Chapter - 2

Author P.O.V

“You either take it or TAKE IT!” standing tall, leaning over the giant glass window while looking over the people downstairs dancing their hearts out, he warns taking a sip of his bourbon.

Turning around to the man who is now sweating buckets, he says

“So, are you up, Mr. Smith?” he asks, slumping into the couch behind the coffee table.

Mr. Smith’s assistant who tagged along seemed to notice his boss’s hesitation and decided to step up on his behalf.

“Mr. Windsor, giving you ninety percent of profits is way too much---” the voice dies as a bullet was now put between his eyes making the lifeless body fall to the ground with a thud.

“You are making a deal with me. With Zale fucking Windsor. This is my territory you are in. Here I make the rules!” the caution and threat daring anyone to defy him.

Firing one last shot at the limp body, he turns to Mr. Smith who is now signing the documents of the previously discussed deal.

Once done, gathering his shit together, he bolted out of the VIP room and then out of the club they are currently in.

Placing his emptied glass on the table, Zale strolls out of the room towards downstairs leaving his right hand, Markus in charge to take care of everything.

On his way down, he sees his second older brother, Asher Windsor flirting with the women as usual. Seeing his brother in sight, Asher runs over to Zale.

“How did the deal go?” he asks, winking at the women they were passing by.

“Exactly, as I wanted” Zale boasts.

Taking a seat at the bar he asks the bartender for his usual. Turning around to face the crowd with Asher on his side, Zale searches for that one particular person. Amara Larson. Enjoying with her friends as any other Friday night.

“Now, that you are done with the business, you are straight down to stalking?” Asher asked, gulping down his drink.

“Stalking? Is that what it looks like?” Zale scoffs.

“One hundred percent, yes!”.

“It’s more like watching my prey to attack at the right time” he diverts his gaze from her and turns back to the bar where his drink was kept ready.

“What are we left with for today?” Zale asks.

“Pretty done with everything, unless something comes up which I assume is going to happen” Asher informs, his eyes still held up in the crowd where Zale was looking before.

Following Asher’s gaze, Zale sees Amara dancing with a random stranger with his hands roaming all over her body. Asher knew it would hit a nerve for Zale which it did.

Asher expected Zale to walk into the crowd, drag the man out of the club and beat him to shit as he always did but was stunned to see Zale return his gaze back to his drink, calm and composed.

Alarming!

“Ask Markus to pull out the cars!” up on his feet, Zale finishes his drink in one go.

“What for?” Asher finishes his drink in a hurry.

“A surprise visit to Larson’s mansion” with that he rushes outside of the club casting one last look at Amara.

“That was a great resistance back there, Zale. I was hoping for the usual to happen but was taken back. Quite shocking, I should say” Asher appreciates on their way.

Zale questions himself at Asher’s words. Why the odd behaviour?

‘Because she is finally starting to enjoy her life and that needs to be set right. It’s time she knows that she is not allowed to be happy not on his watch, not without him allowing it. It’s time to level up the revenge game’ his thoughts never voiced out.

The black SUVs halted at the mansion gates.

Getting down from the car, Markus walks towards the guards.

“Mr. Windsor is here to have a talk with Mr. Larson” he informs.

The guard quickly pulls out his phone running a call through regarding the matter at hand.

“Mr. Larson, is currently unavailable” he replies still on the phone.

Markus, who knows that his boss wouldn’t take NO for an answer, says…

“You either open them or we break them!”

The person on the other side of the call, heard Marckus giving out a reply, “Let them in!”.

Parking the cars on the main porch, Zale and Asher were led towards Mr. Larson’s study. Occupying the couch like he owns the place; Zale didn’t have to wait a moment before Edward Larson, Amara’s father, hurried inside.

“What are you doing here this late in the night, Zale?” he probes.

“Your daughter. She is currently in a club enjoying her life not knowing the club is owned by me and the people surrounding her, work for me”.

Zale knows he had Edward at his first word ‘Your daughter’.

He smirks in satisfaction when he sees Edward quickly picking up his phone to call Amara.

Seeing him demanding his daughter to be home right now, Zale lets out a chuckle.

“Just so you know, I have been keeping tabs on her since the day I promised to take away your most precious thing. All it takes is a word”.

“So, now you are here to threaten me?”.

“Come on, Edward you know that is completely off my style” he mocks.

“I am just here to let you know that you have very little time to spend with your daughter before I snatch her away from you. When I feel it’s the right time, she’ll be right in my arms” his eyes darkening second by second.

Leaving Edward recovering from everything he heard, Zale walks out.

Regaining his composure, Edward rushes towards his wife, Sophia who was waiting for him in the living room.

“Amara?” he questions.

“She is safe and sound and reached a while ago. You wanna go have a talk with her?” Sophia poses.

“No, let her be. We are leaving the city first thing in the morning”.

Next day morning

Burning almost all the calories he gained last night, Zale was in his gym, keeping up with his drool worthy physique when his right hand, Markus hurried towards him.

“Boss, Mr. Larson, is on his way to the airport with his family. It seems that he is running away” he announces.

Dabbing his sweat off with the towel, Zale grits dangerously.

“I am so going to make him regret it!”.

After blocking Edward’s car from every direction, Zale grins in contentment seeing Edward walking towards his car giving up on escaping.

Stepping out of his car, Zale stands in all his glory.

“Get out of my way, Zale” Edward demands.

“Now, now, so eager to run away from me, Edward?” he taunts.

Edward thought he hid the escaping part well but then he overlooked the fact that he is going against Zale Austin Windsor, the ruthless and the most powerful man who rules the underworld mafia of New York controlling the in and outs on his fingertips.

“What are you talking about?” Edward staggered.

“I never took you for such a stupid man, Mr Larson. It was absurd of you to think that you could escape my territory without me getting a catch of it” he ridicules.

“I am not letting you anywhere near my daughter” Edward confronts.

“That’s the point Mr. Larson, you don’t have to let me because I myself take what I want” he sneers.

“You think Mr. Windsor would be proud of you for doing this?”.

“Don’t you dare take my father’s name out of your mouth!” he grabs Edward’s collar in fury.

As they were busy shooting glares at each other, a feminine voice interrupted them.

“Dad!”.

“Amara get back in the car” Edward insists.

“What is happening here, dad? Why the hell did you let him lay a hand on you?” She resists.

Seeing Amara close up for the first time in a while puts a grin on Zale’s face.

“Daddy’s little princess, aren’t you?” he mocks.

Noticing Zale’s eye on Amara, Edward quickly hides her behind him.

“This conversation is over, Zale!” Edward ushers her to their car until halted by Zale.

“This conversation is over when I say it is!” he jerks her towards himself, spelling out the words which haunted Edward almost all his life.

“Remember? I told you I would take her away from you when she’s useful to me. Well, now she is!”.

Shoving Amara into his car, Zale asks his guards to hold Edward back while he took off.

Observing Amara for many years now, Zale thought she would retaliate him abducting her, being the feisty woman she is but her laid back appearance is what confused him.

“Aren’t you a bit curious about what I am going to do with you?” he poses.

“Whatever you are planning, you won’t get anything you desire out of this” she spits out in rage.

“About that we need to wait and watch, kitten”.

After a long ride they finally reach Windsor mansion. Climbing down from his car, he walks towards Amara. Yanking her out of the car, he drags her towards the mansion.

On the way he meets Asher and Markus in the entrance. Tossing her towards Markus which in process sprained Amara’s ankle, he says….

“To the basement!”.

As Markus takes care of her, Zale walks inside the mansion with Asher on his tail.

“What is Amara doing here?” Asher questions following Zale into their home bar.

“We caught Edward running away with his family” he says filling a glass with his favourite whiskey.

“Zale, I never asked you this because I never thought you were this serious about revenge but what exactly are you going to do with her?” he asks cautiously.

“Exactly, as I planned”.

“I am going to make her a part of this mafia, strip her of every ounce of humanity and innocence and when she thinks it couldn’t get any worse, she will face the same fate as our father” his sinister smile terrified Asher.

“You are going to have her killed?” Asher asks in disbelief.

“Just, how her father did our father but since this is a revenge I’ll make sure for it to be slow and painful”.