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Eagle snorted next to him. “No fucking joke.”
Somewhere in all the chaos of sorting orders and preparing for battle, the black ops agent had slipped into the house and hadn’t left. Not that I minded. He brought all sorts of friends with him—ones who owed Nate favors—and they’d gone to work immediately. Soon, we had a network of people hunting through my city, with tools even Two-Bit couldn’t comprehend.
It made me nervous. The mercs were for life. That Nate got out was a miracle, and I didn’t want to fight another war when this one was over. I’d cornered Eagle yesterday, and he’d been very clear when I asked if the company was going to come after my partner again.
From where I stand, we’re just removing some trash from your house like any good friend would. Nothing more, nothing less.
I was grateful for small mercies.
His team preferred to handle their own accommodations, and thank fuck for that. Both cartels had come through majorly, and we were swarming with bodies sworn to the cause. Every spare room in the Marcosa mansion was being used to house the Paez cartel, and the Celestine was overrun with Osorios.
Emmanuel hated that Victor was treated to the place of honor in my home, even one I didn’t use anymore, but he didn’t say it outright. We all knew things would’ve been different if he’d put his pride aside when I’d first come to him. Now, he could stew in it.
Whatever space wasn’t turned into overnight bunkhouses was weapons storage, and we’d converted the basement into our war room, which was currently filled to the rafters with people.
We’d long since run out of seats, but the leaders and their seconds were huddled closer to the center of the room while everyone crowded in to see the projected map of Seattle on the wall.
The other territory leaders didn’t offer to house any offshoot guests, but then, they were busy gathering their own men.
The night Emmanuel agreed, we’d sent out the call.
Meeting in two days. Be ready.
Now, everyone was here, weapons prepared and timeline set, yet we’d gotten exactly nothing done because of my grandfather.
I was sweating my metaphorical balls off with so many people around. The air was so thick with the scent of people that it nearly made me sick, but I didn’t mind. I was this close to finally getting rid of Cash. I had every territory leader in the city watching me, the government at my back, a group of fucking mercs ready to kill at my order. The only thing standing between me and the freedom my enemy’s death would grant me was Emmanuel Osorio’s fucking pride.
Pride that I was ready to destroy if he didn’t shut the fuck up and let us get on with it.
Patience, Mari. It’ll be over soon.
Couldn’t come fast enough.
Sighing, I tuned back in as Victor calmly explained his plan to bomb three of Cash’s safe houses as a distraction. We’d already decided on an extended version of the three-pronged approach from the stash house raid. We’d send the distractions in first to draw out the Aces before sending a second wave to decimate the rest.
“That’s a stupid idea. Why bomb the safe houses when there are plenty of buildings he could be hiding in?”
Victor sucked in a deep breath, obviously trying to calm himself. “As I’ve said twice now, if we want to get Cash, we need to remove his army from consideration. He won’t be distracted by the safe houses, but they will. They know they’re on borrowed time. If we destroy their chance at escape, they’re going to scurry.”
“We don’t want them. We want the ones who stay,” Emmanuel pushed.
It was obvious Victor’s patience was thinning. “Yes, but in order to get to them, the weak ones need to run. Why waste the bullets and risk our men if we don’t have to?”
“If your men can’t handle the trials of war, they shouldn’t be here.”
“Says the man who was picked last for this ragtag team.” Grey huffed.
Emmanuel twisted to bite his head off, and I was done.
“Enough.”
The room fell silent. Victor quietly sat, ceding me the floor while the Wolf stayed on his feet. Christian stood behind him, eyes tight with warning while Emmanuel’s flashed with ire. “You don’t command me, Marianna.”
“Yet here I am, doing it anyway.”
“I’m trying to help.”
“No, you’re nitpicking Victor because of some bullshit grudge. I’m not sure if you’re doing it to hide that you don’t have any ideas of your own or if you’re just that invested in irritating the shit out of all of us, but we don’t have time for this. I don’t have the patience to deal with your forever-and-a-day grudge when the people of my city are in danger. Either offer up a suggestion, or sit the fuck down.”
