They Tried to Kill Me Quietly, Now I’m Coming Back Loud

Power and Protection

Chapter 5

The herbal medicine shop sat nestled in a crowded street corner of Edinberton's old district, its weathered sign proclaiming "Harmony Herbs" in faded gold letters. The scent of dried roots and medicinal plants drifted through the air as Josefina's sleek black Mercedes pulled up to the curb.

Before they could even exit the vehicle, two figures stepped out from the shadows beside the shop's entrance. The larger of the two—a hulking man with a shaved head and a scar running down his left cheek—blocked their path with crossed arms. His companion was leaner, with greasy hair and a face that seemed permanently fixed in a sneer.

"Well, well," the lean one—José—drawled, his eyes immediately locking onto Josefina as she stepped out of the car. "What do we have here?"

Esteban felt his stomach drop as recognition hit him. These were the same thugs who'd been harassing the shop owner when he'd passed by earlier, demanding protection money. The larger man was Tomás, a local enforcer known for his brutality.

José's gaze traveled slowly up and down Josefina's figure, his tongue darting out to wet his lips in a gesture so crude it made Esteban's skin crawl. "Damn, Tomás, check out this piece of work. Forget the shop owner's daughter—this one's a real beauty."

"José—" Tomás started, a note of warning in his voice, but his companion ignored him.

"Hey, gorgeous," José stepped closer, practically drooling as he leered at Josefina. "Why don't you ditch whoever you came with and come have some fun with us? I promise we'll show you a real good time. Both of us will." He nudged Tomás with his elbow, laughing crudely. "Right, brother? We could take her back to the warehouse, have ourselves a little party."

Esteban's hands clenched into fists, but before he could move, Josefina stepped forward. Her expression was ice—not frightened, not intimidated, but utterly glacial.

"Tomás Walker," she said, her voice cutting through the air like a blade. "You're getting more brazen by the day. Do you dare to openly harass women in broad daylight now? Has your little operation made you forget who really runs this city?"

The effect was instantaneous.

All color drained from Tomás's face as recognition slammed into him like a freight train. His eyes went wide with horror, and his legs seemed to simply give out beneath him. He crashed to his knees in front of Josefina with a heavy thud that made José jump back in confusion.

"M-Miss McCauley!" Tomás's voice came out strangled, his face a mask of absolute misery. "It's a misunderstanding! A complete misunderstanding! I didn't know—I swear I didn't know it was you!"

"What the hell are you doing?" José stared at his partner in bewilderment. "Why are you—"

Tomás surged to his feet and, without warning, drove his fist into José's face with enough force to send the smaller man sprawling to the pavement. "You stupid son of a bitch!" Tomás roared, his fear transforming instantly into rage. "If you want to die, don't drag me down with you!"

"Tomás, what—" José tried to scramble away, but Tomás was on him in a flash.

"You dare!" Each word was punctuated with a vicious kick. "You DARE mess with the McCauley family's daughter? You have a death wish? Is that it?"

"I didn't know! I didn't know!" José's protests dissolved into screams as Tomás rained down blows with the fury of a man fighting for his life. Because that's exactly what he was doing—crossing the McCauleys was a death sentence in Edinberton, and everyone knew it.

Esteban watched in stunned silence as José was systematically beaten into a bloody pulp. Within minutes, the man was reduced to a groaning heap on the pavement, barely conscious, his face swollen beyond recognition. Blood pooled beneath him, staining the concrete.

Only when José stopped moving did Tomás cease his assault. He spun around immediately and dropped back to his knees before Josefina, his own hands now bloody, his chest heaving. "Miss McCauley, please! We came out today not knowing—we had no idea we'd offend you! Please, I'm begging for mercy!"

Josefina's expression didn't soften one degree. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes boring into Tomás with withering contempt. "But you dared to touch my friend too, didn't you?" Her gaze flicked to Esteban. "Or have you lost all sense of restraint? Do you think because you terrorize shopkeepers and run protection rackets that you're untouchable?"

Tomás's face went, if possible, even paler. His eyes darted to Esteban, really seeing him for the first time, and the terror in his expression intensified. "I was wrong! I was completely wrong! I didn't know—I had no idea he was your friend, Miss McCauley! It was all José's fault! All of it!" His words tumbled over each other in his desperation. "Whatever punishment you want, I'll handle it immediately! I'll make this right!"

Josefina's gaze turned to José's crumpled form, and her voice dropped to a temperature that could freeze blood. "From now on, I don't want to see scum like him anywhere in Edinberton. Do you understand me, Tomás? Not in this district, not in any district."

"Yes! Yes, of course! I'll make him disappear—"

"I'm reporting this to the police station right now," Josefina continued, pulling out her phone with deliberate slowness. "Sexual harassment, attempted kidnapping, extortion. Given his record and these offenses?" She smiled, but it was a terrible thing to see. "I'd say ten to fifteen years sounds about right."

José, who had been lying motionless on the ground, suddenly stirred at these words. His swollen eyes opened just enough to register the meaning, and then his head lolled to the side as consciousness fled entirely. He'd literally fainted from fear.

"Get. Lost." Josefina's voice was colder than arctic wind.

Tomás scrambled to his feet as if he'd been granted a governor's pardon. "Thank you! Thank you, Miss McCauley!" He barked orders at the handful of thugs who'd been watching from nearby, too terrified to intervene. "What are you standing around for? Grab this piece of garbage and let's go! Move!"

They descended on José's unconscious form like vultures, dragging him away down the alley. Tomás cast one last fearful glance at Josefina before hurrying after them, disappearing into the shadows.

Silence fell over the street.

Esteban stood rooted in place, his mind reeling. He'd just watched Josefina McCauley bring a violent criminal to his knees with nothing but her name and presence. The raw power she wielded, the absolute authority in her voice—it was simultaneously impressive and terrifying. The McCauley family weren't just wealthy. They were untouchable.

"Shall we?" Josefina turned to him, and the icy mask melted away as if it had never existed. Her expression softened into something almost playful, her eyes twinkling with amusement at his shocked expression. "The herbs won't buy themselves."

"You're... you're incredibly assertive," Esteban managed, still processing what he'd witnessed.

Josefina shrugged elegantly. "In this city, you have to be. Now come on—Grandfather's waiting."

They entered Harmony Herbs, where the shop owner practically fell over himself to assist them once he recognized Josefina. Esteban moved through the shop methodically, examining roots and dried herbs with an expert eye that surprised even himself. The inherited knowledge guided him unerringly—this ginseng root was too young, that ganoderma had been stored improperly and lost potency, but this angelica root was perfect, aged exactly fifty years.

As he carefully selected a particularly rare piece of astragalus root, Josefina sidled up beside him. Her proximity made him acutely aware of the subtle scent of her perfume—something expensive and floral that made his head spin.

"So," she said, her voice taking on a teasing lilt. "Are you married, Esteban? You seem so young."

The question hit like a physical blow. His hand froze over the herbs, and his expression darkened. Miranda's face flashed through his mind—not the woman he'd married, but the cold stranger in that hotel hallway. The betrayal was still so fresh it felt like an open wound.

"I will be divorced soon," he said quietly, forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Josefina's eyebrows rose. "Really? Well, your wife must be blind to let a man like you go so easily."

Esteban's head snapped up, surprise flickering across his face. A beautiful woman—possibly the most beautiful woman he'd ever met—had just complimented him. Heat rushed to his ears, and he looked away quickly, suddenly fascinated by a jar of dried chrysanthemums.

"We should... we should focus on getting this medicine purchased," he stammered. "Your grandfather's condition can't be delayed."

Josefina's expression immediately sobered, all playfulness vanishing. "You're right. Let's finish up here."

Twenty minutes later, they returned to the McCauley Residence with bags full of carefully selected herbs. Esteban worked quickly in the estate's massive kitchen, preparing the decoction with steady hands despite his exhaustion. The inherited knowledge guided him through each step—the precise measurements, the exact temperature, the timing of each addition.

When the medicine was ready, he brought it to Clyde's room. The old man was awake but weak, his color still poor. He drank the bitter concoction without complaint, and within minutes, a bit more color returned to his cheeks. His breathing eased, becoming deeper and more regular.

"Rest now," Esteban instructed gently. "Let the medicine work."

Clyde nodded, already drifting toward sleep as his body began the long process of healing.

Outside the room, Josefina grabbed Esteban's arm anxiously. "He will recover, won't he?"

"Let him rest and follow the prescription exactly," Esteban assured her. "One dose every day. He should recover fully in about seven days."

"Seven days?" Josefina pulled out her phone immediately. "Add me on W******p. Send me the prescription right now so I don't forget anything."

Esteban complied, his fingers fumbling slightly with his cracked phone screen as he typed in her contact information. Seeing their conversation thread appear felt surreal—Josefina McCauley, heiress to Edinberton's wealthiest family, was in his phone.

"Thank you, Esteban. Truly." Josefina's smile was genuine and warm. "Please stay for dinner. When Grandfather wakes up, I know he'll want to thank you properly. We have an excellent chef—"

"I can't." Esteban cut her off, perhaps more abruptly than he intended. "I have important matters I need to attend to. Besides," he added with a slight smile, "you saved me when I collapsed on your doorstep. I saved your grandfather. We're even now."

"At least let me have someone drive you home—"

"No, thank you. I'll make my own way."

Before Josefina could protest further, Esteban turned and strode toward the exit with determined steps. His body ached, his ribs throbbed, and exhaustion pulled at him like heavy chains, but he had somewhere he needed to be.

Josefina stood in the doorway, watching his retreating figure disappear down the long driveway. Her bright eyes flashed with something between curiosity and intrigue.

"Interesting," she murmured to herself, a small smile playing at her lips. "Very interesting."