Chapter 61 Counterattack

Chapter 61 Counterattack
Jerome's P.O.V

The second after the first attack, I knew there would be a second, a third and a fourth. Gerald was a weird kind of man but I knew him well.

Well enough to know that if he had betrayed me to the point of a bomblast, he would go all the way which meant great danger for me as he knew me just as well.

It's been several days and I still don't know what to feel besides deep anger at such a betrayal from someone that I thought would not hesitate to lay his life down for me as I would without a second thought, but I was fooled.

I could tell that although Aiyana called it before even I could tell, she was confused about how and why he would betray his lifelong friend for a woman - her, that he just met.

I mean I could not blame him for wanting her. She's gorgeous, strong, and extremely smart.
She probably didn't even know how smart she was but not everyone could in a few months know how the mafia operates, be able to properly defend themselves against an assassin and still could somehow always tell when I had someone watching over her.

Walking out of that door knowing that she just uttered the words that was a rarity to hear from her.
Words I wanted to hear more than anything in the world.

It pained me to leave the person I wanted to hug for a lifetime to iron things out with that rat that thought himself bold enough to attack my lair just because my right hand man betrayed me.

While Gerald knew almost everything that had to do with me, he still didn't know everything.
For some reason, even though I strongly opposed my sister's views, I needed them. She warned me about him, that I was too open and no mafia leader would survive with such a level of transparency and subconsciously, I hid some things.

Seeing their hideout in view made me smile as I anticipated just how much damage I wanted to cause without going over the top so that whoever was going to clean up wouldn't have a hard time

I didn’t shout.

I didn’t need to.

Silence carried better, it pressed into men’s lungs, made them breathe it in until it choked them, and right now, silence was doing exactly what I wanted it to do.

My home was still standing, but it had been touched.

That alone was unforgivable.

I stepped over a body, one of theirs and kept walking, feeling the gravel beneath my boots soak.
And a thin, burning part of it belonged to Aiyana.

The fact that they dared to attack my lair was crazy because I had their entire hideout in submission in less than five minutes.
I admit I only hired the most brutal men I could find out there but there was no reason they didn't get to them before me.

It genuinely pissed me off that I didn't even get to raise a finger. Wanted my time for nothing

“Bring me their leader.” I ordered as the short fat man was pushed forward. He stumbled, barely catching himself, trying to hold onto what little dignity he had left.

Blood streaked down his face, his breathing uneven, but his eyes still held defiance.

Nice, It wouldn’t last but at least I could maybe have a little fun breaking him in.

I was about to speak when I saw him.

Not the leader.

Someone behind him.

My gaze locked, and everything else faded. For a second, it felt like time folded in on itself.

It was the same face. Not really identical but close enough to drag the memory back in full clarity.

The assassin.

The man who had stood in my home, blade drawn, eyes empty.

The man I had killed, and yet here stood another version of him.

A brother or twin, I didn’t care.

What I cared about was the image burned into my mind. The image of my princess bleeding from this fucker’s relative.

He had to pay for that.

“I’m not…” His shaky voice started as he felt my gaze on him like he knew what I was thinking but I didn't let him finish.
My hand closed around his wrist, locking it in place before his body could catch up to what was happening.

I tightened my grip, feeling the bone strain before it broke.

The crack was sharp and clean. His body jerked as a scream tore out of him, but I didn’t let go. I held him there, forced him to feel it, to understand it.

Aiyana hadn’t screamed.

That thought settled deep.

My other hand drew my blade in one smooth motion, but I didn’t rush it.

I wanted him to see and not be able to do anything about it.

“This is for the hand that touched her.” I said as the blade came down, cutting his hand off in one clean strike.

‘Sharpening you everyday paid off huh.’ I thought to myself as I admired my little sword as his screams reached my ears like music.

I released him and watched him collapse, clutching what was left of his arm, writhing in the dirt.

Now, to the man I came here for.