The guards rushed in and eventually pulled Josiah off the bleeding supervisor, but not before he’d already managed to break the guy’s nose.The ensuing commotion disrupted all work, bringing the whole steel mill to a standstill.Dustin Howard narrowed his hawkish eyes on Josiah and frowned.“Call the cops. But first, give this bastard a beating he’ll remember for a lifetime!” he thundered.The guards pulled out their batons and were about to go to town on Josiah when Alex intervened.“He’s with me!”The guards stopped as Dustin put his hand up.“What do you mean he’s with you?” he asked, turning to Alex. “You really know this man?”“Unfortunately, I do,” Alex sighed, shaking his head. “Josiah is a good friend. I brought him here for company. See if he could learn something which might help him build a factory in the province. But now it seems it was a terrible mistake.”Dustin glanced around and scowled.“What the hell are you all looking at? I don’t pay you to keep standing around. G

Experience had taught Oleg that a little threat of violence always went a long way when dealing with affluent men in expensive suits.Most men from the upper echelons of society would start shaking in their boots and slink away with their tails tucked between their legs at the mere sight of blood.Alex, however, stood there like a monk, silently gazing at the pale, lifeless body of the man whose head had been bludgeoned by some heavy weapon.“So, you are the mayor’s hired killer? And what exactly did this guy do to deserve such a fate?” he asked with his hands in his pockets.Alex’s casual demeanor and complete lack of shock unsettled Oleg for a moment. But he guessed Alex was only trying to keep up appearances to maintain his upper hand.“He got in our way. Saw us loading moonshine into the cabs and protested. Little shrimp wanted to expose us to his friends,” Oleg scoffed. “Too bad, now he’ll be sleeping with the fish somewhere cold and dark.”“I’m guessing he was working with you.

The trucks loaded with money, all lined up together, contained enough cash to put the richest millionaires in Cobalt Cove to shame. And Alex was certain that this money had neither belonged to any bank nor any private lender.This begged the question, who had piled up the cash, and for what reason.Alex flipped the envelope, hoping to find more information about the sender, but there was neither a name nor an address.“Who are you? And why send me these pictures?”As Alex was racking his brain for an answer, the name ‘Ace and Bitters’ stuck out to him.It sounded like a top-end casino or a bar. But it seemed out of place in a city like Cobalt Cove, whose population largely consisted of factory workers, miners, and cabbies.Just then, Alex’s phone buzzed in his pocket.“Good evening, Mr. Verlaine. I hope you liked my little gift.”It was Dustin Hoffman’s voice on the other side.“The envelope…it was you?” Alex asked, scrutinizing the package under his keen gaze. “What do you want, Dust

The security arrangements inside the seemingly random back alley hinted at some shady business.A couple of guards and a locked door would have been enough to guard the club’s rear entrance. But Alex counted a dozen uniformed men patrolling the area, accompanied by two guard dogs.A closer look at their uniforms revealed they were all wearing the same monograms that were etched on the wristbands of the bouncers inside the club.It took Alex only a second to connect the dots and realize this was the same security agency that had been hired by Ross to handle the club’s security.“But what the hell are you doing here?”There was no doubt in his mind that they were guarding something important inside the warehouse.Alex was still thinking of a way to get past the security when one of the patrolling guards decided to take a detour and head for the club’s rear entrance.Seeing the guard coming his way, Alex stepped out of the narrow shaft of light and ducked into cover, hiding behind one of

The flames from the fire that Alex had lit inside the warehouse threatened not just Oleg’s illegal liquor business, but Ross’s new club as well.Even the mayor could feel the heat as he looked out of his apartment balcony and gazed at the smoke billowing out of Downtown Cobalt.“This is my city. I am the top predator here,” Angelo muttered, gripping the marble railings of his balcony. “Whoever you are, I swear I’m going to skin you alive when I find out!”Still staring at the fire burning in the distance, he pulled out his phone and called up Oleg.“Mr. Velasquez. I’m surprised you’re still up. Don’t worry about the money. The delivery has been made. I spoke to Marcus already.”“The delivery is toast, you idiot! Someone burnt the whole warehouse down after you left!” Angelo snapped back.“What?” Oleg's voice dropped. “I’ll head there right away and—”“You’re dumber than you look!” Angelo yelled, cutting him off. “If you go there, you’ll expose us both. Stay low for now, and watch your