9

"The pack loyalty is shifting," Santiago growled, his voice a low vibration that rattled the crystal on the table. "I’ve caught scent of a few sub-Alphas still barking for the old Alpha King. You’d think after the way Caruso bled them dry and let their territory rot, they’d be crawling to the Vargas paws for sanctuary."

The first pitch. I took a measured swallow of the amber liquid, letting the burn of the whiskey settle in my gut. "Sounds like a mess."

"Are you claiming the Vegas Nightclubs aren't smelling the same rot?" Santiago leaned forward, his eyes tracking my every move.

Teo roared something jagged at the screen as a receiver dropped a pass.

"Not a whiff," I lied. My mind went straight to the Omega I’d cornered in the Black Chamber just to squeeze out names of the rebels trying to ignite a fire in the ruins of the Caruso pack. Santiago had tasked me with the hunt, but that rat hadn't given up anything useful for the Vargas Grand Casino—mostly just names of small-time runners.

"Good. Then it’s settled. You two are running the Casino while I head to the territories in Italy."

"Back up. You’re what?" I almost sprayed my drink. Even Teo snapped his head away from the game, staring at our older brother like he’d grown a second head. "You want us to do what?"

"It’s a simple rotation. Just like managing your clubs, only you’re holding the keys to two vaults instead of a dozen."

"Two massive empires!" Teo barked, the football game completely abandoned. He didn't even bother hitting the pause button.

"The machines practically run themselves. The Caruso territory will be overseen by my Lead Enforcer. Our own house is a well-oiled machine. Low overhead, killers for staff—it's easy."

"Killers for staff plus whatever spies Caruso left behind in the woodwork. Have you tried Ricardo?" I asked.

"That’s exactly why it’s you two and not him. Ricardo can't tell a spy from a stray pup, as much as I value his ledgers."

"And you trust us with a billion-credit operation?" Teo said.

"There are two of you. One handles the hotel and the gambling floor. The other handles the dining halls and the high-end boutiques. It’s basic pack management."

I leaned back, the leather creaking under me. Santiago was holding back. He was the Alpha who preached that everyone had a cage and a role. Santiago at the peak of the Grand Casino, Ricardo handling the Syndicate’s wealth, and Teo and I in the trenches at the clubs. Doing the blood work. I’d never bucked against it; the pack is stronger when the hierarchy is iron. Even when he took a leave, he usually let a Lieutenant hold the reins. Until one of those lieutenants turned out to be a traitor who kidnapped his mate.

"Why?" I demanded.

"Because I’m—"

"Sprinting to Italy," Teo cut in. "Weak lead. There's a scent on you, Santiago. You're hiding something."

Santiago shut his eyes, his head hitting the back of the chair. When he looked at us again, his face was flushed, a jagged mix of shame and heat. I’d never seen the Alpha of the Vargas Syndicate look this raw. Santiago was supposed to be the indestructible wall. This version of him was a stranger. I traded a glance with Teo; he looked just as floored.

"I didn't tell the truth about Isabella being on a pack-run," Santiago admitted, his voice rough. "She and I are leaving tonight. A mating moon, if we’re being blunt."

It was easy to forget they were still in the honeymoon phase of their bond. Their ceremony was only months ago, and since then, Santiago had been drowning in what he called the 'merger.' After the hell Isabella had survived, they needed to disappear into the woods alone.

"You could’ve just barked the truth," I said.

"We know the last few moons have been brutal on both of you," Teo added. Not just the assassination attempts, but the Caruso kidnapping. It was the fire that finally burnt the rival pack to the ground.

Santiago’s shoulders dropped. "So you'll hold the line while I’m gone?"

"For how long?"

"One moon cycle."

We could hold a territory for a month. What’s the worst that could happen? Santiago was worried about rats, but I’m the best exterminator in the Syndicate. Nothing crawls under my floorboards without me smelling it. A month was a blink.

VICTOR

This was suicide. If he finds me in his private quarters, my throat is torn out. In. Out. Keep the heart quiet.

When Teo dismissed me, my pulse was screaming. My first thought was to get to my suite and scrub the skin raw. To wash off the scent of his claim, I told myself. But as the steaming water hit my back, it wasn't fear that filled my head—it was the image of Teo’s face and the predatory hunger in his amber eyes. The way the muscle in his jaw ticked as he stood over me. That low, gravelly sound he made when he marked me.

My fingers strayed to my chest, my thumb circling a nipple as I replayed his jagged orders. I’ve always fought against the collar, but with Teo, I was desperate to submit. He could have told me to kneel in front of the entire Vargas council and I wouldn’t have hesitated. My hand moved lower, stroking hard and fast, chasing the high he’d given me earlier. Teo’s face burned behind my eyelids, and right at the edge of the cliff, Alex’s sharp, mocking grin flashed too.

I loathe that man, yet he’s a permanent shadow in my mind. Teo was the lesser of two evils, at least he showed a flicker of heat that wasn't just cold malice. Was that too much to hope for?

I pulled on a fresh fit—a short, pleated skirt in soft pink and a white rib-knit tank that hugged every curve. My phone buzzed just as I was lacing my boots. I nearly tripped when I saw the name. Why was he risking this? I killed the call and hammered out a text:

DON'T CALL! EVER!

He sent back a link and a set of codes. It was a burner app, end-to-end encrypted, self-destructing on read.

I sent the first ping: Installed.

Him: Burn the old logs. We only talk here. Are you solo?

Me: Yes.

Him: Have you dug up anything?

It hadn't even been forty-eight hours and he was already hunting for blood. Everything I knew about the Vargas twins was surface-level—the same intel he already had in his files.

Me: I just walked through the door. Give me air.

The typing bubbles danced for an eternity.

Him: I'm drowning here. The pressure is mounting. The twins are moving into the Grand Casino soon. If that happens, my cover is blown. Sofia's death can't be for nothing. If we lose this lead, the whole mission goes to the grave.