Kaze glanced at South. “Do you have a problem with letting her leave?” “Not at all.” South grinned. “Things are going to get gory in here. It won’t be nice to scare a pretty girl like her.” He waved his arm, granting the release of Rose. Only Kaze and South’s people remained in the place soon enough. Even the staff of Buckridge Lounge were thrown out. “Thud!” South hurled a bottle of liquor to Kaze and said indifferently, “I’m giving you one last drink before I send you on your way. Here’s your chance to go out with a bang.” “One last drink?” Kaze glanced at the bottle and uttered with a smile, “I think the drink should be for you.” South’s companions gathered a pile of empty bottles with the intention of smashing Kaze’s head with them. They started laughing. “You’re playing a dangerous game by defying Mr. Stormborn, boy.”“If I were you, I’d apologize to Mr. Stormborn on my knees right now. He might be so kind as to spare your life if you beg him earnestly.”“M
The deaths of Bengla and Caspian were no secret as South had killed Genesis, the perpetrator.The passing of Stripes and Bali remained a well-kept secret, though. So how did a hick like Kaze find out? South stopped his companions from attacking Kaze and said coldly, “Why don’t you tell me what killed them?” “I killed Stripes and Bali when they tried to assassinate me while disguised as police officers.” Bearing a faint smile, Kaze said, “Bengla and Caspian didn’t pose much of a challenge. They took a group to jump on me, and I brought them in alive. “Later, Genesis just wouldn’t leave me alone, so I let Bengla and Caspian take the fall for killing and injuring Casius’ people. Then, I used the woman to kill them too. “Genesis wished I was dead. To be fair, I did manipulate her. “It was quite convenient that Genesis tried to kill me today while you were around. I played the situation to my advantage and had you killed her. It’s a fair exchange, don’t you think?” Kaze sp
With Kaze’s confidence swaying him, South sized Kaze up once more. It took a moment before South said with a smirk, “The Otters claimed that you were full of hot air. “For all I know, you could be giving me the big talk in hopes I’d give you a break. “You talked about capturing Bengla and Caspian alive. Now that Genesis is dead, who can testify for you? “Who can prove that you killed Stripes and Bali?“You think you can talk your way out of this?” South inched closer to Kaze, ready to go for the kill. He held off from attacking Kaze with the intention of cracking him under the strain. In short, South suspected Kaze of playing mind games. At the same time, he was not sure whether Kaze was telling the truth. Kaze could read South like a book. South’s little tricks were child’s play to Kaze. Kaze shook his head in resignation. “Do you actually think I’m seeking reconciliation? You’ve missed the point entirely.“But since you want proof, I’ll give you proof.” Kaze wh
South gave Kaze the death stare. He grimaced hard without saying a word. As the head of external relations for the Steelclaw Guild, South handled all of the organization’s business dealings.Karina got through the organization through South. All she provided was a photo and limited information about Kaze being disowned by the Sunrise Lees. The inaccurate intelligence resulted in the death of Stripes and Bali. Subsequently, Bengla and Caspian did not take Kaze lightly during their assassination attempt. They brought along reinforcements. Still, Kaze killed them all. Initially, South could not remember or recognize who Kaze was.However, Kaze jogged his memory with the phone call. South knew that Kaze was not lying. The members of the Steelclaw Guild died at his hands. That was not the point, though.The implication behind the deaths of four Steelclaw Guild members showcased the extent of Kaze’s power.Now, South no longer believed the beatings from Kaze were not the re
“I’m not close with Bengla and the others anyway. Though they are part of the Eight Tigers, they could easily be replaced.“Don’t worry about me going after you, Kaze. I can give you my word that if you let me walk today, I won’t seek revenge or harm your family in any way. “Besides, I am also a member of the Stormborns, and my title as one of the Riverbank Seven can come to good use in Riverbank. “It’s best not to burn bridges. You don’t need when you need a friend, don’t you—” “Wham!” Before South could finish, Kaze grabbed a bottle and smashed it on his head. As South groaned in pain, alcohol streamed down his face and drenched him.Though South staggered at his feet, he managed to hold himself together. “A friend?” Kaze tossed the broken bottle aside and said indifferently, “What makes you think you can be my friend? “Is it because you’re one of the Riverbank Seven or one of the Steelclaw Guild leaders? “The Steelclaw Guild members and Casius’ men were no threa
A wise man would always avoid danger, and it was a timeless truth. South, a man raised with the finest education, had always lived by the saying. Though Kaze killed four of his comrades, South could not fight Kaze to the death. Sure, South was strong, and Kaze may not be as powerful as he put out to be. South stood a chance to win the fight. Still, South valued his life enough not to take a gamble on it. There was a time and place for everything. It was better to live and fight another day, even if it meant groveling and buttering Kaze up to reach a peaceful resolution. “Do you think I was kidding?” Kaze raised his hand to slap South.“Smack!” South staggered back from the blow, his face swelling up. With a hand over his face, South bent over and said humbly, “I know that you weren’t kidding, but I can’t bring myself to fight you. I’m unworthy to be your opponent. “Go ahead and slap me. I won’t complain.” Kaze smiled as South made himself small. “This is inter
South’s best shot did not even frazzle Kaze one bit. Kaze rendered South defenseless with just one slap. Despite the chance for a fair fight, South knew that he had nothing on Kaze. The diabolical man had the power to kill him, and South was just a helpless lamb to the slaughter. South’s companions were shocked. Though South may not be on Kaze’s level, they expected him to put up a fight at least for a while. All it took was one slap. Kaze defeated South with one blow. Extending his arm, Kaze grabbed South by the neck and lifted him off his neck to hurl him far. South collapsed to the ground and coughed out blood. With an ashen look, he struggled to get on his feet. “I’ve lost. “Just kill me,” South said dejectedly and closed his eyes.He knew how easy it was for Kaze to finish him off. Since nothing could change Kaze’s mind about killing him, South was better than dying with dignity. Kaze was about to speak when his phone buzzed. He took out his phone. His
It was ten o’clock at night. Buckridge Lounge was cleared. Since Blackie, the general manager, was incapacitated, Buckridge Lounge would not be open for business for the rest of the night. While most customers and regular staff were asked to leave, a select group of people remained. These people had attended the Otters’ get-together. Patrick, Max, Maxine, and more were asked to stay. Though South did not send his people to watch over them, the staff of Buckridge Lounge kept an eye on them. The whole thing started because of the Otters tonight. Though the situation was chaotic, and the details were unclear, Blackie’s subordinates could not let them leave until they got to the bottom of the matter. Blackie was not just the general manager of Buckridge Lounge. He was also a confidante to Everett, a criminal boss. With Blackie seriously injured, the incident was far from over. Everett might think twice before retaliating against South due to his power, but he would not
“Kaze can pull the punches for sure. I mean, he has the Butterworth branch chief’s trust for a reason. “There has to be something for him to win the branch chief’s approval.” Edmund doubted there was depth to Kaze. After all, Edmund decided whether to take on a person based on their abilities. It made no sense to pay attention to losers, as he would hold them in contempt. Edmund had been impressed with Herman, who excelled in strategies and management. That was why Edmund bumped Herman up and made sure he stayed on top. “Got it.” Herman nodded and had one foot out the door. “Don’t be in a hurry to leave. There’s one more thing.” Edmund pointed at the table. Herman approached and stood on bent knees. Pleased with Herman’s submission, Edmund passed him a wine glass. Herman took the drink humbly before looking carefully at Edmund, awaiting his orders. “The wine was just airlifted from abroad. I can vouch for the taste. If you’re looking to sip on the finest, yo
Time went by, and a towering man in a suit showed up outside the door. Picking up on the noise inside the room, he knocked on the door. It was hard to tell whether the person inside could hear the knocking, so the man waited outside. The door was opened, and a woman, her face flawless with makeup, popped her head out and saw him. She cocked her head back at Edmund. “You have a guest, Mr. Witterson.” “Let him in,” Edmund instructed. He then leaned in to take the drink from the girl next to him with his mouth. The other girls cheered him on. The group was lost in their fun. The man, who entered the room, stood by the sofa respectfully. He kept his head down, his gaze staying low at the bottles of alcohol spread across the table. It was a bit of a wait before the man approached at Edmund’s order. “Tell me about Dwight.”While listening to the girls’ singing, Edmund turned to Herman. Herman rushed over as soon as Edmund called. He won a lot of money at poker toda
In this particular circumstance, Morris had to play it safe so that things would not get out of hand. The last thing he wanted was to be dragged into the mess. At least, he finally saw the Wittersons’ true colors. Morris’ friendly advice was met with disrespect and insult. However, the Wittersons were a force of nature, and Morris was not about to take them head-on. Despite his frustration, Morris had to walk away. Well, Edmund would soon face his downfall at the height of his power, and Morris would be there to enjoy the ride. Still, it did not sit well with Morris to have a young fella walk all over him. It had crossed his mind to keep the Wittersons in check, but there was only so much he could do. Morris had to be the one to back away as the Wittersons grew haughty. Morris believed there was more to Kaze’s visit to Westeros. Nothing major happened in Westeros recently. At least, there was nothing worth the other branch’s attention. However, a representative of the
Morris suggested entertaining Kaze well. Things would not be good for the branch if Kaze got dirt on them. That was where Edmund disagreed with Morris. His idea was to send someone to sound Kaze out. Edmund was smug because Morris’ decision was wrong. “You shouldn’t do that. Kaze is here on behalf of the Butterworth branch. You don’t want tension between both branches.” Morris looked at things from a wider perspective. Edmund believed Kaze was just a doormat of little importance. “You just overthink things, and it’s not good for your age. You’re getting senile.” Edmund did not take Morris’ advice seriously. He believed he was right. “You’re not getting it. Kaze is from Butterworth. Even if he doesn’t hold a high position there, we were in the wrong. We did not keep our tracks clean either. “Now that he’s back, I’m worried that he’ll cause us harm.” Morris was only giving a heads-up because the whole branch was at stake. Edmund was young. Due to his lack of judgmen
“We should be generous to our guest from Butterworth. You can arrange as you see fit. Please don’t house him in a messy home. Hire cleaners to tidy up the place. “You can report back to me if you need more money, but it’s not a reason for you to misuse the funds.” Herman wanted to hang up. The money was now in Dwight’s bank account, so he was washing his hands off the matter. The plan was to keep Kaze happy. He was just an insignificant member of the Butterworth branch anyway. The whole thing would blow over soon enough, so long as Kaze kept to himself without taking things too far. Herman would figure out a way to get him out quickly anyway. Maybe Herman and his friends did not have to do anything to get rid of Kaze. “Got it. I’ll be a good host, Herman. I won’t let you down. I’ll keep you in the loop.” Dwight was over the moon to get the notification about the money transfer. “Just play by ear and arrange what you see best.” Herman hung up and continued playing pok
“It’s becoming a hassle now. Are you going to inform the Viper’s Den about the change of accommodation?” After much hesitation, Kaze nodded to take up the offer. Dwight was thrilled. It only hit Dwight that he had to communicate with the Viper’s Den. Kaze was booked for a hotel stay, and Dwight’s job was to take him to the destination. Yet now, Dwight took him to his home. “I’ll tell my superior and see what he has to say.” Dwight was not sure whether the change was appropriate. Nevertheless, he did not want to pass up on a great opportunity. He simply grabbed the bull by the horn. If Kaze stayed at his place, the Viper’s Den members had to respect Kaze’s request even if they had a problem with it. “But when they ask, you can say that you’re getting along well with me. Living together just makes work more convenient.” Feeling unsettled, Dwight tried to get their stories straight with Kaze. Hopefully, the Viper’s Den would not come after them. “Aren’t we friends? I k
Dwight gave some suggestions. “But I’m worried about being a nuisance to your family.” Kaze remained hesitant, torn between decisions. “No, you won’t. I usually live alone. They stay somewhere else. They barely visit. I’ll just let them know not to visit for now,” Dwight replied. Dwight figured out what was in it for him. He could not let Kaze leave. “I don’t want to put your family in an awkward position.”Kaze was still considering the matter. “Relax. They don’t live with me anyway. The room I have for you is tidy. No one has stayed there before.“I’ll hire some help to freshen up the place. I can guarantee you an experience no less than at the hotel.” Dwight spoke with great confidence. “We should finish our food and doggie-bag the rest. I’ll take you to my place.” Dwight was ready to get things going. Kaze took the offer and nodded. “I’ll be in your care then.” Kaze was glad that his plan went through. Dwight had no idea that he got played. Nevertheless,
“I’m new to the place, so I don’t know much. Can you show me around when you’re available?” “No problem, but I usually have some stuff to take care of. I can’t be there 24/7. “Why don’t you propose to the branch that you want me to be your guide and attendant?” Dwight suggested. There was no telling whether Kaze would accept his proposal, but it was an opportunity to prove himself. He was never involved in the core operation. Often enough, he was the branch members’ punching bag. Though Dwight was aware that he was not good enough for the big stuff, he still wanted to succeed. Kaze was the trusted aide of the Butterworth Branch chief. He was in Westeros for a reason. By joining Kaze, Dwight would come across the major players. Kaze saw through Dwight’s plans. “Sure. I’ll do that.” Kaze did not mind the request. “Great. I’ll let them know on your behalf. I’ll be responsible for your needs while in the city.” Dwight was overjoyed at the opportunity. “So you live
“You must be rich. I often see rich people picking tabs for everybody. Talk about extravagance.” The tension in the air was lifted when Kaze offered to pay for everything. “I’m not. Consider it an apology,” Kaze explained, not wanting to cause unnecessary misunderstandings. He did not see the point of continuing the conversation. Dwight’s angry screams came from outside. “What the hell is this? I only ordered a bunch of stuff. Why am I being charged an exorbitant amount?“What do you mean my friend is paying for everybody? That’s throwing money away,” Dwight said while storming his way over. “I know you have money, but you shouldn’t do this, Mr. Lee.” Dwight did not approve of this type of generosity. “You rubbed them the wrong way. It was only right to apologize. Besides, it’s not a lot of money.” Kaze looked at the bill and handed a bank card to Dwight. “It’s my treat.” The consumption was barely a dent in Kaze’s savings. The meal did not cost more than his us