The Heir's obsession-Chapter 64: PLANS

Chapter 64

JACE MARINO

I kept my eyes on the road, but my hand stayed close to the screen mounted on the dash. The CCTV feed from the safe house flickered every few seconds. The boys were in the kitchen. Julian was trying to pretend he wasn’t scared. His friends were trying to pretend they weren’t about to spiral.

I wasn’t supposed to be checking it every two minutes, but I couldn’t stop. My chest kept tightening in a way I hated. I have never been the type to panic. But every time Julian wasn’t where he was supposed to be, something inside me got stupid.

Mateo leaned back in the passenger seat and sighed. "You keep looking at that like he’s going to disappear."

"He might," I said.

Mateo didn’t argue. He knew what I meant. We weren’t in normal territory anymore. Everything had shifted the moment Takeda landed in New York. And now we were driving straight into the kind of meeting that could rewrite the whole board.

Marco was behind us in the other car. He hadn’t said a word since we left. Probably listening to his playlist and acting like this wasn’t the biggest risk we’ve taken in months.

I switched back to the feed. Julian was drinking water and pacing around the table. His friends were arguing about something idiotic again. The kind of stupid argument people have when they’re scared.

I wanted to go back.

But I couldn’t.

Not today.

"Tell me again," Mateo said quietly. "Why we didn’t tell them about Aiko last night?"

"Because if they saw her being moved in daylight, they’d panic," I said. "And panic makes people make noise. They can’t afford noise."

"You trust Enzo?" Mateo asked.

I smirked a little, barely. "I trust that he likes proving he’s smarter than everyone else."

"That’s not trust."

"It’s enough for now."

Enzo’s place was the safest option we had. Which was funny, because he wasn’t supposed to be involved in any of this after the Veridian Hall incident. But the moment Aiko’s father stepped into New York, every safe house we normally used became a target.

So I sent her to the one place her father wouldn’t dare touch.

Enzo’s house was a mess of old loyalty, old anger, and whatever strange friendship we kept pretending we didn’t have. But he’d protect her. And her boyfriend. And he’d enjoy rubbing that in my face later.

I switched back to the feed. Julian had his head down on the counter. Rico was patting him on the back. Luka was pacing. Liam kept opening cabinets like he lived there.

I felt my jaw lock.

Mateo glanced over. "They’re safe."

"For now."

We pulled up behind the abandoned factory. No cameras. No hunters. No neighbors. A perfect hole in the city.

Marco stayed behind in the car. My little brother had been quiet for days now, and that wasn’t normal. I had no idea what was going on with him. Maybe it was stress. Maybe everything that had been happening finally got to him.

I was putting all of them through hell because I was in love.

I’d make it up to them. When we got out of this mess alive, I’d make sure of it

Voss was already standing outside, looking irritated. She always looked irritated around us. And next to her was a man I didn’t expect to see before this was over.

Detective Pole.

Julian’s father.

His face looked like someone drove over it twice. No sleep. No patience. And no good reason to be here except the obvious one.

Mateo muttered, "Well. That’s awkward."

"Stay quiet," I said. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

He nodded.

I stepped out of the car. Voss didn’t smile. She never did.

"You’re late," she said.

"You’re early."

Detective Pole stepped forward. I could see the anger on him before he even opened his mouth.

"Where is my son?"

"Safe," I said.

"That isn’t an answer."

"And you don’t get the full answer."

He moved closer until we were too close for two people who hated each other. He lowered his voice.

"You think I won’t push you for it? You think I don’t know what you are? My son is involved with you and your family’s mess. I’m not stepping aside."

"You being here is already stepping too far," I said.

Voss cut between us. "Enough. All of you. We’re here for one reason."

She motioned toward the inside of the building.

We went in.

The place was empty except for a table and a few chairs. Not a trap. Just a quiet place to make a deal with the federal government.

The kind of thing my father would kill me for if he knew the whole truth.

Voss placed a file on the table. "If we’re going to act, we need Takeda isolated, exposed, or cornered. I don’t care which. You said you have something."

"I do," I said.

Pole crossed his arms. "So this is real. You’re actually going to give up Takeda."

"It benefits everyone," I said. "Even you."

He scoffed. "Don’t pretend you’re doing this for the greater good."

"I’m not," I said. "I’m doing it because he’s a threat to someone I care about."

Pole’s jaw tightened.

I stepped forward.

"We tell you where he is staying. His movement schedule. His guards. His blind spots. You decide how to snatch him. As long as he leaves New York and never touches any of us again."

Voss studied my face. She didn’t trust me. She never would.

Good.

"Why now?" she asked. "Your family has worked with Takeda’s father for years. What changed?"

Julian.

But I wasn’t giving her that.

"He has no control," I said. "He’s reckless. Desperate. And he wants what he can’t have. That makes him dangerous."

Pole stared at me. "My son is involved in this because of you. So if something happens to him, I swear to God—"

"He will be fine," I cut him off. "You can’t protect him from this better than I can."

Pole’s eyes darkened. "I should arrest you right now."

"You would lose your son if you did."

He hated that I said it out loud. But we both knew the truth.

Julian would never forgive him.

Voss sat down. "Tell me what you know."

I told her.

Everything.

Takeda’s arrival. His men. His hiding places. The Serrano boys being pulled out of whatever hole they were in to help track down Aiko. The rising tension between the families. Every detail we’d collected over the last month.

Voss wrote quickly.

Pole stared like he was trying to figure out where he could legally punch me.

When I finished, Voss closed her folder. "This is enough. If you’re right, we can intercept within three days."

Pole didn’t look convinced. "And after that?"

"After that," I said, "you stay away from my family."

Pole took a step toward me again. "I’m not making deals with you."

"You already are."

His breath shook. Not from fear. From anger.

"You think this ends with us being allies. It doesn’t," he said. "When this is over, I’m still coming for you. For your brothers. For your father."

I met his stare evenly. "Your son won’t let you do that."

Pole froze for a second.

Because he knew I was right.

And he hated it.

Voss stood. "We’re done here. I’ll call you when we move."

I turned and walked toward the exit. Mateo followed close behind me. I didn’t look back at Pole.

I didn’t have to.

His hatred was loud enough without words.

Outside, the air was colder. The sky was getting brighter. Morning creeping in.

Mateo exhaled. "That went better than expected."

"No it didn’t," I said.

"What now?"

"Now we pray nothing happens before the feds make their move."

He nodded. "And we go home?"

"Yeah," I said. "We go home."

I spotted Marco in the second car, his head resting against the window. I couldn’t see his face clearly. Maybe he was asleep.

"He’s never been this quiet," Mateo said. "And that scares me."

"Do you have any idea what’s going on with him?"

"He’s been acting a little wired since Aiko and her boyfriend came to the safe house. And he’s been even quieter since the boys showed up," Mateo said. "You know this is the kind of chaos he usually enjoys, so I don’t understand it."

He was right. Marco liked war. What was happening now should have been his favorite show.

"I think we have some brotherly duties to handle," I said.

Mateo nodded.

We watched Marco for a moment longer, then got into the car

I checked the CCTV feed again.

Julian was sitting at the kitchen table with his friends. He was holding a mug with both hands like he needed the warmth. He kept glancing toward the hallway like he was waiting for me.

My chest pulled tight.

Because whatever was coming next wouldn’t be small.

And Julian needed me there before the world opened up again.

I got in the car, started the engine, and drove.

Back to the safe house.

Back to him.