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“We have the goggles, and I have enough men to add one last observation group.” Eagle shrugged while the Wolf scowled.
“I’m not risking my men.”
“I don’t expect you to.” I handed my phone to Dominic, who moved through the crowd and stole the laptop temporarily, typing Black Team over the address. No way anyone else was taking that building but us.
Because Cash had taken Gilded as his final stand.
It wouldn’t have even been hard to do. Our men were either readying for war or gone. I’d left the businesses locked and armed, but I didn’t need guards on buildings. I needed them in the streets. All Cash had to do was break down the door and take it.
Part of me hated the idea of him sullying the crown jewel of my empire, but it felt right that he’d done it. This was a full-circle moment. Our story would end where it truly began.
“What the hell is that?” For his part, Emmanuel just looked confused, and I realized that he’d kept his position because he was too big to go to war with. In the event that Paez retaliated, the Wolf didn’t have the strategic knowledge to outlast him. He’d die screaming, and everything he worked for would be gone.
Hopefully my cousin was smarter than his predecessor.
“My club.”
Kosas stood immediately, knowing it was too good of an opportunity for Cash to pass up. “I’m with you.”
Two-Bit nodded. I still wasn’t sure how I felt about the Vipers coming to war with us, knowing there were more Feds than criminals in their ranks, but we didn’t have a choice. Leaving them out was going to put a target on Two-Bit’s back when the dust settled, and I’d signed my soul away to make sure that didn’t happen.
We finalized the plans quickly after that, ensuring who would ride the first wave and who was on the second. We even kept behind our best pinch hitters, knowing there may be a need for a third wave to extract us. We worked together to make sure every group leader had sufficient ammo, knew their exit strategies, and had access to more help if required. Field medics would be stationed as close as we could get them to the blast sites without endangering them, and we’d managed to secure a fleet of ambulances for transport to the medical center at the university after it was over. Seattle Gen was still recovering from Cash’s massacre.
Victor offered himself to my group, even as Maximoff’s face twisted like he’d eaten something sour. The other territory leaders followed, though we decided that we weren’t going to have all the big bads in one group. Better to spread us out. Victor demanded we stay together, and I knew it was, in part, because of our deal with Ash. He felt obligated to keep me alive because he had her, and I respected that.
Emmanuel was the only one who hadn’t offered men, which wasn’t surprising. Christian stepping in to do it, however, was.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Absolutely not.” Emmanuel’s outrage traveled across the room, but I didn’t care. The only way for the two factions to play nice was to ensure that they both had stakes in the game. With the Paez don and the Osorio heir in my party, there wouldn’t be any issues with friendly fire.
“Actually, I’d feel better if Christian was with us,” I said. The Wolf geared up to argue with me, but I held up a hand. “He’ll be as safe as possible.”
“He’s my heir.” He said it like Christian’s death meant more than everyone else’s, and it pissed me off.
“Get over yourself,” I snapped. “Everyone is at risk with this mission. Your potential loss isn’t greater than ours just because you raised him higher than the rest of the army.”
Done with whatever bullshit he was going to spew, I turned back to the rest of the crew. “You’ve all got your orders. Go home. Fuck your partners, kiss your kids, and go to bed early. Tomorrow’s going to be a big day.”
The war was ending, one way or another.
My men and I went home after that. We showered quietly, dressed in comfy clothes, and found our way to the den. Someone put a movie on, but none of us were watching it. We were focused on one another. Hands roaming softly, not for sex but for comfort. Remembrance.
Nate kissed my forehead where I was sprawled across his chest, hand outstretched for Dominic, while Greyson rubbed my calves. “Love you, angel.”
“Love you too.”
This was the feeling I wanted to take into tomorrow. Being so fucking loved I couldn’t stand it.
There was something else I wanted to take with us, though.
Nudging Grey’s thigh, I looked pointedly under the coffee table where I’d stashed my surprise earlier. His eyes twinkled as he saw the box, and he pulled it off the floor before snatching me from Nate’s grasp and bringing me into his. It wasn’t just because he wanted to touch me, though he did that too. The move gave me the best view of the other two men.
The box slipped into my hands, and I was surprised to find Dominic eyeing it warily. “What’s inside?”
“A bomb.”
His brows flattened. “Not a good time for jokes, mariposa.”
