All Chapters of BORN TO BE A MAN,FORCED TO BE A GANGSTER : Chapter 21
- Chapter 30
50 chapters
Chapter 21
THE SUSPECT Morning was slow and gray. The warehouse was quiet except for water dripping from the broken roof. Selena sat by the window. Her side hurt, and her mind raced. She hadn’t slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Griffin standing in the rain cold and unreadable, but real. He was supposed to be her enemy, but he had saved her twice. That didn’t make sense in their world. When the sun came through the fog, she got up and went to the main room. Griffin wasn’t there, but his laptop was open on the old table. She was drawn to it. Lines of code scrolled on the screen numbers, names, hidden accounts. She knew what it was: human trafficking routes. Details of the syndicate’s moves, hidden behind fake businesses. People killed for this kind of information. Her heart beat faster. She wanted to close it and erase it before someone else used it. But she didn’t move. She clicked a folder. A photo appeared children hurt and scared, underground. Then another
CHAPTER 22
THE BETRAYAL”S GAMES In Griffin’s world, nights were never quiet. But this night was too quiet. The air smelled of gun oil and rain. Outside his warehouse, no guards or engines just silence that made killers nervous. Griffin sat in his office, staring at a map marked with targets and names. His eyes narrowed in on one name: Rico. Griffin felt something was wrong. Rico had been too confident and loud around dangerous people. A message from an old contact said, “Rico’s talking to the Dragons.” Griffin clenched his jaw. The Dragons weren’t just another gang; they were deadly and dangerous. Selena entered, wearing black. She looked at him and said, “You found something.” Griffin said, “Someone found me.” He passed her a note. She read it, then said, “Rico saw me at your console.” Griffin said, “Then he made his move. I’m not ready for surprises.” He stood up, loading his gun. Selena followed, but he told her to stay. She argued, but he was firm. He left, coat flowing li
CHAPTER 23
THE COST OF LOYALTY Griffin watched as Rico nervously entered the old warehouse. Griffin didn’t say a word. His quiet was louder than a shout. Rico swallowed hard. “Boss, I did it for you. I swear I did.” Griffin looked at him but didn’t show what he was thinking. His voice was calm but strong and dangerous. “Tell me, Rico, when did protecting me become spying on me?” Rico stopped moving. His face turned pale. “You knew?” Griffin smiled a little, but it was not a happy smile. “I always knew. I wanted to see how far you would go.” He began to walk slowly around Rico. His boots made a loud sound on the wet floor. “You thought I wouldn’t hear the secret phone calls? You thought I wouldn’t see the extra people watching Selena? You really thought you could trick me?” Rico shook his head quickly. “No, Boss! I wasn’t betraying you. I thought Selena was dangerous. I thought she wanted to ruin everything you made.” Griffin stopped in front of him and looked him in the eye
CHAPTER 24
THE GHOST LINE Two cars drove through the rain to the industrial district, near old warehouses. GPS showed the last place the jet landed.Selena checked her laptop. “Thermal scans show eight armed men. The guards are tight.”“Too tight for a ghost,” Griffin said. “He’s expecting us.”He signaled, and his team spread out. The rain covered their steps.When the door opened, gunfire started. Griffin hid behind a crate, shot twice, and hit his target. Selena covered his blind spot perfectly.They went inside. The air smelled like oil and blood. On a big screen was a live video of Griffin, right where they stood.Selena stopped. “He’s watching us.”Griffin said, “No, he’s playing with us.”A voice came over the speakers deep and slow.“You finally came home, Griffin.”Selena felt a chill. Griffin stared at the camera with red light.“Your father thought he could kill me,” the voice said. “But ghosts don’t die. They wait.”Griffin spoke into the mic with fire in his eyes. “Then wait for me
CHAPTER 25
DOUBTING The city lights were faint as the convoy rushed down the empty highway. The storm had passed, but everything still looked bruised wet roads, empty skies, and a faint fire glow behind them.Selena sat quietly, her hands trembling from the blast. She stared at the flash drive in her hand like it might disappear.Griffin noticed but said nothing. His hand rested near the window the same hand that had saved her twice tonight.She finally whispered, “You knew she’d be there, didn’t you?”He didn’t turn. “I suspected.”“Then why didn’t you tell me?”He sighed. “Because sometimes, knowing makes people hesitate.”Selena laughed bitterly. “You sound like someone used to being betrayed.”“I am,” Griffin said simply.They were silent, with just the sound of the tires and the radio static.She said, “That woman Mara had my memories, not just my face. When she spoke, she used words only I’ve said.”Her voice broke. “What if she knows everything I told you?”Griffin’s voice softened sligh
CHAPTER 26
THE PRICE OF MERCY After the meeting, Selena found Griffin looking at an old photo of his mother. Strong eyes, a fierce stare.“You miss her?” she asked softly.Griffin didn’t look up. “You don’t miss people like her. You remember what they taught you, and why you became this.”Selena stepped closer. “What if you’ve forgotten?”He looked at her. “Then I need someone stubborn to remind me.”The air was tense between them.The door burst open. Rico stumbled in, blood on his hands, panic in his eyes. “They found us! Vex’s men they’re coming!”Griffin stood. “How?”Rico hesitated Griffin knew the truth.“You led them here,” Griffin said coldly.“No! I swear I didn’t”Gunfire cut him off.Griffin pulled Selena behind him, firing back. Chaos exploded.Rico hid behind the table, shaking. “I was trying to protect you! They said they’d kill her if I didn’t tell them!”Selena froze. “What?”Griffin’s jaw clenched. “You sold us out to save her? Fool.”“They were going to take her”“Mercy gets
CHAPTER 27
WHEN TRUST BURN Rico’s message stayed on Griffin’s phone all night. You were right. It’s bigger than us. Meet me alone. You need to see this.He didn’t reply. He just stared at the message until the sun came up. Selena came in quietly and watched him from the door.“You’re going, right?” she asked.Griffin’s jaw tightened. “He asked for me.”“And you trust him after what he did?”“I believe guilt changes people,” Griffin said. “Sometimes it is stronger than fear.”Selena got closer. “Then let me go with you.”He shook his head. “No. If it is a trap, I don’t want you there.”“Then it’s definitely a trap,” she whispered. But he was already walking away.The old subway tunnels were cold and quiet, lit by a few broken lights. Griffin’s footsteps echoed as he walked deeper.He found Rico waiting by the old tracks. His clothes were torn, his face pale from blood and tiredness.“You came,” Rico said softly.“Talk,” Griffin said.Rico looked around as if the shadows could hear them. “I mad
CHAPTER 28
THE WEIGHT OF GUILT The storm kept hitting the penthouse windows like the sky was warning the city something bad was coming. Rico lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling and feeling like every crack was one of his mistakes.He still heard the subway gunshots. He still saw Griffin pulling him out of danger. He still felt the flash drive in Griffin’s hand.Rico breathed out shakily. “It’s my fault. If he dies, it’s because of me.”Selena was beside him, putting fresh bandages on his shoulder. “You’re hurt, not thinking,” she said gently.But Rico shook his head. “No. Griffin is falling, and I pushed him.”Selena went quiet because she feared he might be right.Griffin stood at the window, staring blankly. The rain made long silver lines outside. His reflection looked tired, older, and calm.Rico watched sadly. “He’s not the Griffin we know.”Selena looked too. Griffin seemed worn out and tired, carrying too much.Rico whispered, “He’s slipping because I let Vex in.”Selena didn’t want
CHAPTER 29
THE SILENT SETUPSelena and Griffin strolled into the quiet, empty warehouse. Rico wasn’t there. He was hurt and scared back at the penthouse, feeling like everything was falling apart because of him.Griffin stayed silent, looking calm but tense inside. Selena observed the shadows.In the middle of the room was an old, dusty radio.Selena whispered, “Why is it always empty when they want us here?”Griffin said, “Because empty rooms hide the biggest lies.”Suddenly, a door slammed open and men with guns appeared. Selena froze. Griffin didn’t move, like he expected this.Vex came in last, smiling tiredly.“So, you came alone. Brave or stupid, I’m not sure,” he said.Griffin looked at the radio.Vex laughed, “Want music for your death?”Griffin said, “Music keeps the mind sharp.”One of Vex’s men wanted to shoot Griffin.The man fired, but the bullet hit one of Vex’s own men. Panic broke out.Griffin dropped down. Smoke spread across the floor, making it hard to see.In the confusion,
CHAPTER 30
THE SOFTNESS BEFORE THE STORM The truck shook once and then stopped. Dust hung in the air. Selena held the seat tightly, her heart beating loudly.Griffin slowly opened the back door. “Stay close,” he said.She followed him into the clearing behind Vex’s factory. The air felt heavy, like something was hidden in the ground.Vex’s men were spread out, nervous. Their flashlights shook instead of shining steadily. One man whispered, “The ground is moving… I think something’s under us.”Another told him to be quiet but didn’t sound sure.Griffin walked calmly past them. His quiet made them more afraid.One man tried to call Vex, but the phone screen glitched with strange symbols, then went black.“What is this?” the man whispered.The others stepped back, scared.Griffin saw this glitch as a good sign.Selena leaned in and asked, “Griffin, what’s happening?”He didn’t answer. He looked at the ground like he was listening.Then the ground shook softly, then harder. Rocks fell and birds fl