Page 19 of Wanted By the Cartel

Power rolled off me in waves, making even Viktor shift uncomfortably. I knew he wasn't to blame. After all, he was with me before the incident happened.

The wolf in me wanted blood, wanted to tear apart everyone until I found the traitor. But I needed to be smarter than that. Lyrian and our children deserved better than blind rage.

"I want names," I continued, placing my bloodied hands on the table. "I want to know every person who's had access to information about Lyrian's movements. Every guard, every informant, every cleaning staff member. Everyone."

"Sir," Marcus, my intelligence chief, stepped forward with a tablet. "I've already compiled the list. Seventy-three individuals had varying degrees of access to Mr. Larimar's schedule or location data."

Mr. Larimar… The last name would soon change, but it wasn't important right now.

"Narrow it down. Who knew about the pregnancy?"

"Twelve, excluding this room."

I nodded. "Those twelve don't see morning unless they can prove their innocence. Viktor, handle it personally."

Most weren't going to find that fair, but I didn't care. Lyrian's life was at stake.

"Already in progress," Viktor replied. He understood the gravity of the situation. "We've contained eleven. One is missing—James Cooper, junior security coordinator."

The name slammed into place. Cooper. New money, ambitious, had been pushing for more responsibility. I should have seen it sooner.

"Find him," I ordered, letting my alpha power flood the room. "But first, we're implementing Protocol Zero."

A collective intake of breath followed my words. Protocol Zero hadn't been used since I took control of the cartel. It meant complete lockdown, total reorganization, and brutal efficiency.

"Sir," Viktor cautioned, "that will disrupt all our operations. Our partners—"

"Will deal with it," I cut him off. "Anyone who objects can take their business elsewhere. My mate and children come first. Always."

I pulled up the city map on the main display, marking key points with quick gestures.

"I want our territory split into four zones, each with its own security detail reporting directly to Viktor. No information passes between zones without my personal authorization. All electronic communications are to be routed through our new encrypted system."

Marcus typed with his usual efficiency, implementing the changes in real-time. "What about our legitimate businesses?"

"Shut them down for now. Anything that can't be closed gets new staff—people we've vetted personally. No one who had any previous contact with Lyrian stays in position."

"The economic impact—" someone started to protest.

I didn't care about that, and he should already know.

I slammed my hand down, cracking the solid oak table. "I don't care if we lose every penny. Money can be replaced. My family cannot."

The room fell silent again. They were starting to understand that this wasn't just business anymore. This was personal.

I was putting my family above the business, but I didn't care. If they wanted things to be different, they'd have to take me out. However, none of them would ever try something like that.

"Viktor, I want our best trackers finding Cooper. When you locate him, don't move in. Call me. I'll handle him myself."

"Yes, sir."

"Marcus, activate our sleeper agents in every major institution—police, hospitals, city hall. I want to know if anyone so much as whispers the name Larimar or Lunar Harvester."

"What about Mae?" Viktor asked. "She's essential for the pregnancy, but her clinic is outside our usual territory."

I'd already considered this. Nothing could happen without my knowledge.

"Her clinic closes tomorrow. She moves into the compound's east wing. Full protection, full salary, whatever she needs. My children will have the best care possible."

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