Page 58 of Fate Awakened

TheflighttotheTruckee Tahoe airport went by much more quickly than I expected. We unloaded our teams and moved the operation into a hotel we confirmed didn’t have Marlo ties. The hotel was just outside a little California town called Truckee, which sits about thirty minutes away from Reno. We bought out the entire place and set up in the main suite.

As I stare out the hotel window, I wonder how close she could be. My wolf paces beneath my skin, wanting to take control and search for her. We know where she was an hour ago.

The main building of Marlo’s official business is Premier Asset Consultants. Stupid place to hold a meeting involving a kidnapped girl, but no one ever said Big Tony had the smarts for the job. My guess? He wanted to be seen as a powerful presence in the office of his title despite it being risky to show off.

Shit, I could be there in thirty minutes.

But could I take out everyone inside without being captured myself? Unlikely.

Arguing with my wolf wears on my self-control. I want exactly what he wants; to go get her. In fact, I just happen to know that all the employees in that building are part of Marlo’s pack.

As an Alpha, I’m a formidable opponent, but they could have dozens of wolves in that building. Not only am I not invincible, but I could be overrun by their sheer numbers. That is if I attempt to rescue her alone.Regardless of how strong a wolf is, a single Alpha is no match for an entire pack.

I need to be patient.

My pack is here to help, and I agreed to wait for the exchange. After listening to Dante’s negotiation with Big Tony, I gave him my word. Hearing her voice, and seeing the photos Pres was able to grab while she kept tabs on all of Marlo's business locations, sparked a fire back inside me. One that helped me hold control over my wolf. She’s alive. She appears unharmed. She’ll be back with me tonight.

Mine.

After the phone call, Pres sent the money to the wallet address we were given. It's a gamble since the crypto we're using is untraceable, and Tony could’ve just cut and run with an extra half a million dollars in his possession. Still, Dante’s threats about an investigation were apparently strong enough to keep him on board with the plan. So far, at least.

Shortly after receiving the information that the Healys were released, we confirmed with Bronson that they made it out of Amato’s territory. He’s kind enough to take them back into his protection until they’re healthy enough to travel to Vegas.

We aren’t sure they want to stay with our pack, especially now that Hudson is no longer a part of it, but they need to get out of Florida. It'll never be safe for them there.

Turning away from the window, I walk into the office area of the suite and find Pres and Dante working with Jake. They're all leaning over the map of Marlo’s territory.

“Flight plans show Deacon leaving Vegas early this morning headed for San Francisco. His pilot added a new flight plan which has him back in town tonight, just before midnight,” Pres finishes.

“That gives us a two-hour window to get the trade done and be wheels up before he's back in Reno,” Dante remarks, pulling on his beard in thought.

“Will there be any cross-over at the airport?” Jake asks, mulling over the contingencies.

“As long as we complete the trade in under forty minutes, we should be gone before he ever lands,” Pres explains.

“Big Tony sent over the location for the switch, and it's about thirty minutes outside of Reno. Jake, can you send a team ahead to scout the area? We have four hours until the meeting, and I need to know everything there is to know about this site. We know he’ll have us outnumbered. I need high ground, several exit strategies, and a way to ensure we aren’t surrounded. If there’s one thing Big Tony is good at, it's fighting, and I don’t need it to come to that.” His eyes slide back to me.

“Anything to add, Cain?” he throws the question out.

“Pres and Mason can’t operate from here. They’ll need to be mobile at the location. We can’t risk losing eyes and ears. Which means we'll have Keith on location as well. Who’s assigned to him?” I ask, turning to Jake.

“Added Ryder to the black team, so Jay,” he answers.

Jay will protect Pres and keep Keith in line.

“We need to be sure wherever Keith is, that he sees and hears nothing,” I comment, looking around to verify everyone understands my meaning.

Humans are forbidden from knowing about us.

It’s one of the few laws established by the LLC that’s strictly regulated and enforced. Anyone who figures out we exist dies. No exceptions. I may not like the guy, but I won’t be responsible for him getting killed.

“Where’s Keith now? Does he know his role?” I ask as I missed that part of this meeting.

“He’s in one of the rooms on this floor, working on his Marlo stuff. Jay’s outside the door, and we removed the phone from the room. His laptop is the only equipment in there, and I’m scanning it for communications; he’s been legit so far. He’s already working on his identity sweep of the Healys, which, honestly, now that we’ve paid for their release, will be useful in giving them a fresh start somewhere with Hudson,” Pres finishes.

A growl escapes my throat at the thought of him, and my eyes shift instantly with my wolf fighting to take charge. Her eyes flash to mine, and she registers the motive behind my wolf's intentions.

Hudson’s mine. My kill.

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