From Bullets To Billions novel Chapter 299

Chapter 299: Loyalty in Black and Red

The signal on the gym door had gone up earlier that day.

It wasn’t just a decorative logo, it was a coded message. A sign that, even though the gym was "closed," members of the Bloodline Group could still enter. And it wasn’t a signal used often. Only in very particular circumstances.

Like now.

When a meeting was being held.

This kind of information was never passed along by text or group chats. That was sloppy. Dangerous. Instead, it was spread the old-fashioned way, by a trusted voice. And this time, that voice had been Joe’s.

For the event planned today, only the strongest, most committed members of the Bloodline Group had been called in. Those who were proven. Those who could be relied upon when things got messy.

The first to walk through the door were two familiar faces, Aki and Mayson.

They weren’t from Max’s school, but they’d already earned their place in the Bloodline’s inner circle. Both had fought beside him against the Clapton Alliance, proving not just their fighting ability but also their loyalty.

Since Jay’s disappearance, Joe had been the one keeping tabs on the allied schools. Aki and her girls had been promoting the Bloodline brand hard, wearing the merch in their territory, making sure everyone knew who they stood with.

And Mayson... well, he’d become a bit of a local legend. His name came up often in the halls of his school, stories about how he’d gone toe-to-toe with Rick, the hardest hitter in the area, and taken every punch without going down. That kind of reputation sold merch almost as well as Max’s name. Wealthier students were even paying extra to wear the same designs.

Max stepped forward as they entered. "I wasn’t sure you’d come."

Aki grinned, stepping closer. "Are you crazy? We’re part of the Bloodline Group. We already pledged our loyalty to you. Everyone who needs to be here is ready today."

"It’s the same for us," Mayson added. "We’re not like the others in our school. We know the path we’ve chosen."

Joe lifted both hands in a quick, almost defensive gesture as Max’s eyes lingered on him.

"I promise I explained everything to them," Joe said. "Even how what happened to Jay might be connected to what we’re doing today. I did exactly what you asked. These people, Max, they really want to help you."

Max studied them for a moment. As long as they knew what they were walking into today, he’d let them make their own choice. He wasn’t going to hold their hands. But if they were putting their trust in him, then he’d do everything he could to make sure they came back.

Shortly after, the door opened again. More figures stepped inside, their footsteps echoing in the still air of the gym.

Many of them walked in grinning, their energy electric, feeding off the charged atmosphere in the room. The ones who had just arrived were all from the old Clapton High Alliance.

At the front was Rick himself, leader of Clapton High, his trademark confident stride impossible to miss. Beside him loomed Bando, the tall, broad-shouldered athlete who towered over most in the room. Gi and Bazma followed close behind, each with the air of fighters who’d seen more than a few scrapes.

"More important than any of that. The Bloodline Group is going to be something big after today, we can all feel it. And we want to be a part of it. We want to help you make it happen."

When Max had first asked Joe to reach out to the delinquent leaders across Brinehurst, he’d expected maybe half of them to decline. Joe had been instructed to tell them the truth, no sugarcoating it. They wouldn’t be fighting some rival school or defending turf from petty wannabes. They’d be going up against a real gang.

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