The War God Is Back

Chapter 8

“Just hear me out,” Vinie said, his tone shifting as he tried to reason with me. “The pay alone makes it worth considering—five thousand dollars a month. That’s not small money, Justin. That’s the kind of income that changes everything. Honestly, it’s more than I’ve ever earned, and I’m your older brother.”

I folded my arms across my chest and shook my head slowly. “Vinie, I appreciate it. I really do. But I can’t take that offer. I’m sorry.”

The look on his face changed immediately. His brows drew together, clearly caught off guard by how firmly I turned it down. “Why not?” he asked.

“Because I’m a soldier,” I replied without hesitation.

Then I continued, making sure he understood exactly where I stood. “Not just any soldier—a mercenary. My entire life has been built around that. I’ve spent years holding a weapon, tracking down threats, and taking out dangerous people. That’s what I know. That’s what I’m good at. I don’t know anything about running a company, writing reports, or managing people in some office environment. That’s not my world. I belong in the field, Vinie—not behind a desk.”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he pushed himself off the car and stepped closer, his expression turning serious. “So that’s it? You think being a soldier is all you are?”

“It’s not just what I do,” I said quietly. “It’s who I am.”

Vinie let out a long breath, as if trying to gather his patience. “Justin, you’re looking at this the wrong way. You think the corporate world is completely different from the military, but it isn’t.”

I gave a short, skeptical laugh. “Come on, Vinie. That’s not even close.”

“Isn’t it?” he challenged. “When you were out there, what did you do? You made decisions under pressure. You studied situations, adapted to danger, and kept your team alive. Do you really think those skills suddenly become useless here?”

I didn’t respond, so he kept going.

“In business, it’s the same game—just with different tools,” he said. “Instead of ambushes, you deal with shifting markets. Instead of bullets, it’s competition coming at you from every direction. And instead of keeping a squad alive, you’re keeping a company running. It’s all about strategy, Justin. And if there’s one thing you know how to do, it’s strategize.”

I shook my head again, still unconvinced. “It’s not the same. Out there, it’s life or death. Here, it’s just numbers and deals.”

“Is it really just that?” he asked, his voice softening but carrying weight. “What about the people who depend on this company? The families relying on those paychecks? The workers who trust their leaders to make the right decisions? You’re not just handling numbers—you’re protecting people. That’s what you’ve always done.”

I looked away, unable to immediately argue against that.

“And don’t tell me you can’t do it,” he added firmly. “You’re not just a soldier—you’re a leader. You’ve led men into battle and brought them back alive. You’ve handled impossible situations and still come out on top. If you can do all that, you can handle this. And think about it… five thousand a month. That’s not just getting by—that’s building a future.”

He reached out and patted my shoulder. “Just think about it. You don’t have to decide right now. But don’t underestimate yourself, Justin. You’re capable of more than you think.”

I let out a quiet breath, deciding not to drag the conversation any further. “I’ll think about it,” I said before heading back inside to continue my work.

---

By the time the afternoon sun settled in, I was wiping down a worn-out table when I heard a knock nearby. I straightened and went to check, and that’s when I saw her.

Delilah Carter.

She stepped inside, her eyes moving around the room until they found me. The moment our gazes met, the memory of the previous night came flooding back—the absurd chase after a cockroach, the fall, and the way she had ended up right on top of me. I quickly shook the thought away.

“Hi, Justin,” she said softly, a small smile forming on her lips.

“Delilah,” I replied, standing a little straighter than necessary.

She walked closer, her expression sincere. “I just wanted to thank you for last night… even if it was a bit chaotic. It really meant a lot.”

I shrugged lightly, trying not to make it a big deal. “It was nothing. Just a cockroach.”

Her smile grew a little wider, and for a brief moment, silence settled between us. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it felt like we were both waiting for something to be said.

Before I could figure out what that something was, a voice suddenly broke through.

“Justin!”

I turned toward the entrance just in time to see Vinie rushing in, his face lit up with excitement. Before I could react, he pulled me into a tight hug, nearly lifting me off the ground.

“Whoa, Vinie,” I said, trying to free myself. “What’s going on with you?”

He stepped back, grinning like he had just won the lottery. “What did you say to my wife?”

I blinked, confused. “What? I didn’t—”

“She promoted me to manager!” he cut in, barely able to contain himself. “And you’re my deputy manager! Can you believe that? I never thought I’d get this position, but she said you had something to do with it. Justin, this is unbelievable!”

“Vinie, calm down,” I said, raising a hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Delilah quietly excuse herself and leave us.

“Calm down?” he repeated, still buzzing with excitement. “This changes everything!”

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. “I didn’t do anything, alright? Just… take a breath.”

He finally slowed down a bit, though the excitement was still written all over his face. “Still, you have to admit this is huge. We’re finally moving up, Justin!”

Just then, his phone rang loudly, cutting through the moment. He glanced at the screen and his expression shifted slightly.

“Sorry, Justin, I need to take this. It’s important,” he said before stepping away, leaving me alone in the corridor.

I ran a hand through my hair and decided to walk around the building, figuring I might as well familiarize myself with areas I hadn’t cleaned yet. As I made my way toward another section, faint voices drifted through a slightly open door.

I hadn’t meant to stop, but something about their tone made me pause.

“Have you seen the notice board?” a woman asked.

“Yeah,” a man replied. “Vinie and his brother Justin as manager and deputy manager? What a joke.”

I froze, but stayed where I was, listening.

“Can you believe it?” the woman continued with a laugh. “Vinie barely knows what he’s doing, and now his brother—some ex-soldier—is supposed to help run this place? What does Justin even know about business?”

“I heard he was a mercenary,” another voice added. “What’s he going to do? Run meetings with a gun? Maybe we should start wearing bulletproof vests to work.”

Laughter filled the room, each sound cutting deeper than the last.

“Let’s be honest,” the first man said. “The only reason Vinie got promoted is because he married the chairman’s daughter. Elizabeth probably arranged everything. Classic nepotism.”

“Exactly,” the woman agreed. “And now we’re stuck reporting to them. Vinie’s useless, and Justin? He doesn’t even belong here. What does a soldier know about running a company?”

“Nothing,” another voice said flatly. “This place is finished. They’re going to ruin everything.”

“I can’t believe we have to take orders from them,” the woman added. “It’s embarrassing. Justin probably doesn’t even know how to use a computer.”

More laughter followed.

“Mark my words,” the man continued. “This company is going downhill with them in charge. We should all start looking for other jobs before it collapses.”

I stood there, hidden behind the door, my fists clenched tightly. Every word hit like a punch. It wasn’t just about me—it was about Vinie too. I had wanted him to earn respect, to finally stand tall without anyone looking down on him.

Instead, this was what people really thought.

For a moment, anger surged through me. I wanted to walk in, confront them, make them repeat every word to my face. But just as I was about to step forward, I heard Vinie’s voice behind me.

“Justin.”

I turned around.

He stood there quietly, his earlier excitement completely gone. The smile that had lit up his face was nowhere to be seen.

“Vinie,” I said, stepping closer. “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head and let out an unsteady breath. “It’s nothing,” he said, though it was clear that wasn’t true.

I frowned. “Vinie… what happened?”

He hesitated before finally speaking, his voice strained. “Let’s just go. I don’t want to talk about it here.”