Page 16 of Understanding Fate

“Anyone know what his deal is with her?” Jake asks.

All eyes turn to me, and I shake my head. Bri said very little about her interactions with Ghost. I assume he helped because she landed on his doorstep, but having him linked to her a second time does seem curious.

“Is he planning to fulfill the contract?” I ask Dante, knowing Ghost usually steers clear of kidnapping, especially as it ties to women. He mentioned his sister to us exactly once as we prepared for the undercover mission in Detroit. Her death changed him.

He wouldn’t do this. He doesn’t take women.

“His message doesn’t say anything about the contract. It says she’s safe and that he will ensure she makes it home,” Dante answers, eyeing me before adding on. “However, Brielle spoke to me about Ghost when she returned. She didn’t know about his gift; as far as I know, she still doesn’t, but he told her she was the key to winning the war. Said that she was the deliverance our world needs.”

For a moment, no one speaks as we process this new piece of information, and every part of me wants to yell at him for not revealing that little tidbit earlier.

We don’t keep things from each other, especially things about my Mate.

“So he’s protecting her?” Jake asks, questions swimming behind his eyes.

“It would appear so,” Dante says, his gaze still pinned on me as he gages my reaction.

“Does she know about the contract?” I ask, keeping the anger from entering my voice and trying to be logical.

Dante taps a message into his phone and waits.

Pres interrupts our silence.

“While we wait on that, you should know our girl didn’t change any of her login information post kidnapping, well, the last kidnapping. Anyway, even though we no longer have her under surveillance, I still have access to her emails and calendar. She has meetings for the next two days at Boston Digital. Then she booked a day trip to Martha’s Vineyard on Saturday and a bus tour for Sunday morning before her flight out that night. If she isn’t changing her plans, we know where she will be. We can get that information to Carter so he can reestablish his tail, and it would allow us to send another team in to help protect her,” Pres finishes, looking at me with a nod.

Dante’s phone vibrates again, and we wait to hear the news.

“She’s aware of the contract. He tried to convince her to go home, but she’s staying for her meetings,” Dante relays. “Jake, take Jess in the Gulfstream. Yelena can be wheels up in an hour,” Dante orders.

“I’m going,” I interject, knowing he won’t be happy but not giving a damn. “Her safety is the only thing that matters to me, and this contract changes things,” I state, not leaving room for argument.

Dante purses his lips, bringing his hand to his beard as he considers it, and turns our conversation private by sending me a mind-link message.

Dante: She specifically asked you to give her space.

Cain: That was before she had a kidnapping contract, and Jett and Dimitri after her.

Dante: She’s protected by arguably the best bodyguard I could give her outside of you, and we’re sending additional resources as backup.

Cain: I need to know she’s safe. I need to be there. Please don’t fight me on this.

I send the last mind-link, begging him not to force me into a corner. Hoping he understands I don’t have a choice.

“Fine. Cain will go with Jess. Carter, Nyxon, and the twins will be rotating shifts with you, so she is always guarded. Pres, I want updates on the contract and anything else you hear. The LLC is pushing for a full investigation. We need her back in our territory as soon as possible so I can brief her on what that may mean. They’ve already requested to question her. I’ve been stalling, knowing she’s trying to decide what she wants.”

My eyebrows fly up at his admission.

They want to speak with her? I mean, of course they do, but why didn’t he tell me? Dante answers my question before I can even ask.

“We just received word tonight. Doug Martin isn’t backing down. They’ve requested her for an in-person interview. That’s the other reason for the meeting tonight.”

“How long do we have?” I ask, knowing the LLC isn’t known for its patience.

“He said she needs to be in his office Monday morning,” Dante responds.

“And if she isn’t?” Erik asks the question flying through all of our minds.

“Then they will side with Deacon’s complaint and use any means necessary to return her to his territory and supervision.”

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