New Underground 2

Martil’s pov

Martil’s pov

That voice. That voice was one I could never forget. Not in this lifetime, and not in the next. That person has so many history that went down between the both of us.

Very familiar but buried. I almost forgot about him. Why was he here? So many questions ran through my mind, almost making my brain freeze.

I didn’t turn immediately. Turning too fast in my world often got men killed. Instead, I straightened up slowly, letting my eyes stay locked on the actual boss I came to meet who still sat across the table.

“What do you think you are doing?” My voice dropped very low. A likely dangerous one if he recognized it.

Kaleb also turned behind me, his eyes fixated on the figured in the room. We could feel the tension rolling off in the room like heat,especially from him.

“You know him?” Kaleb asked quietly.

I ignored the question. Shadows suddenly moved. Their footsteps echoed through the concrete floor deliberately, making me aware that they were surrounding us and whoever controlled them with orders had nothing to fear.

I finally turned. And there he was. The man I never thought I’d see again, especially not in this lifetime. The same man that I buried myself.

He was older, almost the same age with the one I initially came to meet. His eyes was sharp. I stared at the large scar that ran down from his left eyebrow, across his cheeks, down to his jaw and neck.

The scar reminded me of many things — I gave it to him. I was responsible for that large scar and cut. I dug this man grave and I had no idea how he crawled out of it.

Those eyes? They hadn’t changed at all. They were cold, calculating and too familiar which was enough to make my stomach tighten.

“Rage.” The name slipped out of my mouth.

He smiled like ice breeze. “I’m sure you are surprised.” He said,

Hell yeah, I was. But I wasn’t curious. Maybe a little bit. He should be a ghost, not human because I killed him many years ago.

“Thought you were dead,” I said with a flat voice.

He smirked. “Should I be sorry you underestimated me?”

Raff was my last assignment before I stood on my own as the leader of my gang. How did he escape death?

Kaleb’s hand drifted slowly and closer to the knife that was hidden at his side, in his trousers. I almost chuckled. He was a very smart man. He had been with me since day one. He could read danger fast.

The boss behind the table leaned back against his chair like he was watching his favorite show that’d pay him some good money.

“You two know each other. Well, that saves me minutes of starting introductions.”

I didn’t blink. “You set this up.”

“Of course,” the boss admitted nonchalantly. “You see, Grave…you don’t rise in this kind of world without understanding leverage.” He stood up.

Rafe stepped closer, his boots sounding heavy against the floor. “You’ve been making noise, Grave. You have been taking territories that are not yours anymore.”

I let out a dry and humorless laugh. “So, those lands belong to you then?”

Rate’s jaw tightened. Good. He still hated my guts and of course, he was still so easy to provoke.

Kaleb spoke low, barely moving his lips. “Say the word.”

I demonstrated with a shake of my first finger, indicating it wasn’t time. Not yet.

The room breathed with unspoken tension, every man waiting for the very first move. We scanned ourselves, dangerous gazes fixated on one another as we expected who’d launch an attack first because surely, it didn’t look like a friendly visit anymore.

All these while, my eyes scanned the exits, every angles and weapons. There were two guards by the door. There was another near the stairs.

The boss pretended to be neutral. Rafe was glaring at me with so much confidence like he had a backup I couldn’t see. That was one sign. At least, now I knew it was a classic setup.

“You stole from my men just fo pull me here.” I said,

Rafe tilted his head. “I needed your attention. It worked. It always does.”

“You could’ve just called.”

His smile faded at once. “You stopped answering me years ago.”

A flicker of memory slid through my mind. It was filled with blood and betrayal. It was a night I had promised myself never to revisit. I shoved the thoughts down immediately.

“We’re not brothers anymore,” I said quietly.

The words hung in the air like bloodied ropes.

Kaleb stiffened beside me. He didn’t know Raff, not enough to know there had been a feud between us.

Rafe’s expression hardened. “That’s funny. We took an oath. We swore in as brothers but now, family problems have a way of dragging themselves back.”

The boss cleared his throat, clearly impatient. “Gentlemen. I’d prefer if we stayed focused. You both have interests here.”

I turned slowly toward him. “This doesn’t concern you anymore.” I said, “It stopped being your business when you invited him.”

“Oh, it is very much my business, young man.” he replied. “Your little war affects my business. So tonight, we will negotiate.”

I stepped forward, fists flexing. “I don’t negotiate with thieves.” I was so getting annoyed.

One of the guards moved.

Kaleb reacted instantly, slamming him into the wall before he could draw his weapon. The room exploded into quick motion. Chairs scraped against the floor, guns being cocked and bodies began to collide.

I grabbed the boss by the collar and dragged him halfway, slamming him against the desk.

“Call them off,” I growled in anger.

His eyes widened slightly, but he smiled anyway. Such a crazy bastard. “You’re proving exactly why this meeting was necessary.”

Rafe raised a hand. His move was simple. Everything stopped. It went still.

Even Kaleb paused, breathing hard as he waited.

Rafe looked straight at me. “You want to know why I brought you here?”

I didn’t answer. There was no need to.

His voice dropped low. “Because someone bigger is coming. Someone who wants both of us gone.”

I frowned, my brain sprinting aggressively in degrees. The boss’s confidence cracked for the first time.

I loosened my grip around him slightly. “Who?” I questioned.

Rafe’s smile returned. It was smaller, chilly and darker. I hated it when he did that, like he had the upper hand.

“That’s the problem,” he said. “They’re already inside your operation.”

Silence. My pulse slowed in coldness instead of it to react faster. A traitor, definitely.

Kaleb glanced at me, confusion flashing in his eyes. Either he was acting… or he really didn’t know.

I didn’t want to suspect him. I shouldn’t but everyone in my gang was a suspect. It meant someone ratted me out. They ratted that operation out.

It suddenly clicked.

Everything had been in play from the very beginning. They knew our operation, the one that led to Atom’s death. Jeremy went out for revenge and was almost killed by the same set of people. Fuck. The same people knew about our second operation and stole our gold.

Goddamnit. Why didn’t I think about it before? There was definitely a rat somewhere that knew every single information we had.

Fuck fuck fuck!

I released the boss and stepped back, every instinct in me screamed. The first enemy I should have tackled had been in my den all along.

The second thing? That person wasn’t alone. There were more. More that connected to Rafe coming back from the grave.

Shit. They had been watching me. They had been waiting. They lured me in slowly without me realizing it. A thirsty trap that I walked into with my two legs.

I gave Kaleb a signal, one we both shared, one we used in time of trouble. I pulled out my gun swiftly and fired at the boss. The bullet ran straight into the middle of his forehead and he dropped dead.

Bullets began to fly around. I couldn’t see Rafe anymore. I needed to get out of here fast. Guards poured into the room like flies. They were prepared for us while Kaleb and I weren’t.

Gods be damned. That rat in my gang better be on his heels right away because I’d be coming for him.