Page 83 of Understanding Fate

She sends directly into my mind.

How?

Cain: I’m not sure we can. If we join them, the LLC will come for me, bringing even more problems.

Bri: We can’t let the pack sacrifice themselves for us if we won’t even show up to protect them.

Cain: I understand that. I don’t want anyone dying for me.

Bri: Can we talk to the LLC? Can we go to them directly to plead our case? We’re Mates; you said that matters to them. Maybe they will understand and change the ruling. Then Marlo won’t have a reason to attack. Or if he does, at least we will have allies to fight with.

I’m unsure when the conversation went from speaking to mind-link, but the transition was so smooth that I didn’t even notice we’d changed.

Her idea isn’t bad. Going straight back there and revealing the Mate Marks proves her right to be with me. They couldn’t ignore it if it were in front of them.

“You want to turn ourselves in to the LLC without knowing the consequences?” I ask, pride filling me at her resilience. Her willingness to do what’s right. Her belief in justice.

“If it can save the pack from war, I think it’s our only choice. I don’t want to spend my life running. Not anymore,” she says, pushing her now empty plate away from her. I’m not sure when she ate it, but her sandwich is gone, and she stands waiting for my answer.

“I will run with you to the ends of the Earth, or I will stand by your side and fight until my last breath. My choice will always be you, Firefly. So, if you want to take on the LLC, we can leave tonight,” I say, meaning every word.

“My whole life has been about running away from the pain. I need that pain to mean something. Not only that, I want to start causing some,” she says, grabbing the discarded plate and walking to the kitchen.

“Then we fight back. We take our power back. We protect what’s ours,” I reply, understanding that the LLC won’t changetheir minds easily, but knowing if anyone can make them see reason, it’s her.

Ready or not… here we go…

Chapter 34

Dante

“What are the chances they have this new drug?” Erik asks Presley.

“Honestly, there is no way to know for sure, but the Healys were in Florida two months ago, and it was already being pushed to the enforcers there. It's likely been shopped around to the packs, and we aren’t seeing much traffic on it because of the supply chain. It's not dealer to user. It’s pack leadership to pack leadership. They don’t need to advertise when full packs are their target audience,” she says, switching the slide in her presentation.

“But how come this is the first we are hearing of it?” Elijah asks, voicing the same question I have.

Why is this available right now when we might be going to war?

“Again, we don’t know, but if I were to venture a guess, they don’t have an unlimited supply. If they can’t make large quantities, they would prioritize the conversations they would have selling it. But that's a guess. Every other drug I see on their sites, I’ve been hearing about for years. This one is brand new. So new, local dealers have no idea about it,” she says, her eyes flashing to mine.

Dante: Local dealers? Please tell me you haven’t been talking to drug dealers…

Pres: How am I supposed to get information about drugs without talking to people in that world? Stop worrying; it was all handled online, so I covered my tracks. I just needed to know what they know.

Dante: Fuck, Pres, you are supposed to do virtual research, not communicate with the thugs of that world.

Pres: I don’t know if you know this, but most criminals don’t like to post about their illegal activities. Vanishing discussion boards are a safe space to talk shop for them. At least I didn’t meet anyone in real life.

“Can we share with the class?” Erik says, humor in his voice as he tries to pull us out of our mind-link argument.

“Dante’s mad I reached out to dealers. It was unavoidable. Anyway, I have the first team heading out after this meeting to place grids one through eight. The goal is to be done by sunrise. Thank you for the additional team members. I think we can make them work,” Pres says to him before sitting down and turning the meeting back to me.

“Grids one through eight cover the area immediately surrounding the north end of the I-15?” I ask, confirming I’m reading her map correctly, and she nods. “Do we have teamswatching over those areas as the sensors are placed?” I continue turning the question to Erik.

“Jake established two teams to assist with security and placement. My teams will be further out, ensuring no interference. We should be covered with shifts for the next forty-eight hours. Then it will get dicey as the sensors cover more area,” he replies.

“We should have reinforcements about then, so hopefully, the timing works out. New Mexico is sending four hundred to start and another four at the end of the weekend. We just need to make it until then.” I state, knowing it still might not be enough.

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