Saintess's Worthless Husband Turned Dragon Commander novel Chapter 59

Chapter 59 PART 1

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The abandoned West Lake pier had earned its reputation honestly-decades of smuggling, illegal deals, and bodies dumped into dark water had stained the location with violence so thick even ordinary people felt uneasy approaching it. The warehouse at the end of the pier was a skeletal structure, its windows broken, its walls covered in graffiti that marked various gang territories over the years.

Perfect for what Marcus had in mind.

He’d left Quinn with specific instructions before departing the Hartford residence, his dragon eyes serious when they met hers.

“Aaron will take you to our new place,” Marcus said, squeezing her hand gently. “Stay there. Don’t open the door for anyone except him or me.”

“Where are you going?” Quinn asked, though her Saintess senses already detected the answer wouldn’t be comforting.

“To collect a debt,” Marcus said simply. “It won’t take long.”

Now, as evening shadows stretched across the pier, Marcus stood in the warehouse’s main space, watching Sonny Ridge squirm in the chair he’d been tied to. The deputy manager’s face was a mess of bruises and dried blood, his hands bandaged where Marcus had broken them days ago.

“They’re coming for you,” Sonny said, trying to inject confidence into his voice despite his situation. “The entire Three Blade Group. Maurice Yarrow himself might show up. When they do-”

“When they do,” Marcus interrupted calmly, “they’ll pay the ransom or I’ll throw you in the lake. Simple transaction.”

Aaron Jackson stood near the entrance, checking his phone. “Marcus, before we proceed-there’s been activity. New martial arts gyms opening across the city. Three in the past week alone.”

Marcus’s expression darkened slightly. “Tyler King?”

“Likely,” Aaron confirmed. “The King faction has been quiet since Bruno’s… retirement. This feels like them establishing new fronts, new operations.”

“Keep eyes on them,” Marcus ordered. “And double Quinn’s security. After today’s display at Hartford Group, we might see retaliation from multiple angles.”

“Already done,” Aaron assured him. “Dom has six men rotating shifts around your new place. Anyone comes near the Saintess, they’ll regret it.”

“Good.” Marcus turned his attention back to Sonny, whose bravado was crumbling as the reality of his situation sank in.

“You can’t seriously think Maurice Yarrow will just pay you,” Sonny tried desperately. “The Three Blade Group doesn’t negotiate with kidnappers! They’ll come in shooting! They’ll-”

“They’ll what?” Marcus asked with mild interest. “Declare war on Aaron Jackson? Risk their entire Grayson City operation over one incompetent deputy manager who cheated at his own bar?”

“I didn’t cheat!” Sonny’s voice rose. “The games were fair! You’re just—”

One of Aaron’s men burst through the warehouse entrance, slightly out of breath. “Boss! They’re here! Gerrard Cooper and Bridger Davis, along with about twenty Three Blade soldiers. All armed.”

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Aaron’s hand moved to his concealed weapon, but Marcus remained perfectly calm.

“Show them in,” Marcus said. “Let’s see if they brought the money.”

Moments later, the warehouse doors opened fully, and two men entered, flanked by armed guards who spread out with professional efficiency. These weren’t street thugs-these were serious operators, each carrying the kind of casual violence that came from years of underworld work.

Gerrard Cooper came first-mid-forties, scarred face, the build of someone who’d worked his way up through brutal combat rather than political maneuvering. As the local branch manager, he controlled Three Blade operations throughout Grayson City’s eastern districts.

Beside him walked Bridger Davis-younger, leaner, with calculating eyes that took in every detail of the warehouse in seconds. Maurice Yarrow’s top strategist and right-hand man, the brain behind many of the Three Blade Group’s successful expansions.

“BOSS!” Sonny’s voice cracked with desperate relief. “Boss Gerrard! Thank God! These bastards kidnapped me! Tortured me! You have to-

His plea cut off as Gerrard’s eyes landed on Sonny’s condition. The bound deputy manager, his broken hands, his destroyed face. The Three Blade Group’s authority publicly humiliated.

“Who did this?” Gerrard’s voice came out dangerously quiet.

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CHAPTER 59 PART 2

“I did,” Marcus said calmly, stepping forward. “Sonny Ridge cheated customers at Black Wind Bar. Lost a bet. Tried to welch on the payment. In the underworld, that deserves consequences.”

“Consequences?” Gerrard’s hand moved toward his weapon. “You think you can kidnap a Three Blade deputy manager and-”

“Gerrard,” Bridger’s voice cut in smoothly, his hand on his colleague’s arm. “Let’s not be hasty. I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding that can be resolved professionally.”

He turned to Marcus with calculated respect. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced. I’m Bridger Davis, and this is Gerrard Cooper. We represent the Three Blade Group’s interests in Grayson City. May I ask your name?”

Marcus smiled slightly-not his warm smile, not even his terrifying smile, but something that suggested he was enjoying this more than he should. “Did you bring the money?”

Bridger’s eyes flickered with surprise at the directness. “We came to discuss terms. To understand exactly what-”

“Four hundred million,” Marcus interrupted. “Cash. That was the ransom we agreed on. Did you bring it?”

“Four hundred million is a substantial sum,” Bridger said carefully. “Surely we can negotiate a more… reasonable… arrangement.”

Marcus’s expression went cold. He walked to where Sonny sat bound, his movements casual but carrying an undercurrent of violence that made several Three Blade soldiers tense.

“Your deputy manager,” Marcus said conversationally, “made several mistakes. He cheated at his own bar. He lost a drinking contest fairly witnessed by dozens of people. He challenged me to a fight with specific stakes, lost, then tried to renege on payment.”

He grabbed Sonny’s hair, forcing the man to look up. “In the underworld, there are rules. Honor among thieves, as they say. Sonny violated those rules. Repeatedly.”

“We understand he made errors in judgment,” Bridger tried diplomatically. “But kidnapping and extortion-”

“Aren’t what I’m doing,” Marcus finished. “I’m collecting a legitimately owed debt. With interest for the inconvenience of Sonny’s attempt to have me killed rather than pay what he owed.”

“That’s a LIE!” Sonny shrieked. “I never-”

CRACK!

Marcus’s foot moved faster than most people could track, catching Sonny’s kneecap with devastating precision. The sound of shattering bone echoed through the warehouse. Sonny’s scream was immediate and agonizing.

Before anyone could react, Marcus’s other foot struck Sonny’s remaining knee. Another crack. Another scream.

Sonny collapsed forward in his chair, held only by the ropes binding him, his legs ruined, his screams echoing off warehouse walls.

Every Three Blade soldier raised their weapons, safeties clicking off, fingers moving to triggers.

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