until she heard the distant murmur of voices and footsteps heading her way, and while she wanted to see who was coming toward her, she kept her eyes shut. She didn’t want them to know she was awake.

  “What are we going to do with the girl?” An accented male voice asked.

  “Leave her. I doubt she’ll be any trouble,” another man with a gravelly voice, replied. “Who beat her? It’s a wonder she’s still breathing.”

  “The bastard posing as her father did,” Accent Voice answered.

  “Fuck, what a prick,” Gravelly Voice said, before asking, “How did you end up with her?”

  “Said he hated her guts and wanted to sell her. He married the bitch’s mother when she got pregnant by some other sap who took off. He was hoping to get a son from the slut, but ended up with a girl instead.” Accent Voice sighed. “It’s going to take weeks before she heals enough for me to put her to work.”

  “I’ll bet she’s a looker. All that blonde hair is amazing,” Gravelly Voice said.

  “She is, or was. I saw her when I went to the supermarket in Bismarck, a few weeks back. I planted the suggestion to the bastard father about using her to pay off his debts.”

  “Good idea. When she’s recovered she’s going to be popular with our clients. Will you let me train her?” Gravelly Voice asked.

  “No,” Accent Voice snarled. “She’s mine. When I’ve tired of the use of her body, I’ll put her to work to regain the money that motherfucker owes me.”

  Gravelly Voice laughed. “She’s going to make you a shit load of cash with that body. Our clients are going to be fighting over who’s going to fuck her first.”

  Accent Voice chuckled. “Yeah, they will. Maybe I’ll sell her instead.”

  “You’d make more by doing that. There’s a Triad leader expected to arrive in Minot tomorrow morning,” Gravelly Voice said. “I have a contact in the organization. If you want, I can take a picture and send it to him. I’m sure his boss would love to add a sexy blonde to his collection. He’s already obtained a red-head, brunette, and a few other women. Apparently, he’s obsessed with acquiring a blonde. She’d be right up his alley and he’ll pay big bucks to acquire his final piece.”

  “How much do you think he’d pay?” Accent Voice asked.

  “In excess of five hundred K.”

  “Why? He could get one of his men to snatch any woman he wanted off the street.”

  “He likes to stay as close to the parameters of the law as he can. He doesn’t want the law nosing around his business,” Gravelly Voice explained. “He’s built up a reputation for being a savvy, legitimate businessman. All his other deals are done by his men, so he can’t be implicated.

  “From what I’ve gathered, Lei’s old man has strict moral values and if he got wind of what his son was up to, the shit would hit the fan. He’d likely disown his son for bringing shame to his family’s good name. The father is a big deal back in China, someone with political clout.”

  “Take the picture,” Accent Voice said. “The shipment is supposed to arrive in a few minutes. I want all the men ready. We don’t want any of those women drawing attention to this place. They need to be gagged and cuffed, so they can’t scream or get away.”

  “They’re already out back waiting, boss. You have no need to worry,” Gravelly Voice said. “What do you want me to do with this one?”

  “Leave her. I don’t think she’ll be waking up anytime soon and if she does, she’s too injured to get far. I’m heading to the office for that call I’m expecting. You go and deal with the women and tell those horny bastards to keep their hands to themselves and their dicks in their pants. The only way they’ll be getting a taste of the merchandise is if they pay
for it.”

  Kenzie lifted her lids until she could see through the narrow slits and sighed with relief when she saw the men disappear from sight. She was so scared she was trembling, or maybe the quaking was a combination of pain, fear, and cold. She wasn’t sure how she felt about finding out the man she knew as her father wasn’t related to her by blood. It was a relief after the way he’d treated her, but also a shock.

  However, it didn’t matter right now. She could deal with that later.

  She was alone in the large warehouse for the moment but from what she’d overheard, she wouldn’t be alone for long. This might be her only chance at escaping and she wasn’t about to let the agony searing her body or the terror causing her to tremble, stop her from trying.

  She’d rather die from a bullet in her back than have her body used against her will, or be bought and sold like a commodity.

  Her teeth bit into her lip as she rolled over onto her hands and knees. She was panting heavily and sweating up a storm as pain wracked her body, but she didn’t have time to wallow. She dug her teeth deeper into her lip and shoved up to her feet. Her head throbbed, and she swayed on her feet dizzily, trying to keep her breathing fast and shallow so as not to cause her aching ribs to protest. She turned in a circle, gazing about, and her heart flipped in her chest when she saw light coming from what she assumed was an office where Accent Voice was going to be making or taking his phone call. There was a door that was ajar on the opposite side of the warehouse, not far from the entrance to the office, and she guessed Gravelly Voice had exited through it. She turned again and took a hesitant step toward another closed door on the far side to where the office was, hoping that it wasn’t locked or squeaked from disuse. Another step followed the first and then another and another, until she was finally close enough to reach out for the door handle. She held her breath and tugged on the handle, glancing back over her shoulder toward the office and the ajar door, and pulled it open.