Page 55 of Fate Awakened

Behind me stand two guards, both look to be around Hudson’s age and size, though neither is anywhere near as attractive with their unkempt hair and grimacing resting bitch faces.

As I turn back to the front, my eyes lift from the desk to find an enormous man smoking a cigar in an oversized chair.

Hello, Big Tony.

Generally, when someone is called ‘big’ something, it's ironic because they’re small or old, but the man sitting here lives up to his name. He’s got to be close to seven feet tall and over three-hundred pounds. Not to say the man is out of shape because he isn’t. His bicep looks about the size of my thigh, and for the first time, I understand why Hudson was so keen on me not talking.

Tony sits there quietly assessing me, and I can almost feel his eyes as they slide over my body.

“This little human’s a touch old for my taste, but I imagine we could find a use for her, can’t we boys,” he says, as a dark chuckle rumbles out of his oversized barrel chest. My jaw clenches, and my stomach turns at the insinuation, but I refuse to act like I’m weak, so I hold his stare. His eyes squint as he holds my gaze, and I see his jaw clamp down before I feel the tingling slide over my skin like static electricity, similar to the showdown with Ghost and Hudson at the cabin, but I don’t look away.

I’m no one's victim.

“You misunderstand,” Hudson interrupts our staring contest after a moment. “She’s leverage, not a plaything.”

Big Tony lifts his eyebrow before breaking our eye contact and turning his attention to Hudson.

“How?” the one word reverberates off the walls of the room as my palms begin to sweat. I try pulling against the zip ties now that the focus has moved away from me for the moment.

“She belongs to the Vegas Pack Second, Cain,” he states, and it takes everything in me not to spit back that I don’t belong to anyone.

I belong to me.

“Hardly seems worthy of being called ‘leverage'. She may be nice to look at, but she’s just another human girl in, what I’d assume, is a laundry list of females Cain uses for pleasure. She doesn’t equal the million-dollar debt your father owes Alpha Amato.”

“I betrayed my pack to give you information on the software transport that you successfully stole. That act alone is worth the trade. I brought her as an added incentive. It's not my fault your team couldn’t hold onto the merchandise,” Hudson replies, no longer holding in his anger.

A growl from one of the men behind me has the hair on the back of my neck standing. I take a second to survey the desk, looking for a letter opener or scissors—anything I can use to get out of these ties if a fight breaks out.

“You will remember your place. You have no rights here. You’re a rogue in our territory because we’ve allowed it, but make no mistake, we will end your stay if you speak to me in that tone again.” Tony is nearly snarling by the end, and the electricity is back. Hudson drops his eyes to the floor, no longer fuming in anger as I slide my eyes between the two men trying to keep up with the conversation happening in front of me.

They’re talking in a weird code that makes little sense to me, but one thing is clear, Hudson is at Big Tony's mercy. His word will determine if his parents get released or if he gets out of this.

The intercom on the phone beeps once, bringing the standoff to a close, and Big Tony rolls out his shoulders before pressing it.

“Yes, Mindy,” he says, his voice still gruff.

The woman's voice from the front comes out of the speaker for the room to hear.

“I know you told me not to disturb you, but there’s an Alpha on the phone for you.” I can hear the smacking of her gum as she speaks.

“Which Alpha?” he asks, slowly leaning back in the chair and bringing his fingers to his lips as if he’s trying to guess before she speaks again.

“Vegas,” she says the word, and my heart leaps into my chest.

Hudson said Dante ran Vegas. Maybe this call was about me.

I bite my lip to keep myself from smiling as hope fills my chest, and I let myself believe for just a moment that this may be my ticket out of here.

“Send him through,” he commands, and the phone beeps again.

I expect him to speak, but he doesn’t. He simply waits as ambient noise comes across the line. The seconds drag on, feeling far longer than they really are, before he finally begins.

“Stone.” The word rolls out of his mouth like poison he could physically taste, and at that exact moment, I know the bad blood between these two groups runs deep.

“Antonio,” Dante’s voice replies, equally full of distaste.

“Thought I might be hearing from you,” Tony says, leaving his comment vague.

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