Chapter 7 A Message

• Nero, pistol in hand, stalked through the basement. He'd just explained to his brother, Justin, what was expected of him at their parents' funeral. This wasn't just about stealing money; it was about the Black Rabbit organization, the group he believed was responsible for his parents' deaths and the power struggle that had engulfed both his family business and the mafia.
• "Where?" Nero demanded, his voice sharp. One of his men pointed him towards a dimly lit room. Inside, he found his most trusted lieutenants: James, Kaizer, Winston, and Jake, the man who'd led him there.
• "Bossing!" James exclaimed, his face alight with a smile that felt a little too eager. Nero, despite his trust in these men, kept his guard up. He glanced at the man bound and bruised in the center of the room.
• "What happened to you, Wright?" Nero asked, his gaze fixed on the man. Before James could answer, he punched the man hard, sending a jolt of shock through Nero.
• "Haha...Bossing, that guy tried to kill James, but we saved him!" The three men erupted in laughter, their voices echoing through the basement.
• "Shut up! I saw him. I gave him a chance to run, but he didn't take it. I was about to kill him when you three showed up." James's voice was laced with a dangerous edge.
• "E?"
• "Don't believe him. Fuck you three!" James's anger flared, silencing their laughter.
• "Of course we don't believe you, haha..."
• Nero stepped forward, his voice cutting through the tension. "Move." James stepped aside, allowing Nero to approach the bruised man. He gripped the man's chin, his fingers digging into the flesh.
• "Who the fuck sent you to my company?" Nero's voice was a low growl.
• "I don't know him—Ah!" Nero stepped back, firing a shot into the man's thigh. He hated liars, especially those who tried to deceive him even when caught red-handed.
• "Stop lying!" Nero's voice echoed through the basement.
• "I'm not lying!" The man shouted back. Nero tightened his grip on the man's chin, forcing him to look into his eyes. The man wasn't middle-aged; he looked about Nero's age.
• "How dare you shout at me?!"
• Nero wasn't prepared for the man's calm response. "Because you're also shouting at me." The man's words, laced with an unexpected defiance, sparked laughter from the four men. Nero whirled around, his gaze a storm of fury. They fell silent.
• Nero punched the man, sending him reeling. Blood streamed down his face.
• "Try to answer me like that again, and I won't hesitate to kill you." Nero pointed his gun at the man, who trembled in fear.
• "Don't kill me, please. I have a family—Ah!" Nero fired another shot.
• "Do you think I'll believe you have a family? Fuck off!"
• Jake stepped beside Nero, handing him a folder. "Boss, he's telling the truth."
• Nero opened the folder, his eyes scanning the documents. The man was telling the truth. He read carefully, discovering that the man's sister was in the hospital.
• Nero sighed, tossing the folder to the floor. "I'll give you one minute to tell me the truth." He sat on the sofa, his gaze fixed on the man.
• Nero expected the man to deny everything, but he didn't.
• "Three minutes, and I'll tell you everything."
• The man's audacity stunned Nero.
• "Three minutes. If I'm satisfied with your answer, you can escape. If not, you're dead. Your time starts now."
• "My sister was sent to the hospital. I love her, and I'd do anything for her." Nero scoffed at the man's words, but before he could speak, James interrupted.
• "You love her as a lover, not a sister?"
• "Yeah."
• "But why?" The man glared at James, his face contorted with surprise. "Oh, the time is running, haha..."
• "She wasn't my real sister." James nodded. "I was looking for a job and went to your company, Mr. Smith. I was rejected, but then this woman said she knew the owner and would help me. I went with her, but I didn't expect her to order me to steal money from the company. I had knowledge in financing, so I did it. She gave me some of the money, and I used it to pay my sister's bills."
• Nero glared at the man, but he didn't falter.
• "Two minutes."
• "I don't know the guy, but I saw the girl. Her name is Silvia, or Ms. Via. I was about to go back to our hometown, but she ordered me to kill members of one of the organizations, your people. I tried to refuse, but she threatened to kill my family, so I followed her. I'm not an expert in this, so they caught me."
• "Do you know anything else?" Nero asked.
• "I'm not their member, so why would they tell me their secrets." The man's arrogance, despite his situation, only fueled Nero's anger. But at least he was telling the truth.
• Nero sighed, looking at the man. "Let him escape." Nero left the basement and went home.
• The next morning, Nero and Justin were preparing for their parents' funeral when Winston called. Nero excused himself and went to the backyard.
• "What's the matter?"
• "Bossing, the guy from yesterday was killed. He had our tattoo on his body. We didn't do anything to him, but he was killed, and he had our tattoo."
• "What?!"
• "I think he knew something. Before we let him escape, he gave us something. He said he saw a body, and we think it might be your mother, Bossing."
• "What do you mean? Are you sure it was my mom?"
• "It's messed up right now, Boss, but we'll go there and make sure," Winston said.
• "Get there fast and report back to me."
• Nero went back inside, finding Shaira sitting on the sofa, sipping from a cup. He couldn't kick her out, not yet. He needed proof of her involvement.
• Shaira stood up, picking up her phone. Justin was coming down the stairs, dressed in a white shirt and black pants.
• "Brother, let's go," Justin said.
• "Yeah, let's..." He stopped, his phone vibrating. He saw James's name on the caller ID. He looked back at Justin. "You go first. I'll follow you." He headed upstairs, ignoring Justin's response.
• "What?"
• "Boss, we're late. They already know we're coming...maybe..."
• Nero couldn't listen to James anymore. He locked eyes with Shaira, who was smiling at him. He gritted his teeth.
• "Damn it! Make a move right now!" He demanded, hanging up the phone. He glared at Shaira, who shivered.
• Before Nero could react, a deafening explosion shook the house. Dust filled the air, and the sound of shattering glass echoed through the room. Nero stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock. He saw Shaira, her face pale with fear, staring at the gaping hole in the wall where the explosion had occurred.
• "What the hell..." Nero muttered, his voice barely audible above the ringing in his ears.
• The scene before him was a chaotic blur of smoke and debris. He could hear the frantic shouts of his men outside, but he couldn't see them through the dust cloud. His mind raced, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
• "Nero," Shaira whispered, her voice trembling. "What's happening?"
• Nero didn't answer. He was too busy trying to understand the situation. The explosion had been too precise, too deliberate. It wasn't a random act of violence. It was a message.
• A message from the Black Rabbit.