Chapter 62

* * *

"Seems like something bad happened."

Joshua, sitting at an outdoor table in the open-air café, asked with an ambiguous smile toward Dane, who was sprawled in the chair across from him with a sullen expression. Dane, with his arm around the back of the chair and his head tilted back, his long neck bent toward the sky, said.

"I need to kill Greyson Miller."

So something did happen. Joshua thought and tried to soothe Dane with the same words as before.

"As I said last time, he's not a man worth that much, Dane."

Ha! Dane snorted and raised only his head to look at Joshua, grimacing.

"Why does that crazy bastard always have self-defense on his lips?"

"Self-defense?"

"Yeah."

At Joshua's question, Dane spat out roughly.

"Whenever something happens, he claims self-defense and acts like a madman? It's to the point where I wonder if he's doing it on purpose. Is he just crazy?"

Joshua, who had been silently listening to Dane's complaints, opened his mouth.

"I haven't heard that Greyson has such a habit... I'll look into it."

As he muttered to himself while stroking his chin, Dane immediately snorted.

"Forget it, he's probably just crazy, what reason could there be?"

"Of course you're right. Thank you."

Joshua, true to his usual social skills, readily agreed with him. And as the employee brought the menu book at just the right time, he naturally greeted her with a smile. The employee returned the smile to the handsome man's sunny face. After she turned and left, Dane, still in the same position, muttered.

"Stop flirting when you have three kids."

"I'm just being kind. There's nothing wrong with kindness, is there?"

Joshua said this and put down the menu book.

"It's just that someone in front of me lacks social skills."

Though naturally offended by the smiling face, Dane just let out a "huh" and a hollow laugh. Joshua tapped the table, tap tap, as if for Dane to hear. Under the unspoken pressure to choose quickly, Dane reluctantly detached his back and sluggishly picked up the menu book placed on the table. After roughly choosing a menu marked as "best," they finished ordering and began their main conversation.

"I've roughly planned it out. You just need to transport him, we'll take care of the rest."

At the sentence that cleverly omitted the subject, Dane waited for the next words while drinking tomato juice. Joshua, pretending to be nonchalant but subtly lowering his voice, continued.

"You don't have to rush. We've already waited for several years, so waiting a few more days is nothing. But we need to succeed in one go. If we fail, there won't be another chance."

"So?"

To the obvious admonition, Dane asked as if annoyed.

"Roughly when are you planning to do it?"

"The preparations are almost complete."

Joshua said.

"First, let me tell you the plan we're thinking of..."

While the explanation continued, Dane just listened without saying anything. As Joshua had first said, it wasn't a complicated plan at all. The problem was that Dane was assigned the most dangerous and difficult task.

Namely, kidnapping Greyson Miller.

"As you now know, Greyson is particularly superior in phenotype even among extreme Alphas. That means he's not easy to deal with. Being an extreme Alpha, ordinary drugs don't work on him, and if we were to try to kidnap him with multiple people, we'd need at least ten, but mobilizing that many would naturally attract attention."

"So you want me to do it alone?"

"You were in a special forces unit."

Joshua spoke as if it were someone else's business, though the same applied to him. The reason he wasn't stepping forward himself was probably because the risk of being caught was high. Greyson Miller would surely notice why Joshua was approaching him. He would at least feel a threat to his safety. Dane thought. Of course, even if I approach him, he would be equally suspicious.

"You want me to do everything from luring him out to finishing it alone?"

"I can provide some help."

Just as he said that, the waitress brought the food. Seeing Dane mercilessly pressing his large signature sandwich to a thickness that would fit in one bite, Joshua said.

"I've prepared a car and a helicopter. Of course, with a helicopter pilot."

"Helicopter?"

Dane hesitated just as he was about to bring the sandwich to his mouth. Joshua nodded and smiled.

"I've prepared a mansion for Greyson on the mountainside."

He said he had waited quite a long time, so he must have prepared for just as long. Dane was curious about what they were planning to do to Greyson there, but it was definitely not out of worry or concern. Dane pointed his sandwich-holding hand at Joshua and warned.

"Don't forget, I agreed to have a very deep conversation with that bastard."

Joshua looked at his friend with a gentle smile.

"Of course, Dane. I haven't forgotten."

He added with a face as bright as the California sunshine, as usual.

"We all feel the same way."

Dane began eating his sandwich after confirming Joshua's answer. After a pause, Joshua broached the subject.

"There's something important you should know before starting the job."

When Dane looked at him while still chewing his sandwich, Joshua continued.

"You shouldn't let any of the Miller family brothers hold anything like a stick. Any kind of stick in their hands will turn into a weapon."

Dane reacted a beat late.

"What?"

To Dane, who frowned and asked just one word, Joshua explained seriously.

"Ashley Miller was an ice hockey player in high school. I heard he was the captain and even MVP, so he seems to be good at using any kind of stick."

"So."

Dane asked, still frowning.

"He taught his children? To beat people?"

"I'm not sure about that."

Joshua backed down a step but soon added his speculation.

"Don't you think it might have something to do with the self-defense you mentioned earlier?"

It was a plausible guess. Greyson would really go crazy after saying those words. When Dane closed his mouth, Joshua admonished again.

"It doesn't hurt to be careful. Anyway, it's good to keep it in mind."

Dane still said nothing and bit into his sandwich. And they talked a bit more, mixing in trivial chatter, before parting. With Dane deciding the D-day.

And that day came sooner than expected.

* * *

"Going to Ezra's party? Greyson Miller?"

When he heard the story from DeAndre as they stood side by side in the locker room changing clothes, Dane instinctively realized that the opportunity had come. DeAndre said indifferently as he put his removed shirt into the cabinet.

"Yeah, Ezra is a funny guy too. He firmly believes Miller is a good guy? Even after what happened with you."

DeAndre shook his head, but Dane understood to some extent. Ezra, who was good-natured by nature, easily believed in people, and that belief rarely wavered. This time was no exception. He had an absurd infatuation with Greyson, and it would take considerable effort for that to be removed.

"I'm telling you, it's all a misunderstanding."

As if he had heard DeAndre's words, Ezra suddenly cut in and admonished him. When both of them closed their mouths simultaneously, Ezra continued as if he had been waiting.

"Miller isn't such a bad guy. Don't be prejudiced, not all extreme Alphas are weird."

DeAndre looked at Dane as if in disbelief and then sneered at Ezra.

"You seem to know a lot? About Miller?"

"I know more than you guys."

Ezra declared proudly.

"You guys, don't judge others so easily. It will come back to you if you do."

"Yeah, yeah. Got it."

Dane let his words slide and asked.

"So, Miller is also going to your daughter's birthday party? Did you tell him the time and place?"

"Of course, I told him not to spend more than $50 on a gift. He was very moved, saying it was his first time being invited to a friend's child's birthday."

"Friend?"

"Friend? You and Miller?"

Following Dane, DeAndre asked with a raised voice, as if shocked. Ezra nodded with a pleased face.

"You guys should also be nice to Miller. Then kindness will come back to you."

DeAndre shook his head as if in disbelief, but Dane was thinking something else.

"I'm looking forward to it."

At Dane's muttering, Ezra said excitedly.

"Me too. The whole family has been so busy with party preparations already. Yesterday, we went to the mart..."

He continued to chatter, but Dane was recalling the conversation he had with Joshua. Along with a small sense of guilt about whether Ezra would be disappointed if Miller didn't show up at his daughter's party.