The Return of Raymond West.

Chapter 4

At that moment Raymond's eyes narrowed, something was off.

The vans sat there, engines idling, but no one got out. No doors opened. They just waited, silent and still.

Raymond's instincts kicked in immediately. These weren't tourists. They weren't delivery drivers. They were here for something. And whatever it was, it wasn't good.

He shifted his weight slightly, his muscles tensing beneath his coat. He didn't move from his spot, but his focus sharpened.

Less than two minutes later, another vehicle appeared.

A sleek black Rolls-Royce Phantom turned onto the street, moving smoothly toward the mansion. The car was pristine, its paint gleaming, its chrome accents catching the light. It slowed as it approached the gate and came to a stop directly in front of it.

The engine purred softly, raymond stayed where he was, watching.

Then the doors of the four Mercedes vans opened.

All at once.

More than fifteen men poured out, moving fast and with purpose. They wore dark clothes, their faces hard, their movements coordinated. Some of them carried bats. Others had knives. One of them had something tucked into his waistband that looked like a gun.

They didn't hesitate. They ran straight toward the Rolls-Royce.

Raymond's eyes went cold.

The driver of the Rolls-Royce stepped out first, his face going pale as he saw the men rushing toward him. He froze, hands raised instinctively.

Then the back door opened, a woman stepped out.

She was beautiful. Tall, with long dark hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail. She wore a tailored navy suit that fit her perfectly, accentuating her figure without being flashy. Her heels clicked against the pavement as she stood, her expression confused, her eyes scanning the men rushing toward her.

Deborah.

She didn't understand what was happening. Her brow furrowed as she took a step back, her hand still on the door.

“What the hell is this?” she said, her voice sharp. “Who are you people?”

One of the men pointed at her. “Get in the car. Now.”

Deborah's eyes went wide. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” the man said. “Get in the car, or we'll make you.”

Deborah's driver moved in front of her, hands up. “Wait, wait, let's just—”

One of the men shoved him hard. The driver stumbled and fell to the ground.

Deborah's face went pale. She took another step back, her voice rising. “Stay away from me!”

Raymond moved.

He stepped forward, his body sliding between Deborah and the men in one smooth motion. He didn't say anything. He just stood there, his back to her, his shoulders broad, his presence filling the space like a wall.

The men stopped.

One of them, a thick-built guy with a shaved head and a scar on his cheek, looked Raymond up and down. Then he sneered.

“Get out of the way, homeless man.”

Raymond didn't move, the man's sneer deepened. “I said move.”

Raymond still didn't move.

The man raised his hand and reached out to shove Raymond aside.

Raymond slapped him, the sound was like a gunshot.

The man's head snapped to the side. His body lifted off the ground, spinning in the air like a ragdoll. He flipped once, twice, three times, his arms and legs flailing. Then he hit the pavement hard and rolled another two times before coming to a stop.

He didn't get up, the other men froze.

For a moment, no one moved. No one spoke. They just stared at the body lying motionless on the ground, then at Raymond.

“Who the hell is this guy?” one of them muttered.

Raymond didn't answer. He just stood there, his eyes cold, his body completely relaxed.

One of the men cursed and pulled a knife from his belt. "I don't care who he is. Take him down!"

Three of them rushed forward at once.

Raymond moved like lightning.

The first man swung his knife in a wide arc. Raymond caught his wrist mid-swing, twisted it sharply, and drove his elbow into the man's ribs. Bones cracked. The man gasped and dropped to his knees.

The second man came from the side, aiming low. Raymond lifted his leg and kicked him square in the chest. The man flew backward, crashing into one of the vans with enough force to dent the side panel.

The third man tried to grab Raymond from behind. Raymond spun, grabbed him by the collar, and threw him over his shoulder. The man slammed into the pavement face-first and went still.

The rest of the men hesitated now, their confidence shaken.

Behind Raymond, Deborah stood frozen, her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide with shock.

immediately one of the men pulled a gun.

At that moment Deborah screamed.

“No! Don't! I'll go with you, just don't shoot!”

The man raised the gun, aiming it at Raymond's chest.

Raymond moved.

He grabbed Deborah by the waist and pulled her against him, spinning her to the side just as the gun went off. The bullet missed by inches, hitting the gate behind them with a metallic clang.

Deborah's face was inches from his. Her breath caught in her throat, her eyes locked on his.

The man fired again, Raymond twisted again, holding Deborah close, their bodies moving together like a single unit. The second bullet whizzed past them and shattered one of the Rolls-Royce's windows.

Then Raymond let go of Deborah and moved.

He closed the distance between himself and the gunman in two steps. His hand shot out and grabbed the man's wrist, twisting it until the gun clattered to the ground. Then Raymond drove his fist into the man's stomach, lifted him off the ground, and slammed him down onto the pavement.

At that moment upon seeing what was going the man didn't move, the rest of the men turned and ran.

Raymond didn't chase them. He just stood there, breathing evenly, watching them scramble back into their vans and peel away down the street.

Silence fell, Raymond turned back toward Deborah.

She was staring at him, her chest rising and falling quickly, her face flushed with anger and fear.

Then she slapped him.

Hard.

Raymond's head turned slightly from the force of it, but he didn't react otherwise.

Deborah slapped him again.

“How dare you!” she shouted, her voice shaking.

“How dare you put my life in danger like that! Who do you think you are?”