Page 40 of Wolf

I can’t help but smirk at the thought of them underestimating us. They’ve no idea the level of savagery I’m capable of unleashing.

“My brother is right,” I drawl, leaning forward. “We strike strategically, precisely. Cut off the head, and the body will wither.”

Suarez nods slowly, his beady eyes fixed on me. “You have someone in mind, Matias?”

A sinister grin tugs at my lips as I envision the fear I’ll instill in our enemies. “Leave that to me. I know how to make them suffer.”

The meeting devolves into logistical discussions, but my focus has already shifted. Visions of Kali’s defiant glare and the scent of her skin flood my senses, momentarily drowning out the surrounding voices.

A sharp elbow from Thiago jolts me back to reality. I shoot him a sidelong glance, daring him to challenge me, but he remains impassive, his silent warning clear.

I slump in the rigid chair, feigning interest as the previous bosses of this operation drone on about supply routes and territory disputes. A muscle in my jaw twitches with barely contained impatience. My fingers itch to reach for my phone, to indulge in the twisted compulsion that’s become my sole fixation.

Discreetly, I grab the device from my pocket. The screen lights up with a dozen screens—all monitoring her every move. A flurry of anticipation courses through me as I navigate to the live camera feed from her apartment.

Empty.

My jaw clenches as I take in the neatly made bed in her room and the vacant living room. Where is she? A familiar rage simmers beneath my skin, threatening to boil over. I open the tracking app, allowing the green dot to orient me to her location.

There she is. The cafe on 3rd is just a few blocks from campus. I can picture her now, sipping her insufferable herbal tea, burying her pretty face in one of those bland books she adores. The thought of her out there without me watching over her is almost too much to bear.

A firm hand grips my shoulder, snapping me back to the present. Thiago’s hardened expression offers a silent warning.

I force myself to tune back into the conversation, nodding as if I’d been present the entire time. But my focus is fractured. I zero in on the prospect of her sitting in that dimly lit cafe, unaware I know where she is twenty-four-seven.

As the meeting concludes, I linger behind, allowing the others to file out. Thiago lingers as well, his expression unreadable. And then he begins to speak, but I don’t hear a word because my focus is still on the image of Kali burned into my mind’s eye. The way her hair cascades over her delicate shoulders, the slight furrow in her brow as she pores over another one of her bland novels. A familiar heat coils in my gut, my fingers twitching with the urge to reach out and?—

“Matias.” Thiago’s gruff voice cuts through my reverie, his calloused hand gripping my shoulder with surprising force. “Did you hear a word I just said?”

I shrug off his hold, shooting him a withering glare. “Of course, I heard you, brother. Something about the old regime not being happy?”

He lets out a frustrated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “That’s putting it mildly. These fuckers are on the verge of open revolt if we don’t get our shit together and handle this transition properly. Show them what we’re capable of.”

A harsh bark of laughter escapes my lips as I rise from my chair, unable to contain my amusement at his concerns. “Is that why you’re so worked up? A few disgruntled foot soldiers throwing a temper tantrum?”

Thiago’s expression darkens, his jaw clenching in that telltale way that warns he’s losing his patience. “You think this is a joke, Matias? Need I remind you what it took to get to this point?”

I wave him off, already turning to leave the dank basement behind. “Save your lectures, Thiago. I know what’s at stake here.”

His fingers clamp around my biceps, spinning me back to face him with surprising strength. “Then start acting like it. Your head has been in the clouds ever since?—”

He cuts himself off abruptly, but the unspoken words hang between us—since Kali.

“Don’t start something you can’t finish,” I growl, leaning into his space.

To his credit, Thiago doesn’t flinch, meeting my gaze with an intensity that would have most men cowering. After a tense moment, he releases me with a weary sigh. “Just get your head straight, little brother. We can’t afford any more mistakes, not with the Estradas breathing down our necks.”

I offer him a mock salute as I stride toward the exit, his words fading into white noise. My focus has already shifted, zeroing in on the prospect of Kali’s delicate frame tucked away in that dimly lit cafe, completely oblivious to the depravity about to descend upon her.

I climb into my car and peel out onto the empty street. As I weave through traffic, the streets blur past in a haze, my knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel.

With each passing block, the green dot signifying Kali’s location grows nearer, fueling the primal hunger that courses through my veins.

I pull up to the curb, the tires screeching in protest as I throw the car into the park. My gaze zeroes in on the quaint cafe through the tinted windows, scanning the patrons until I zero in on her familiar silhouette.

There she is. Tucked away in the corner, her delicate features illuminated by the soft glow of the lamp overhead. She’s engrossed in one of her romance books, that cute little crease forming between her brows as she pores over the pages.

A twisted smirk tugs at my lips as I shove open the car door and stride toward the entrance. The bell above the door jingles merrily as I push through, but the sound is drowned out by the pounding of blood in my ears.

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