CHAPTER TWELVE

L eft hook.

Right.

Left.

Right, left, right, left.

Logan collapsed on the punching bag.

How fucking much longer did he have to wait? He needed to shoot something. Or someone.

Maybe himself.

He wanted to kiss her.

He'd wanted to do more than that. All because she mentioned being under the covers of her bed.

What a witch planting that vision in his head.

She'd clung to his chest, feeling his muscles like a woman desperate to be touched.

Licked.

Fucked.

You didn't let her go, you moron.

Bullshit. Her hand had pressed into his abdomen, and she could have slid it down and had hold of his hard cock.

You wished she had.

He stepped back and punched the bag again. Then again.

"Jesus, you're going to disconnect the thing from the roof," Mack said, grabbing hold of it from behind.

"It's tungsten," Kurt said, joining them. "He won't."

Logan thought he just fucking might. If it would stop him from thinking about how his little mouse had run from him as he watched with wild, hungry need.

He'd wanted to chase her, push her down onto the floor, and spread her legs open so he could slam his aching cock inside her.

Logan did want to hear her scream.

The more she feared him, the more he wanted to destroy her. Sexually, so it seemed.

He despised himself for it.

"Well, we don't have time to find out. Ari has called the teams in," Mack advised.

Fucking finally.

Logan stepped back and pulled the gloves off then tossed them across the distance and boom, into the basket they went.

Not that he was likely to miss.

Hello, vampire and assassin.

Targets were his thing.

And apparently Brooklyn was his latest.

"Cool. Time to kill a few humans," he said, slapping Mack on the back.

"You know, you're starting to sound a lot like the commander." Kurt grinned as they pushed open the training center doors and strode through the castle with purpose.

Marcus, Darnell, and Tristan were ahead of them.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Logan smiled, but it quickly faded as the vampire looked away and imagined holding a gun to Brooklyn's forehead.

Yesterday he would've thought it was Christmas.

Today?

He didn't like it as much. Not as much as seeing her naked and spread out before him like a smorgasbord of pussy and pleasure.

Christ.

He needed to stop thinking.

Like altogether.

But for his own sanity it was time to acknowledge that, yes, clearly he wanted to fuck Brooklyn the human.

Out of eight billion humans, it was possible— possible —that one might be sexually arousing enough for him to want to sink his cock into.

And taste.

And hear her throaty gasps as she shuddered out her orgasm while sucking his come inside her.

Logan cleared his throat as he stepped into the ops room and saw everyone was already there. Well, except Craig and Brayden.

Ari stood at the front of the room with a pointer and the screen lowered. It took Logan a split second to take in the war plans outlined.

Game time!

"Let's get started," Ari said.

Ben, Marcus, Oliver, Alex, and Tom sat up front, while Lance, Elijah, Jason, Callan, Darnell, and Tristan were scattered along the walls.

No one was relaxed.

There were no boots upon knees or casual leans that Logan was used to seeing. No one was tripping someone up and flying around the room or throwing a chair—which was ultimately caught midair—and there were no smart-ass comments following.

The air was thick with tension.

Kurt, Mack, and Logan found seats and sat down.

"Plan looks good," Ben said.

Logan wasn't surprised he was right up front. He and Ari were close and had worked together for a long damn time.

They thought the same.

They almost fought the same.

After all, Ari had taught Ben. Taught all of them.

The six assassins in the room—Ben, Oli, Elijah, Jason, Alex, and himself—knew more about the mafia than the Moretti warriors. They'd studied the crime families for their own targets and jobs over decades.

They knew how they worked. They knew where many of their properties were. Who their families were.

What their weaknesses were.

The Russians—or as they were known, the Bratva—the Italian mobs, the Irish gangs, the Triad, the Mexican Cartel...they had knowledge of them all.

Craig and Brayden had been tapping into this knowledge for weeks. What none of them had was solid data on what they were up to now.

Most of it was speculation or gained through their insiders or threats from Nikolay himself.

That was the great thing about egos. Their lips flapped.

"All right, let's do a recap so we know what we are dealing with," Ari said, pointing the red dot of the laser at the screen.

Everyone shuffled to get comfortable.

"We know we have the Bratva leading the production of the serum, and that the Italians are giving them support with production and distribution channels through New York state."

"Currently being disrupted by the feds and other government enforcement agencies globally." Tom nodded.

"Which likely triggered the attack on the castle and this kidnapping," Marcus noted.

"You are right. We are fucking up his plans, and he's retaliating. He thinks we are behind it, not the humans." Ari nods. "As far as the mob boss is concerned, the UN leaders do not know about vampires."

They did, as Vincent Moretti had been working with them for a few years.

"So the Russians and the Italians. Who else?" Logan asked.

"Won't be the Mexicans," Ben mused. "I can't see what they would have to contribute."

"Distribution through South America." Kurt shrugged.

"Until they have enough production—which the cartel doesn't have the facilities for—Nikolay won't need them." Logan shook his head.

"Agreed." Oliver nodded.

"Ditto the Triads then," Mack said, proving he'd been doing his homework in and out of the training room.

"Correct." Ari turned to the screen. "Possibly the Irish, who may be quietly producing a fuck ton over there."

Jesus.

That was a blind spot for all of them if that was happening.

"Mikhailov would still need to move it throughout Europe and to America, if that were the case," Logan said.

"Which I'm sure he's working on, but first he needs to produce it." Ari took a few steps. "This has been our only focus until now. Disrupting production. Now he has Willow and Isabella."

"We can't take our eyes off this, though," Ben said. "It's way too big a risk."

"No," Ari said, clicking the pointer until a few screens appeared.

Logan's eyes ran over the information with light speed.

"Now we diversify," the ancient vampire told them. "We need to work out where they are holding the princesses and support Brayden in his retrieval of them—and keep him fucking alive—while other teams take the lead on finding all of the production facilities and destroy them."

Take the lead. As in, take over from the governments. They weren't waiting any more.

"Craig has now made contact with the prince." Ari shared and the mood in the room tangibly shifted.

"Thank fucking Christ," Kurt cursed. "Where are they?"

"New York. Manhattan," Ari replied.

"Thank god," someone said.

"Good. Shit," another SLC added.

Logan was as relieved as all of them to know the prince was no longer completely rogue. Why he'd made contact with the commander, no one would know, but it didn't matter.

Now they could support him.

"Don't get too complacent. Brayden Moretti isn't to be underestimated when it comes to Willow," Marcus said darkly, turning in his chair to glance at them all.

Kurt nodded quietly beside him. "Yup."

"He would burn down the fucking world," Alex said.

"Yes. So it's our job to make sure he doesn't. Nor that he needs to." Ari rubbed his jaw, showing the level of pressure he was under.

Logan turned his attention back to the war plan. "So a multi-faceted approach."

Ari nodded at him. He clicked on another screen and a list of potential locations where Willow was being held came up.

"Fucking hell." Callan, who'd been quiet until now, cursed.

"Dude, if this is difficult, go grab a coffee. Or a beer," Kurt said to him.

Logan knew the two of them were close. Kurt had been responsible for overseeing the wolf compound and his mate was a hybrid. They were both close to all the wolves and the alpha—Callan.

The hybrid rubbed his face and glanced out the windows while they all gave him a moment.

Mack cursed quietly.

How he survived the ongoing torture Logan had no idea, but he respected the guy for seeking out the royal family after his escape instead of running when he suspected something wasn't right.

Having one's DNA fundamentally altered must be a complete mindfuck. But he wouldn't have known how the king would react.

Callan, Mack, and the others had embraced the wolves within them and seemed happy.

Sage had been studying them, which was why she and Ari had spent months in Maine. They were hoping it would give them information to one day be able to walk in sunlight.

Few knew, but Callan and Virginia, his mate, could.

The rest hadn't tested it yet. Understandably. They'd all lived their life in fear of the deadly big fireball in the sky.

"You want me to go in there?" Callan finally turned back to Ari, and the ancient vampire watched him for a long moment, then nodded.

"Yes. You're the only male we know who is capable of walking in daylight."

Fucking hell.

"Nope. No fucking way," Mack said, standing and planting his hands on his hips.

"Mack—" Callan began and indicated he should sit.

"No, Callan. You're not going back there," Mack said, firmly protecting his alpha. "I'll do it."

Woah.

"Have you been out in the sun?" Logan asked.

"No. But technically I can," Mack replied.

"Technically can get you dead, you fucking idiot," Kurt said, shoving Mack's chair into his legs, and Mack flopped down.

Logan snickered. "Yeah, dude. That's a no."

"I'm not letting Callan go back in there. I know being here as warriors appears to have changed our authority lines, but biologically he's still my alpha." The hybrid growled. "Nothing changes that."

"Mack..." Callan had a quiet power about him as he held the other hybrid's stare.

It seemed to calm him.

How interesting.

Ari held up his hand, and the room paid attention. As it always did when he commanded it. Logan would never say it out loud, but his energy had always felt larger than anyone's.

Even...yeah, the king's.

Fuck.

He would never share that thought with anyone.

"No decisions have been made. No one will be doing anything they don't want. I mean it," Ari said firmly.

Callan nodded. "I'll speak to Virginia."

Mack threw his head back and groaned. "As if she is going to say yes. Come onnn."

Logan smiled and shared a look with Kurt. "What are the alternatives?"

"We recruit a human," Ben said. "We could manipulate their mind and send them in. Maybe a cop with skills."

Marcus shook his head. "Too unreliable. It's not that specific."

"Let's wait to hear from Craig in a few hours before we decide on anything. Talk to Ginny, Callan, then get back to me," Ari said, nodding at the male. "Brayden might have a lead in New York if he's stopped there. Meanwhile, we need to activate our strategy to destroy the mega-mafia's production line."

"Now ya talking," Logan said, leaning forward on his knees.

"Let's blow the fucking things sky high." Alex snorted.

"Yup." Kurt high-fived Tom and the two of them laughed.

Talk about lifting everyone's spirits.

"We are at war. This is a direct order from the king," Ari said. "All mafia personnel involved in this war against vampires are to be exterminated. Snipers, spread yourselves out across the teams to back them up."

Logan, Elijah, Jason, and Oliver nodded.

"Then get your ass back here. Use all the Moretti and Institute tools available to you."

"Got it," Oliver said.

"Alex and I can swing between both roles," Ben said, referring to their previous lives as assassins.

"So we focus on planting the explosives and getting the locations identified?" Tom asked.

"Correct." Ari nodded.

"Jason, reach out to your mafia contacts and see if you can learn anything more."

"Will do," his fellow assassin replied and pulled out his phone.

"Elijah, get Darren listening in and ask him to share with the Moretti royal tech teams so we have a wider reach."

"Done." Elijah nodded.

"I might need to get on the ground in New York," Jason said, lifting his face from his smart phone.

"Hitch a ride with the teams we send to support the prince," Ari told him. "Marcus, I need you to create units that will be sent into the field to execute."

"How many units are we looking at?" Marcus asked.

Unlike humans, they didn't have an enormous army. There were only ten million vampires on the planet.

"Ten. We move fast and we get them home fast. Tap into forces located around the world where necessary, but I want senior warriors leading."

Marcus gave a sharp nod.

"I'm almost sad Craig isn't here," Ben said. "Fuck he'd love this."

Lance chuckled.

The two warriors' relationship was infamous for taunting one another. Logan was sure they privately respected one another.

Privately.

Craig would never let on he liked Ben. But the guy wouldn't be an SLC if he didn't value him as a warrior.

Ari ignored the comment, his expression serious. But then again, he was used to Ben's crap.

"Tom, brief the tech teams to ensure they have crews working twenty-four seven supporting our warriors," Ari said, and Tom nodded. "I don't need to say this, but we all know once we ramp up this action, the crime families will react. Be prepared for further retaliation. And action."

Fuck.

Shit was getting real.

"I can prep the explosives," Darnell said. "Tris, you with me?"

"I'm your man," Tristan replied.

Ari nodded. "Good."

"Where do you want us in the meantime?" Logan asked. Oliver shot him a nod as if he was about to ask the same thing.

"I want you snipers ready to go when needed. So while the SLCs are preparing for the operations, and Elijah and Jason are doing their bit, you two keep a strong presence in the castle."

"I'll remain heading up the king's security," Lance said. "I don't think we pass that down the ranks."

"Agreed," Ari said.

"Shall I start practicing my walk in the sun? Long walks on the beach. I can update my Tinder profile," Mack asked, a touch of humor in his question despite its seriousness.

"Mack," Callan warned.

"I'd prefer if you stayed alive, Mack." Ari studied the male. "You're proving to be a powerful warrior. Support the SLCs and assassins and learn as they prepare to go to war."

A shiver ran through Logan. They might not be fighting the entire human race, but there is a high chance they might. This could be the start.

What would Brooklyn think of that?

No. Shit. Do not think of her and get a goddamn chubby in the middle of the war room.

Christ.

"Let's get ready to ra-ra-ra-rumble," Ben said, climbing out of his seat and sending Logan a wink. "You'll be happy. You get to shoot humans."

"Yeah, man." He grinned.

It was his favorite pastime.