“Your pack needs you, son,” Dad reassured me, his warm eyes full of understanding. “We’ll take care of Liza.”
I looked at Liza’s pale face, and nodded reluctantly. “Okay. I’ll go.” I leaned down to press a lingering kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Be careful.” Her fingers curled around mine in a desperate grip.
When I gotto the warehouse, I followed the manager to his office. He seemed uneasy, no doubt anticipating my reaction to whatever evidence he had uncovered, which meant it couldn’t be good.
“Here,” he said, gesturing to a monitor displaying grainy security footage. My eyes narrowed as I watched the shift manager, a stout man with graying hair, enter the frame. He walked straight ahead, not bothering to glance at his surroundings. He clearly thought he was alone. The building had been empty, so Bryce and I had entered unnoticed. As I continued to watch, he got down on his knees and fiddled with the machine that had caught fire, his face contorted in concentration. The video left no room for doubt. The man had attempted sabotage. By the luck of the gods, we had been there, and we’d been able to prevent significant damage by quickly extinguishing the fire.
“Where is he now?” I wanted to talk to the asshole and see if he’d admit to what he’d done. Of course, the evidence was irrefutable, but still, I wanted to see him fucking squirm as his boss and alpha loomed over him.
“Per your instructions, we’re holding him in the conference room.” The manager’s fingers drummed nervously on his desk.
“Perfect.” I strode toward the conference room, putting all my force into pushing the door open. The guy looked up from where he sat, arms crossed, his expression defiant despite the beads of sweat gathering at his brow.
“Talk,” I demanded when sat down across from him. I wasn’t expecting much. People like him rarely gave up information without a fight. “Why did you tamper with the equipment? Don’t try to deny it. We’ve got you on camera, and I could easily get the police involved.”
He stared me down and spat out his words. “Upper management needed to pay. I’ve spoken to every one of them about the conditions on the factory floor. None of them listened. Even HR doesn’t give a damn. I followed every one of their grievance policies, but they shut me down. They pay us like dirt and treat us even worse. I wanted this place to burn to the ground so they’d finally pay for not listening to their employees. We’re the ones busting our asses out on the floor every day in this heat, working unpaid overtime. They’re in their cushy offices with the air conditioner cranked on high. They don’t give a fuck.”
His words caught me off guard. This wasn’t connected to Liam. I ground my teeth together as my frustration amped up, but I couldn’t ignore the concerns this man had brought up, even if he’d gone about it the wrong way.
“Listen.” I leaned forward and looked him dead in the eyes. “You’re getting off easy this time. Had your plan succeeded, your fellow workers would have been left without work. How wouldthat have helped them? I’ll be looking into your allegations about management and HR myself, but don’t think you can pull something like this again. I make it clear to everyone who works for Keller Enterprises that my door is always open. Next time you have a grievance, try sending an email or making an appointment with me through my secretary.”
The manager’s jaw dropped dramatically as if I’d slapped him, but I couldn’t find it in myself to care. If I decided to sell the building to Liam, it wouldn’t matter, anyway.
Before I left the parking lot, I texted Bryce.
Take care of the shit show at the warehouse. Employees are so disgruntled they’re willing to burn the damn place to the ground. Fix it.
Moments later, an unlisted number called. Fuck. I didn’t have to answer it to know who was calling. He’d just called Liza yesterday, so why not harass me today when I was already at the end of my tether?
“Hello?” I answered cautiously.
Castro’s laughter greeted me. “Ty, Ty, Ty,” he taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. “Such an incompetent mate, you are.”
“Shut your fucking mouth, Castro,” I snarled, already at my limit. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He stopped laughing abruptly, his tone turning icy. “What kind of mate are you for letting Liza’s name come up in some underground trafficking ring? If people actually feared you, they’d never dare speak her name. Honestly, you disgust me. You’re so fucking weak.”
“Listen here, you piece of shit—” I began.
“Your precious Liza may be brainwashed by you, but I won’t let your incompetence endanger her,” Castro snapped. “Maximus will learn to fear me, and I’ll show Liza who’s really worthy of protecting her.”
The line went dead before I could respond, leaving me cursing and gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles popped.
Still fuming, I grabbed my phone off the dashboard holder and dialed Dad’s number.
After a few rings, he answered. “How are things going?”
“Castro called,” I said, cutting straight to the point. “He’s threatening Maximus now, saying he’ll make him fear him more than he fears me.”
There was a momentary pause before Dad said, “My advice would be to warn Maximus. Yes, he’s a scumbag, but we both know what Castro is capable of. I wouldn’t put it past him to murder Maximus or torture his family. No one deserves that.”
I hesitated, considering the idea. Maybe letting Castro take him out wouldn’t be such a bad thing. It’d be one less problem for me to deal with.
“Tyson, don’t even think about it,” Dad warned, sensing my thoughts. “You’re better than that. And remember, Maximus is still a danger to your mate.”
“Which is exactly why I should let Castro do the dirty work,” I argued. “Liza would be safer without him around.”
