Page 43 of A Promise of Forever (The Vallaverse #3)

Caelan

I only wait until after lunch before heading for the St. Clairs' local headquarters, a place I've heard about for years but never actually visited.

The building is impressive from the outside, all glass and steel that screams legitimate business success, though everyone in our world knows the St. Clairs run operations that make my family's underground fighting ring look like a church bake sale.

Bryn is right behind me as we step into one of their conference rooms, his presence reassuring as always.

Moses and Hunter St. Clair are already sitting across the table when we enter, both Valla radiating the kind of controlled power that comes from maintaining a business like this.

Unlike Forrest, their business has a legal front and is very, very visible. I'm not sure I'd ever survive in this world after working behind the scenes for so long.

I catch a glimpse of an older Omega giggling with Ames in the hallway, stealing my attention for a moment. Her thick curls frame her full cheeks, both Ames and their Omega a picture-perfect vision of happiness.

Her bright orange dress clings to her gorgeous dark skin, a few shades darker than Ames’, a stark contrast to the Valla brothers I'm sitting across from.

They have more of a bronze glow to their pale skin, though without knowing they were brothers, I wouldn't know they were related.

Moses throws me a curious glance as I return my full focus to the St. Clair Valla. "Your Omega works with you?" I ask, genuinely curious about how they've managed to integrate an Omega into what I assume are often violent and dangerous business operations.

Hunter grins with obvious affection and pride.

"Koa didn't want to stay at home alone all day, and we were more than happy to bring her in here.

Turns out she's really good at catching details most people miss.

Financial discrepancies, patterns in behavior, that kind of thing. It's become a true family affair."

Moses laughs. "She even built a nest in that office because we tend to work longer hours and she refused to let Ames take her home early. Said if we're going to be here, she's going to be here too. She doesn't take part in any of the darker things, but she doesn't shun us for anything we do."

"We tried something similar with Astra," I admit with a rueful smile.

"But he enjoys staying at home most of the time.

Says all the business conversations are boring and he'd rather be painting or doing his own thing.

He does come to the fights with us, though, seems to enjoy that particular aspect of our work. "

"Every Omega is different," Hunter offers as he fiddles with one of the files in front of him.

"Some want to be involved in everything, others prefer to maintain separate spaces. The key is respecting what they need rather than imposing what we think they should want. Ames had to help us figure that out and I’m sure we would have terrified her if he hadn't been around.

Although Moses fucking chased her after she took off during The Night of Scarlet. "

I snort at the confession, looking over to see that Moses is mostly proud of that moment.

And then I think about Sterling and how Forrest is learning to navigate his particular needs, the way my brother has completely restructured his life around making Sterling feel safe and valued, even in just the last few days.

Moses' expression grows more serious as he pulls up files on his tablet.

"We've pulled together everything we have on Wilson and his various aliases," Moses begins, swiping through documentation.

"But we didn't find much concrete information on Thatcher beyond a phone number that's been used to arrange drug transactions.

No real name attached, no address, nothing that would let us track him physically. "

The information is frustrating but not entirely surprising. Anyone smart enough to maintain multiple identities for this long would be careful about leaving obvious trails.

"I could call it," I offer, already knowing how Bryn is going to react but putting the suggestion out there anyway.

"Absolutely the fuck not," Bryn responds immediately, his voice carrying the kind of protective authority that makes my instincts want to submit even though I'm an Alpha.

I snort with amusement despite the seriousness of the situation. "Relax, Valla. But someone has to make contact, and I'm not going to stick Lorcan with doing all the dirty work again. He's always the one we send into dangerous situations, and I know he says he likes it, but at some point..."

I trail off, not sure how to articulate my concern. Lorcan is incredibly capable and genuinely seems to enjoy the violence and danger that comes with enforcement work. But relying on him for everything feels like we're taking advantage of his willingness rather than properly distributing risk.

"Unfortunately, I think this is a step that you either hand to a trusted official who can provide some legal cover, or you make the call yourself," Moses says thoughtfully.

"Forrest might be the best option, but with his bond to Sterling being so new, I'm not sure what's going to happen if he puts himself in danger.

New bonds make Valla incredibly protective but also potentially reckless. "

Forrest has always been controlled and calculated in his approach to violence and business. But since claiming Sterling, there's been a wild edge to his protectiveness that suggests he might not think clearly if he perceives a threat to his Omega.

The same way Bryn thoroughly tortured a man for touching Astra against his wishes. Bryn still threatens people, but he has way more control than he used to.

Well, he just takes it out on my poor ass now instead of beating up people who aren't worth it.

I can't complain.

Bryn lets out a deep purr, catching onto the trickle of desire running through me.

I just clear my throat and refocus on the conversation.

"I have a feeling Forrest will still do whatever needs to be done," I say with more confidence than I feel.

"And Sterling will be okay with it. They're too perfect together for Sterling to try to hold Forrest back from protecting the family. "

The statement triggers laughter around the table, breaking some of the tension that's been building. It's true, though. Sterling and Forrest have found something rare and powerful in each other, the kind of bond that makes both of them stronger rather than creating vulnerability.

Bryn pulls out his phone and calls Thea, switching to speaker so we can all hear. "Hey, we're working on the Wilson situation with the St. Clairs. Can you give us information about the drugs you've been finding at recent fights?"

Thea's voice comes through; the Beta one of my favorite people when it comes to accessing information.

Her organizational skills make everything we were doing before her look like child's play.

"It's been one of two drugs consistently.

The fighters call them Red Line and Bloom on the street.

Red Line is the aggression enhancer that blocks pain receptors, and Bloom is the heat inducer that's been used to assault Omegas. "

"Excuse me?" Moses cuts in, leaning forward across the table. "Can you repeat those names?"

"Who's that?" Thea asks, clearly surprised to hear an unfamiliar voice on what she thought was a private call.

"Moses St. Clair," I explain quickly. "They were able to pull up information on Wilson, who apparently is also operating under the name Thatcher."

"No shit?" Thea's surprise is evident even through the phone. "Damn. That connects a lot of dots we've been trying to piece together. Need anything else from me?" I tell her no, Thea hanging up a second later.

"Can we get back to the drugs for a moment?

" Moses interrupts, his tone suggesting this is more significant than we realized.

"Red Line and Bloom are street names for some seriously potent substances.

Like controlled and highly black market types.

They're also experimental, which means there are several formulations out there, but what you're finding is probably the newest strain. "

He pauses, pulling up information on his own tablet. "You've probably heard them referred to by their chemical names: Agroxin and Thermogen."

The names trigger something in my memory. "Bryn, didn't Astra mention Thermogen at some point?"

"Yeah," Bryn confirms, his expression darkening with concern. "He said he'd heard other Omegas talking about it at one of the galleries he visits. Said they mentioned it was similar to the old heat drugs but much more dangerous because it works faster and the effects are harder to reverse."

"He'd be right about that," Moses confirms grimly.

"It would make perfect sense that a police officer would be involved in trafficking these substances.

Wilson would have access to evidence rooms, connections with other corrupt officers, and the authority to move suspicious shipments without raising red flags.

What are you thinking about the next steps? "

I lean back in my chair, running through scenarios in my mind.

"I have no fucking clue, honestly. We can't approach Wilson directly and ask about this Thatcher identity because he'll use it as ammunition to grab Sterling.

Claim we're harassing him or trying to intimidate a law enforcement officer.

But we also can't just waltz into a meeting with Thatcher as if we don't know who he really is. He's too smart for that."

Hunter, who's been listening quietly, speaks up with a suggestion that's both brilliant and terrifying. "Then invite him to The Forge. We'll help you beef up security for the evening, but meet him somewhere you can control the outcome. On your territory with your people."

Bryn immediately vetoes that option. "He wouldn't be stupid enough to step into that place. Wilson knows Forrest owns The Forge. Walking into our establishment would be like a lamb volunteering for slaughter."

"No, he wouldn't be that stupid under normal circumstances," I agree, my mind already working through the logistics.

"Unless he thought we were trying to make a legitimate business deal.

If we approach it as Thatcher rather than Wilson, if we pretend we don't know they're the same person, he might be arrogant enough to think he can play both sides.

" The idea takes shape as I talk through it.

“We contact Thatcher about a potential distribution deal.

Say we're interested in carrying Red Line and Bloom for our fighters and club members because if we can't fight it, we might as well get a piece of the money.

Make it sound lucrative enough that his greed overrides his caution. "

"It's a solid idea," Moses agrees. "You're not actually making a deal.

Make it explicitly clear that no drugs are to be brought on site, that this meeting is just for preliminary talks about terms and distribution.

That way, you're not technically violating your own rules, and you have grounds to throw him out or worse if he tries anything. "

Bryn's voice carries clear disapproval when he speaks. "I don't like this idea at all. Someone is going to get hurt, and it's probably going to be someone we care about."

I can hear the concern for Astra underlying his words. My Valla doesn't want our Omega anywhere near this kind of danger, doesn't want to risk the possibility of Wilson getting his hands on someone vulnerable.

"More than likely someone will end up in the ring before the night is over," I admit honestly.

"And Sterling is going to fucking hate this plan.

He's finally starting to feel safe, and we're going to be deliberately provoking the man who traumatized him.

" I run a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of the decision.

"But I don't see another option that doesn't involve waiting for Wilson to make his move first. And I'd rather control the confrontation than react to whatever he plans.

I'll run all this by Forrest and see what he thinks," I say, coming to a decision.

"Thank you for the information and the tactical assistance.

We wouldn't have gotten this far without your help. "

Moses nods seriously. "Any time. We'll send over a few of our security people tonight to help with planning and setup. Who should they ask for when they arrive?"

"Ask for me directly," I respond. "I'll make sure they're set up properly and integrated with our existing security. Do you trust these people?"

Moses meets my eyes with absolute certainty. "With my life. They've been with our family for years, and they understand the stakes when Omegas are involved. They won't fuck this up."

"That's all I need to hear then." I stand, extending my hand for a firm shake. "We'll be in touch about timing and specifics once I've talked to Forrest."

This is either going to solve our Wilson problem permanently, or it's going to explode into violence that destroys everything we've built.

But looking at the alternatives, waiting for Wilson to pick his moment and his ground, I know we don't have a choice. Sometimes the only way to protect family is to drag the threat into the open and deal with it decisively.

I just hope Sterling and Forrest's bond is strong enough to survive what's coming.