Chapter 5 - The Blood on the Asphalt
Rain mixed with gasoline and gunpowder as Julian stepped into the open air.
The storm roared around him, but the moment his boots hit the wet asphalt, the mercenary gunfire briefly faltered. In the underworld, Julian Vale’s physical presence was legendary—a ghost who had survived three separate turf wars and personally executed the men who tried to take his brother’s throne.
"Shoot him!" Richard Arden screamed through his megaphone, pointing a trembling finger. "Shoot him now, you fools!"
A mercenary leveled an assault rifle at Julian’s chest. Before the man could pull the trigger, Julian raised his custom sidearm and fired twice. The precise heavy rounds tore through the shooter’s vest, dropping him instantly to the road.
Marcus exploded out of the driver's side, firing a rapid burst that suppressed the snipers on the garbage truck.
"Julian!" Celeste shrieked from behind her father’s armored sedan, her face pale with terror and spite. "You're ruining everything over a common servant! Look at yourself!"
Julian didn't answer her. He moved forward like a machine of absolute destruction. Every step was deliberate, every shot calculated. He used the shattered frame of his lead vehicle as cover, advancing on Richard Arden’s line while Marcus flanked from the right, cutting through the mercenaries with brutal efficiency.
Inside the SUV, Lena watched through the cracked, rain-streaked glass. Her hands were pressed over her mouth, her heart beating frantically against her ribs. She saw Julian take a grazing hit to his left shoulder—a sharp spray of crimson cutting through his dark suit—but he didn't even flinch. He raised his weapon and drove a bullet straight through the tire of Arden’s getaway vehicle, pinning the father and daughter in place.
Within three minutes, the gunfire died down. The bridge fell eerily quiet, save for the crackle of burning tires and the torrential downpour.
Richard Arden dropped his shotgun, falling to his knees with his hands raised, his expensive trench coat soaked in mud. Celeste stumbled backward, her pristine hair ruined, her eyes wide with unadulterated panic as Julian approached them.
Julian stood over Richard, his weapon aimed squarely at the older man's forehead. Blood dripped from the graze on Julian’s shoulder, turning the wet fabric of his shirt a deep black.
"Julian... please," Richard begged, his voice cracking. "We were family! Owen was like a nephew to me! Solazzo forced my hand—he threatened my business!"
"You didn't just skim from my union accounts, Richard," Julian said, his voice terrifyingly calm above the sound of falling rain. "You paid the truck driver who ran Owen’s car off the highway six years ago. You wanted him dead so you could take control of the harbor accounts."
Celeste gasped, backing away. "Julian, no! My father didn't—"
"Owen’s notebook was found in the car tonight," Julian interrupted, his eyes shifting to Celeste with an icy glare that made her choke on her words. "He suspected your father weeks before he died. That’s why he hid the safety deposit key inside the upholstery."
Julian lowered his gun, looking down at Richard like an unsightly stain on the pavement.
"Marcus," Julian commanded softly.
May you like
Marcus stepped forward from the shadows, his expression grim. "Boss?"
"Take Richard Arden and Celeste into custody. Lock them in the lower cellars at the harbor estate. Nobody touches them until Don Solazzo is brought to the same room."
