Page 53 of Fate Awakened

Her eyes widen, surprised by the message before they fall soft at my words, and the face she makes looks exactly like our mother’s. For a moment, I let the pain Pres feels cross through the bond, leaning into the ache in my heart over her loss. One deep breath is all I allow myself to feel. I clear my throat, sealing away my emotions, and continue the meeting.

“Were you able to trace the number?” I ask as a follow-up. She exhales, nodding once before continuing.

“Yes, and no. It was a throw-away number on a burner phone. I was able to ascertain where that phone was purchased, with cash, unfortunately. But the phone type felt familiar, despite it not being a brand we use. All that to say, I did some digging and found where we logged this particular phone type.” Intrigue flashes in her eyes while she takes in the ‘I know something you don’t know’ moment.

“We're waiting,” I say, unamused.

We don’t have time for this.

“The phone was logged under the files from Detroit,” she says the city name with reverence. An audible gasp fills the air as we all remember the joint task force. Seven people survived that raid. Four are sitting at this table. Two are running what’s left of the Detroit Pack. One hasn’t been seen since.

Well fuck.

Cain speaks up before I can.

“No way. There's just no fucking way. He’s been missing for four years! What the hell is Ghost doing in the middle of this?” The rest of the faces at the table mirror the shock I feel. No one has seen him since Detroit. No one has even heard rumors. He disappeared that night exactly like his namesake.

“No idea. But if he's a player, this just got a whole lot bigger. He doesn’t get involved in pack business. If he’s warning us, we need to be ready for anything,” I push back from the table to finalize my orders.

“Jake, I need you to transport Kole. He’ll be ready at eleven fifteen. Pres, make sure those exits are airtight. I don’t want to lose anyone. Erik, ensure all safety protocols on the plane are rechecked before takeoff. Elijah, I need you to review the leadership roster before we make the call. If you know anything about any of them that we can use, now is the time.” I slide the second folder to him. “You have ninety minutes. Dismissed.”

Dante: Cain, stay.

His eyes flash to me at the mind-link message, but he doesn’t move. Trying to read his moods has become increasingly difficult lately. He’s the wild card in this plan, and I need him to know he can’t go rogue on this one.

When the room is clear, I turn my attention to him.

“I need to know that I can trust you out there. I won't sacrifice my pack for you to play the hero. We’re doing this for you. We’re doing this for your Mate, but make no mistake, I do not value her life over the lives of those in this pack.”

“They’re my family too.” he spits out, anger sliding through the words.

“Remember that when she's standing across from you. If this trade goes south, we will lose lives,” I say, adding emphasis. “Don’t make them your fault.”

I pull back from the table, using it to push myself up.

“Let’s go get your girl,” I say as I walk back out of the conference room. I have two meetings before I can pack for the flight. Slipping my phone out of my pocket, I send a single text message to the unknown number.

Dante: I guess legends really don’t die.

Chapter 19

Bri

NeverbeforehadIrealized how slowly time moves when you aren’t running from one thing to another. While I wouldn’t say my life was over-scheduled like Liv’s, there was always somewhere I needed to be. Sitting in a cabin with no technology, completely detached from the outside world, felt like time stood still.

Every attempt to busy myself makes the minutes click more slowly than before. I’ve stared at the ceiling and wandered all over the house along with the area outside. I’ve even taken half an hour to look for Snowball to pass the time. Not that I found him. Time beats the rhythm of a slow march toward my death, and it has my anxiety humming beneath my skin.

The longer I’m here, the more likely someone has noticed my absence and is looking for me.

By now, Liv has to be suspicious. Cain must have tried to get me to talk to him in our Global Business Strategies class that happened this morning. Right now, I should be headed to work. Keith would see that I’m gone.

Someone must miss me.

It’s wishful thinking at best. Our lives get busy, and it's entirely possible I’d skip class to avoid Cain after leaving the other night. I could be sick or have traded shifts at work. Liv could still believe I was living it up with Cain and just not answering her messages. Instead, I’m twenty minutes from being handed over to some guy named Big Tony, who’s just as likely to kill me as sell me.

The sound of the car door shutting outside brings me back to the present. Hudson kicks loose snow off his boots as he walks into the living room, scanning the space until he sees me curled up in a blanket on the far side of the room in an old recliner.

“It’s time,” he says, shoving his hands into the pockets of his worn-in jeans. His tone almost implies he doesn’t want this any more than I do.

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