Alex's body pulsed with energy, and he clasped his hands tightly together.
Wolf began to feel uneasy. He wanted to reach for his gun, but when he tried, he found he couldn't feel his hand. His wrist felt ice cold, and a sharp pain rushed up his arm.
He staggered back three or four steps and looked down at his hand. It was tingling with pins and needles, and the pain was becoming excruciating. He clenched his teeth, trying to stop himself from screaming.
Alex watched him, his face cold and expressionless. Then he lifted his arm and gestured for Wolf to come closer.
Wolf staggered forward, and the other men gaped at him, unable to believe Alex had been able to force Wolf to bend to his will.
Wolf reluctantly held out his hand, and Alex leaned forward and read the name on his palm. "Maria Thornton."
Alex looked up at Wolf. "The name was a little smudged, so I needed a closer look. Now, go back and tell Maria not to mess with me again."
Wolf narrowed his eyes, and Alex punched him in the nose, sending him stumbling backward.
Wolf snorted, covered his nose, and moved further back.
He was humiliated and in pain, but he still cried out, "Who do you think you are to disrespect the Thornton family like this?"
"Me?" Alex asked calmly. "I'm just a doctor, but unlike you, I'm also a brave man."
"You son of a bitch, I don't care who you think you are," Wolf said, snarling at him. "I'll kill you for embarrassing me." Unable to hold back any longer, he turned to the other men and roared, "Go on, kill him for me!"
At his command, the men took out their weapons and rushed at Alex.
Alex held his hands together for a moment and then opened them, calling on his inner power.
He met the attack, and before long, Maria's men were all rolling around the floor, nursing an assortment of injuries. None of them could continue the fight.
Wolf lost his temper and went for his gun.
Alex struck quickly, and Wolf cried out, clutching at his clearly dislocated shoulder. He wanted to fight back, but the pain made him too afraid to move. He could only stare at Alex and shout, "Are you insane? I am Maria Thornton's man. Don't you know what you've started here?"
Alex leaned in closer to Wolf. "I don't care. You're not the first thug I've had to deal with, and I've tangled with the Thorntons before, but none of them have managed to defeat me."
Wolf ground his teeth and said, "You should kill me now, or you'll be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life."
Alex smirked as he insultingly patted Wolf's cheek. "Don't be silly. Now, call Maria and tell her that I want to speak to her. If she wants you and Micah back, then she can come and collect you."
He picked up a phone and threw it to Wolf before returning to his place on the sofa and picking up his bottle of beer.
Wolf wanted to be tough, but he knew he had no choice. He was too injured to fight, and he knew Alex could do much worse to him. He didn't dare disobey, so he called Maria.
The phone was connected quickly, and Maria's voice said, "Well, Wolf, why haven't you brought the woman back yet?"
"Things haven't gone exactly to plan here," he said carefully.
The other end of the phone was silent at first, and then she said, "I see."
Moments later, many men appeared outside the VIP room of Jack's Bar, fanning out and holding their positions, eyeing the wooden door.
The sound of high-heeled shoes echoed along the corridor.
Alex picked up Wolf's sunglasses and put them on, and then he watched as the door was eased open.
A waft of expensive perfume preceded Maria into the room, and she was closely followed by Gabriel. Maria strode confidently into the room, holding a glass of wine, and she was accompanied by many Ghosts and members of the Thornton family.
The new arrivals glanced first at the injured people lying on the ground, and then they looked at Wolf slumped on the floor, cradling his shoulder. Then they finally locked eyes with Alex, who was still sitting on the sofa, drinking casually.
When they saw the state Wolf was in, the members of the Thornton family were furious. They wanted to take out their weapons and deal with Alex, right there and then.
Maria signaled for them to stop, and then she moved forward and looked at Alex with a smile. "You got my message?" Her smile was charming, but everyone could feel the deadly intent below the surface.
"Yes," Alex replied, gesturing at Wolf. "He showed me his palm. I couldn't see it clearly, but he refused to come any closer." He shrugged. "He saw it my way, eventually."
Alex's arrogance infuriated the Thorntons. Wolf was Maria's right-hand man, and Alex should have treated him with respect.
Gabriel also looked at Alex, trying to read the expression in his eyes, but the latter was now wearing Wolf's sunglasses, so Gabriel couldn't see anything.
Maria's lip curled. "How interesting. And are you now going to fight me?" Her fierce reputation was important to her, so she wanted Alex to be afraid of her.
Alex shook his head. "No, I'm not. You aren't worth it."
Maria laughed. "Wow, I have never met such an arrogant man. You're fascinating! But you really should think clearly about whether you can afford the consequences of your actions." She paused for a moment before continuing. "You should know that I've had the whole bar cleared. I have more than one hundred people inside and outside, including many expert fighters."
She tilted her head and looked at Alex. "I really want to see how you're going to get out of this bar."
"I haven't given it any thought." Alex pushed the sunglasses onto the top of his head. "I'm sure I'll come up with something, though."
Maria kept her false smile in place while she looked down at Alex. "By the way, where is the woman? Call her out. Once I'm finished with you, Gabriel wants to play with her."
At the mention of Maryann, Gabriel's breathing quickened, and his eyes flicked round the room. Then he took out a small bottle and popped a pill into his mouth.
Alex looked at the bottle and narrowed his eyes.
"You won't let the woman go, will you?" Maria asked.
"Why don't you give Gabriel some toys to play with, rather than giving him a human being?" Alex asked.
"Well, all of this looks pretty ugly," Maryann said from the doorway. She walked into the room, followed by Melvin Strang and numerous bodyguards. One by one, they all turned to face Maria.
Gabriel's eyes brightened when he saw Maryann. "Baby, you're here—"
"Beast!" Maryann spat, punching him in the face before he had time to react.
He shook his head to shake away the pain, but he didn't fight back. Instead, he simply touched his cheek, and his smile grew broader.
"Maryann?" Maria asked, scowling at her.
"That's right," Maryann said. "I'm the woman Micah drugged so he could abduct me for Gabriel."
She walked slowly to the front of the room to stand beside Alex. Then she looked at Maria and said, "So, it seems the Thornton family has declared war on the Robinson family."