Chapter 7

I waited until the moment I had once heard Lindsey mentioned. That bastard Johnathan had relapsed into gambling and racked up an enormous debt with loan sharks. This time, they were not the small-time thugs from before, but real desperados with nothing to lose. They made it clear that if Johnathan didn't pay up, they would take Lindsey as payment. He panicked. That cowardly, selfish man packed his things overnight and ran. He even took the last bit of cash in the house and abandoned Lindsey in the rental house, left alone to face the coming storm. I had been keeping watch nearby. The moment I saw Johnathan fleeing in a panic, I knew something had gone wrong. I didn't chase after him. Trash like him was better gone. However, I didn't expect the debt collectors to come so fast. Several black sedans stopped in the alley. A dozen men got out, clubs and machetes in hand, and charged in with murderous intent. My heart lurched, and I sprinted toward the alley. I was too late. The d