Chapter 36: Everything Except Her.
1415 Words
Chapter 36: Everything Except Her.
RHYS
One thing I would never do is allow a scumbag like Louis to move an inch around Blaze.
God forbid.
Before now, I'd warned him several times. Even met him one-on-one. Just to make myself clear.
Stay the f**k away from her.
But not surprisingly, he was only perfect àt two thing: Crossing boundaries and disobeying orders.
I was going to spare him. I swear it. I really was.
But the moment his lips grazed her cheeks when he claimed he was bidding her a 'harmless' goodbye, I lost the reins.
I had to teach him a little lesson—just enough to remind him I was way out of his league.
I gave him just one injury.
Just ONE little injury to remind him to never cross me.
He'd remember me every time he tried to run.
I'd only put a phone call to Ken, an old friend who was playing in the NFL in the States.
They had a match against each other.
Problem solved.
Ring.
Fuck. I looked down at my screen, grabbing it before it rang again.
“Hey, Hardy" a smile worked its way to my lips.
"Rhys. How are you doing?” He muttered like he was in the middle of something.
I hadn't answered when he cracked a joke and he awkwardly burst into laughter.
My attention swayed to the glaring part—something was definitely wrong.
“Tell me, Hardy. What's going on there?" I knew Hardy well enough to tell when things weren't going right with him.
“D’Ace." He calmed his tone deliberately.
"What's wrong, man? Speak to me" When it came to my boys, I knew them like the back of my hand.
He chuckled lightly, but something in it was off.
Hardy didn’t laugh like that unless something was wrong.
“Talk to me,” I said, calm. Too calm. The kind of calm that made people nervous.
He exhaled. “How’s your new chick?”
My jaw tightened.
Chick.
It was such a small word. But it rubbed me wrong.
Blaze wasn’t some casual fling you threw into a sentence.
She wasn’t disposable. She wasn’t a damn label.
I rolled my tongue against my cheek, keeping my tone and temper steady. “Watch how you talk about her, Hardy.”
Then the phone went silent.
Then a low whistle. “Damn. It’s like that?”
Yeah. It was exactly like that.
“I thought Sophia was with you. The other boys have been talking about you and…a hot chi—”
"Stella. That's her name, you asshole. Have you guys been following me?” My tone sprang, pulling my jaw tighter.
“No, boss. Ju—"
“I am not your boss, Hardy. D’Ace died a long time ago." I corrected him but it sounded a bit vulgar. “I'm not him anymore" I added, with a sharp breath.
"But—”
"Hardy.” I called his name, softer this time
Hardy, Mario, and the entire “D’Acers” would always be my family. My squad. My boys. But I wasn't in fot that life anymore.
It was… dirty. Unclean. Even when it carried so much power and loyalty.
Ten years ago, I dropped everything.
The pride. The honor. The darkness.
The oath.
The brotherhood.
The staff of the devil.
I laid it down with my own hands.
I chose a road that felt right to my spirit—even if it carved my feet open with sharp stones.
It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t glorious. It was filled with silence, doubt, pain of reshaping and the voluntary loneliness.
But above all… it was clean.
I would never judge them.
They would still be my brothers. My squad. My boys.
Still my blood.
But I swore to never lift that staff again.
D’Ace died.
And I buried him myself.
“Are you sure you're not bothered by those men?”He asked like he knew what my answer would be. "I know you, boss"
I let him finish, knowing fully well he'd call me ‘boss’ over and over again.
"It's Rhys, Hardy.” I smiled, my heart warming as I held the fountain pen in my hand.
“And you know they wouldn't dare.” I laughed.
He laughed too. Now and then, my boys would always call to check on me—whether I was hurt or bothered or disturbed… they always showed their love.
That was how they loved.
As soon as Hardy ended the phone call, I had barely taken a minute before a knock sounded on the door. I didn't respond but the door flew open anyways.
Uncle Shawn.
He walked in and that alone told me something was wrong. His tie was loose and his expression was the opposite.
He had barely paced forward when he whispered. “We have a problem.”
I set the pen down, observing the sweat on his forehead.
“Define the problem, Uncle.” My eyes fixed on his, I was waiting for the worst.
He shut the door behind him. “An anonymous buyer just made an offer to acquire fifty-five percent of the company.”
My pulse didn’t shift.
“A buyer?”
Shawn’s jaw flexed like he didn't believe it too.
“They’re offering shareholders three times their projected dividend value.”
That made me lean back, my chest tightening.
Silence clouded the room for a moment.
Strange.
Three times. It wasn't ambition. But Intent.
“Any information about them?” I raised my eyes to his and he looked like s**t. "What are the shareholders saying?"
“His identity is anonymous.” He exhaled. “But whoever it is… they’ve already approached seven major stakeholders.”
Silence settled in the room. My instincts screamed at me. Him. Us.
This wasn’t a businessman. This was a hunter.
I leaned backwards, my knuckles turning white as I shut my eyes.
It wasn't a situation that demanded panic. Sometimes, all we needed to settle some problems was just instincts. Basic instincts.
My phone didn't ring. It only vibrated and when I checked, I saw a text from an Unknown number.
A text.
“Hello, brother.
You always did have a way around things, didn’t you?
We’ll meet at the frontline.”
I smiled.
Brother. Not a business rival.
Not an investor.
Brother.
That word hit different.
I knew where the enemy was from.
My phone vibrated. A name lit up the screen.
Blaze.
“Hello, Rhys,” Her voice came soft but firm. “I just saw the news. Are you… okay?”
I wasn't surprised. That was how much attention my company could pull—and the anonymous fucker had taken it via social media.
I allowed a small smile. “I’m fine.”
She heaved a sigh then she added deliberately, “I think I know who this is from.”
I raised an eyebrow, half-amused and impressed. “Who?”
“You know, Rhys,” she said lightly, almost teasing. “You always do. You’re never wrong.”
I chuckled softly. That earned a little warmth in my chest. “And we both know who this is, right?”
Her voice dropped, a hint of certainty as she whispered. “Yeah.”
I straightened my spine. “Then there’s nothing to worry about. My men and I will handle it.” That was the fact.
“Your men?” she asked, her voice edged with surprise.
“Yeah,” I said casually, as if it were nothing.
“Just one call. A few boardroom meetings. That’s all it takes.” I flicked the pen between my fingers.
Silence filled the line for a moment, as though she was considering her next sentence.
Then her soft laugh. “Oh f**k it! You make it sound so simple.”
“Mmm” A deep sound of peace and affirmation escaped my lungs.
“Because it is,” I said. Calm. Controlled. Unshaken.
“He sent me a letter at the academy, two days ago” She explained, her voice laced with seriousness.
My skin stung. My body reacted like a fire alarm had just rang.
"It's scarier than you probably think” She continued like she could read my mind.
"What was it about? Tell me” Anxiety ran through my veins like blood.
He could mess with me. My business. My reputation. My Company. Everything.
But not her. Not what's mine.
- Writer
