Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 561

Mira Mercer hurled the sedative powder directly into their faces. "Are you blind? Do you have any idea who you're messing with?"

One by one, the thugs collapsed, hitting the pavement in a tangled heap.

"Miss Mercer, are you alright?"

Silas Vane and his men, having made quick work of the rest of the attackers, rushed over to her side. After confirming she was unharmed, the three of them climbed back into their vehicle and sped away into the night.

From the passenger seat, Mira pulled out her phone and dialed Lenny Forbes. "Lenny, get a message to Dexter West. Tell him if he doesn't want the police breathing down his neck, he needs to send a cleanup crew immediately."

She knew exactly how The Vane Syndicate operated. Their backup team was undoubtedly lurking nearby. This particular stretch of road was deserted, devoid of pedestrians, and completely off the grid with no security cameras. The Syndicate had chosen this spot to strike, meaning they had likely set up roadblocks to keep innocent bystanders away.

But they hadn't accounted for Master Ellis, who had positioned his own men in the shadows just in case Mira needed an out. Mira had no intention of letting the police arrest these mercenaries. She didn't want justice; she wanted vengeance. She wanted Mara Mercer trapped within the Syndicate, subjected to a living hell until her final breath—a fate far worse than any prison sentence.

Time was tight, so Mira hadn't given Lenny the full breakdown earlier. Once Lenny finished relaying the orders, he asked for the details of the ambush.

"...Let's just say about half the men they sent won't be walking away from this," Mira said coldly. "Consider it the price they pay for trying to take me."

In this world, showing weakness only invited more predators. You had to strike back harder.

"Also, tell Dexter to move fast," Mira instructed. "He needs to snatch Roxanne Porter, whatever the cost."

The Syndicate wasn't stupid. They would realize soon enough that Mira had swapped places with Mara.

She kept the entire ordeal hidden from Rachel. If the housekeeper knew the truth, she would have barred the door to keep Mira inside. At twelve-thirty, Mira and Silas slipped out of the house. She had already pulled Butler Zane aside and given him strict orders: if Rachel woke up, he was to tell her Mira had gone to see Master Ellis on urgent business.

The meeting place was deep within a low-income neighborhood—a sprawling maze of cheap rentals and crumbling apartments. Every city had a place like this, a forgotten corner where the desperate scraped by.

As their car rolled into the neighborhood, the distant barking of stray dogs echoed through the narrow streets. The area was loosely managed, making it the perfect blind spot to avoid the police. Lenny had chosen the location; if the Syndicate wanted to meet, they were doing it on Mira's terms.

When Mira's car pulled up to the designated alleyway, Lenny was already waiting. They were ten minutes early. He led them into an unassuming apartment, its interior remarkably normal. He had already set out a pot of coffee and pastries on the small table.

Mira had barely taken her seat when one of the lookouts spoke. "They're here."