Reckless Regrets
Chapter 41

Kade

“You haven’t even been here twelve hours, and you’ve already gotten your a*s handed to you twice? And by girls?” Alaia asked while simultaneously laughing in my face.

“Listen, Bean. This is not funny. I was asleep when Morgan attacked me, and there’s no way anyone can fend off a shimmering and pissed off Aires. Those weren’t fair fights,” I reasoned.

“You’re right. And it should really be Xander getting all the hate; this mess was his idea.”

“That’s what I’ve been thinking this whole time, but he’s the boss and untouchable.”

“Not when it comes to me. Xander will pay for this, I guarantee it. Now hold still.”

She placed one of her hands on my head and the other on my sore and swollen shoulder then started her song. This was a two for one healing; I was mentally and physically exhausted in addition to all the injuries, and Bean was bringing me back to life. It was nice that at least one of the ladies had a warmer reception for my return home.

When it was all over, she placed her hands on my cheeks and kissed me on the forehead.

“All done. You look a million times better, you know I hate to see my guys all banged up.”

I stood up and gave her a big hug. I hadn’t felt this good in such a long time and was extremely grateful.

“Thank you so much, Bean, sincerely. I know Xander has told you everything that’s going on, and I want to apologize to you. I know it hurt to see me leave and think I was never coming back. And I’m sorry we made you believe it was true.”

“You can’t apologize for this. You were a loyal Beta and friend. Never apologize for how that may make someone else feel. But I think that Xander and Alexi should have told me. As this packs Luna, it’s my job to know everything to do my job. They’ll know better for next time, that’s for sure. But the important thing is that you’re home and hopefully we can all put our heads together to figure out the next steps.”

Our conversation was interrupted by Xander rushing in the back door with a seriously pissed off look on his face with the other guys behind him.

“They denied the petition. The Elders flat out refuse to let Thorne out, regardless of who it hurts. We’re going to Plan B.”

He stormed past the two of us and disappeared up the stairs. When Tyson, Matt, and Alexi looked at me, they looked just as confused as I did.

“Plan B? When did we come up with a Plan B?” I asked.

“I guess we just did. Let’s go replace out what it is,” Matt replied.

They all made their way up to the office, except for Alexi, who walked over to Alaia to grovel.

“Please talk to me, Angel, I hate that you’re so upset,” he begged.

“I’ll talk to you when you learn to respect my position in this pack. I’m not just your wife or ‘one of the girls’, and one day you and Xander will have to understand that. Now go; I respect your position too much to have you late for strategizing because you were talking with me,” she dismissively replied.

“It was Xander’s f*****g idea!” he yelled as he turned and walked up the stairs.

I looked at her and smiled.

“Why do I get a pass if he doesn’t?” I asked.

“Because you’re not my husband; he is. It’s an unwritten marriage rule that you don’t keep secrets from your spouse; he did. Sure it was Xander who started everything, but Alexi still broke the rule.”

“You know that makes no sense at all, right?”

“I know. But marriage doesn’t always make sense; that’s what makes it fun. Get going now before you’re late,” she told me with a wink.

These women were insane. That was all I thought as I walked up to the office, but I wouldn’t trade a single one of them for anything.

***

“If we can’t use Throne to get them out, then what other options are there?” Matt asked.

“I have an idea, a terrible idea, but it’s all I’ve got, and it won’t go away,” Xander replied.

“Let’s hear it,” I said.

“Well, if we can’t break them out from the outside, why don’t we break them out from the inside?” he asked.

I looked over at Tyson.

Kade

“You haven’t even been here twelve hours, and you’ve already gotten your a*s handed to you twice? And by girls?” Alaia asked while simultaneously laughing in my face.

“Is that possible?” I asked.

“How the hell should I know? I’m not ‘Google for Illegal and Immoral Bullshit,’” he replied.

“Actually, you are, and you know you are. So can we do it or not?” I again asked.

“From what I’ve heard, the place is a fortress; inside and out. But it’s also filthy and falling apart, so if you somehow found a way around the dark magic spells they use for security and protection, you could possibly replace a way out to an old rusty pipe or something like that. But again, I don’t know; this is all speculation.”

“Well, how can we replace out? The Badlands isn’t exactly a place that has normal visiting hours, and I don’t think the guards would be willing to help any of us,” Alexi stated.

“We send someone in. Blue Moon has more than enough money to pay the cost to get a guy in and out with no problem. So we go in, make sure the girls are alright and do recon. 72 hours. That’s the timeline. Either you replace a way out yourself, or we bail you out, but either way, it’s only three days on the inside,” Xander thought aloud.

“Well, that’s a beautiful plan and all, but who do we send? It would need to be someone who could handle themselves and wouldn’t have an issue fighting every day to make sure they don’t become prey. Then they’ve got to be able to protect the girls and figure out ventilation systems, laundry shafts, or any other tunnel type space that could smuggle a person out. We are a capable pack for sure, but we’re not James Bond, and that is a lot to ask,” I said.

The room fell silent while we all tried to figure out where to go from here.

“You guys are all idiots; why is this so hard? The answer is right here! You send Hades,” Alaia said from the door.

Taylor and Morgan were both standing with her, and although Taylor looked terrified, she nodded her head in agreement. I guess we were so focused on the plan that the girls snuck up on us.

“No, I’m not sending Tyson in there. He’s changed, and his life is far too important,” Xander stated.

“While I’m happy to see that I have value, I was thinking the same as the ladies, unfortunately. You won’t replace a better fighter than I am, and with my size, I doubt anyone would even think about f*****g with me.

Plus, I’ve met Marisol, so I already have that small relationship with her, and finally, I was Hades. If anyone deserves a one-way ticket to hell, it’s that guy. So, don’t look at it as sending your friend and Gamma; look at it as sending in the international hitman.”

“Those are valid points, but that guy is gone, and you have a wife and family to take care of, remember them?” Matt angrily asked.

“K**s my a*s, man. Of course, I remember them. I see the terror on my Sunshine’s face; I’m not f*****g blind! But I’m also not an idiot. None of you can get in and move around that place as I could. What would your backstory be? How would you protect yourself? They use dampeners to keep you from shifting, and do you know anyone better at hand-to-hand than I am?

I have the history, I have the experience, and I have the gadgets. I can have a full 3-D rendering of that place in six hours with the tech I have. With that, you guys could replace the safest way out and let me know what it is. I’ve also got microscopic cameras, mics, and speakers. You’d all hear and see everything I did. So, with that being said, if anyone else has a better option, let me know.”

He then walked over to Taylor and wrapped her in a hug to comfort her. It was clear to all of us that he didn’t want to go in, nobody did. But what other viable option was there?

Tyson was right, and even though I knew that any one of us could protect ourselves, he was better suited for the job. And with his reputation, he’d be untouchable.

“Alaia, I understand that you’re upset, but you shouldn’t have barged in here the way you did. You want me to respect you as a Luna? Then respect me as an Alpha. I’ll gladly share whatever you want to know moving forward, but a closed-door is closed for a reason. Understand?” Xander asked.

“Yes. I understand, and I apologize.”

Tyson took Taylor’s hand and pulled her to the couch, where she settled in between him and Matt. Morgan came and sat on my lap, and Alaia went and sat on Xander’s desk.

“Well, since the gangs all here now, Tyson, tell us about the gadgets you’ve got. If we’re going to do this, I want everyone here to know how everything works, and I want no mistakes.”

“I’ll be right back.”

Tyson stood up and left the room, quickly returning with his laptop and a small black case. He hooked the computer to the large TV screen and turned to the group.

“I hope you’ve all had your coffee this morning because you’re about to get a crash course in IT and security.”

***

“Wait, so how does the tracker work? And why do you need it if we’ll already know where you are?” Morgan asked.

We’d relocated to the conference room and had been diligently trying to absorb everything Tyson was telling us. But he might as well have been speaking Mandarin Chinese; none of us understood tech the way he did. And still, we pressed on.

“This is the same tracker the guys had last year when we were dealing with Lancaster and Drew. It’s just smaller, stronger, and more precise. It is accurate to within two feet; some of the best cell phones can only boast sixteen feet. Wherever I am in the prison, you will know. Exactly,” Tyson replied.

“Why don’t we just ask Aires to shimmer them out?” Taylor asked.

“Because of the dampeners, baby. She could possibly get in, but not out. It’s how they keep the entire vamp population from escaping,” he told her.

“Right, sorry. I’m getting hungry, and my brain isn’t firing on all cylinders.”

“I’ve got lunch on the way, don’t worry,” Alaia responded.

Tyson kissed the top of Taylor’s head and continued.

“So the trackers will work hand-in-hand with the 3-D rendering. I’ll have each of the girls swallow one as well so you can keep tabs on them too. The microphone is a subdermal chip placed behind my ear. It’s 100% undetectable and clear as a bell. If the guy next to me burps, you’ll hear it with no problem.”

“Okay, but what about the camera? And how will you hear what we’re saying to you?” Matt asked.

“The microphone is dual purpose. It’s a receiver and transmitter so I can hear everything you send me as well; that’s why I place it so close to the ear. The camera is what I’m still working on.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Usually, it’s just a contact lens, but it’s only to be worn for twelve hours, max. I don’t know the extent, but it would damage the eye if worn for three days straight. So I’m trying to figure out how to make this all work without it.”

“It’s not like you’d have a contact lens case with you when you go for intake, and shifters are known for impeccable vision, along with our other senses,” Xander chimed in.

“Exactly. So this camera just won’t work.”

“What about the one you made a few months ago? It’s about the size of a pinhead, right?” Taylor asked him.

“It is, and it’s also a prototype. I don’t know how well it will work in that place.”

“Well, it’s the best we’ve got, it seems. We can pull your dreads up and somehow latch the camera onto one of them. You’d just have to control the urge to wash them every ten minutes, so it doesn’t wash away,” she replied.

“I feel like you’re taking shots at my self-care routine, and now is not the time.”

“It’s ridiculous that my husbands take as long as me, or longer, to get dressed. But I digress; Xander, what do you think?”

He thought it over for a minute, then nodded.

“Let’s see the camera, Tyson. You can survive three days with dirty hair.”

“That’s a lie, but whatever. We’ll use the damn camera,” Tyson stated.

The smile on Taylor’s face told me that this was her payback for him, keeping quiet regarding the whole Canyon Woods debacle. When would these girls give us a break? With the pleasure they were taking in torturing us, it seems that it wouldn’t be any time soon.