Page 23 of We Will Rise

“Thank you,” I say calmly. Even if everyone else in the room says no, what has already been offered should give us the manpower we need, provided what little intel we have is accurate.

“Much like Hayes, my brother, enforcer, and I can be here when you need us, but we’re a little thin at the moment,” Gabriel offers, his voice gruff with irritation.

“It’s just my brothers and me, but it’s rare we’re all on assignments at the same time. When you need us, we’ll send whoever is free, but we don’t want any part in active fighting. We can kill who you want, but I won’t risk fucking up our operation by getting in a fight that isn’t ours.” Bennett nods at Crew.

“Understandable.”

Beckham sighs as he takes in each of the men in the room. He’s the wildcard at the table. While he is our ally and we have helped him a time or two, we weren’t holding our breath on him helping us, especially with how tense things are in San Francisco at the moment. “Fine. If things are okay in my city when you call, I’ll mobilize with a few of my men.”

Camilla’s shoulders drop ever so slightly as relief washes over her. “Thank you. We appreciate everything you’re doing for our family.”

A smile tugs at the corners of my lips as I allow my mask to drop. It’s the first time she’s acknowledging us as a family, even if the rest of us have known it for longer than we’re willing to admit.

I glance at my father who looks just as pleased with Camilla’s slipup.

For the first time since Caleb rose from the dead and started trying to take us out, I feel like I can breathe.

We’re going to be okay.

I know it.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CREW

If I could keep Camilla confined within the four walls of the compound, I would. But part of what I love about the little menace is her independence, so it’s not a viable option, no matter how badly I’d love to do exactly that.

She’s also our best chance of drawing out Caleb, which is how we find ourselves here.

It’s been a few days since our meeting with our allies, and we’ve had the Saint James and Russo men descend upon the city.

There’s a good chance Caleb is expecting us to call on our allies, but there’s no way for him to know which of our relationships are strongest, and even with the help of Davenport, it’s unlikely he’d be able to monitor who is coming and going within the city.

Camilla sits at an outdoor table at a restaurant not far from Hills Global. She’s wearing dark sunglasses to mask her grief that no longer exists and a black sundress that gives her just the right amount of cleavage for our plan to work.

Her assistant had a potential investor reach out earlier this week to set up the meeting, which we immediately connected to Davenport, but we decided to allow the meeting to go ahead anyway. They’ve constantly underestimated Camilla, and we want to see if they’re going to continue to do so.

I’m parked across the street in a sedan, while Bishop and Kaos are within the restaurant, keeping an eye on everyone that comes and goes.

Much to his dismay, Kovu is back at the compound with nothing to do, which is dangerous in itself, but we couldn’t risk him being seen yet. We need him to remain dead for a while longer to make Caleb believe we’re weakened.

Camilla brings her wine glass to her lips and takes a generous drink. I’m surprised the waitress gave her the alcohol to begin with, but money and a well-known name make little things like drinking ages irrelevant.

A blacked-out SUV passes me, and I lean back farther in my seat. I’m wearing a pair of combat cargos and a black T-shirt, a far cry from my usual suit and tie, paired with a baseball cap and dark glasses. It makes it obvious what I’m doing, but that’s the point. We don’t care if they make me, as long as they don’t notice Kaos and Bishop inside.

Camilla checks the time on her watch and leans back in the wicker chair, shifting slightly to get more comfortable. The late spring sun illuminates her silky skin, making me crave her even more than I already was. She’s so fucking beautiful I don’t think there will ever be a day I don’t want to bend her over the nearest surface and fill her with my cum. Hell, I wanted to do just that before we left because apparently my possessive nature fucking loves when she smells like me while talking to other men, but she shut down the idea before I could make it happen.

My phone buzzes, and I check the notification immediately.

Bishop: They’ve just come through the back door.

Crew: Did they make you?

Bishop: No. They didn’t even look. They must have seen you out front and assumed you were the only one here.

Kaos: Idiots.

I chuckle to myself and drop the phone on the seat beside me. If they make a move on her, I’m the one that needs to intercept them first, meaning I need to have my hands free.

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