Page 70 of Thunder

"Enough of your games," Marcus snarls, his green eyes blazing with fury. "You're going to spill everything, Brian. Now, who the hell sent you?"

He throws several punches to Brian's chest and stomach—blows that make me wince but are clearly meant to soften him up for interrogation.

Brian gasps, blood spattering his lips.

"It's not as simple as just giving a name," he manages, coughing. "These people... they're like ghosts. Murderous, ruthless ghosts. They'll get you when you least expect it and kill everyone you love."

"You’re not answering my question. Tell me: who sent you?"

"Does it matter? You're dead anyway, you just don’t know it.”

Then he laughs, rolling his head from shoulder to shoulder, blood dripping freely from the wounds to his face.

"Stop fucking around and tell us!" I shout, surprising even myself with my newfound courage. In a fit of rage, I come forward and hit Brian. Once, twice, each blow impacting with his face. When I stop, he stares at me, shaken. "Tell us who's behind all of this!"

For a moment, Brian hesitates.

And then, slowly, he smiles; a chilling, sinister smile that sends shivers down my spine.

"You want to know?" he taunts. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

I force my voice to stay steady. "Don't underestimate us. We can be pretty dangerous, too."

Brian smirks, blood still staining his teeth. "Oh, I don't doubt it, especially considering my current situation. But you don't understand the scope of the project, Lia. Which doesn't surprise me, you're so young. Still naïve. The Santoro Crime Syndicate is behind the resort. The entire project is a labyrinth of illegal operations, money laundering being one of them. Whatever it costs them to wipe you out and continue the project, it'll be more than worth the price. You two have no idea the hell you've unleashed on yourselves and everyone you love."

Marcus narrows his eyes, muscles rippling beneath tattoos that tell stories of survival and tenacity. “What are they planning? What else do you know?”

At that moment, I notice Brian's demeanor shift; his shoulders relax, his mouth twitches into a half-smile. There’s a slow exhale and all the weight—all the fear that Marcus had beaten into him—disappears. It's as if he's settling in to watch a movie, suddenly unconcerned with the impending consequences.

"Something amusing you, pal?" Marcus growls, catching the change in attitude.

Brian chuckles darkly, a chilling sound that crawls up my spine.

"You could say that. You two think you've cornered me, but you're just a couple of fish swimming with sharks."

"Is that a threat?" I snap, furious.

"More like a warning," Brian says, his grin widening. "You’re both running out of time."

"Enough with the cryptic bullshit," Marcus roars, his voice echoing through the room like thunder. Before I can blink, he lunges at Brian, his fist connecting with Brian's jaw in a sickening crunch. The force of the blow sends Brian's head snapping back, a thin trail of blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Marcus demands, breathing heavily, his green eyes blazing with barely restrained fury. “Speak in fucking English, or I swear to god, I’ll rip your tongue out.”

Brian spits out a mouthful of blood, then leans forward, his eyes locked on mine. The intensity of his gaze twists my stomach into knots.

"See, the bosses knew I was coming here. Antonio and the crew, they're meticulous, always have backup plans. I was supposed to update them after Lia was... disposed of." His pause is deliberate, malicious even. "No update from me means they're on their way. How long do you think you have?"

My heart feels like it's made of lead, sinking deep into my chest.

Panic threatens to overtake me, but I grip onto all the love and courage I feel from simply being around Marcus, refusing to give in. Marcus senses my distress, and his hand reaches for mine, squeezing tightly. The touch grounds me, giving me strength.

"Let them come," Marcus snarls, pure venom in his voice. "We'll be waiting."

"Is that so?" Brian smirks, unfazed by Marcus' threat. "You think you can take on an entire crime syndicate? Like I said, you're just fish swimming with sharks. Listen. Do you hear that?"

Marcus and I both go silent, ears straining.

I hear it.

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