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Logan casually raised an eyebrow as he watched the older man step out of the car even though his defenses walls were erected immediately.

Van Halen. This was no man to be taken for granted. And Logan being in this business for some time now knew that this meeting was certainly not an accidental meeting. It had been planned for a long time and it was certainly not going to go in his favor.

But still, he was not going to let them know how uneasy he was feeling at the moment. In this Mafia business, the number one rule was to never let your enemy scent your fear or they will pounce on you like ferocious dogs. And the Silver Blade was the Serpent Cartel's most prominent enemies. They had been for years.

He thought of Johanna briefly. He hoped to hell that these Silver Blade menaces had not gotten to her right now. As annoying as she could be —yes, he still couldn't get the events of yesterday from his head— he didn't know what he would do if she was harmed…if something bad had happened to her.

Not liking the thoughts that came to him, he promised to waste time as much as possible. They could do him anything but they shouldn't get to Johanna.

“Well, well, well,” Van said as he approached Logan, his silver cane making light noises on the ground as he walked. His voice sounded so soft as if he was talking to a child…as if he had not ordered the kids to be slaughtered in order to send a message to their father for misbehaving.

But Logan knew better and he was not deceived by the tone of his voice.

“What a delightful surprise to see you here,” the older man continued.

Logan's lips twisted even as he continued to remain calm. “Cut that crap, You and I know this was not an accident, Van. How long have you had men following me?”

Van Halen laughed. “Does it matter?”

Logan shook his head while putting his hands into his pocket. “No, it does not matter. Look, it is a very beautiful morning. The sun is out but it is not giving too much heat. So yeah, I plan to make the most of it before going back inside. So the sooner that we can round up this unexpected meeting, the better for both of us too.” Until now, there was a light smile on Logan's face and it disappeared just before he continued. “Why are you here, Van?”

The older man smiled and rubbed his hands as if he had just been complimented.

“Well, I like you, Logan. You are feisty. Very feisty.”

Logan shook his head. “That is not the answer to the question that I asked and you know that.”

The older man shrugged. “I want to have a conversation with you, yes. But you would have to get into the car, Logan.”

Logan raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think I would do that?”

The older man laughed and then when the laughter stopped, his face hardened until he looked like one ready to take on a lion with bare hands.

When he spoke, his voice, although still soft, was very cold.

“Logan, what makes you think I am asking either?”

As he finished saying this statement, men in suits and dark sunglasses that had already come out of the cars took two steps toward.

Realizing that he was outnumbered and

that there was nothing else he could do, he smiled casually at the older man.

“You must really be in a deep fix to want me this much uh,?” he asked before walking into the car as if it belonged to him.

Van Halen entered the car and the car door closed. The car, along with the others before it and after it began to drive away.

One man in a black suit and as silent as a ghost sat on the other side of him. Logan knew that the man's quitedness should not be taken for granted. If he behaved funny, the man could easily have a knife buried in his throat within a millisecond.

The cars drove for a while till they got to a cliff. And it was only till then that Van Halen turned towards him.

“You know that we are alone now?” The older man asked softly.

Logan chuckled and looked at the tall trees that were on both sides of the wide deserted road.

“First of all, ask me if I care. You were the one who brought me here,” he answered.

“And you know that I can easily kill you if I want?”

Logan turned, feeling a bit startled to see a sharp glistening small knife appear in Van's right hand but didn't show it.

Don't let the enemy scent your fear. If you do, you might as well just kill yourself first.

Those words from Johanna's father had been frequently said to him.

And he was going to live by it now.

He made his voice sound very casually as he spoke, “Again, ask me if I care.”

Logan saw a flash of movement and for a moment thought it was Van's right hand moving to bury the knife into his belly or neck. That was his last thought though because in the next moment, pain like fire was spreading in his groin and he could only bit his lips hard to stop himself from crying like a baby.

After several moments of intense blinding pain, he could finally catch his breath and focus on Van who was smiling at his left hand that he had fisted to punch Logan's groin.

“Want to leave more messages?” He asked when he knew he had cleaned off every trace of pain from his voice.

Van sighed. “Logan, you are a stubborn man but we want you here at Silver Blade. Leave the Serpent Mafia and together, we can not only take Sebastian but run that damned cartel together.”

Logan smiled. “I would rot in hell first.”

Van laughed as if he had just been greeted with good news. He opened the car door and came out. Suddenly, Logan found himself rolling over the seat onto the ground, having been violently pushed by the man sitting silently close to him.

Before he could stand up, a black bag dripping wet with blood hit him on the back, staining his clothes with the bright redness of the blood.

He stood up quickly just as the cars turned and zoomed up.

Slowly, and with unease rolling turbulently in his stomach, he unzipped the bag.

And what he saw had his blood run cold immediately.