Craving My Brother's Best Friend (Bailey and Kaleb) novel Chapter 70

**Kaleb’s POV**

I brushed aside Marco’s warning like an annoying fly.

There was absolutely no way I was ever going to step foot back into that twisted world of the mafia again.

The identity of the Godfather, no matter how formidable he believed himself to be, meant nothing to me now. I was finished.

Marco had attempted to intimidate me after our last confrontation, bombarding me with threatening texts, but I was unfazed.

I was exhausted from being their errand boy, their lackey. I had already sacrificed too much of myself.

If they wanted to have a conversation, fine.

I would confront the so-called Godfather directly and make it crystal clear that I would repay my father’s debt myself—every single dollar—and that I was done working for them.

I was not their puppet anymore.

As I paced back and forth outside my apartment, my phone buzzed insistently in my pocket.

I fished it out, half-expecting another ominous message from Marco.

But it wasn’t him.

The number was unfamiliar, and the message read: “Pick up the delivery from Dock S tonight. Same routine.”

My jaw clenched involuntarily. A bitter laugh escaped my lips, cold and mocking.

“These twisted people are utterly clueless,” I muttered under my breath.

With a swift motion, I blocked the number and tossed my phone into the passenger seat of my car.

I had no intention of picking up any drugs or moving any bags. I was done with their dirty work for good.

As I rounded the car to the driver’s side, my head throbbed with a mix of fury and frustration.

I opened the door and was just about to slide into the seat when…

WHACK!

A sudden, hard impact struck the back of my head.

“F…!” I hissed as a wave of pain exploded in my skull. My vision blurred, and the ground seemed to tilt beneath me as warm blood trickled down my neck.

Staggering, I pressed my hand against the wound, feeling the wetness and warmth of my own blood.

I turned just in time to see a group of five men emerging from the shadows of the alley.

Each of them was clad in dark hoodies, their faces obscured, making them look even more menacing.

One of them brandished the same wooden stick that had just cracked against my head.

“What the hell…” I began, but before I could finish my thought, one of them lunged forward, throwing a punch that connected squarely with my jaw.

The force sent me stumbling backward, crashing against the door of my car.

My teeth rattled painfully in my mouth.

Another attacker came at me from the left. I ducked instinctively, grabbing his shirt and driving my elbow into his ribs. He let out a pained grunt and collapsed to the ground.

But there were too many of them.

Five against one.

One of them landed a kick to my leg, while another struck me hard in the side.

I grunted in pain yet retaliated, swinging my fist and connecting with one of their noses.

“You bastards!” I spat, fury fueling my movements. My knuckles split open as I punched another one in the face.

He fell, but before I could turn away, someone seized me from behind, shoving me violently against the hood of my car.

“Stay down, Kaleb!” a voice growled in my ear.

That voice… I recognized it.

Leon.

That son of a bitch.

He had once been one of Marco’s boys too.

I twisted around, ignoring the sharp pain radiating from my head. “Leon? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

He raised both hands in a placating gesture. “Look, man, I told them not to hurt you, alright? You just… you just gotta come back.”

I glared at him, my breathing heavy and labored.

“Come back?” I wiped blood from my face with the back of my hand. “Tell Marco to go to hell. I’m not going back.”

“Kaleb, don’t be stupid,” Leon pleaded. He looked anxious, as if he wished he were anywhere but here.

“You know how this goes. You can’t just quit. You’re already too deep.”

“Too deep?” I barked out a bitter laugh. “You think I care? Leon! I’ve had enough.”

Leon’s eyes flickered toward the others, who were still circling like vultures.

“Then you’re going to get yourself killed, man. Just come back so you won’t get hurt.”

I took a shaky breath, spitting blood onto the pavement.

“Tell Marco I said…” I raised my middle finger right in his face. “That’s for him.”

Leon’s jaw tightened, frustration etched across his features.

“Kaleb, listen…”

“Get out, Leon!” I snapped, my voice rising.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as if trying to ease a tension that wouldn’t dissipate.

“Then consider this your warning. If you don’t come back, your life might be in danger.”

I stepped closer, blood still dripping from my hairline, my heart pounding with defiance. “Let it be,” I said coldly.

“I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees for that syndicate.”

Leon gave a small nod to the others. “Let’s go,” he said quietly.

One by one, they retreated, shadows slipping away into the darkness of the alley, their footsteps fading into silence.

My chest heaved with each ragged breath.

Every inch of me ached. My knuckles throbbed, my lip was split, and I could feel blood seeping through the back of my shirt.

I leaned against the hood of my car, panting heavily.

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