A Dangerous Tactic

CHAPTER 7: A Dangerous Tactic.

Teddy’s POV

The quiet hum of the machines filled the room, steady and unchanging, like the rhythm of a clock. I leaned back on the reclined bed, my shoulder bound tight, the sting of the bullet wound dulling into a constant throb. Outside the glass walls, guards shifted in silence.

The door slid open without a knock.

Only one man ever dared to enter my room that way.

Max.

He strode in with his usual confidence, dark eyes sweeping the room until they landed on me. He closed the door behind him, and for a moment, he just studied me like I was a puzzle he had already solved. Then he spoke.

“Who’d you give it to?” His voice was casual, but the question wasn’t.

I met his gaze without flinching. “Give what to?”

Max arched a brow. “Don’t play coy with me. You don’t just hand out the falcon. Not to anyone. So who is it?”

For a long moment, I didn’t answer. I let the silence stretch, let him wait. Then, finally, I turned my eyes away, toward the window, where the night pressed against the glass.

And I smiled.

“Samuel,” I said softly.

The sound of his name lingered in the air.

Max’s jaw tightened just slightly. He stepped closer, folding his arms across his chest. “You gave Sam the falcon?”

I didn’t reply immediately. Instead, I reached for the glass of water on the table, letting the pause hang heavy between us before I took a slow sip. When I set it back down, I finally answered.

“Yes. To Sam.”

Max let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “Why?”

“Because,” I said, voice even, “I want him to be free with me. To stand closer. To stop looking over his shoulder every time he breathes.” I allowed a small chuckle. “And because he’s smart. Smarter than he realizes. I intend to use that.”

Max laughed outright, the sound sharp and knowing. He dropped into the chair opposite me, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “Use him, huh? That’s what you’re calling it?”

I met his eyes again. “What else would I call it?”

Max smirked. “Oh, I know exactly what you’re driving at. You don’t fool me. You hand him the falcon, put him under your shadow, keep him close. But that boy isn’t just another soldier to you.”

I said nothing.

Max chuckled again, shaking his head like an older brother warning a reckless sibling. “Careful, Teddy. You know what happens when you break your own rules. You’ve built this empire on control,never mixing business with personal affairs. Never letting anyone slip past your walls. Fall for that boy, and all your principles go up in smoke.”

His words echoed, sharp but not malicious. Just honest.

I sat there, silent, my fingers drumming lightly against the armrest. He wasn’t wrong. The line was dangerous, razor-thin. Samuel had a way of making silence louder, of making my instincts twist in ways they shouldn’t.

But I wasn’t about to admit that to Max.

Instead, I leaned forward, the faintest smile pulling at my lips. “Then watch me,” I said quietly. “Watch and see.”

Max stared at me for a long moment, as though searching my face for cracks. Then he shook his head, chuckling under his breath. “You always did like playing with fire.”

I didn’t correct him.

Because maybe I did.

The room settled back into silence, broken only by the hum of the machines and the faint throb of my wound. But beneath it all, I felt something else.

Not pain.

Not fear.

Something far more dangerous.

Anticipation.

The room had settled into a rare quiet when my phone buzzed on the side table. I reached for it, but before I could, Max was already on his feet. He glanced at the screen, then handed it to me without a word.

The moment I pressed it to my ear, my world shifted.

The voice on the other end was hurried, frantic. I listened in silence, jaw tightening, every muscle in my body stiffening.

When the call ended, I dropped the phone onto the bed and swung my legs over the side.

Max immediately stepped forward. “What the hell, Teddy? You’re not supposed to be moving.”

“I don’t have a choice.” I shoved the blanket aside and pushed myself up, wincing at the pull in my shoulder. My pulse thundered in my ears. “The shipment,the one scheduled for tonight,it’s gone. The idiots who were supposed to deliver it decided they’d rather run with the goods than complete the deal.”

Max cursed under his breath. “You’re saying they’ve gone rogue?”

“Not just rogue.” I grabbed for the shirt draped over the chair, ignoring the sting of pain as I forced my arm through the sleeve. “They’ve vanished with my merchandise. Every hour they’re out there, someone else gets closer to putting their hands on it. If the wrong people take possession, we’re not talking about a setback. We’re talking about a war.”

Max’s eyes darkened, but before he could respond, a sharp knock echoed at the door.

“Enter,” I snapped.

The door opened, and Gaston stepped inside, his posture rigid, eyes sharp.

I didn’t waste a second. “The men responsible for tonight’s run have gone missing. They’ve taken the drugs with them.”

Gaston’s expression hardened instantly.

“Inform the intelligence department,” I ordered. My tone was low but firm, clipped with urgency. “I want every possible trace, every shadow, every whisper hunted down. I want to know where these fools have taken my goods before sunrise.”

“Yes, sir.” Gaston’s voice was crisp, no hesitation, but there was fire behind his eyes. He gave a quick nod before turning sharply on his heel and leaving to carry out the command.

The door closed, and I finally let out a slow breath.

Max watched me, arms folded, expression grim. “You realize you’re barely standing, right? You just took a bullet, and now you’re running after thieves?”

I smirked, though it didn’t reach my eyes. “If I let weakness slow me down, Max, this empire wouldn’t exist. And believe me, I’d rather bleed than let anyone think they can steal from me.”

Max shook his head, a half-smile tugging at his lips. “You’re insane.”

“Maybe.” I straightened my collar, forcing my body upright. “But insanity is exactly what keeps me in control.”