Butcher’s eyes narrowed into a dark, paranoid stare. "Find the person behind this new resistance movement. There is a ghost group causing all these massive problems for us in the city, burning our warehouses and stealing our territory. Find the leader of that resistance and bring me their head. Do that, and then I will know for a fact that I can trust you with everything." Clara didn't let a single emotion show on her face, even though the leader he was talking about was her own mother. She gave a sharp nod. "Understood. I'll find them." Turning around, Clara walked out of the torture room, leaving the bloody meatpacking plant behind. Clara walked quickly through the dark, empty streets of the industrial sector for a while, her adrenaline still pumping. Suddenly, the blinding headlights of a black sedan cut through the shadows. The car pulled up hard right in front of her on the pavement. The passenger door swung open. It was Valthera behind the wheel. Clara quickly hopped into the

Henry spun around instantly, his back slamming against the sink. His hand instinctively flew to his waist, but his service weapon wasn't there; he had left his gun jacket at the table with Ashley. He forced himself to stay calm, his eyes narrowing into a glare. "What the hell are you looking for, Xander? You are fully aware that I am a cop, right?""Honestly? I don't care at all," Xander responded smoothly, taking a slow step forward. The casual amusement vanished from his face, replaced by a cold, deadly seriousness. "Where is the boy, detective?"Henry looked at him, forcing a confused expression onto his face. "I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. What boy?""No, no, no," Xander smiled darkly, shaking his head. He reached slowly into his tailored suit jacket. "You don't get to play that stupid game with me, Henry. At the cathedral that day, there was traffic and security cameras everywhere. Your personal car was spotted idling right outside the perimeter. Don't try

Nicholas stared at Valthera, his hand still trembling slightly on the grip of his gun. He blinked in utter disbelief. "Me?" he stammered, his voice cracking. "Really?""Yes, really," Valthera said smoothly, taking a slow, confident step toward him. The yellow streetlight caught the cold, calculating look in her eyes. "I have absolutely not forgotten about you trying to boil Clara alive. But we can move past that for now."She stopped just a few feet away from him, her posture relaxed but commanding. "I have seen your guts, Nicholas. I have seen the burning fire in your eyes. You crave much more out of life. You are entirely capable of being more than just a background character sitting on the sidelines."Nicholas’s eyes lit up a little. A sudden wave of validation washed over him. Those were the exact, powerful words he had been waiting to hear from his father for years, yet it was a rival gang leader saying them to him now. He slowly let go of his weapon, lowering his hands.Valthera

The dealer's own men accidentally riddled their comrade with bullets. Using the dying guard as a human shield, Valthera pushed backward, dragging a terrified Nicholas along with her. Bullets sparked violently off the concrete and metal beams of the unfinished bridge. They dove hard behind a massive row of heavy concrete construction blocks just as a hail of gunfire chewed through the air where they had been standing.Suddenly, loud vibrations shook Valthera’s pocket. Her cell phone was ringing. She rolled onto her back, pressed the phone to her ear, and ducked as a stray bullet chipped off a piece of the concrete block above her.It was Clara. "Butcher is on the move to meet the King!" Clara shouted through the speaker. "Where are you?!""Well, I am very busy right now!" Valthera yelled at the top of her lungs, her voice easily competing with the deafening roar of the automatic gunfire. "Handle it yourself!"She slammed the phone shut, ending the call instantly. She didn't have a sin

The outcast gang now possessed a massive arsenal of dangerous weapons, an armory officially good enough to wage an all-out war. And tucked safely inside the front crates was the Obsidian Syndicate's famous, mystical poison arrows. It was a terrifying weapon that could kill a man instantly and completely wither his corpse into ash in a matter of seconds.Meanwhile, across the city, Clara rushed out of the resistance warehouse and hopped into her sports car. Directly behind her, Dorian and Thomas started up their own black vehicle, while the rest of the armed resistance gang followed in a long, stealthy convoy.On Clara’s dashboard, the copied tracker on her phone showed that Butcher's location had finally begun to move. He was officially on his way to meet the King. This was their absolute perfect opportunity to follow him straight to the hidden meeting spot and launch a massive ambush.The convoy drove quietly through the city streets, keeping a sharp eye on Butcher and his own massi