Page 46 of Understanding Fate

At that, she laughs, bringing the fire back into her eyes when she sees its effect on me.

“Careful, Firefly. You wouldn’t want me starting a war with the vampires to keep them from laying a finger, or fang, on you because the only one who will be satisfying your needs is me,” I say, lifting an eyebrow at her in a challenge, and for the first time in days I feel like we are getting back to who we were before Reno.

Now, we just need to stay alive.

Chapter 18

Dante

“Where is she?” Marlo’s voice sounds like gravel over the line.

Well, that didn’t take long.

“Lost her already, have you? Sounds like you’re Father of the Year. How long has it been since she was put into your custody? An hour? Two? I mean, I guess it’s a good thing she’s already grown up because I can’t imagine how she would have survived childhood under your ‘careful’ eye,” I say, allowing my sarcasm to pour out.

“You will return her to me at once, Stone,” he snarls.

“I wish I could help, but I don’t have her. I left directly after the hearing. Important Alpha matters to handle backhome. You understand that, though, right?” I say, enjoying every minute I get to play this game.

“I wonder if you will have such a cavalier attitude when you are kneeling before me to surrender your territory in exchange for your pack members’ lives. You have 24 hours to return her, or I will ensure you have a nice reunion withyourfather, tick-tock…” The line disconnects, and I nearly crack the screen from the pressure of my grasp.

That motherfucker.

Once I release my grip and set the phone on the tray in front of me, I turn to Jess, who is staring at me from the other side of the aisle.

“You good boss?” she asks, forced lightness in her tone.

“Marlo is aware she is missing and believes we have her. Carter,” I say, turning to the seat behind me to look at him. “Can you speak with Yelena and ensure we monitor the area closely? I wouldn’t put it past him to shoot us out of the sky,” I say before returning my gaze to Jess.

“Are you sure you want to return with us to Vegas? You finished your contract months ago, and from the looks of it, we are heading into a battle that has us outmanned and outgunned. I wouldn’t hold it against you if you wanted to go back to your home pack,” I say, hoping she sees the danger ahead.

Her eyes narrow, and her head tilts before she responds.

“Vegas is my home now. This pack is more my family than Boston ever was. Contract or not, I will fight to protect our Second and his Mate." Her tone is serious, and her words carry a sincerity that brings me pride.

We are family.

How many will die in this war? A war my father had been able to avoid for two decades.

Sorry, Dad.

My heart aches as I think of how he brought us together, taking over from Alpha Barton's lack of leadership and making us a united pack. Making sure everyone was included, trained, and cared for. His leadership made us strong, and despite trying to carry on his legacy, I’ve failed him.

I can’t fail them too.

“I will do everything in my power to keep this from coming to that, but it’s nice to know where you stand all the same,” I say before retrieving my phone to call Pres.

“Hey, Boss,” she answers, and I place the call on speaker.

“Any word?” I ask, not elaborating.

“Not since they switched vehicles and left their tech. Everett assured me that the car they are in now has no GPS tracking, but he was sure not to give me any other details, in case…” she answers, and the sound of her typing in the background comes through the line.

“And the LLC?” I ask, knowing from my phone call with Marlo that he is aware she’s gone.

“I don’t see any traffic on that yet, but I will let you know if they release anything,” she replies.

“I need you monitoring anything you can. Have Keith take the public fronts, police, FBI, and local channels. We don’t need a missing person report being the thing that finds them. Those should be safe for him to see,”

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