Chapter 124: I Wouldn't Take It Even If It Were Free
Lucas hung up the phone and asked me, "Hungry? Should we head back?"
I looked around, my gaze sweeping past Matteo and landing on Paxton's pale face.
He looked pretty rough—his broken arm had only received basic treatment. I raised the megaphone, "Paxton."
Paxton jumped, hiding behind Matteo, who pushed him back out with one hand.
"This place needs cleaning up. I'll leave it to you," I said.
Paxton forced out a weak smile, "Don't worry, I'll handle it."
I then asked Matteo to help Paxton, turned off the megaphone, and said to Lucas, "Since we're already here, want to swing by the south side and take a look?"
"Just take a look? Or start another fight while we're at it?" Lucas asked with a smile.
"What, can't bear to part with her?" I smiled back. "Makes sense—Amelia must be dying to see you."
"I don't want to see her," Lucas said immediately.
As soon as he finished speaking, Alfred's voice came through the walkie-talkie, overlapping with Adrian's report: "Ms. Sorelli (Mr. Valeri), Mr. Valeri (Mrs. Valeri), Ms. Marr is here!"
Lucas and I both turned to look out the window. Angelina and Leonardo were walking toward us.
"Damn it!" Lucas cursed under his breath. "Adrian, drive!"
Adrian asked me, "Ms. Sorelli, should we go?"
"Yes, let's go. Quick." I really didn't want to deal with Angelina.
The car started moving. I watched as we left Angelina behind, her figure getting smaller and smaller, and asked, "What are you planning to do? Just keep avoiding her like this?"
There was some anger in my voice.
"I'll handle it. I won't let her bother us anymore," Lucas said.
I didn't ask how he planned to handle it. His promise was enough.
We drove south, followed by a crowd—the same rubberneckers as before.
Probably guessing our destination, the people tailing us didn't decrease but actually grew in number.
"They really have nothing better to do," I couldn't help but comment.
"Want me to chase them off?" Lucas picked up the walkie-talkie, ready to give the order if I nodded.
"Forget it." I shook my head. We'd already humiliated the Thornfield family today—no need to provoke other families too.
The assassins Amelia kept called themselves the "Undead Bone Mercenary Guild." They occupied territory in the far south, about a mile in diameter.
Having heard we were coming, the guild's leader Clarence and his men were waiting in advance at an abandoned warehouse.
Our car stopped in the open space outside the warehouse entrance. We weren't planning to go in. Clarence came out with two subordinates. I didn't see the person who attacked me that night.
I guessed the other assassins were probably lying in ambush somewhere.
About twenty yards away, Clarence stopped. "We can just talk like this, right?"
He didn't dare get too close, worried I'd deal with him the way I dealt with Elijah.
"Fine," I agreed.
The people following us also learned their lesson and kept a safe distance. Some who guessed we might use explosives again tried to quietly block our escape route, hoping we'd blow ourselves up. Both groups were dealt with by Alfred.
I opened the car window, and musty smells and dust rushed into my nose.
I sneezed twice and put on a mask.
Clarence had a large X-shaped scar on his face that had practically ruined it.
He was muscular and cautiously negotiated with us. "We want to stay here long-term. What are your conditions?"
"The area's too big," Lucas shook his head.
"Just for living quarters—using such a large territory is wasteful," I added in sync.
"We can reduce it by a third," Clarence showed he was serious about negotiating.
"Reduce it by half," Lucas said.
Clarence was silent for a moment. "Okay."
"Hand over Albino," Lucas added.
"I can't give him to you. I know he offended Ms. Sorelli. I can make him apologize and break one of his arms," Clarence said.
Lucas didn't accept. "A broken arm heals in three months. I want one of his hands cut off."
Albino was skilled at dissection and dismemberment. Cutting off one hand would basically cripple him.
This time Clarence thought a bit longer, then agreed with a grim face. "Okay."
His easy compliance surprised me.
Clarence sent someone to get Albino. I asked him, "What about Amelia?"
"Are you interested in her?" Clarence said eagerly. "We can make another deal."
Soon, both Albino and Amelia were brought over.
Amelia was tied up with her hands behind her back. A man was carrying her, half-dragging her along, and casually threw her at Clarence's feet.
The clothes on her body looked like they hadn't been changed in many days—wrinkled, with traces of dirty water mixed with dried bloodstains.
She fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. She coughed, looked up at Clarence with frightened eyes, her eyelids red and swollen.
Her dirty, messy hair stuck to her cheeks and neck. Like a rain-soaked rabbit, her exposed wrists and ankles were covered in crisscrossing bruises.
Amelia's appearance was so shocking that I forgot to speak for a moment.
Albino walked over on his own, still wearing that black waterproof athletic outfit, with his hat and mask on, his expression cold. He voluntarily rolled up his sleeve, personally sterilized the knife, and even gave himself local anesthesia.
After the anesthesia took effect, Clarence cleanly chopped off Albino's hand with one stroke.
Blood splattered everywhere. Everyone was used to gore and death—their expressions didn't change much.
Albino's face went deathly pale. Looking at Lucas and me, his lips trembled, his eyes showing a strange excitement.
Clarence immediately had someone take him back to rest, then pointed at Amelia at his feet and said without a trace of emotion, "I want to trade her for supplies, money, or weapons."
"Isn't she your investor?" I couldn't help asking.
Clarence's mouth twitched. "She's out of money, so naturally she's useless."
I observed Amelia carefully. She'd lost a lot of weight, with both old and new injuries on her body.
Ever since learning that Amelia had been secretly keeping a group of assassins for years, I'd completely changed my impression of her. Now I suspiciously wondered—was she faking it? What was she trying to do?
Amelia raised her head. Seeing Lucas and me, her pupils contracted slightly, and her whole body shuddered.
"Save me, save me, Lucas! Save me!" Broken sobs squeezed from her throat as she struggled to crawl forward, her bare knees scraping against the rough ground, quickly breaking the skin and producing bright red beads of blood.
Clarence stepped on her back, expressionlessly pinning her in place.
Amelia cried out in pain. Clarence pulled out a dagger and played with it, the blade's tip glinting as he gestured with it. He looked between Lucas and me, then chose to negotiate with Lucas.
"Mr. Valeri, your old flame—she should be worth quite a bit, right?"
Amelia struggled to lift her head, looking at Lucas pitifully.
Unfortunately, she looked terrible now—not the least bit appealing.
I lowered my eyes, minimizing my presence, waiting for Lucas to decide.
Lucas moved closer, his shoulder touching mine, and held my hand. He refused Clarence: "I have zero interest in her. Even if you gave her to me for free, I wouldn't take her."