“He took my wife,” I point out. “He already knows we’re coming. Even if he thinks I’m still behind bars, he must know the club would retaliate.”
“He probably does, but that doesn’t mean we won’t benefit from a head start. We have to be careful how we go about this, especially because I don’t have time to set up a proper loop for the security feeds.”
“We could just go in guns blazing,” Venom offers, stepping into the room. When I frown at him, he shrugs. “I figured someone had to say it. I get that we want to be careful, but this entire operation is a big risk. Don’t forget who we’re dealing with. This is someone who got one over on Rick Zane. If we don’t take a big swing, we may never get another chance.”
Venom is right, and I hate it.
Havoc steps forward, tipping his chin at the laptop. “Pull up the schematics of the hotel again. I think I have an idea.”
Ghost flips the laptop around, typing until he finds what he’s looking for. He slides it across the table to Havoc, who drops into a chair and scours the plans.
“Here.” He turns the screen so we can all see it. “Right inside the back door is a service elevator. It goes all the way up to the third floor from the top. It’s probably what they’ve used to bring in big items.”
“If it reaches the penthouse, it’s going to be heavily guarded,” I say.
“Agreed. But it doesn’t look like there’s much surveillance in that back parking lot. If we go in through this door, aiming for that elevator, all we have to do is tamper with one feed and take out any guards quickly and quietly. Then we should be able to sneak up. But it’s going to have to be a small mission. Just a few of us.”
Havoc’s military experience shines in moments like this, and I’ve never been more grateful.
Ghost turns the computer back around, clicking through the cameras. “There are only four cameras in the back lot. But we don’t necessarily need to loop them; we just need to understand how they’re angled. We might be able to move around them without doing anything to the system if we’re careful. The service elevator will require a loop either way, but that’s simple. I can set it up in the next ten minutes. The problem is going to be once you get upstairs. He’ll have guards ready and waiting.”
“That’s what these are for.” I slap my gun down on the table. “By the time we’re up there, it doesn’t matter if they see us or not. We’re either taking them out before they can stop us or we’re dead.”
Steel nods, scratching his jaw as he considers everything. “Havoc, I want you to take point.” When I open my mouth to argue, he shakes his head. “He’s got a clear head about this, and he has a plan. He knows what he’s doing, and you need to trust him with that. Besides, your focus needs to be on Emery.”
I can’t argue with that. “Understood.”
“Legacy, Venom… I want you with them. Ghost, stay back in the parking lot and feed the information they need through comms. Everyone else is going to stay as far out of the area as possible. If shit goes down, we’re not going to get there in time, so you need to make this happen and make it happen fast.”
“Got it.” Legacy and Venom nod.
I stand, tucking my gun away. “No one up there is walking away from this, including Eli. It’s going to cause a media circus when they find the bodies.”
“Then don’t leave any prints and make sure there’s nothing to trace it back to us.” Steel crosses his arms over his chest. “You good to do this?”
What he’s really asking is, am I okay walking to my death because that’s what this is? Eli could have an army ready to face the four of us. There’s only so much we can plan for. Which is why I don’t answer. I look to my brothers to decide whether they’re in because, either way, I’m going to get my wife.
“We’ve got this.” Havoc nods.
“Piece of cake.” Venom grins.
Legacy chuckles. “Pretty sure we’ve walked into worse.”
“You’re all full of shit,” Steel calls them out, laughing. “But be ready in twenty.”
The guys start to filter out of the room, and I’m right behind them until Steel stops me.
“I was wrong, Soul,” he says, frowning.
“You realize if you give me a goodbye speech, I’m fucked, right? Save the apologies for later.”
“I’m not fucking around.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “I was wrong to doubt her. Emery is good for you, and she’s good for this club. We’re going to get her back, Hayes.”
“I know we will.” Emotion swells in my throat. “Thanks, brother.”
Steel slaps my shoulder, walking out of the room to find Havoc and finish ironing out the details. But I don’t go with him. I take the turn to the bedrooms instead, knocking on Steel’s door.
Tempe answers, letting me in to see Charlie, who is lying in a bassinet. Her little fingers stretch as she reaches her arms up when she sees me.
