The Plan

ZANE

Everyone settles into the room, sinking into the plush sofas and chairs. I gently wrap an arm around her waist, my other hand busy shuffling papers on my desk.

“Here’s the plan. Conner managed to get Luca’s cell number. I’ve got a phone ready with a scrambler and voice changer.

“Now that we’re all here, it’s time to set things in motion. I’m going to call Luca soon and set up a meeting somewhere away from here.

“Forest, you’ve brought a good number of men with you. Dad has his own contacts he can call on. And of course, we have my men.

“We’ll launch a surprise attack during the meeting. Our men will be ready to ambush him when he leaves.

“He’ll have a bulletproof car, but if we can get close enough, we might be able to plant a bomb on it. I want him taken out as quickly as possible.”

“Son, that’s a solid plan, but he’ll be expecting it. He knows you’re out for blood. He’ll be prepared.

“Mateo trained him just like you. You two think alike.”

“That’s when we start thinking creatively. We’ll come up with something after we talk to him. I want this resolved by the end of the week.”

Everyone nods in agreement, and Conner dials Luca’s number. He answers on the third ring.

“Well, well, Zane. It took Conner longer to find my number than I expected. Is he losing his touch?”

Conner growls, but I raise my hand to silence him. “Luca, how can we resolve this? Do you want a one-on-one meeting? What’s your plan?”

“No meeting—you’ll just use it as an opportunity to attack me. Remember, I know you too well.”

“Then name your terms, Luca. How do you want to handle this?”

“As my note said, I want to take everything you love away. Your dad was smart to hide his family from me. Tell him my men are close to finding them.”

My dad jumps up, phone in hand, and rushes out of the room. My blood starts to boil.

“Name it, Luca. Do you want a face-to-face? I can promise it’ll just be me, no one else. You know I always keep my word.”

“Hm, you do, don’t you? Fine, we can do a face-to-face. If I see anyone from your group nearby, your life ends right there, no questions asked.

“And come unarmed. That’ll show me you’re playing by my rules for once.”

“When and where?” I ask, my voice a low growl.

“Tonight, at the docks where my yacht is moored. You remember the name, right?”

“Yeah, the ~Mateo~, named after your brother. Silver with black stripes. What’s the dock number?”

“Twenty-three. See you at eight. That gives you about two hours to prepare. Don’t test me on this, Zane. You’d better come alone.”

“Same goes for you, just you and me.”

Luca hangs up, and the guys shake their heads at me.

“Bad idea, boss. You know he’ll have people everywhere.”

“So will I, just better hidden than he thinks.

“Conner, call everyone who owes us a favor and has a boat. I want them to pick up our men at the south dock by seven, then pretend they’re out fishing for the night.

“Make sure they’re the usual boats that go out around that area to avoid suspicion. The rest of the men will be hidden below deck in case I need backup.

“If we leave the dock area, use a drone to follow us, or a small boat. We’re going to have to get creative with this.

“Conner, do you still have those boots I got you last year? The ones with the knives in the toes?”

“Yep, they’re in my closet. Good thing we wear the same size. If he pats you down, he won’t find anything. I’ll get on the boats—we have less than an hour to get this plan going.”

“I need to check on my dad real quick. If Luca’s threat is real, he’ll be leaving.” I slide my chair back, gently lifting Shay off my lap. I give her a sweet kiss and leave to find my dad.

“Hey, is everything okay with the family?” I ask, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah, it was an empty threat. My men said there hasn’t been anyone around for days, and everyone is safe in the house. Mom sends her love to you and can’t wait to meet your girl.”

I smile as I turn to go to Conner’s room. I find the black boots and slip them on, then head out to find everyone else.

I tell them to meet me in the security room, the safest room in the house, to go over all the details. Forest goes with Noah, and I meet up with Conner and dad there.

Shay’s hungry, so I send her to the kitchen to grab something to eat.

“Here’s how I want this to work. Conner, get Max and the others together. I want them to scope out the areas near the dock where they can get a clear shot, but far enough away on this hill.”

I point at satellite images of the dock area. “Tell them to be discreet; I don’t want Luca to know he’s being watched. They’ll need the camo gear to blend in—sand colors since the hills are mostly sand.

“If they need to get into the greens, they can scout it out.”

“Got it, boss. The text is sent, and they’re packing up now. What about Noah and me?”

“You’ll be on this docked boat right here,” I say, pointing to a fishing boat.

“Grab a dinghy from the shed, row it over to the boat, and climb on from the back. The boat’s out of commission, according to the dockmaster I just chatted with.

“Keep low and out of sight in the bow. The windows are tinted, so you’ll be able to see everything. Now, everyone, get to your positions. Let’s bring this asshole down.”

“Son, what about me?” My dad glanced around as everyone started gathering their gear.

“Stay here with Shay. I need someone to watch over her. Plus, it’ll give you a chance to get to know her better.

“After all, she’s going to be your daughter-in-law soon. And in about seven months, she’ll be giving you your first grandchild.”

He grinned and nodded. “I’d be happy to. Thanks.” I gave him a quick hug before heading off to get ready for the night’s events.