novelxo Chapter 83
Felicity POV.
To our great relief, the hefty man wasn't actually calling out to us. We saw three people pass in front of us and approach him. They had walked straight up to the gangster. "Yo, boss. What's good?" one of them said.
The man gave them a nod. "You guys got what I asked for?"
"Yeah, right here," another one replied, holding up a small black bag.
The man gestured for them to come closer. "Let me see."
As they spoke with him, we realized that they were the ones who had caught his attention.
A small wave of relief washed over me as I realized we could slip away without anyone noticing. But before we could take a step, one of the men called out to us.
"Hey you there! What do you think you're doing?" His voice was laced with venom, and I felt a knot form in my stomach.
"We were just... um.. looking for something," I stammered, hoping the lie sounded plausible.
The three men looked at us skeptically, but their attention was quickly diverted as another of their group came over with a briefcase.
"Boss, we got it," he said, handing the case over to the gangster.
The burly man grunted, nodding his head in approval. "Good," he said. "Now get out of here before I change my mind."
That was all the encouragement we needed. We turned and ran, thankful that we were still in one piece.
As we hurried away, I couldn't help but think of what could have happened if we had been the ones to catch the gangster's attention. I knew we had been lucky.
We all got on our horses and quickly drove away from the small hotel the sound of hoofbeats echoing through the empty streets. As we made our way towards the forest, the feeling of excitement and adrenaline coursed through our veins. We rode hard, pushing our horses to their limits as we made our way deeper into the woods. The trees passed by in a blur, the wind whipping through our hair as we urged our mounts faster and faster.
Finally, we came to a stop in a small clearing, the rustle of leaves and the creaking of branches the only sounds to be heard.
Breathless and sweating, we dismounted our horses and looked around us. The canopy overhead was thick, and it was hard to see more than a few feet in any direction.
We took a moment to catch our breath, the scent of pine and earth filling our nostrils.
"Is everyone okay?" Agent Brown asked, checking over his horse for any injuries.
We all nodded, still catching our breaths.
"Good," he said.
Ava exclaimed herself, "What just happened? I'm still stunned!"
Kyle replied, "Maximus' head was put on a bounty."
My heart skipped a beat.
"What does this mean?" Agent Kim asked.
"It means he's a wanted man," Adrian said harshly, his eyes cold.
Kyle added, "We should have stayed at the LOJ subsidiary. You convinced us to come to his kingdom, and now look what's happened!"
"We would have been safe in the LOJ subsidiary," Adrian said, his voice tinged with frustration. Other members joined in, and i could see Maximus trying to talk, but Kyle and Adrian kept interrupting him. It was starting to annoy him.
"I don't understand why you're all so quick to turn on Maximus," i spoke up, hoping to resonate with them. "He had good intentions by welcoming us into his kingdom."
"That's how you thank him? By insulting him?" I asked, feeling my blood boil at the disrespect. My words seemed to calm down the group, but then one of our friends asked:" who could have put 500 millions moonstone coins on Maximus' head? It's crazy f*****g money."
"I think I know who it is," Maximus said, and I felt a shiver run through my body. I listened intently as he continued, "It could only be Alpha Melezo."
At the mention of his name, my heart skipped a beat. Melezo was the one who had almost killed my precious baby, Phoenix. The memory of that horrible day still haunted me.
Kyle's voice broke through my thoughts as he started yelling again. "I can't continue with Maximus anymore," he said, his frustration palpable.
Adrian spoke up, his voice calm but firm. "I think it's better if we return to the subsidiary of LOJ."
I couldn't bear the thought of facing Melezo again.
I felt defensive, "Maximus had the good will to welcome us into his kingdom. We should support him, not insult him."
But Kyle wouldn't back down, "Ever since he arrived, we've only had trouble."
"We are a team, and we had to support each other in good and bad times," I argued, trying to reason with them. Some of our friends echoed my remarks, but Kyle and Adrian weren't convinced. "He's probably an ally of Alpha Melezo and showed him our HQ." Kyle said.
I couldn't help but laugh at Kyle's accusation. "That doesn't make any sense," i said, shaking my head.
"What do you mean?" Kyle asked, looking at me with confusion.
"Well, if Maximus was in league with Alpha Melezo, why would he show them our HQ?" Felicity pointed out.
Adrian chimed in, agreeing with Kyle that Maximus was unreliable. "Who knows what he's capable of? He wants Melezo to kill us," Adrian said.
"But why would he risk his own life by doing that?" I asked, still not convinced of Maximus' disloyalty.
Kyle shrugged. "Maybe he's planning to kill us all once we arrive in his kingdom."
I rolled my eyes. "You guys are being paranoid. Maximus might be mercurial, but he's not stupid enough to betray us and side with our enemies." "Maximus is not trustworthy" Adrian added.
I couldn't believe their accusations. "That doesn't make any sense. Maximus helped us during the attack on Alpha Melezo at HQ. He had changed for the better."
Adrian agreed with Kyle, "We can't trust him anymore. He might turn on us once he gets to his kingdom. We should return to the LOJ branch for safety."
My frustration grew. "Maximus has promised to bring help for our agents and the wounded who stayed at the LOJ branch," i said, trying to reason with them again. But Kyle and Adrian laughed in my face.
"You're only blinded by your love for Maximus."
I was furious, "You're cowards who give up at the first sign of trouble! We're a team and need to support each other in the wirst or best moments that is it."
I knew Maximus had changed for the better, and that was what mattered.