Page 20 of Wilde and Deadly

The words settled over the room, leaving a charged silence in their wake. He could practically hear the gears turning in his team’s heads, processing the seriousness of the threat. He opened his mouth to continue—to outline their next steps, lay out the plan—but before he could speak again, the elevator doors slid open, drawing everyone’s attention.

Cade strode into the room, and instantly, tension thickened like a storm about to break. Everyone knew Cade’s resentment simmered beneath the surface. After years preparing to lead Wilde Security, their uncles had handed the reins to Davey instead, and Cade had punched him at Christmas when he found out.

“Failed again?” Cade’s voice was cold, each word deliberate. “How many more resources are you going to waste before you admit you’re not up to this task?”

Davey crossed his arms. “Didn’t ask for your opinion, Cade.”

“You don’t need to ask. This is family business, and your incompetence affects all of us.”

“You want to talk about incompetence?” Davey’s voice was low, dangerous. “Then let’s revisit Belgrade.”

Cade took a step closer, and his fists balled at his sides as if he were considering throwing another punch. “That has nothing to do with your inability to bring in one woman.”

Luka stiffened, ears pricking forward, eyes locked on Cade like he was assessing a threat.

Davey felt the tension ripple through the dog’s body and reached down, brushing his fingers over the Malinois’s collar in a silent command to stand down.

Luka relaxed but still kept his eyes glued to Cade.

“She’s not just ‘one woman,’ and you know it. Rowan’s been trained by the best. She knows our tactics, our tech. She’s?—”

“Special?” Cade interrupted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Yes, we’ve all heard how ‘special’ she is. But the fact remains, she’s a threat to our reputation if you don’t bring her in. Time to hand her off to someone who isn’t constantly sidetracked by a nice ass.”

The words hit with all the cold calculation of a sniper’s bullet. Davey could feel the eyes of everyone in the room boring into him. This wasn’t just a verbal sparring match; this was Cade laying down the gauntlet, a public challenge to his leadership. His pulse thudded in his ears, a mix of anger and the crushing weight of responsibility. Cade’s words cut deep because they echoed his own insecurities—the nagging fear that maybe he wasn’t enough, that maybe Cade was right. But he couldn’t let those doubts show. Any show of weakness would only bolster Cade’s twisted sense of superiority. The guy had been waiting for this moment—waiting for him to fail so he could swoop in and claim what he thought was rightfully his.

“What, someone like you?”

Cade’s eyes narrowed, a muscle twitching in his jaw. “Face it. She’s got you wrapped around her little finger. Every time you get close, she bats those pretty eyes, and you falter. It’s pathetic.”

“You want to talk pathetic? How about spending years sulking because you never get Daddy’s approval? You’re forever living in the shadow of your hero younger brother.” As soon as the words left his tongue, he knew he’d gone too far.

Brennan’s death was not something the family spoke about.

Ever.

Silence fell like a bomb…

Until Sabin let out a low whistle and kicked back in his chair, planting his boots on the corner of his desk. “Ooh, this is gettin’ spicy.”

“Sabin, how about you don’t fan the flames?” Elliot muttered.

Cade ignored them. His expression was a mask of fury, his jaw clenched so tight a muscle ticked near his temple. He jabbed a finger at Davey’s chest. “Don’t you dare bring Brennan into this.”

Shame burned through him. He’d be furious, too, if their roles were reversed, but he couldn’t back down now. Letting Cade win this confrontation would only set him up for more challenges in the future. “Then don’t question my ability to do my job. I’ll bring Rowan in. My way.”

He turned away, intending to end the argument, but Cade’s next words stopped him mid-step.

“Careful, Davey. Just because you run WSW now doesn’t mean you’re untouchable.”

He swung back. “Is that a threat?”

“A warning. Your failures reflect on all of us. If you can’t handle this, step aside.”

Davey stepped into Cade’s space. Cade was bigger, more muscular, but Davey was taller by a couple inches. He used the slight height difference to his advantage, crowding Cade until he was forced to take a step backward.

“Let me make something crystal clear. This is my op. My responsibility. Mycompany. So unless you want to take it up with the uncles, back the fuck off.”

Cade’s lips curled into a sneer. “You didn’t earn this position. It was handed to you.”

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