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BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 97: A THRONE WITHOUT CHAINS
The night was long, but the war was over.Carrick Gale stood at the window of his penthouse, staring at the city that now belonged to him. The Gale Family was finished. His father, Zachary, had been exposed, abandoned, and stripped of power.But victory didn’t feel the way he expected.The weight of his actions settled in his chest. He had fought, plotted, and won, but there was no celebration, no moment of relief. Because now, the real work began.Behind him, Victor Alistair poured himself a drink. “You’re too quiet,” he said. “I figured you’d be enjoying this.”Carrick turned slightly, his face unreadable. “What’s there to enjoy?”Victor raised an eyebrow. “You crushed Zachary. His allies turned against him. His own men left him to rot. His empire is in flames. That’s exactly what you wanted.”Carrick exhaled. “And yet, he’s still breathing.”Victor chuckled. “Barely. Word is, he’s been trying to cut deals with anyone who’ll listen, but no one trusts him anymore. He’s got nothing le
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 98. LINGERING SHADOW
The weight of the city pressed down on Carrick’s shoulders. The war had been won, but there was no peace...not yet.From his penthouse office, he watched the skyline, the lights of New Manhattan twinkling like stars. This was his city now. His empire. And yet, his enemy still lived.Zachary Gale had not disappeared. He had not begged for mercy.And that made him a problem.The soft hum of the city below was a deceptive lullaby, masking the storm brewing in the underworld. Carrick exhaled sharply, his fingers tapping rhythmically against his desk. He had stripped Zachary of his wealth, his power, and his men. But the man was still standing, still plotting. That was a mistake Carrick intended to correct.The door to his office creaked open.Elias stepped inside, his usual cocky smirk absent. “We have a situation.”Carrick turned, his sharp gaze locking onto him. “Go on.”Elias placed a file on the desk and flipped it open. “Zachary’s been making moves. He’s been seen meeting with former
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 99. UNDESERVING OF FORGIVENESS
Carrick sat motionless, his fingers drumming lightly on the wooden surface of his desk. His piercing gaze remained fixed on Marco, who stood before him with an uncharacteristic tension in his shoulders.“So, let me get this straight,” Carrick said, his voice slow, deliberate. “You came all the way here… to warn me about our father?”Marco exhaled, his lips pressing into a thin line. “Yes.”Carrick leaned back in his chair, studying his brother with cold amusement. “That’s interesting. Because the last time we spoke, you were quite happy to watch me die.”A flicker of guilt crossed Marco’s face. “I didn’t come here to argue, Carrick.”Victor, standing near the door with his arms crossed, scoffed. “Then what exactly do you want? Forgiveness? A fresh start?”Marco’s gaze darted to Victor before settling back on Carrick. “I don’t expect either of those things.”Carrick exhaled, shaking his head. “Then why the hell should I believe a word you say?”Marco took a step forward, his fists clen
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 100: THE CLAIMS
The night air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood. The docks, once a battleground of betrayal, had fallen into silence. The echoes of gunfire had faded, replaced by the occasional groan of the wounded and the distant wail of police sirens.Carrick stood over his father’s lifeless body, his gun still warm in his grip. For a moment, he felt nothing. No satisfaction, no sorrow...just a hollow stillness.Marco stared at Zachary’s corpse, his expression unreadable. He had always been his father’s favored son, yet he didn’t speak. Perhaps he finally realized that Zachary had never truly loved either of them...only power.Darius stepped forward, nudging Zachary’s body with his boot. “Well, that’s that. Should we celebrate? Or are we mourning?”Carrick exhaled slowly, holstering his gun. “Neither. We’re not done.”Victor wiped blood from his sleeve. “You mean taking over the Gale Empire?”Carrick turned to him, his gaze sharp. “That’s exactly what I mean.”Elias chuckled, crossing
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 101. CEMENTING POWER
The night was far from over. Even as the flames from the Moreno estate flickered in the distance, Carrick knew this was only the beginning. Killing Moreno was a statement, a warning to any who still doubted his claim to power. But power wasn’t just about eliminating enemies...it was about control. Total control.As they drove back to the Gale estate, the tension inside the car was thick. Marco sat in silence, staring out the window, while Elias tapped his fingers against his knee impatiently.Darius finally spoke up, his usual smirk in place. “Well, that was fun. Can’t say I’ll miss Moreno. Guy was a snake.”Victor nodded in agreement. “Still, his connections ran deep. His men won’t just disappear. Some will scatter, but others will look for new leadership.”Carrick, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at Victor. “Then we absorb them before someone else does.”Marco scoffed. “And you think they’ll just join you willingly?”Carrick smirked. “Everyone has a price.”Elias leaned forwa
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 102: NO REST FOR KINGS
The streets of the city seemed quieter than usual as Carrick stood on the balcony of the Gale estate, but he knew better. It wasn’t peace...it was fear. Fear gripped every corner, every alleyway, every rival family. Carrick Gale wasn’t a rumor anymore. He was reality. But power like this came with a cost. He could feel it pressing against his back like the cold barrel of a loaded gun.Inside the estate, the council room was already filling up.Marco was the first to speak as Carrick entered, his voice laced with concern. “Enzo and the others are downstairs. They want to pledge formally.”Darius yawned and leaned against the wall. “Good. Let’s not keep them waiting.”Carrick adjusted his cufflinks calmly. “Bring them in.”Moments later, Enzo entered, followed by a dozen men. They were all hardened men, bloodied from years under Moreno’s shadow, but tonight, they looked like schoolboys waiting for a principal’s verdict.Enzo cleared his throat nervously. “Boss... I mean, Carrick, sir...
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 103. THE DARKEST CORNER
The cold wind whipped through the narrow alleys of the Gale estate, the moonlight casting long shadows on the cobblestone streets. Carrick stood by the edge of the balcony again, the same spot where he had stood earlier that day. But now, there was a gnawing emptiness in the air, as if the city itself was holding its breath. The power he had seized was not a comfort. It was a weight. A burden that pressed down on him every moment.Inside the estate, the atmosphere was thick with tension. The council room, usually filled with casual chatter and scheming, was eerily quiet. Carrick had been spending less time in the boardrooms lately and more time on the streets, dealing with the remnants of the old order. Each deal, each confrontation, had taken its toll. He had started to feel the cracks in his control, as if the power he had so ruthlessly claimed was slipping through his fingers like sand.“Carrick,” Marco’s voice broke through the silence. “We’ve got a problem.”Carrick didn’t turn a
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 104. THE PRICE OF POWER
The following morning, the estate was quieter than usual, but there was an unease that hung in the air. It wasn’t just the silence...it was the tension. Carrick’s actions the previous night had rippled through the underworld like a stone dropped into a still pond. Every family, every loyalist, every rival had felt it, and now they were waiting. Waiting for the next move.Carrick stood at the balcony again, his eyes scanning the city. The streets were still, the tension palpable. People were walking on eggshells, and Carrick could feel it. The empire he was building was delicate. One wrong move, and it could crumble beneath him. But he wasn’t about to let that happen.Marco entered the room, his expression tight. The years of brotherhood between them hadn’t dulled the sharpness of their arguments, but today, there was something more in Marco’s eyes. Worry. Concern. A desperation Carrick hadn’t seen before.“Carrick,” Marco said, his voice steady but strained. “We need to talk. About la
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Chapter 157: Beneath the Cranes
Dock 17 was a ghost’s playground.The old loading cranes stood like rusted titans, draped in shadow and chains. Fog rolled in from the river, swallowing sound and light, and the wind made the metal moan like it remembered war. Floodlights flickered on half-functioning poles, but most of the dock remained cloaked in that thick, oily darkness...the kind that settled into your bones.Luka stood at the edge of the dock alone. Hood up. Hands clenched. The night was still, but his heart was sprinting.“I’m here,” he whispered into the static of the burner.No response. Just the whistle of wind through steel and the distant groan of a passing barge.Then: clack… clack… clack.Boots. Behind him.He turned.Carrick Gale emerged from the mist like something conjured. Black coat rippling behind him, eyes like cinders under a brow heavy with old storms.“You came,” Luka said, voice tight.Carrick studied him, stopping a few feet away. “So did you.”Neither moved.Carrick tilted his head. “They’ve
CHAPTER 156: SALT IN THE VEIN
The rain came down in ragged sheets, slicing the dark city like a surgeon’s scalpel. Steam roiled from grates as if the underworld itself were exhaling. Inside an armored car weaving through the back alleys of East Parish, Luka Vuković sat silently between Marco and Alessia.Neither had spoken in ten minutes.Finally, Luka broke the silence. “You all talk about him like he’s a god.”“He thinks he is,” Marco muttered. “But gods bleed. I’ve seen it.”Alessia didn’t smile. “Not easily, though.”Luka’s gaze drifted to the window. “You’re hoping I’ll help you kill him.”“No,” Alessia said softly. “We’re hoping you’ll understand why he needs to die.”“And then kill him,” Marco added, blunt as stone.Luka looked down at his hands. His knuckles still bruised, his palms trembling slightly. “What if I said no?”Marco didn’t even blink. “Then you become a liability. To him and to us.”Alessia shot him a sharp glance. “What he means is...we’d find another way. But you’d never be safe again.”The
CHAPTER 155: BORROWED BLOOD
The safehouse above the old garment district was a crumbling relic—three floors of rusted stairwells, boarded windows, and the distant sound of trains howling like ghosts beneath the streets. Alessia stood at the cracked window, watching steam rise from the sewers. The city was moving again. Grinding. Shifting. Ready to break.Marco was downstairs, hunched over maps and documents. He hadn’t slept since the Continental burned.“Marco,” Alessia said, descending the stairs, “you need to rest.”He didn’t look up. “We’re too close. If we stop now, he’ll disappear.”“We’ve shaken him. Maybe even scared him.”“Not enough,” he said, voice hollow. “Carrick doesn’t feel fear like we do. He files it away, weaponizes it, then sells it back to you with interest.”She crossed the room and slapped the table, scattering blueprints. “You’re becoming him.”Marco blinked.She leaned in, voice quieter now. “I watched you torture that man at the docks. I saw your eyes when you cut Silvano’s throat. You’re
CHAPTER 154: THE DEVIL'S DEBT
The smoke from the Continental Club still hung low in the city’s lungs when the next move was set into motion.In a decrepit warehouse along the waterfront...abandoned since the union strikes of ’94...Marco stood before a long wooden table stained with oil, blood, and something darker. Alessia leaned against the far wall, arm wrapped in gauze, her eyes vacant. Silas knelt in the shadows, checking blueprints spread out on a crate beside a small black case of syringes and tools.Viktor Strain arrived without a word, stepping in from the alleyway, rain hissing off his coat like steam from a kettle.“We rattled Carrick,” Marco said, voice hoarse. “But he didn’t fall.”“He won’t,” Viktor replied. “Not unless you cut his spine, not just his skin.”Silas glanced up. “We’ll need to go deeper. Into his personal network. His past.”Marco frowned. “What past? The man was born in fire. Raised in war.”“No,” Silas said, pulling a photo from a dossier and tossing it on the table. “Everyone has root
CHAPTER 153: VEINS OF FIRE
The storm broke over the city at midnight.Rain fell like ash, heavy and constant, drumming against glass and stone as if the heavens themselves were mourning what was to come. Lightning arced across the sky, casting jagged shadows over the decaying skyline. Beneath the storm, in the blood-slick streets and alleyways, the game moved again.In the basement of an abandoned church near the Eastside slums, Marco stood beside his new ally—a man known only as Viktor Strain."You brought the girl?" Viktor asked, his voice an icy drawl, laced with a foreign accent that hinted at Eastern Europe.Marco nodded. "She'll be here soon."Viktor studied him, eyes pale as frost, skin stretched tight over sharp bones. He had the look of a man who'd seen too much death and made peace with it. On his belt hung twin pistols custom-machined for him in Prague, and every inch of his long coat seemed stitched with menace."Carrick won't go down easy," Viktor said."He shouldn't. The bastard has claws. But if
CHAPTER 152: THE BLACK LEDGER
Rain hammered the rooftop like war drums. The night was soaked in shadows, the kind that made men forget their names and remember their sins.Carrick stood inside a derelict warehouse on the waterfront, the metal walls creaking with every gust of wind. Maps and surveillance photos were pinned to rusted boards. Red lines connected hideouts, cash routes, weapons caches. They all led to one place...Lucien’s last known fortress: an underground vault hidden beneath the facade of a wine cellar in Oldtown.Logan adjusted the strap of his rifle as he studied the layout."You really think he’s there?" he asked.Carrick nodded once. "Intel came from someone inside. Anonymous, encrypted. Could be a trap."Marco strode in behind him, rainwater dripping from his trench coat. "If it’s a trap, we spring it on our terms. I’m tired of playing defense."Victor, bruised and stitched, leaned against a crate with his arms crossed. "And what happens if Delilah’s there?"Carrick's eyes darkened. "Then we fi
CHAPTER 151: TERMS OF WAR
The morning after the ambush, the city felt like a carcass picked clean by vultures. Smoke clung to the skyline, and the streets buzzed with a violence that no longer tried to hide itself. In the ruined conference room of what once was the Montrose Hotel, Carrick Gale leaned over a scarred table, maps and dossiers spread out like a battlefield. Marco arrived late, limping slightly, Victor and Silas flanking him like angry hounds. The air between the two leaders crackled. "You called for this meeting," Marco said, voice like gravel. "You better have something worth my time, Carrick." Carrick didn't look up right away. He tapped a folder at the center of the table. "Lucien," Carrick said. "And his pet ghost, Delilah Blackthorn. They're not just gunning for you anymore." Marco snorted, stepping closer. "No shit." Carrick finally met his gaze. His eyes were sharp, glacial. "They're coming for all of us." Silence stretched. Victor shifted, resting his hand on the butt of his p
CHAPTER 150 BLOOD IN THE STREETS
The first firebomb hit just after midnight.Carrick Gale stood on the balcony of the north wing of his estate, cigarette dangling from his lips, when the sky bloomed into angry red in the distance.Another explosion rumbled seconds later, closer this time.He ground the cigarette under his boot and turned on his heel, face hardening.Marco’s war had just escalated ... and it was bleeding into Carrick’s world.A knock rattled the door."Come," Carrick barked.Logan stepped in, breathless. His shirt was stained with soot and blood, his left sleeve shredded."They hit the Yarrow warehouse," Logan said. "Took out two guards. Set the whole place ablaze."Carrick’s eyes narrowed."And the DeSantis armory?"Logan hesitated."Gone," he said quietly. "Blew it sky-high twenty minutes ago. They're targeting every asset we have in the west sector."Carrick paced the room, the polished wood floors creaking under his boots."Marco’s desperation stinks like a dying dog," he muttered. "But this... th
CHAPTER 149: SMOKE AND MIRRORS
The smoke hadn’t even cleared from the ambush site when Marco slammed his fist onto the table back at the safehouse."Goddamn it!" he roared, sending a stack of blueprints flying.Victor stood nearby, a fresh gash bleeding across his brow, jaw set tight with anger.Silas limped in, clutching his side. "It was a setup," he rasped. "He knew every move we made."Marco’s face was carved from stone."He’s inside our circle," he said. "Somebody’s talking."Victor cursed low. "I’ll start running checks. Every man, every comm line.""No," Marco said, voice colder than steel. "I'll do it myself."He turned to Silas."Get patched up. You're no good to me bleeding out."Silas opened his mouth, thought better of it, and nodded, leaving the room.Only Victor stayed."You really think one of ours flipped?"Marco didn't answer right away. He poured himself a glass of whiskey, hands steady even though his gut boiled."Not just flipped," he said finally. "They sold their soul."Victor’s mouth tightene
