The sound of my boots echoed through the warehouse as I paced back and forth, fists clenched at my sides. Frustration burned through me like a wildfire – every step felt like a punch against a brick wall I couldn’t break down.
Olivia’s fingers danced across the keyboard, her long curly hair bouncing as she focused on the computer screen. She was a goddamn beacon in this dark place, but even that wasn’t enough to quell my anger.
Brynn, who’d been uncharacteristically quiet since she arrived, was sitting next to Olivia, looking bored. Apparently, my whole fucking life coming down on our heads wasn’t an interesting enough event to keep her entertained.
“Anything yet?” I growled, trying to keep my voice steady. Benjamin stood by the door, his eyes glued to the security camera feed. He glanced over at me, a hint of amusement in his expression.
“Nothing you need to know about, boss,” he replied, a wry smile forming on his lips. Bastard knew how to push my buttons, but I didn’t have the energy for it right now.
I was about to snap back when the door burst open, revealing Tommy, Azalea, and Ash. Their presence brought a momentary relief from the tension coiling inside me.
“Looks like the gang’s all here,” Tommy declared, his face red with anger, voice bristling with determination. “What’s the situation?”
“Three hitters came at us at the cabin,” I spat. “Hoping to fulfill Gregory’s contract, of course. I made a deal with him to spare our lives, but we’re not out of the woods yet. In fact, it seems like we’re buried in the deepest, darkest part of the forest right now.”
“Jesus,” Ash muttered, running a hand through his dark hair. “I’m glad you’re both okay, at least. We’ve been working around the clock. I’m not getting anything useful.”
“Same here,” Azalea interjected. She looked exhausted. Even her brightly colored hair seemed dull. “We’re putting out feelers, but with your name all over the news, I gotta be sneaky. No one is willing to stick their neck out for you right now.”
I snorted. “I can’t blame them, but I will remember it.”
“We gotta keep you alive and out of prison before we can get revenge, bro,” Tommy added. “We need to hit back, and we need to do it now.”
“Exactly,” I agreed, feeling the fire of vengeance flare up within me.
“About time,” Tommy grunted. “So, what’s the plan?”
I gritted through my teeth, fists clenched at my sides. “We’re at war now. No more pussyfooting around. We hit them hard and fast. In the meantime, we arm up. I don’t want to solve this with violence, but I’ll blow up the entire city if that’s what it takes to clear my name.”
“Marcus, you’re still not thinking clearly,” Brynn interrupted, her voice dripping with condescension. “This isn’t a street brawl, it’s a delicate situation that requires diplomacy and careful action. If you want people to think you’re more than just a thug, you can’t go around acting like one.”
“Careful action?” I snarled. “You think I haven’t been doing that? Look where it got us. Attempts on my life. Raids on my businesses. All my allies scattered. Being careful hasn’t done shit but fuck me harder.”
“Rushing into battle without considering all the angles will only make things worse,” she insisted, crossing her arms defensively.
“Christ, Brynn,” I growled, turning to face her. “Why don’t you take your high-and-mighty attitude back to your office and crunch some numbers? That’s what you’re good at, right? Let the rest of us deal with the real shit.”
Her eyes narrowed, and I could see the anger simmering beneath the surface. “Fine,” she spat, grabbing her bag and heading for the door. “Don’t come crying to me when your little war goes wrong.” She slammed the door behind her, leaving us in tense silence.
“Good fucking riddance,” I muttered under my breath, running a hand through my hair. My blood was boiling, but there was no time to waste on anger. We had work to do.
“All right, let’s get down to business,” I said, shaking off the tension from the confrontation. “We need to find out who’s trying to ruin me and why. Stop them in their tracks and then fix the damage they’ve done. And we need to do it all before they have a chance to strike again.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Tommy agreed, cracking his knuckles. “What’s the first move?”
“First, we gather intel. We need eyes and ears on every person who might have a motive to take me down. And I mean everyone – friends, enemies, family. Nobody is above suspicion.”
“Got it,” Azalea chimed in, already typing away on her phone. “I’ll get started on that right away.”
“Good,” I said, feeling the gears of our war machine beginning to turn. “Now let’s figure out our next steps.”
Olivia hesitated for a moment before pulling out a large whiteboard from the corner of the room. With a sheepish grin, she said, “I know this might seem a bit…silly, but I thought it could help us organize our thoughts.”
“Actually, that’s a great idea,” Tommy chimed in, giving her an encouraging nod. The others murmured their agreement, and we all gathered around as Olivia set up the planning board.
Just then, Ash’s phone rang, cutting through the tense atmosphere like a knife. He listened for a moment before turning to me with a serious expression. “Marcus, there’s a lead on Enzo. This is the first sign of him since his team disappeared. I need to check it out personally. You good with that?”
“Go,” I told him, my voice firm. “Keep me updated.”
With a nod, Ash left the warehouse, leaving me, Olivia, Tommy, Azalea, and Benjamin to get down to business.
“Alright, people, let’s lay out our goals here,” I began, clenching my fists to keep my frustration in check. “We need to identify who’s sabotaging me and why, stop them, and start repairing the damage done. Any ideas?”
As everyone started throwing out suggestions, Olivia scribbled notes on the board.
“Maybe we should start by looking closer at your inner circle,” Azalea suggested, her eyes flicking nervously between all of us. “It’s possible someone close to us is feeding information to the enemy.”
“Agreed,” Benjamin interjected. “We can’t afford any blind spots. Everyone’s a suspect until proven otherwise.”
“I hate to even consider it, but yeah. Let’s divvy up the tasks,” I said, my voice gaining strength as we moved forward. “Azalea, you and Ash dig into internal suspects, see if anyone’s been compromised. Tommy, coordinate with Benjamin on keeping tabs on everyone else – friends, enemies, family.”
“Got it,” Tommy replied, his brow furrowed in determination.
“Olivia, I want you to help me plan our next moves. We need to be proactive, not just reacting to whatever shit gets thrown at us.” I could see the fire in her eyes as she nodded, ready for the challenge.
The warehouse air was thick with tension as we continued to hammer out the details of the plan. We’d started off scattered and unfocused, but slowly, an intricate strategy had taken shape.
This was the only way for me to survive. Fighting in whatever arena was required. Taking the battle to my enemies, not letting them skulk around in the shadows. No more smiling businessman act. I was born in the gutter and dragged myself out with only my mind and my fists. Both were primed and ready now.
“All right,” I said, my voice hoarse from hours of talking, “You’ve got your assignments. Benjamin, I want only trusted security in the key locations we discussed. We can’t risk giving my enemies any easy targets.”
“You got it, boss,” he replied, his eyes never leaving the security camera feed.
“Good.” I turned to face Azalea, who was still bent over her laptop. “What about that tracking program you mentioned?”
“Got it set up already,” she said with a grin, tapping away at her keyboard. “It’ll help us keep tabs on everyone and give us real-time updates.”
“Perfect,” I nodded, satisfied at the progress we’d made. “Get to work, all of you. Let’s fucking finish this thing.”
With that, Tommy, Azalea, and Benjamin filed out of the warehouse, leaving me alone with Olivia. Her soft curls framed her face as she gazed at the planning board, looking exhausted but resolute. I walked over to her, feeling the weight of our impending battle settling on my shoulders.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” I asked quietly, searching her eyes for any hint of doubt. The next part of the plan was going to be hard on her, no matter how well it worked.
“Absolutely,” she answered, meeting my gaze with unwavering conviction. “I can do this. We can do this.”
Her determination stirred something deep within me. “Before we get started, there’s something I need you to know.”
Olivia reached out and took my hand, her touch warm and reassuring. “Wait. First, I need to tell you something. Earlier, in the car, you said I was your everything. And I didn’t tell you how much that meant to hear.”
“Baby, I know.”
“No,” she added, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Whatever happens next, I want you to know that I feel the same way. You’re nothing I ever expected, Marcus. And you’re more than I could have even dreamed. I love the way you look at me. I love the way you touch me. I love the way you kiss me.” Her gaze dropped to my lips. “And I love who I am when I’m with you.”
I cupped a hand around the back of her long, slim neck and tilted her face up to meet my eyes again. “What are you trying to say, Liv?”
“That I love you.” She let out a puff of air. “I love you, Marcus.”
In the midst of the shit-show that was my life, those few words meant everything. If this sweet, beautiful, brilliant girl could love me, anything was possible. And I sure as hell was going to make sure we both survived long enough to show Olivia just how much I loved her, too.