THE BASTARD THEY FEARED

CHAPTER 8: TRAPPED

Kael’s POV

Darkness swallowed the warehouse. One second the lights were on; the next, everything vanished. The only sounds left were the storm outside and my own heartbeat slamming violently against my ribs. “What happened?” I shouted. “Don’t panic,” Marcus said immediately, like it was easy for him to say.

Raven moved instantly beside me. I couldn’t fully see her in the darkness, but I heard the metallic click of a gun being loaded. “They cut the power,” she said coldly.

Outside, thunder exploded across the sky, and I heard the sound of lots of slow and organized footsteps getting closer that made my blood run cold. Those were Lucien’s men, and I backed away instinctively while trying to control my breathing. This couldn’t be happening again; we had just escaped, so how the hell did he find us so fast?

Raven grabbed my wrist suddenly and shoved a cold gun into my hand, which I nearly dropped. “What the hell?” “Safety’s off,” she whispered. “I don’t know how to use this!” “You’ll learn it quickly.”

Fantastic, exactly the kind of motivational speech I needed before dying. Marcus moved toward one of the shelves and pulled open a hidden compartment inside the wall. My eyes widened as I saw a lot more weapons. This warehouse wasn’t a hideout; it was an armory. “Tell me you have a backup plan,” I muttered.

Marcus calmly loaded bullets into a pistol. “I had one.” “That doesn’t sound reassuring.” “It stopped being reassuring when Lucien arrived personally.” That sent chills down my spine because even Marcus sounded uneasy saying Lucien’s name. Outside, a loudspeaker crackled, and Lucien’s smooth voice echoed through the warehouse. “Good evening.” Every muscle in my body tightened. “You’re surrounded,” he continued calmly. “This ends one of two ways.”

Raven rolled her eyes. “Dramatic bastard.”

Lucien ignored her. “You surrender peacefully, or I burn the building down with everyone inside.” Silence filled the warehouse, and I laughed nervously because surely that was a bluff, right?

Marcus looked at me, and the expression on his face answered the question. Raven moved toward one of the dusty windows carefully and peeked outside; her jaw tightened. “He brought explosives.” My stomach dropped violently. “You’re kidding, right?” “No.”

A sudden crash echoed from somewhere outside as Lucien’s men were already forcing entry, and Raven turned sharply toward Marcus. “There’s still a tunnel route, right?”

Marcus hesitated. “Marcus.” “The tunnel collapsed last year.” Raven stared at him in disbelief. “And you never fixed it?” “I was busy.” “With what?” “Not dying.” Another loud bang shook the warehouse doors, and the metal groaned loudly. I looked down at the gun in my hand as my fingers trembled slightly. This was insane; I’d never even held a real gun before tonight, and now people expected me to survive a damn siege.

Lucien’s voice echoed through the loudspeaker again. “Kael.” Hearing my name from him made my skin crawl. “You don’t belong with them.” Raven scoffed quietly. “He says while trying to murder you.” “I’m not trying to murder my brother,” Lucien corrected smoothly with that word like he enjoyed forcing it into my skull, and I swallowed hard. “What does he actually want from me?”

Marcus answered grimly. “The card and whatever Alessandro hid.” My head pounded. The key, the card, and the empire: too many secrets and too many lies. I suddenly snapped.

“ENOUGH!”

Both Raven and Marcus looked at me as I stepped forward angrily. “No more vague answers, no more half-truths, and people are dying around me because of things I don’t even understand!” Another crash hit the warehouse entrance, but I ignored it as I looked directly at Marcus. “What did Alessandro leave behind?” Silence.

Then Marcus finally answered. “A list.” The word confused me, and I frowned. “A list of what?” His expression darkened. “Everyone who helped build his empire.” “That doesn’t sound important enough for this.”

Marcus gave a humorless smile. “Because you haven’t heard the second part.” Thunder exploded outside before he said quietly, "The list contains every corrupt politician, police commissioner, judge, and billionaire connected to Alessandro’s criminal network.”

My blood ran cold as it now made sense. That wasn’t just dangerous but nuclear, and if exposed, it could destroy half the city. Powerful people would kill to control that or bury it forever.

Raven leaned against the wall with crossed arms and said, "Alessandro called it his insurance policy.” I stared at them both. “So whoever controls the list.”

Marcus nodded slowly. “Controls Blackthorn City.” Everything inside me twisted violently because this was bigger than gang wars and mafia empires. This involved the entire city, the government, the police, everyone, and somehow Alessandro left access to all that to me. But why?

I barely had enough money to survive last week so what made him think I could survive this world? A deafening explosion suddenly rocked the warehouse, the main doors cracked inward violently, and dust filled the air.

“They’re breaching!” Raven snapped.

Marcus immediately killed the lantern, and darkness returned. Then gunfire erupted, and bullets tore through the metal doors while men shouted outside.

Raven grabbed my arm. “Stay behind me.” “I’m tired of staying behind people.” Her blue eyes flashed toward me briefly, as she hadn’t expected that answer.

Another explosion shook the building harder, and the doors finally burst open. Flashlights flooded the warehouse, and men stormed inside with rifles raised. Raven fired instantly; one attacker dropped, and Marcus shot another. Chaos exploded around us, and I ducked behind crates while bullets ripped through wood above my head.

My pulse pounded violently; I couldn't move, think, or survive, and that was all my brain knew anymore. A man rushed toward my position suddenly, and my instinct took over. I raised the gun blindly and fired. The recoil nearly broke my wrist, and the attacker collapsed instantly.

I froze. Holy shit! I just killed someone. The realization hit hard enough to make my stomach turn as the man wasn’t moving. Blood spread across the floor beneath him, and my chest tightened violently.

Raven appeared beside me suddenly. “No freezing,” she snapped. “You freeze, you die.” Another bullet slammed into the crate inches from my face, and gunfire echoed everywhere now while smoke filled the warehouse.

Lucien’s men advanced slowly, disciplined and professional. This wasn’t a random attack. It was an execution.

Suddenly, the gunfire, movement, shouting, and everything stopped. A terrifying silence filled the warehouse as slow, heavy footsteps echoed through the darkness. Lucien, who was calm and deliberate, emerged from the smoke wearing black gloves and a dark coat untouched by the chaos around him.

Bodies littered the warehouse floor, but he still looked perfectly composed, and his silver eyes locked onto me instantly. “There you are.” Fear crawled up my spine as Lucien looked around the destroyed warehouse casually. “You’ve made quite a mess.”

Raven stepped in front of me with her gun raised, but Lucien barely acknowledged her. “That’s disappointing,” he murmured. “You’re not taking him,” Raven said coldly.

Lucien sighed softly. “You always were difficult.” Interestingly, they knew each other better than I thought. Lucien finally looked directly at Raven and smiled faintly. “Tell me,” he said smoothly, “does he know who really hired you?” The atmosphere changed instantly as Raven’s expression hardened dangerously.

“Shut up.”

Lucien chuckled, but his eyes remained locked on mine. “Father hired her himself.”