Matteo's office buzzed with activity as
his inner circle gathered around the
table. Brook, ever the loyal second in
command, leaned casually against the
wall, his eyes scanning the room,
stopping briefly on
Lucas known to them as Shadow. There
was tension in Brook's gaze, a silent resentment that Lucas had earned
Matteo's trust so quickly. Lucas, aware
of Brook's stare, remained calm, his
face expressionless as Matteo turned
toward
him, a grin spreading across the older
man's face.
Matteo grinning, leaning back in his
chair "You've come a long way, boy.
Keep this up, and you will be running
things before you know it."
Lucas smirks, but his eyes cold, forcing
a polite smile "I'm just here to do what
needs to be done."
Brook's expression darkened at
Matteo's words, a frown creasing his
brow as he crossed his arms. The
jealousy was obvious, but Lucas
remained unmoved. He had bigger
things on his mind than Brook's petty frustrations. Lucas knew every interaction, every compliment, was a test,
and Matteo was watching him closely.
Suddenly, the buzz of Matteo's phone interrupted the conversation. The old
man glanced at the screen, his eyes narrowing before he picked up the call.
His tone immediately shifted, becoming
cold and terse as he spoke in low, clipped sentences.
Mr. Matteo with a froun crossed his face, pacing around the room mumbling.
"I told you to handle it. No excuses. Clean
it up."
Matteo's hand clenched around the
phone as he ended the call abruptly. His
face had transformed, now twisted with
anger as he stood motionless for a
moment, filled with rage. He pacing
around, eyes flashing with fury as he
backed others.
Matteo uttered, his voice sharp
"Brook! Jim! Kally!"
He paused, his gaze locking onto Lucas.
For a second, doubt flickered across
Matteo's face. He had not fully decided if Shadow could be trusted with everything
yet. The meeting being a confined one, yet was going to be messy, and dangerous.
But Matteo had head Lucas's skills, and
he couldn't overlook his potential.
Matteo gritting his teeth, giving in to his
gut called out "Shadow, you too. We've
got a mess to clean up. Let's go visit an
old friend."
They left in a convoy, the tension thick between them as they drove to an abandoned lone garage outside of
town. The air was heavy with the stink
of gasoline and metal as they stepped
out of the car. Lucas followed closely, his
senses alerted as the sound of
machinery whirred faintly in the distance. Matteo stopped short, his hand raising to signal Lucas.
"Stay outside. This isn't your kind of fight. Yet." Matteo rudely uttered, With doubt
in his face.
Lucas didn't argue, silently nodding as
Mr. Matteo, Brook, Jim, and Kally made
their way inside with the othes. The
garage doors slammed shut behind them, leaving Lucas alone in the cool night air.
But something didn't sit right with him.
There was an uneasiness in the way the
men had entered, like they were walking
into a trap.
From outside, Lucas could hear raised
voices, escalating quickly into shouts and then the sound of violence fists hitting flesh, grunts of pain, the clatter of metal weapons. His instincts kicked in. Without hesitation, Lucas moved toward the door, his muscles tensing, ready to act.
Lucas muttering to himself as he pushes
open the door
"Let's see what we are dealing with."
Inside, chaos had erupted. Matteo and
his men were being overwhelmed by a rival gang, outnumbered and caught off guard. The scene was brutal. Jim already down, Brook struggling, and Matteo cornered, his face twisted in desperation. Without
waiting for orders, Lucas charged into the
brawl. One of the rival thugs swung a
crowbar at Lucas, but he moved with
lightning speed, ducking under the blow
and landing a powerful punch to the man's gut. He crumpled to the ground. Another attacker lunged at Lucas with a knife, but Lucas twisted, catching the man's wrist and snapping it with a sickening crack.
Matteo watching, with his eyes widening muttering to himself in disbelief
"What the hell..?"
Lucas moved like a predator very efficient, and deadly. Every move he made was
precise, as though he had done this a thousand times before. In a matter of
minutes, five men were down, groaning in
pain or unconscious on the floor. Matteo could only stare, his jaw clenched as fear gripped him. He had never seen anyone
fight like this, let alone someone he
thought of as just a new recruit.
Brook, bloodied but still standing,
stumbled back toward Matteo, his eyes darting between Lucas and the fallen men. There was fear there too, but also a growing anger, realizing that Lucas had just saved them all.
Brook spitting blood, glaring at Lucas
"You.. what the hell are you?"
Lucas ignored Brook's comment, turning his attention to Matteo, who was still frozen in fear, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
Lucas calmly, intoned
"Sorry Boss, for not waiting for your
orders. I thought you could need the help."
Matteo finally found his voice, though it
was strained with a mixture of awe and suspicion.
Matteo nodding slowly, his voice softer, unsure
"Yoo made the right choice."
Matteo's eyes were still fixed on Lucas,
now no longer just seeing him as a useful
tool, but as something more dangerous,
an asset that could be as valuable as it
was threatening. He swallowed hard, the
fear still lingering in the back of his mind.
Matteo forcing a grin, though his eyes remained wary
"Looks like you just earned yourself a new position, Shadow. From now on, you're my right hand. My personal bodyguard."
Lucas merely nodded, his expression unreadable, but inside, he knew this was exactly the opening he had been waiting
for.
Lucas with a faint smile smirked
"Happy to be of service Boss."