Chapter5
1159 Words
A glass skyscraper office on the fortieth floor makes human lives look like nothing more than blinking ants on a pavement, moving without purpose across the dark grid of the city below.
"The second strike team missed their target by three seconds because the targets slipped through the back drainage ditch before the charge detonated," Cole Knight said, his voice smooth and cold as ice while he watched the drone footage glow on his curved monitors.
"Those bikers are tougher than the city council anticipated when we drafted the initial demolition permits for the warehouse district," Councilman Vance muttered, sweating profusely as he wiped his thick neck with a silk handkerchief. "If the federal prosecutor keeps digging into our property acquisitions, the entire real estate conversion project will collapse before the quarterly shareholders meeting."
"The prosecutor is currently sleeping in the mud with the bikers, which means she is no longer a legal problem, she is simply collateral damage," Cole replied without turning around from the floor to ceiling glass window. "Double the payment for the cleanup crew and make sure the remaining properties are cleared by sunrise."
"And the funding allocations for the downtown civic center expansion?" Vance asked nervously.
"Reroute every single cent into our private security accounts immediately," Cole ordered, his eyes narrowing as he sipped his scotch. "We are not losing millions in profits over a bunch of greasy outlaws who refuse to sell their turf."
"Are you certain the local authorities will not look too closely at the asset seizures?" Vance asked, his hands trembling slightly as he set his glass down on the mahogany table.
"The local authorities belong to us, councilman, from the chief of police down to the judges who sign the warrants," Cole said flatly. "They will do exactly what our legal team drafts for them, or they will find themselves out of a job before the week is over."
"And if the club manages to rally a defense through civil litigation?" Vance pressed on, still looking uneasy.
"Litigation takes months, and these outlaws do not have months," Cole sneer crossing his lips. "Without a single penny in their credit union, they cannot even pay their water bill tomorrow morning, let alone hire high priced attorneys to fight us in federal court."
Miles away in a cramped basement office lit by a single desk lamp, I slammed my laptop shut and rubbed my burning eyes until they ached.
"Did you find anything useful in those corporate registry files, Ava, or are we just staring at dead ends again?" Jesse asked, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his leather vest.
"I found everything, Jesse, and you are not going to like any of it," I whispered, looking up at him with my heart racing in my throat. "This whole turf war is not about rival gangs or neighborhood turf battles at all."
"Then what is it about?" Jesse demanded, stepping closer to the desk as his dark expression hardened instantly.
"Apex Security is fronting a massive real estate takeover funded by a shell company called Vanguard Holdings," I said, pointing my finger at the glowing screen. "They are clearing out the entire district to build luxury high rises, and your clubhouse sits right in the dead center of their master blueprint."
"Corporate suits wanting our land is nothing new, Ava, so why do you look like you just read a death sentence?" Jesse asked, his jaw clenching as he sensed the trap closing in.
"Because they did not just send hitmen to the safehouse tonight, Jesse," I swallowed hard, my voice shaking for the first time. "I just checked the club credit union accounts, and they are completely wiped out."
"Wiped out?" Jesse stepped forward, slamming his heavy hand onto the wooden desk. "What do you mean wiped out? That money feeds fifty families and pays our bail bonds."
"A federal freeze order was slapped on every single asset belonging to your charter ten minutes ago," I said, looking up into his furious eyes. "They legally locked every bank account your brothers own. You have no cash, no credit, and no legal way to fight them in court."
"Those bastards took everything in one clean stroke," Jesse growled, a dangerous rumble rising deep inside his chest as the reality of the corporate trap set in.
"They wanted to starve your club out before you even realized you were under attack," I murmured, standing up from the chair to face him. "And without those accounts, your brothers are sitting ducks on the street tomorrow morning."
"No," Jesse whispered fiercely, reaching out before I could take another breath.
He pulled me hard against his chest, wrapping his strong arms around me in a fiercely protective embrace that completely cut off the cold air of the basement. His broad shoulders shielded me from the world, his heavy breathing matching the frantic rhythm of my own pulse.
"Jesse, what are you doing?" I asked, my face pressed against the rough leather of his vest.
"I am making sure you know you are not facing these corporate monsters alone anymore, counselor," he whispered down into my hair, his grip tightening until it hurt. "They can freeze every dollar in the city, but they are going to have to go through me to touch you."
"You really think threats are going to scare men in suits who hide behind billion dollar bank accounts, Thorne?" I asked, pulling back just enough to look right into his dark eyes.
"They are going to realize very quickly that paper and ink do not mean a damn thing when a pissed off biker comes knocking on their glass doors," Jesse answered, a grim smile touching the corner of his mouth.
"We cannot just crash their headquarters with motorcycles and chains, Jesse, we need actual evidence that ties Cole Knight directly to the sniper attacks and the illegal asset freezes," I argued, tapping my finger against the desk.
"Then you are going to help me find that evidence right now, before the sun comes up and gives them a clear shot at our clubhouse," Jesse said, his tone leaving zero room for argument.
"Are you giving me orders again, Thorne?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I crossed my arms.
"I am asking my partner to keep us alive, counselor," he corrected softly, his hand reaching out to gently brush a lock of hair away from my face.
"Partners?" I tested the word on my tongue, feeling the sudden warmth of his touch despite the freezing chill of the basement room.
"Only if you are brave enough to stick around for the fight, Ava," he murmured, his gaze dropping to my lips before locking back onto my eyes.
"Try and get rid of me," I whispered, letting a confident smirk spread across my face as we turned back to the glowing laptop
screen to map out our next move.
- Writer
