Chapter 7 - The Fixer's Wrath
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The two goons advanced, their heavy boots splashing through the icy slush of the alleyway. They looked confident, assuming they were dealing with a terrified single mother and a hired driver.
They fundamentally misunderstood exactly who Marcus was.
"Stay behind me, Ms. Vance," Marcus said, his voice entirely devoid of panic. It was the calm, detached tone of a man assessing a minor inconvenience.
As the first contractor reached out to grab Marcus's shoulder to shove him aside, Marcus moved with terrifying, blinding speed. He didn't throw a punch. He stepped inside the man's guard, grabbed his extended arm, twisted violently, and drove his knee directly into the man's ribcage. The sickening crack of bone echoed over the wind. The contractor collapsed to the ground, screaming in agony.
The second man hesitated, his eyes widening in shock. He reached inside his jacket for a weapon.
Marcus didn't wait. He drew a sleek, suppressed pistol from his shoulder holster in a fraction of a second, aiming it squarely at the center of the second man's forehead.
"If your hand clears that jacket," Marcus warned softly, "I will ensure your mother receives your remains in a very small box."
The contractor froze, his hands slowly rising in surrender.
Evelyn staggered backward, her mouth falling open in sheer horror. She had spent her life manipulating people with words and money; she had never faced actual, raw violence.
"Who are you?!" Evelyn shrieked, clutching her mink coat tightly around her neck.
Marcus kept his gun trained on the standing guard but turned his cold, dead eyes to my mother.
"I am the head of security for Arthur Sterling," Marcus stated, stepping forward so the headlights illuminated his scarred face. "Mr. Sterling sends his regards, Evelyn. He also asked me to inform you that your accounts have been permanently frozen by a federal judge as of ten minutes ago."
Evelyn's face turned the color of ash. "Frozen? He can't do that! That money is legally mine!"
"That money was acquired through felony wire fraud and extortion," Marcus corrected smoothly. "The FBI will be visiting your lovely suburban home at approximately 6:00 AM tomorrow. I suggest you use the next few hours to pack a small bag. Federal penitentiaries are notoriously drafty this time of year."
My mother stared at me, sheer terror finally breaking through her arrogant facade. "Sarah, please! You have to stop them! I'm your mother!"
I looked at the woman who had insulted my baby at Christmas dinner. The woman who had starved me out to line her own pockets.
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"This is your last Christmas, Evelyn," I said coldly. "Enjoy the view."
Marcus escorted me safely into the armored Maybach waiting at the end of the alley, leaving my mother standing in the snow, her empire crumbling around her.
