17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Cain

M y door is open, and I'm out of the car before Dante can even finish his message. Jess doesn't need me to say a word. Moments later, she's at my shoulder, matching my stride with a quiet confidence.

If Dante is calling a Hail Mary, the hearing must have somehow gone in Reno's favor. Knowing Deacon Marlo, he probably blackmailed a panel member or bribed them. His reputation proceeded him, and I'd never heard of an Alpha who had gone against him and won.

Or lived, usually.

Well, no one except Dante's dad, Marcus. He'd pushed back against Marlo and his pack over and over before his death.

Marcus Stone was a good Alpha, but more than that, he was a great man.

As we approach the hotel door, my arm slides around Jess, and she curls her body into mine, looking up at me adoringly.

Showtime.

"Is that so? I would've taken you for the rom-com type," I say, forcing a calm flirtation into my voice.

"Oh no, I love scary movies. Monsters, masked bad guys, spooky abandoned houses. They really make you feel alive," she says, her voice animated, as we approach the check-in desk.

"I can think of a few ways to make you feel alive," I say, ensuring I'm loud enough for the receptionist and guard to overhear.

God, I hate this.

I have to physically push my wolf back, reminding him we need a way into this damn building, or I can't get to Bri. A throat clearing has me slowly taking my attention away from Jess, a sly smile pasted on my face.

"Can I help you two?" The man at check-in asks, his eyes bouncing from Jess to me.

"We'd like a room," I say to him as Jess blushes and tucks herself under my arm as if embarrassed.

"Of course, sir, do you have a reservation?"

"I don't, but any room will do if you know what I mean," I say deliberately, raking my eyes down Jess's petite frame with feigned interest.

Recognition flashes on the man's face, and he quickly gets us checked into an available room one floor away from Bri.

Bingo.

Grabbing the key, I turn Jess toward the elevator, giving the man a wave of thanks, keeping up the lust-filled appearance by dropping my mouth to just below her ear.

As soon as the doors close and we‘re alone, we separate. Jess throws her earpiece in and tests the connection to Pres. I do the same, making sure we can communicate through this mission.

The doors open on the third floor, and we both get out, moving swiftly down the hall. I slide the key into the slot and push inside when the light turns green.

"Ok, Pres, what do you need to access the camera systems?" I ask, hoping this will work.

"I'm working on brute-forcing the login to their surveillance system; it should only take me a few minutes. Once I'm in, I'll need to loop the camera feeds so the guards are watching old footage. I'll let you know when you're clear," she rattles off, and I use the time to send a mind-link to Dante.

Cain: We're in position at the hotel. We have three minutes to contact you. What's going on there?

Dante: The panel members stepped out to discuss. I should have a verdict shortly.

Cain: If there hasn't been a decision, why are we on plan b?

Dante: The lineage test came back. Deacon Marlo is Brielle's biological father.

Cain: No. Fucking. Way.

I growl, and Jess whips her head in my direction, tensing with uncertainty.

Dante: He already has half the panel in his pocket. This gave them precisely the reason they needed to give her to him without looking shady.

Cain: What are the odds? Fucking Deacon Marlo. Did he know?

Dante: I don't think so. He hasn't spoken since the announcement, but his reaction was pure shock.

Cain: If we do this, there is no going back. I'm sorry to put you in this situation, but her worst fear is being returned to him. I swore I wouldn't let that happen.

Dante: We discussed this. I'm prepared to face the consequences head-on. When you get her clear, send Jess to the jet and disappear. We need to be in the air before they discover she's missing, and I can't know where you are. I'll reach out when we have a plan. Good luck.

He finishes, and I let the news settle.

How can I tell her the man who haunts her nightmares shares her DNA?

"Alright, She is in 416. You have one guard in the hall. Facial recognition IDs him as Tate Kent, Alpha assigned to the LLC on special projects since last May. So you can't kill him; he's too connected. Also, I scanned the building inhabitants just to cover our bases, and a Reno pack enforcer is registered on your floor in 322. This will need to be quiet and fast," she says before turning her communication to Jess.

"Once Cain has the guard down, you need to head to the west stairwell exit and disarm the emergency alarm on the door. I can talk you through the wiring. You both will have less than two minutes to get away from the building before the alarm will reset, causing it to go off."

As long as Bri cooperates and we don't have any surprise guests, we should be fine.

"How long until the jet is wheels up?" Jess asks

"Twenty-five minutes from now, so you two need to get moving. Cameras are set. Good luck. I'm here if you need me," she says, and my eyes meet Jess's.

"You ready?" I ask, my hand reaching for the door.

She nods, and we exit the room, heading for the stairs to the fourth floor. Once there, we open the door to the hallway in full view of Tate.

"Gotta hand it to you, though. It's not every day I get to make a grown man cry. Who knew I'd be consoling you through the movie?" Jess says, falling back into conversation.

"I wouldn't exactly call that crying. It was dusty in there," I counter.

"Say what you want. Those were tears," she adds, turning and shoving my shoulder. I let myself fall off balance and into the wall, using the distraction to see what Tate is doing as Jess giggles and saunters in front of him, leaving me behind a few steps.

His head follows her path, eyes scanning their way to her ass when I make my move.

My arm slides quickly around his neck, closing off his airway before he can make a sound. Jess turns back, pulling a small syringe from her sleeve, and inserts it into his neck before he can send off a mind-link, raising the alarm.

Seconds later, he's limp in my arms, and I carefully set him down against the wall before tapping on the door.

"Tate's down," I whisper to Pres, giving Jess the go-ahead to move for the exit.

Jess is back through the stairwell door when Bri finally opens it, a smile forming immediately.

"Cain… what are you…" she starts before I step closer, interrupting her.

"We have to go. Grab what you need. We're leaving right now," I say, trying to force calm into my voice.

"Wait, why? What's happening? How did you…" It's then she sees Tate's limp form on the floor. Her eyes go wide, a gasp escaping her lips and causing her to gape. My hand reaches up, palm resting on her cheek to pull her focus back.

"I'll explain on the way, but we need to move now," I say, urgency slipping into my tone.

She closes her mouth with a large swallow and nods before stepping into the hall.

"I don't have anything to grab," she says in a shaky voice. I hear her pulse racing as her breath comes out in short huffs that signal she has begun to panic.

"Breathe. I've got you, Firefly," I whisper before dropping my hand and checking Tate's status. Still alive. Still knocked out.

Wrapping my arm around her waist, I close the door and steer her toward our exit. She falls into step with me, and we descend without issue.

As we hit the first floor, I see Jess leaning casually against the wall closest to the exit.

"Just in time. We have less than a minute," she relays before waving at Bri. "I'm Jess. Sorry to meet like this, but we need to move."

She tosses me the keys to the rental.

"It's parked to the left," she states, turning to leave.

"But how will you get…" she cuts me off before I can ask.

"Nyxon's outside. Good luck, Cain."

With that, she pushes the crash bar on the door, leading us into the back lot.

"Thanks, Jess," I say, sincerity in my voice.

My heart swells, knowing the risk my pack is taking for me. For my Mate.

I won't forget it.

We follow her out of the building and make a beeline for the car. I rush to open the passenger door, quickly tucking Bri in before sprinting to the other side. Dante's mind-link comes in just as I pull out of the space.

Dante: The panel ruled in favor of the Reno Pack 3-2. Marlo has been permitted to retrieve Brielle once the paperwork is completed this afternoon. Noah and I are headed for the jet. Did you get her out?

Cain: Leaving the hotel now. Jess is on her way with Nyxon.

Dante: Good. Pres should be sending you a location where you can swap out vehicles. Leave all your tech with the car, and we will get someone to retrieve it. I'll reach out when we have a plan or things settle down.

I can feel the tension in his voice, and guilt fills me.

This is on me. The pack's at risk because of me.

Cain: I'm sorry for getting the pack mixed up; this is my responsibility.

Dante: It absolutely is. But never forget who we are. Pack First. We're family, and we will fight for our own. Keep your girl safe, and the rest will fall into place.

Cain: Thanks, D.

The echo of the hotel alarm blaring has me refocusing on our exit. I press my earpiece as I turn from the lot.

"Pres, where am I headed?" I ask, my eyes scanning the mirrors to ensure we aren't followed.

"Head southwest toward Dakota Ridge. I'll text you the address. When you get there, leave everything. Take the keys from the center console and disappear. They already know she's gone. Alerts will be out within the hour, so you need to go dark and stay dark until we fix this. D probably won't say it, but I will. We're at war now. We have no allies. Don't die. It would be a shame to go to all this trouble for nothing," Pres says, aiming for a bit of humor, but her tone gives her away.

She's worried.

"Got it, Thanks little P. Keep them safe for me while I'm gone," I say, using her old nickname in the hopes it will let her know that I care about her, too.

I turn off the earpiece and turn my attention to the road. Bri sits like a statue beside me, not saying a word, her eyes glued straight ahead.

Shit.

Instantly, I slow down, remembering her aversion to riding in cars.

"Sorry, Firefly. Do you want to drive? I can pull over," I ask, ensuring I keep both hands on the wheel despite wanting to reach out to her.

She will feel better if she can see I'm in complete control.

"It's okay. I'm fine; besides, I can't drive in the snow," she says quietly.

The white on her knuckles, as they grip the door handle, would probably disagree, but I make a concerted effort to keep all of my movements slow and steady so as to not make her anxiety worse.

My wolf paces beneath my skin, wanting to relieve her stress, calm her down, and take away her fear.

She's strong. She can do this.

"Talk to me, Firefly. Distract yourself from the ride. Tell me about the interview," I say, attempting to help.

"You mean the adjudication with the vampire? That was surprisingly fine," she says, and I hear the absurdity of that statement.

"They didn't hurt you, did they?" I ask, my head whipping to look her in the eyes before I see her tense and return my eyes to the road.

"No, he was surprisingly professional. Even after I offered him a drink, which, in hindsight, is laughable because he could have assumed I meant me. Not that I knew what he was then, but still, I imagine most people don't go around offering up their blood to them," she says, causing me to smile.

"You'd be surprised. Apparently, their venom has an aphrodisiac effect. Many become feeders just to feel the lust-filled high it gives them," I say, watching her jaw drop at the information.

"Well, maybe I should have been more insistent with that drink," she quips, causing my wolf to come to the surface, my eyes flashing silver at her while a growl rumbles in my throat.

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.