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BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 93: A MOTHER'S GAMBLE
The tension in the room was suffocating. Carrick’s words had settled like a death sentence over his men.“We go to war.”Victor LaGraine leaned back against the table, his arms crossed, his sharp eyes assessing Carrick. “War isn’t cheap. We hit Zachary hard at the casino, but he still has resources. If we go head-to-head now, we’re taking a big risk.”Elias nodded. “Victor’s right. If we make the wrong move, we lose everything.”Carrick’s jaw clenched. He already knew that. But this wasn’t just about strategy. This was personal.Darius Kane stepped forward. His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. “If Zachary plans to use your mother as leverage, he won’t kill her immediately. He’ll use her to lure you out.”Carrick’s fists tightened. His mother had suffered enough under the Gale name. He wouldn’t let Zachary hurt her again.“So, what’s the plan?” Elias asked.Carrick exhaled slowly. “We get to her before he does.”Victor frowned. “And how exactly do we do that? The Gale estat
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 94: A WAR IGNITED
The black SUV sped down the highway, its tires cutting through the night as Carrick sat in the backseat, his mother’s hand gripped tightly in his. His heart was still hammering in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins from the firefight they had barely escaped. His mother, pale but composed, turned to him. “Carrick, you shouldn’t have come for me.” Carrick’s eyes flashed with anger. “How could I not? Zachary was using you to get to me.” She shook her head. “And now he will be furious. You’ve just declared war.” Victor, who sat in the front passenger seat, let out a dry chuckle. “War was inevitable. We just fired the first real shot.” Darius, behind the wheel, glanced in the rearview mirror. “No tails so far, but we should still move fast. Zachary won’t let this slide.” Carrick turned back to his mother. “Are you hurt?” She shook her head. “No, but... I saw Marco before we left.” Her voice trembled slightly. “Carrick, he won’t stop. He will come after you. He ha
BANG BANG BANG Chapter 95. Striking First
The dim light of the safe house cast elongated shadows across the room, adding to the weight of the tense silence. Carrick paced back and forth, his hands clasped behind his back, his mind racing through the next steps. Every second they wasted was another opportunity for Zachary to strike first. He refused to let that happen. His mother was resting in the adjacent room, exhaustion clear on her face. She had endured enough suffering at the hands of the Gale family. Carrick had sworn to end that. Victor leaned against the table, arms crossed, watching Carrick. “We need to move fast. That attack wasn’t just a warning...it was a declaration of war.” Darius, seated in the corner, methodically checked his gun, his movements smooth, almost mechanical. “We should have seen this coming. Zachary doesn’t sit back and lick his wounds. He strikes back...hard.” Carrick stopped pacing and turned to Elias, who was glued to his laptop. “What’s the status of the bank accounts?” Elias didn’t look
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 96: NO WAY OUT
The night was silent, but Carrick knew it wouldn’t last.The storm was coming.Zachary had made his move, attacking their businesses and setting up an ambush. Now, it was Carrick’s turn to respond.But this time, he wasn’t just going to fight.He was going to cripple Zachary Gale.Carrick leaned against the desk, his fingers drumming against the wood as he studied the information Elias had pulled from Zachary’s private ledger. The room was dimly lit, and the tension in the air was thick.Victor, standing with his arms crossed, broke the silence first.“So, let me get this straight...Zachary’s been stealing from his own people?”Elias nodded, his expression smug. “Yep. Skimming profits from his allies, running deals under the table, and...oh, this is the best part...he’s been making side agreements with rival families.”Darius let out a low whistle. “That’s suicide.”Carrick smirked. “It is. Once his allies find out, they’ll tear him apart.”Victor leaned forward. “How do we make sure
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 97: A THRONE WITHOUT CHAINS
The night was long, but the war was over.Carrick Gale stood at the window of his penthouse, staring at the city that now belonged to him. The Gale Family was finished. His father, Zachary, had been exposed, abandoned, and stripped of power.But victory didn’t feel the way he expected.The weight of his actions settled in his chest. He had fought, plotted, and won, but there was no celebration, no moment of relief. Because now, the real work began.Behind him, Victor Alistair poured himself a drink. “You’re too quiet,” he said. “I figured you’d be enjoying this.”Carrick turned slightly, his face unreadable. “What’s there to enjoy?”Victor raised an eyebrow. “You crushed Zachary. His allies turned against him. His own men left him to rot. His empire is in flames. That’s exactly what you wanted.”Carrick exhaled. “And yet, he’s still breathing.”Victor chuckled. “Barely. Word is, he’s been trying to cut deals with anyone who’ll listen, but no one trusts him anymore. He’s got nothing le
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 98. LINGERING SHADOW
The weight of the city pressed down on Carrick’s shoulders. The war had been won, but there was no peace...not yet.From his penthouse office, he watched the skyline, the lights of New Manhattan twinkling like stars. This was his city now. His empire. And yet, his enemy still lived.Zachary Gale had not disappeared. He had not begged for mercy.And that made him a problem.The soft hum of the city below was a deceptive lullaby, masking the storm brewing in the underworld. Carrick exhaled sharply, his fingers tapping rhythmically against his desk. He had stripped Zachary of his wealth, his power, and his men. But the man was still standing, still plotting. That was a mistake Carrick intended to correct.The door to his office creaked open.Elias stepped inside, his usual cocky smirk absent. “We have a situation.”Carrick turned, his sharp gaze locking onto him. “Go on.”Elias placed a file on the desk and flipped it open. “Zachary’s been making moves. He’s been seen meeting with former
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 99. UNDESERVING OF FORGIVENESS
Carrick sat motionless, his fingers drumming lightly on the wooden surface of his desk. His piercing gaze remained fixed on Marco, who stood before him with an uncharacteristic tension in his shoulders.“So, let me get this straight,” Carrick said, his voice slow, deliberate. “You came all the way here… to warn me about our father?”Marco exhaled, his lips pressing into a thin line. “Yes.”Carrick leaned back in his chair, studying his brother with cold amusement. “That’s interesting. Because the last time we spoke, you were quite happy to watch me die.”A flicker of guilt crossed Marco’s face. “I didn’t come here to argue, Carrick.”Victor, standing near the door with his arms crossed, scoffed. “Then what exactly do you want? Forgiveness? A fresh start?”Marco’s gaze darted to Victor before settling back on Carrick. “I don’t expect either of those things.”Carrick exhaled, shaking his head. “Then why the hell should I believe a word you say?”Marco took a step forward, his fists clen
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 100: THE CLAIMS
The night air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood. The docks, once a battleground of betrayal, had fallen into silence. The echoes of gunfire had faded, replaced by the occasional groan of the wounded and the distant wail of police sirens.Carrick stood over his father’s lifeless body, his gun still warm in his grip. For a moment, he felt nothing. No satisfaction, no sorrow...just a hollow stillness.Marco stared at Zachary’s corpse, his expression unreadable. He had always been his father’s favored son, yet he didn’t speak. Perhaps he finally realized that Zachary had never truly loved either of them...only power.Darius stepped forward, nudging Zachary’s body with his boot. “Well, that’s that. Should we celebrate? Or are we mourning?”Carrick exhaled slowly, holstering his gun. “Neither. We’re not done.”Victor wiped blood from his sleeve. “You mean taking over the Gale Empire?”Carrick turned to him, his gaze sharp. “That’s exactly what I mean.”Elias chuckled, crossing
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CHAPTER 149: SMOKE AND MIRRORS
The smoke hadn’t even cleared from the ambush site when Marco slammed his fist onto the table back at the safehouse."Goddamn it!" he roared, sending a stack of blueprints flying.Victor stood nearby, a fresh gash bleeding across his brow, jaw set tight with anger.Silas limped in, clutching his side. "It was a setup," he rasped. "He knew every move we made."Marco’s face was carved from stone."He’s inside our circle," he said. "Somebody’s talking."Victor cursed low. "I’ll start running checks. Every man, every comm line.""No," Marco said, voice colder than steel. "I'll do it myself."He turned to Silas."Get patched up. You're no good to me bleeding out."Silas opened his mouth, thought better of it, and nodded, leaving the room.Only Victor stayed."You really think one of ours flipped?"Marco didn't answer right away. He poured himself a glass of whiskey, hands steady even though his gut boiled."Not just flipped," he said finally. "They sold their soul."Victor’s mouth tightene
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
