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BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 139: BLOOD AND PROMISE
The sky over the city was iron gray, the kind of color that warned of a storm long before the first drop fell. The wind had teeth that bit through coats and skin alike, and the streets were whispering with a nervous kind of energy...as if they knew something was coming. Something inevitable.Inside the old church turned safehouse in the East District, Carrick Gale stood at the pulpit, the stained glass shattered behind him, letting in slivers of light like fractured truth. Around him, his lieutenants gathered, each one worn, bloodied, but alive. Barely."We lost two more trucks last night," Victor said, his voice taut with fury. "Same pattern. Hit at the border, burned, and the survivors left with their tongues cut out."Carrick didn’t flinch. He simply nodded. "Alessia.""It’s not just her," Marco said, leaning against a pillar with a fresh bruise darkening his jaw. "She’s got new muscle. Lucien’s pulling ghosts out of the damn ground.""Salvi too," Enzo added. "Word is, he’s putting
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 140: PRESSURE POINTS
Rain tapped against the windows of Arturo Salvi's West District estate, a relentless drizzle that mirrored the tension simmering within its walls. The storm outside was nothing compared to the one brewing behind closed doors."Where is she?" Arturo demanded, pacing back and forth like a caged wolf. His cigarette trembled in his fingers, ash falling unnoticed onto the ornate carpet.Lucien stood calmly near the fireplace, arms crossed. "Alessia will be here soon. You know she moves at her own pace."Arturo turned sharply. "There is no time for pacing. Carrick's latest move burned half our shipment. He knew exactly where to hit. Someone's talking."The door creaked open, and Alessia entered, trench coat soaked, eyes hard. "I heard.""Then you know we're bleeding," Arturo snapped.Alessia tossed her coat onto a chair, her movements sharp. "Carrick is desperate. That makes him dangerous, but it also makes him predictable. He strikes where it hurts, hoping we'll fold."Lucien interjected,
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 141: THE HUNTER IN THE GARDEN
The sun was setting behind the skyline when Carrick Gale stepped into the conservatory of the old Cassaro estate...an overgrown garden trapped in glass and silence. The air was thick with the scent of jasmine and rot. Vines had climbed over stone statues and crumbling benches, but the path remained clear. It had once been a place of peace for the Cassaro family, before they were bled out by the De Lucas in a long-forgotten feud. Now it served Carrick as a meeting ground. Neutral. Isolated. Forgotten.Marco trailed behind him, eyes scanning the shifting shadows between the hedgerows."Why here?" he asked.Carrick didn’t stop walking. "Because it’s a graveyard with flowers. Suits the tone."They arrived at the broken fountain at the heart of the garden. The sound of trickling water had long ceased, but Carrick could still hear ghosts in the silence.Victor was already waiting. He stepped out from beneath the trellis, face unreadable."She sent a message," he said.Carrick raised an eyeb
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 142: SERPENTS IN SILK
The scent of danger was like perfume in the air...sweet, alluring, and sharp enough to slit a man’s throat.Carrick Gale stood in the center of an abandoned cathedral on the South Side, his coat dripping rain onto the cracked marble floor. The place had once echoed with hymns and confessions. Now it was silent but for the distant thunder and the click of heels.Alessia De Luca appeared from the shadows, flanked by Lucien and two of her trusted lieutenants. Her expression was unreadable, carved in ice."So this is where you want to die?" she asked coolly.Carrick tilted his head. "If I wanted to die, I wouldn’t have come armed."Victor stepped from the darkness behind Carrick, his gun already in hand. Marco wasn’t far behind, his face drawn, hollow-eyed, the weight of too many bodies pressing on his soul.Alessia stopped a few feet away. Lucien didn’t blink, but his fingers twitched slightly by his belt."I didn’t come to kill you today," she said. "Not yet."Carrick raised an eyebrow.
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 143: KNIVES BENEATH SMILES
The storm rolled in over the city as dusk fell, shrouding the skyline in grim clouds. Thunder grumbled low in the distance, a warning growl before the lightning’s inevitable strike.Inside the upper floors of the old Salvi manor, Arturo stood at the head of a long table. Around him were faces ... some familiar, some recently turned ... all carrying the same grim set to their jaws. They were the last of the De Luca loyalists, the bitter remnants of broken families, and the wolves who had long waited for Carrick Gale to falter.Alessia De Luca sat to Arturo’s right, her hands neatly folded, a mask of calm that barely concealed the rage boiling underneath."Carrick’s bleeding," Arturo said, voice low but carrying. "The shipment hit hurt him worse than he’s letting on. His allies are whispering. Some are jumping ship."A younger man, Gaetano, leaned forward, his knuckles white against the table. "Then we press now. While he's weak. Burn the rest of his operations to the ground!"Arturo sh
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 144: A SERPENT AMONG WOLVES
The city was breaking apart at its seams, a rotting corpse wearing a golden crown.Marco walked through the crumbling alleys of the south side, the rain soaking through his jacket. He didn’t care. The world could drown for all it mattered.Carrick was slipping. And Marco ... once Carrick's sword arm, once his shield ... felt it deep in his bones: the time to choose sides had come.He wasn’t sure if he could betray the man who had once saved him.But as the blood pooled deeper around Carrick's throne, loyalty began to feel more like a noose.A sharp whistle echoed down the alley.Marco turned instantly, hand going to the gun beneath his jacket.Out of the shadows stepped a man ... tall, wiry, with an unsettling stillness to him. His long black coat clung to him like a second skin. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but his eyes were dead."You must be Marco," the stranger said smoothly, voice like silk pulled across a blade."Depends who's asking," Marco replied, voice t
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 145: A KINGDOM OF ASH
The warehouse stank of oil, dust, and desperation.A single bare bulb swung from the ceiling, casting long, jittering shadows over the gathered men. Marco stood near the center, his fists shoved deep into the pockets of his coat, while Silas leaned casually against a rusted support beam, arms folded, eyes glittering like a serpent waiting for its moment to strike."So what’s the play?" Marco asked, his voice low.Silas smiled ... that same unsettling, knowing smile. "Simple. We bleed Carrick dry from the inside. Cut his supply lines. Peel away his allies one by one."Marco’s jaw tightened. "You make it sound easy."Silas shrugged lazily. "It's not easy. It's inevitable. Carrick's empire is rotting. All we have to do is give it a little... push.""Push too hard," Marco muttered, "and he'll lash out."Silas stepped closer, voice dropping. "That's the idea. Let him lash out. Let him make mistakes. Then we move in for the kill."Marco stared at him, heart pounding in his chest. The though
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 146: SMOKE BEFORE THE FIRE
The night air was thick with mist and the sour stench of gasoline.Carrick Gale stood atop the rooftop of an abandoned textile mill, his coat whipping in the wind, a cigarette burning low between his fingers.Below him, the city lights flickered like dying embers."You were right," muttered Donovan, stepping up beside him. His breath steamed in the cold. "Marco’s moving against you."Carrick didn’t flinch. He didn’t even look at him."I know."Donovan hesitated. "It’s not just Marco. Salvatore met with him tonight. They're rallying others. Quiet-like, but... it's happening."Carrick took a slow drag from his cigarette, the tip flaring."So the rats finally show their teeth," he said softly.Donovan shifted uneasily. "What do you want to do?"Carrick turned, finally facing him. His eyes were pale blue and cold as glacial ice."Set a meet," Carrick said. "Invite Marco. Make it seem like I want to talk peace."Donovan frowned. "You think he’ll buy it?"Carrick smiled ... a thin, dead thi
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CHAPTER 148: BLOOD IN THE SHADOWS
The first sign that something was wrong came with the silence.The war room was usually a hive ... phones ringing, men shouting, maps shifting. But tonight, there was nothing. Just an eerie, unnatural stillness.Marco paced the edge of the table, feeling the weight of it press down on his chest."Where’s Jax?" he snapped, glancing at Victor.Victor, frowning, checked his watch. "He should’ve reported in an hour ago."Silas lit a cigarette with trembling fingers. "Maybe he ran into heat. Cops, Carrick’s leftovers..."Marco shook his head. "Jax doesn’t miss check-ins. Not unless he’s dead."The word hung heavy in the air.A phone rang ... sharp and shrill.Everyone jolted.Victor grabbed it."Yeah?" His face paled almost instantly. "Boss... you need to hear this."Marco snatched the phone from him."Marco," a voice rasped. Jax’s voice ... barely recognizable, slurred and broken."It’s... a trap... he knew... he knew we were coming..."Gunshots crackled in the background. Screaming. Then
CHAPTER 147: FIRST STRIKE
Marco didn’t sleep that night.He sat in the war room ... a makeshift headquarters carved out of an abandoned speakeasy beneath the old theatre ... staring at the maps spread across the table. Each red pin marked a loyalty, each black pin a threat. And there were more black pins now than ever before.Victor entered, a mug of coffee in one hand, a pistol tucked into the back of his belt."You should rest," Victor said, setting the coffee down. "You look like hell."Marco didn’t move. "Carrick didn’t threaten me," he said, voice low. "He challenged me."Victor pulled a chair around and dropped into it, studying Marco."There's a difference?""Yeah," Marco said grimly. "One's a warning. The other’s a death sentence."Victor nodded slowly. "So what’s the play?"Marco leaned back, eyes burning. "We strike first."Victor's eyebrows lifted. "Now you’re speaking my language."But Marco wasn’t smiling."No messy fireworks. No grandstanding," he said. "We cut out Carrick’s heart while it’s stil
CHAPTER 146: SMOKE BEFORE THE FIRE
The night air was thick with mist and the sour stench of gasoline.Carrick Gale stood atop the rooftop of an abandoned textile mill, his coat whipping in the wind, a cigarette burning low between his fingers.Below him, the city lights flickered like dying embers."You were right," muttered Donovan, stepping up beside him. His breath steamed in the cold. "Marco’s moving against you."Carrick didn’t flinch. He didn’t even look at him."I know."Donovan hesitated. "It’s not just Marco. Salvatore met with him tonight. They're rallying others. Quiet-like, but... it's happening."Carrick took a slow drag from his cigarette, the tip flaring."So the rats finally show their teeth," he said softly.Donovan shifted uneasily. "What do you want to do?"Carrick turned, finally facing him. His eyes were pale blue and cold as glacial ice."Set a meet," Carrick said. "Invite Marco. Make it seem like I want to talk peace."Donovan frowned. "You think he’ll buy it?"Carrick smiled ... a thin, dead thi
CHAPTER 145: A KINGDOM OF ASH
The warehouse stank of oil, dust, and desperation.A single bare bulb swung from the ceiling, casting long, jittering shadows over the gathered men. Marco stood near the center, his fists shoved deep into the pockets of his coat, while Silas leaned casually against a rusted support beam, arms folded, eyes glittering like a serpent waiting for its moment to strike."So what’s the play?" Marco asked, his voice low.Silas smiled ... that same unsettling, knowing smile. "Simple. We bleed Carrick dry from the inside. Cut his supply lines. Peel away his allies one by one."Marco’s jaw tightened. "You make it sound easy."Silas shrugged lazily. "It's not easy. It's inevitable. Carrick's empire is rotting. All we have to do is give it a little... push.""Push too hard," Marco muttered, "and he'll lash out."Silas stepped closer, voice dropping. "That's the idea. Let him lash out. Let him make mistakes. Then we move in for the kill."Marco stared at him, heart pounding in his chest. The though
CHAPTER 144: A SERPENT AMONG WOLVES
The city was breaking apart at its seams, a rotting corpse wearing a golden crown.Marco walked through the crumbling alleys of the south side, the rain soaking through his jacket. He didn’t care. The world could drown for all it mattered.Carrick was slipping. And Marco ... once Carrick's sword arm, once his shield ... felt it deep in his bones: the time to choose sides had come.He wasn’t sure if he could betray the man who had once saved him.But as the blood pooled deeper around Carrick's throne, loyalty began to feel more like a noose.A sharp whistle echoed down the alley.Marco turned instantly, hand going to the gun beneath his jacket.Out of the shadows stepped a man ... tall, wiry, with an unsettling stillness to him. His long black coat clung to him like a second skin. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but his eyes were dead."You must be Marco," the stranger said smoothly, voice like silk pulled across a blade."Depends who's asking," Marco replied, voice t
CHAPTER 143: KNIVES BENEATH SMILES
The storm rolled in over the city as dusk fell, shrouding the skyline in grim clouds. Thunder grumbled low in the distance, a warning growl before the lightning’s inevitable strike.Inside the upper floors of the old Salvi manor, Arturo stood at the head of a long table. Around him were faces ... some familiar, some recently turned ... all carrying the same grim set to their jaws. They were the last of the De Luca loyalists, the bitter remnants of broken families, and the wolves who had long waited for Carrick Gale to falter.Alessia De Luca sat to Arturo’s right, her hands neatly folded, a mask of calm that barely concealed the rage boiling underneath."Carrick’s bleeding," Arturo said, voice low but carrying. "The shipment hit hurt him worse than he’s letting on. His allies are whispering. Some are jumping ship."A younger man, Gaetano, leaned forward, his knuckles white against the table. "Then we press now. While he's weak. Burn the rest of his operations to the ground!"Arturo sh
CHAPTER 142: SERPENTS IN SILK
The scent of danger was like perfume in the air...sweet, alluring, and sharp enough to slit a man’s throat.Carrick Gale stood in the center of an abandoned cathedral on the South Side, his coat dripping rain onto the cracked marble floor. The place had once echoed with hymns and confessions. Now it was silent but for the distant thunder and the click of heels.Alessia De Luca appeared from the shadows, flanked by Lucien and two of her trusted lieutenants. Her expression was unreadable, carved in ice."So this is where you want to die?" she asked coolly.Carrick tilted his head. "If I wanted to die, I wouldn’t have come armed."Victor stepped from the darkness behind Carrick, his gun already in hand. Marco wasn’t far behind, his face drawn, hollow-eyed, the weight of too many bodies pressing on his soul.Alessia stopped a few feet away. Lucien didn’t blink, but his fingers twitched slightly by his belt."I didn’t come to kill you today," she said. "Not yet."Carrick raised an eyebrow.
CHAPTER 141: THE HUNTER IN THE GARDEN
The sun was setting behind the skyline when Carrick Gale stepped into the conservatory of the old Cassaro estate...an overgrown garden trapped in glass and silence. The air was thick with the scent of jasmine and rot. Vines had climbed over stone statues and crumbling benches, but the path remained clear. It had once been a place of peace for the Cassaro family, before they were bled out by the De Lucas in a long-forgotten feud. Now it served Carrick as a meeting ground. Neutral. Isolated. Forgotten.Marco trailed behind him, eyes scanning the shifting shadows between the hedgerows."Why here?" he asked.Carrick didn’t stop walking. "Because it’s a graveyard with flowers. Suits the tone."They arrived at the broken fountain at the heart of the garden. The sound of trickling water had long ceased, but Carrick could still hear ghosts in the silence.Victor was already waiting. He stepped out from beneath the trellis, face unreadable."She sent a message," he said.Carrick raised an eyeb
CHAPTER 140: PRESSURE POINTS
Rain tapped against the windows of Arturo Salvi's West District estate, a relentless drizzle that mirrored the tension simmering within its walls. The storm outside was nothing compared to the one brewing behind closed doors."Where is she?" Arturo demanded, pacing back and forth like a caged wolf. His cigarette trembled in his fingers, ash falling unnoticed onto the ornate carpet.Lucien stood calmly near the fireplace, arms crossed. "Alessia will be here soon. You know she moves at her own pace."Arturo turned sharply. "There is no time for pacing. Carrick's latest move burned half our shipment. He knew exactly where to hit. Someone's talking."The door creaked open, and Alessia entered, trench coat soaked, eyes hard. "I heard.""Then you know we're bleeding," Arturo snapped.Alessia tossed her coat onto a chair, her movements sharp. "Carrick is desperate. That makes him dangerous, but it also makes him predictable. He strikes where it hurts, hoping we'll fold."Lucien interjected,
