Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Dividends of Violence
The tires of the Shelby chirped softly against the asphalt as Alexander pulled into the underground parking garage of the hotel. He killed the engine, the heavy silence of the concrete structure wrapping around the vehicle. Moving with efficiency, he grabbed the tactical rifle from the floorboard, concealing it beneath the dark jacket he had thrown over his shoulders, and hoisted the heavy leather duffel bag of cash in his other hand.
He walked through the service entrance and straight into the lobby. Nobody bothered him; the late-night staff knew better than to ask questions about the wealthy, unreadable guests who frequented the upper floors, especially those with an aura as lethal as his.
Alexander took the elevator up to the ninth floor, his boots making no sound on the thick carpet as he strode down the corridor to room 911. He swiped the keycard, the lock clicking open to reveal the dimly lit suite.
Marcus was already inside, sitting on the edge of an armchair with his own gear partially stripped, looking over a secure tablet.
Without saying a word, Alexander walked over to the main table and dropped the heavy duffel bag right next to the first one they had secured earlier. The dull, heavy thud of a million dollars in cash echoed through the quiet room.
"Where are the other two girls?" asked Alexander, his deep voice cutting through the silence as he unstrapped his tactical vest and tossed the rifle onto the mattress.
"They’re safe" said Marcus, setting the tablet down and looking up at Alexander’s lean frame. "I drove them straight to the main precinct in the lower district. I didn’t want to leave a paper trail, so I dropped them off a block away from the entrance, made sure they walked through the front doors safely, and then I cleared out immediately before the cameras could flag my plates or draw any unnecessary attention to us."
"Did they see your face?" asked Alexander, his dark eyes narrowing slightly as he poured himself a glass of water.
"No, I kept the tactical balaclava on until I was clear of the area" said Marcus, shaking his head. "To them, we were just a couple of heavily armed ghosts who smashed through a human trafficking den and vanished into the night. They won’t be able to give the cops anything useful."
Alexander nodded slowly, taking a long sip of water as he stared at the two identical bags resting on the table. The sheer velocity of the night’s events was finally catching up to them, but the tangible proof of their success sat right there in neat, high-denomination stacks.
"Good" said Alexander, his tone cold and calculating. "We don’t need the local authorities digging into who emptied that warehouse before they arrived."
Alexander walked over to the table, his fingers unzipping both duffel bags exposing the literal mountain of cash to the dim light of the hotel suite. The sight of two million dollars sitting in neat, banded stacks was intoxicating, but his expression remained perfectly stoic, his mind already calculating the next move.
He began pulling the stacks out, throwing them across the smooth wooden surface to split the haul.
"One million for you, one million for me" said Alexander, his deep voice flat and businesslike as he piled the cash into two identical towers.
Marcus stared at the money, a low, disbelief-filled whistle escaping his lips as he leaned forward in his chair.
"I knew those bastards were loaded, but seeing it all laid out like this is a different story" said Marcus, his eyes tracking the stack Alexander had just tossed toward his side of the table. "This changes a lot of things for our operational budget."
"It changes everything" said Alexander, his dark eyes locking onto Marcus’s face with an intense, serious edge. "But don’t get sloppy. This kind of cash attracts a lot of unwanted attention if you start throwing it around. We clean it slowly, through the usual channels. No big purchases, no sudden lifestyle changes. Understood?"
"You don’t have to tell me twice" said Marcus, a smirk crossing his face as he reached out to drag his half of the money toward himself, stuffing the stacks back into his own duffel bag. "I’ve been in this game long enough to know how fast a million dollars can turn into a bullseye on your back if you aren’t careful."
Alexander nodded smoothly, packing his own share back into the leather bag, his mind briefly drifting to the apartment he had promised Helen earlier. With this money, securing a private sanctuary for his aunt—and his cousin—would be effortless out of the reach of Rachel’s prying eyes.
"What’s the play for tomorrow?" asked Marcus, zipping his bag shut with a sharp, metallic click.
"Tomorrow, we lie low and monitor the news" said Alexander, his voice cold and definitive as he leaned his lean frame against the table. "Xavier is already sniffing around the docks. If my grandmother’s people find anything that connects us to that bloodbath, we need to know before they do."
Marcus stopped at the doorway, the heavy duffel bag slung over his shoulder as he looked back at Alexander.
"How exactly do you plan on monitoring Xavier?" asked Marcus, his brow furrowing with genuine curiosity. "That old man has been running security for your family since before we were born. He isn’t stupid."
"I don’t have a solid plan yet" said Alexander, his deep voice dropping to a low, frustrated rasp as he leaned his lean frame against the table. "But I’m absolutely certain Rachel suspects what really happened out there today. She’s starting to guess what it is I actually do for a living."
Marcus let out a grim chuckle, shaking his head.
"Well, if the matriarch comes looking for answers, we’re going to need more than just luck" said Marcus, turning his attention to the door.
"About that apartment... do you have the number for a reliable real estate agent? Someone who doesn’t ask too many questions about cash payments."
Marcus paused, a knowing smirk playing on his lips as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his encrypted phone.
"Of course I do" said Marcus, his thumbs flying across the screen as he sent the data through their secure network. "I’ll text you the contact info right now. He handles high-end, discreet properties downtown."
Alexander’s phone buzzed sharply against the tabletop. He glanced down at the screen, confirming the arrival of the digital contact card, before looking back up at his partner with a cold, appreciative nod.
"Thanks" said Alexander, his tone final. "Get some sleep. We’re going to be busy tomorrow."
