Blood for Power: The Mercenary's Return

Chapter 4: Family Ties

Marcus thought the mansion felt colder than it used to. The familiar grandeur that used to make him feel safe now made him feel trapped. There were too many lies and too many betrayals. He had come here to find answers, but with each step he took, the past seemed to weigh him down more.

His father stood in front of him, looking just like the strong man he used to be. His once-strong demeanor had faded into the shadows of political legitimacy, and he was now wearing an expensive suit. But he still had a certain arrogance about him that Marcus had always known but never hated until now.

"Marcus," his father said, his voice colder than the marble floors they were standing on. "I didn't think you would come back."

"I need answers," Marcus said in a low but firm voice. He wasn't here to mess around. "Why did you let them kill my team?" Why did you agree to work with Quincy Knight?

His father's eyes flickered, but he quickly hid it behind a fake calm. "You don't get it. "I did what I had to do."

"Did you do what you had to do?" Marcus said it again, his voice getting louder. "Dad, you let me down. You told Quincy about me. You gave me up for your political career. "Because of you, my team is dead!"

His father's face twisted with rage. "Do you think I wanted this? Do you really think I wanted my son to be a pawn in Quincy’s game? "I did what I had to do to keep you safe."

"Take care of me?" Marcus hissed. "You call that protection when you let them kill us?"

Marcus was having a harder time with the truth than he thought. His father, the man he had once trusted more than anyone else, had caused him pain. The one person who should have protected him had let him down.

"Marcus," his father said, and for the first time, his voice got softer. "Quincy was too strong. "He had power over me and everything I owned. He was going to tear down everything you and I built.

Marcus clenched his fists to keep the rage that was threatening to take over him at bay. "You didn't keep me safe; you gave me up. You gave up on all of us.

There was a tense silence between them. The father he had once admired, the man who should have protected him from the world, had broken his spirit.

His father went on, his voice getting harder, "I chose to keep you safe, Marcus." "I chose to keep this family together." You don't know how it felt. Quincy wanted everything, and he was ready to use force to get it. I had to make a deal. To keep you safe."

Marcus shook his head. He couldn't stand how much his father had hurt him. "You never kept me safe." You ruined me.

His father didn't say anything for a moment. He looked down at the floor, and the space between them felt like it was choking him. Marcus had to leave this place. The man he had once trusted had just destroyed any possibility of reconciliation. The betrayal was too deep.

He was about to leave when his father's voice stopped him.

"Marcus, you aren't the only one who has been let down."

Marcus stopped with his hand on the door. "What are you saying?"

His father's eyes were far away, almost like they were haunted. "Quincy didn't just come after you. He came after every one of us. You think I had a choice? I was trying to keep the family and the city safe. Quincy, on the other hand, had a plan. "A plan that we didn't see until it was too late."

Marcus felt his face go pale. "What are you talking about?"

His father said in a barely audible voice, "I made a deal with him to keep my job."" But what I didn't know was that he had already made a deal with someone else, someone in the family. Someone I could trust.

Marcus's heart skipped a beat. "What are you talking about?"

His father's face twisted in sadness. "Your mom. She has been working with Quincy since the start. She was the one who got everything going.

Marcus's mind went blank. His mom? The woman he had always relied on and thought he could always trust?

"No," Marcus whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. "You are lying."

His father said softly, "I wish I were." "But it's the truth." Years ago, your mom made a deal with Quincy. She was responsible for everything from behind the scenes. She wanted to be in charge. She wanted it all.

The words hit Marcus like a freight train. He thought his father had always protected him, but he was in on it. The woman he used to trust, his mother, had betrayed him in the worst way possible. The family he had fought to protect and believed in was just a front.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Marcus's voice was so quiet that it was difficult to hear. "Why didn't you tell me?"

His dad didn't say anything. The silence between them was so loud.

"I can't stay here," Marcus said, his voice shaking with rage. "You've ruined everything."

His father's voice, full of regret, called out to him as he was about to leave. "Marcus, you need to understand. I did what I thought was right.

As Marcus walked to the door, the sound of his footsteps echoed through the mansion. He was still processing how much his father had betrayed him. He didn't have any more answers. His past had been one big lie, and now the truth was too much for him to handle.

His phone vibrated in his pocket as soon as he stepped outside into the cold night air. He took it out and saw a message from a number he didn't know.

“It's your mom. She is working with Quincy. And she's in danger.

The words struck him deeply, akin to a blow to his stomach. His mom? Working with Quincy?

The world around him was spinning. He was having trouble processing everything he had just learned. His father's betrayal. His mother's part in it. The weight of it all was going to crush him.

He called the number without thinking, and his fingers shook as he pressed the button. The phone rang once, twice, and then it clicked.

“Marcus,” his mother's voice was a soft whisper. "Now you need to get to me. It's too late. They know everything.

The line went dead. Marcus's heart raced when he suddenly realized that Quincy wasn't just after him. He wanted everything. And now his mother was in the middle of it all.