Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 209: Even at the cost of his life

Chapter 209: Even at the cost of his life

The weight of the situation loomed heavily over Nathaniel Horace. He had made his decisions, each one calculated, but the unease in his chest never dissipated. The black ledger had been sent to the trusted prosecutor, Maxwell Moore, while Athan was tasked with delivering the fake ledger to Rage Del Valle.

Nathaniel displayed a grim expression. His son-in-law’s life is at stake no matter which of the two went to whoever. But having him deliver the fake to Rage still results in a graver one. That is, if Rage found out.

The real fight was yet to begin. Nathaniel knew it. Everyone did.

On the night of the handoff, Athan stood in front of the meeting place, his face impassive but his heart pounding. Sandro, Luis, and Kayla’s security team were with him, each alert and prepared for anything, but the tension never left their system.

"Everything’s set," Sandro whispered to Athan, casting a sideways glance at Montgomery’s back-ups, who remained silent, staring at the safehouse ahead. It was a secluded area, the perfect place for an ambush, but they had no choice.

This was the plan, and Rage wasn’t a man to negotiate outside of his terms.

Athan nodded, his jaw clenched. "This better work. If Rage realizes we’ve sent a decoy, all hell is going to break loose. Before he knows it, we need to get Azrael out of here."

Luis, hearing them, turned slightly, his voice low but filled with determination. "It’ll work. We have no other option. It must work."

Sandro mumbled, "Let’s pray he won’t check the content."

They entered the safehouse cautiously, surprised at the state of it. The façade looked attractive, yet the inside was no different to a warehouse.

The air was thick with the smell of rust and thick dust; the furniture was old and dusty, and the floor had cracks, ashes and cigarettes were scattered. The eerie silence that greeted them set everyone on edge.

Athan carried the black ledger tightly under his arm, his mind focused on the next steps. Rage’s men would be here soon, and everything could go wrong in an instant.

Kayla’s security team spread out, taking positions along the edges of the safe house, inside and outside, keeping watch for any unexpected movement. Luis and Sandro stayed close to Athan, the tension in their faces matching his own.

No one spoke. They all knew what was at stake.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the empty space. A group of men, led by Rage himself, entered from the opposite side. Rage’s presence was commanding as always, his eyes dark with suspicion and fury. He was flanked by a dozen of his armed guards, their faces emotionless and eyes cold.

"Athan Horace," Rage said, his voice as cold as the air around them, "I didn’t expect it would be you. I guess your father doesn’t care about you that much, huh. I trust you’ve brought what I asked for?"

Athan held up the black ledger, his face unreadable. "This is what you wanted," he said, his tone measured. "The ledger. Now let Azrael go."

Rage’s lips curved into a twisted smile, as his eyes sparkled with devious glint. He stepped forward as his gaze remained straight on Athan. "Oh, don’t be impatient. I don’t go back on my words. Give the ledger to me and let me check it."

Rage gestured to his men, and from the back of the group, Azrael was dragged forward. He looked beaten and weak, his face bruised, his clothes torn and bloodied. It was clear that his injuries from the accident hadn’t been treated at all.

"You... didn’t even treat him?" Luis asked, incredulous, his voice tinged with anger and deep concern.

Rage glanced at Luis with mild disinterest, as if the question bored him. "Azrael is tough. He was trained for this kind of thing. A little blood and a few injuries won’t kill him."

Athan’s face darkened. The indifference in Rage’s voice, the way he casually dismissed Azrael’s suffering, lit a fire of anger within him. For a moment, he was disgusted that he ever thought Azrael shared anything in common with this man. Azrael, despite all his demons, was nothing like Rage.

Roy, Azrael’s loyal bodyguard, wasn’t far behind, his face etched with guilt. He had been blaming himself for letting Azrael go alone, staying back with Sandro to watch over Diego and Lyssana. If only he had insisted on accompanying him... this wouldn’t have happened. Roy had been too confident, too sure of Azrael’s ability to handle any situation, unaware of the toll recent events had taken on his master’s state of mind.

Azrael’s legs were unsteady as Rage’s men shoved him forward, but he kept his chin up, defiance shining through the exhaustion in his eyes. His gaze locked onto Athan’s. Despite the pain, there was still strength there, a determination not to break. Rage noticed it too, and his smile twisted into something far more dangerous.

"You chose the wrong side, so you should know that this won’t end well for you," Rage muttered, his voice barely more than a whisper as he moved closer to Azrael. "I’m sure you understand how far I’m willing to go."

Azrael, barely able to stand, still managed to speak, his voice dripping with disdain and bitterness. "You should’ve shattered my face instead of my bones. I don’t think I’ll be able to look in the mirror anymore with this face so f*cking similar to yours. Makes me want to puke already."

Rage’s expression flickered with fury, but he quickly concealed it. He didn’t respond, simply turning toward Athan with a cold gaze.

Athan’s fists clenched. Every second Azrael spent in Rage’s hands felt like an eternity. His patience was wearing thin.

"Enough wasting time," Athan said, his voice cutting through the tension. "You’ve got what you wanted. Now let him go."

Rage’s lips curled into a mocking grin. "Of course." He gestured toward the fake ledger, the one Athan had brought as part of the deal. "First, let me check the book."

A minion took the ledger from Athan and brought it to Rage.

As Rage opened the ledger, Roy seized his moment.

The bodyguard was faster. Without hesitation, he darted toward Azrael, grabbing him and pulling him toward the cover of one of the crates nearby. "Get down!" he shouted at the rest of Athan’s men, as Rage’s henchmen aimed.

The crack of gunfire exploded through the warehouse as both sides opened fire. Bullets ricocheted off the concrete, sparks flying, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder. Athan’s men ducked behind cover, firing back with precision and force.

Roy shielded Azrael with his body, his own gun drawn as he returned fire. "Stay with me, sir!" he shouted, his voice tense with the weight of his responsibility. Azrael, despite his injuries, tried to pull himself together, but his strength was fading fast.

It was as though he finally let himself be weak after securing his safety, after getting away from his evil father.

In the chaos, Luis and Sandro stayed close to Athan, their faces grim as they returned fire, trying to hold off Rage’s men. "We need to get out of here!" Luis yelled over the noise. "We’re sitting ducks if we stay!"

Athan nodded, his mind racing. They were outnumbered, but the Montgomery’s men were better trained. Still, they needed to make their move before Rage decided to throw everything he had at them.

Rage, meanwhile, was livid. He stood behind his men, his face a mask of fury as he barked orders. "Kill them all! I want every single one of them dead!" There was no need to keep them alive. He will make sure Nathaniel Horace will regret playing with him.

His men surged forward, their gunfire relentless, but Athan’s team was quick to adapt. They maneuvered through the chaos, picking off Rage’s henchmen with precision shots, their training giving them an edge even in the thick of battle.

Roy gritted his teeth as he shielded Azrael from the onslaught, taking a bullet in his shoulder but refusing to fall. His only focus was keeping Azrael alive. "Sir, you have to run, can you? You need to," he urged, dragging Azrael toward the exit.

Athan, still under heavy fire, spotted Roy and Azrael struggling to make their way out. They needed to break free of this nightmare before more lives were lost.

"Cover them!" Athan shouted to his men, nodding toward Roy and Azrael.

Luis and Sandro responded immediately, laying down suppressive fire to keep Rage’s men at bay as Roy continued to pull Azrael to safety. The air was thick with the sounds of gunfire and the groans of the wounded, the safe house echoing with chaos.

Rage, seeing his forces falter while hiding behind a secure spot protected by his men, screamed in frustration. "Useless! All of you, useless!" His hand clenched into a fist as he glared at Athan. He could feel control slipping away, and that only fueled his rage.

Finally, Roy managed to get Azrael barely outside, just as Athan’s men began to overpower Rage’s. One by one, Rage’s henchmen fell, unable to withstand the coordinated assault from Athan’s team.

"We’re almost out!" Luis shouted, his face slick with sweat as he fired off another round, dropping one of Rage’s gunmen. He could never believe that he’d pick up the gun and be involved in his boss’ dangerous dealings instead of stacking documents in his office.

Athan glanced back at Rage, who was still standing in the middle, his eyes wide with disbelief. His plan had unraveled, and now he was cornered, his fury boiling over. "This isn’t over!" Rage bellowed.

At that moment, it happened. An explosion shook the ground, ripping through the air with deafening force. The shockwave sent everyone flying, debris raining down on them. The safe house erupted into flames, the sheer force of the blast overwhelming.

This is Rage’s last resort to stop his enemies, even putting his life at risk—a plan that Athan never considered.

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