"But I'm not going to kill you right now," Micah said. "I need to deliver your friend to Gabriel, so I'll deal with you some other time."
He turned away and bent to lift Maryann from the ground.
Alex dashed forward, lifted his leg, and kicked Micah right in the backside, propelling him forward to land on his face.
Micah hadn't seen it coming, so he had been unable to defend himself. His nose gave a sickening crunch as it hit the ground, and he was a little dazed for a moment before he managed to sit up and glare at Alex.
"I've changed my mind," Micah said, his tone hard. "Now, I am going to kill you."
Before he could get to his feet, Alex stepped forward and punched him, knocking him out cold.
"Who are those men?" Alex demanded, looking at Declan, who was still lying next to the wall. "Who do they work for? You have only one chance to tell me."
When Declan didn't answer, Alex deliberately stepped on his fingers.
"Answer me," Alex demanded. "Or I'll press harder and see how many fingers I can break." He increased the pressure slightly, demonstrating his point.
Declan gulped, realizing Alex meant it. "You're finished," he said, breathing hard. "Our boss has connections with the Ghosts."
"I'm finished?" Alex repeated. "Tell your boss I'll be waiting in the VIP room of Jack's Bar. If he wants to take a shot at me, then that's where he'll find me."
He picked up Maryann and carried her back inside the bar to the VIP room, stopping along the way to grab Micah's shirt and drag his unconscious body behind him. He explained to the others about what had happened and asked them all to leave, telling Kendall to make sure Debbie got home safely.
Although he had considered leaving with Maryann, he had decided to stay and meet this mysterious Ghost.
Debbie refused to leave. She was worried about him, despite knowing how skilled he was at martial arts, but Alex insisted, so she was forced to give in.
Kendall also demanded to stay. As a former assassin, she wanted to remain to help Alex, but he knew it was a bad idea. Kendall had no idea Alex was expecting one of the Ghosts to show up, and Alex wasn't sure how she might react when she found out. After all, she had once been a Ghost until Alex had ended her career.
Alex didn't bother to explain. He simply got Kendall to tie up Micah before she left, and then he turned to help Maryann.
He realized she hadn't had much to drink, and her current condition was due to having been drugged.
Working quickly, he used his acupuncture needles combined with his inner power, and before long, Maryann gradually improved. Her complexion looked healthier, and she started to come around.
He poured water into a cup and held it to her lips, encouraging her to drink.
She coughed a little, and her eyes fluttered open. Still not fully awake, she realized a man was looming over, and she began to struggle.
"Who are you?" she cried. "Get away from me! Don't touch me!" She pushed Alex away and lunged for the knife sitting on the table next to her.
Alex gently grabbed her hand and said, "It's okay. It's Alex. I'm not going to hurt you."
"Alex? Is it really you?" she asked, blinking up at him as her mind grew clearer. "It is you!"
Maryann launched herself at him, laughing and crying as she hugged him. "Alex, when did you get here? Did you save me?"
She frowned as she tried to remember what had happened, but due to the drugs in her system, everything was hazy, and it was difficult to make sense of anything.
"I was out with friends when I saw you," Alex said, smiling at her. "I could tell something wasn't right, so I got you away from those men and brought you here."
He tilted his head as he looked at her. "What happened? How did you come to be with those men?"
He knew Maryann wasn't normally the type to be careless, so it would have been difficult for anyone to drug her.
"I used the formula you gave me to brew the first batch of Idun's Apple," she explained. "Everyone who tasted it really enjoyed it, so I contacted Holly Lambert. When she tried it, she offered us a contract worth a lot of money. She sent someone over with the contract and a large deposit. Alex, it's enough money to solve the company's cash flow problem and get us out of trouble."
Alex smiled and gestured for her to continue.
"I was so happy, so I sent my bodyguard home early and came to the bar," she said. "I wanted to celebrate with my friends, but before they arrived, a man came over to speak to me."
She frowned. "He wanted me to go with him, but I said no. He left, and I thought that was the end of it. But a short time later, Micah showed up with those other men and insisted I accompany them to see Gabriel. I told him to leave me alone, and I asked the security guards to get rid of them, but Declan sent the guards away. By then, I was getting uncomfortable, so I decided to just go home. But when I stood up, I felt really dizzy, and it was like I had no control over my own body. I think Micah must have slipped something into my drink when I was talking to the security guard."
She picked up the glass of water and sipped at it. "And then, they were leading me out of here, and I was too weak to stop them. I couldn't even summon the energy to speak." Her eyes sparkled with anger, and she clenched her fists, almost as if she were imagining strangling Micah. If it hadn't been for Alex stumbling across her, she would be in a lot of trouble.
"They won't get away with this," Alex said, narrowing his eyes. "Declan wasn't one of them, but he seemed to be helping them. Do you have any idea why?"
"Not really," Maryann said, sighing. "This is a high-class bar, which is why it has such tough security, but somehow, Declan had the power to send them all away."
"Who does he work for?" Alex asked, drumming his fingers on the table.
"The Thornton family," Maryann said thoughtfully. "I don't think it's Ferdinand, but it could be some of his subordinates." She lifted her head and glared at Alex. "I want justice for what they did."
Alex smiled and pointed to where Micah lay in the corner. "He'll be in a lot of pain when he wakes up," he said. "I also intend to deal with the rest of them, so I told them exactly where to find me."
The damned Thornton family again, Alex thought. It's time I dealt with them once and for all.
"I give them about five minutes before Micah's companions rush in here," Alex said. "If you want to leave, you should go now."
He picked up a bottle of beer, opened it, and took a mouthful as he waited for Maryann's answer.
"If you're not going, then neither am I," she said firmly, crossing her arms. "I'm not afraid of them."
Although she didn't like causing trouble, she was prepared to do so when necessary. She took out her phone and sent a text message.
"Don't worry," Alex said. "You'll be okay with me."
**
Declan and the others returned to report on the situation.
Declan moved slowly and stiffly as he walked past everyone to stand in front of a sofa, where a couple were sitting, watching him.
The young man looked quite ordinary, but there was a fierce glint in his eyes, which hinted at trouble.
The woman sitting beside him was beautiful. She ignored Declan as she raised her wine glass to her lips.