Chapter 144
Lucian’s eyes flicked toward the entrance, and he sighed deeply, a familiar weariness settling over him. “What a day,” he muttered to himself. “Celestia, Arthur, and now him…” His voice trailed off as he shook his head.
The man zeroed in on their table, his swagger unmistakable as he closed the distance with long strides. His white shirt was crisp and tailored to fit his lean, muscular frame, and his sharp features carried the kind of confidence that bordered on arrogance. He looked like he’d walked straight out of the pages of a novel, the quintessential protagonist with a magnetic presence.
Jimmy, Lucian, and Garry heard the man’s heavy steps growing louder, cutting through the restaurant’s usual hum. His movements were conspicuous, almost theatrical, as if he relished being the center of attention.
Lucian’s sighed slightly, but he didn’t turn away from his burger, his expression a careful mask. Jimmy, on the other hand, leaned back in his chair, his eyes lazily drifting up to meet the newcomer’s.
“Wanna eat a burger?” Jimmy asked, his tone casual, even mocking, as he took another bite of his food.
The man’s mouth opened, ready to say something, but before a single word could escape, Garry let out a loud, uncontrollable laugh.
“Pfft!” Garry clapped a hand over his mouth, his shoulders shaking as he tried and failed to stifle his amusement.
Victor’s gaze swept over the table with a detached air, his sharp features set in an expression of calm arrogance. “No need,” he said curtly, his voice carrying an edge as he ignored Garry entirely. “I have more important matters to handle. With Mr. Kane.” His eyes fixed on Lucian, who let out a soft sigh.
Lucian set his burger down with deliberate care, his movements slow and measured. Without a word, he pushed his chair back and stood, his expression calm but carrying a hint of resignation.
Victor remained where he stood, his posture tall and unyielding. His piercing gaze followed Lucian as the latter moved slightly out from behind the table. For a moment, the two men were silent, their body language speaking louder than words.
Jimmy and Garry, still seated, exchanged glances. Jimmy’s sharp eyes flicked between Lucian and Victor. Garry, on the other hand, seemed more intrigued than concerned, though he remained seated, his grin faint but present.
Victor took a step forward, his intent clear as he began closing the gap between himself and Lucian. His confidence was palpable, his movements deliberate, his arrogance filling the space like a tangible force.
But before he could get too close, a sudden force struck his chest.
Victor staggered back a step, his sharp features flickering with surprise as his gaze snapped downward to where the impact had come from.
Standing in front of him now was Jimmy, his towering frame casting a long shadow over the smaller space between them. In his left hand, he still held the remnants of his burger, but his right hand was lowered, the movement that had pushed Victor back deliberate and unflinching.
Jimmy didn’t even look at Victor. His eyes were on Lucian, who was still standing but now hesitating. His voice, when it came, was calm but carried the weight of authority. “Sit down,” he said simply.
Lucian didn’t argue. He exhaled softly and returned to his seat, sinking back into his chair as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Jimmy placed his burger down on the table with the same deliberate care Lucian had moments ago. Only then did he turn his attention to Victor, his gaze steady and unyielding.
Victor’s eyes narrowed, the initial surprise melting into anger. His jaw tightened, and he straightened himself to his full height, his sharp features hardening. “Who the f*** are you?” he snapped, his voice laced with irritation. “And what does this have to do with you?”
Jimmy didn’t flinch. He didn’t even blink. Instead, he tilted his head slightly toward Lucian, his tone cool and unbothered as he said, “Little brother of mine.”
Victor’s eyes flicked to Lucian, who sat quietly in his chair, his head tilted downward like a chastised child. A flicker of annoyance crossed Victor’s face, and he muttered under his breath, “Lucky bastard.”
Jimmy leaned slightly forward, his massive frame filling Victor’s field of vision. “Yeah, yeah,” he drawled, his voice dripping with mockery. “Tell me what matter you have, big man.”
Victor’s lips curled into a sneer, his posture straightening as he stepped closer again. His build was impressive lean and muscular, his broad shoulders giving him an imposing air. At six feet tall, he was used to being the dominant presence in any room.
But standing before Jimmy, who loomed over him at 6’3″ with a build that could’ve put a professional wrestler to shame, Victor looked smaller. The difference in aura was unmistakable. Jimmy’s sheer physicality was enough to make onlookers second-guess approaching him.
Victor, however, didn’t falter. His confidence remained unshaken, blind arrogance radiating off him like heat from a furnace. “As I said,” Victor repeated, his tone firm, “I’m here to talk with Mr. Kane. So step aside.”
Jimmy’s eyes narrowed slightly, but his posture didn’t shift. Instead, he crossed his arms slowly, the muscles in his forearms rippling as he moved. “Yeah, well,” he said, his voice low but steady, “first you’ll have to talk to his big brother. So start talking.”
Jimmy tilted his head slightly to the side, where a group of boys begun approaching from their seats. Jimmy raised one hand, palm out, in a calm but commanding gesture. The boys stopped in their tracks, exchanging glances before returning to their seats.
Victor noticed the exchange but didn’t react. He didn’t acknowledge the onlookers, his focus remaining squarely on Jimmy. His confidence didn’t waver, his expression unwavering as though he believed there was no situation he couldn’t control.
Jimmy lowered his hand, his gaze never leaving Victor’s. The tension between the two was thick enough to cut, the silence in the restaurant pressing down on the air like a weight.
Victor’s lips twitched, a faint smirk tugging at the corners. “Move,” he said, his tone dismissive, as though Jimmy’s presence was little more than an inconvenience.
Jimmy’s response was a single raised eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching into a faint smirk of his own. “Make me,” he said softly, the challenge clear in his tone.
Lucian sighed, rubbing his temples as he muttered under his breath, “This is going to be a long night.”
Garry, on the other hand, leaned back in his chair, an amused grin spreading across his face. “This is better than any movie,” he whispered to himself, his eyes darting between the two towering figures like a spectator at a boxing match.
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