Chapter 3 - The Apex Predator
"You made a critical miscalculation, Marcus," I said, my voice eerily calm as I stood perfectly still.
Marcus laughed, gesturing with the gun. "Oh yeah? What's that? You're a tech nerd, Rowan. A keyboard warrior. You think you can fight a bullet with a spreadsheet?"
"No," I replied, casually adjusting the cuff of my bespoke jacket. "Your mistake was assuming that the man who drove a quarter-million-dollar Aston Martin into this neighborhood on Christmas Eve drove here alone."
Marcus frowned.
I tapped the bezel of my titanium smartwatch twice.
The windows of the small house didn't just break; they exploded.
Before Marcus or his brother could even raise their weapons, four men clad in black tactical gear poured into the living room from the front and back entrances. These weren't corporate security guards; they were the ghost-tier extraction team I kept on a multimillion-dollar retainer.
It was over in less than four seconds.
Marcus screamed as a rifle butt struck the back of his knee, sending him crashing to the floor. His weapon was kicked across the room. His brother was already pinned against the drywall, a combat knife pressed firmly against his throat.
The living room fell silent, save for the howling wind and the agonizing groans of the Vance brothers.
I walked slowly across the room, the snow crunching beneath my expensive leather shoes. I stopped in front of Marcus, who was bleeding onto Emily's rug, staring up at me in absolute horror.
"You threatened my wife," I whispered, kneeling down so he could see the total absence of mercy in my eyes. "You threatened my son."
"Gavin, wait, please—" Marcus begged, spitting blood.
I stood up and looked at the commander of my security team.
May you like
"Take them to the warehouse by the docks," I ordered, my voice dead and hollow. "Make sure they understand that if they ever breathe the same air as my family again, I will not involve the police. Erase them."
The guards dragged the sobbing men out into the freezing night, pulling the broken door shut behind them.
