I burst inside my father's office without warning, confidence urging each step forward. He startles and looks up from his desk, confusion and anger on his face. I take care of both.

"I'm leaving." I waste no time.

"Leaving?" He repeats.

"You will have to find a new leader effective immediately. You're hardly fit to run this gang anymore so my next recommendation is Byron. He knows everything there is to know and can oversee business as I would. I won't be coming back, ever. And if anyone so much as attempts to come near me once I'm gone, don't think I won't use my training to kill them before they even understand what's happening."

He merely stares at me. At least until a loud chortle bursts out of him and he shakes his head as if he's talking to a toddler. My anger increases tenfold. "I've no time for your games, boy. The 5th Street Saints have a business proposal for us. Something about trading members. Their leader will be here in an hour and I expect you to see to it."

I slam my hands on his desk and lean down, seething. "Get it through your head, old man. I am through being leader or having any part in this gang. I have already led them for years against my own will but no more. I have a life to tend to and it has no space for your tyranny."

"Careful. You're scaring me," Father goads with a cruel sneer. "Stop behaving as if you have a choice. What's gotten into you? You will lead this gang for the rest of your life and your sons will lead it after you. This is where we belong. Enough with your delusions."

"Enough with yours! You never gave me a fucking choice! I was a child and you were showing me how to shoot a gun with impeccable precision. You taught me that killing was normal. You made me fight and train until my arms felt like they'd fall off when I should have been kicking a soccer ball or some shit. You conditioned me to become a monster, you sick fuck! I never wanted to be one but I didn't have control over my own life. But now I do and I'm walking away. I will not come back under any circumstance. This isn't my life anymore because I say it isn't. Just try and fucking stop me."

Father stands too, his face contorted with rage. "Where will you go? What will you do? You think you can just move on and pretend the last three decades of your life did not happen? Don't be a child."

"What I do from here on is none of your business. But believe me when I say I'm finally going to live the life I want with the people I want. Consider yourself dead to me."

Father barks out a laugh and puts his hands on his hips. "With the people you want? Don't tell me you're talking about a woman, Gregory."

I have never been more grateful for my ability to keep a straight face through anything. All I want to do is strangle him for closing in on who Laura is but I keep my ground, unblinking. "Don't come after me. You know as well as I do that you can't break the blood law."

"Maybe not for you," He shrugs. "But this woman...I'm under no obligation to protect her. She's putting ideas in your head and I taught you better. I would make a convincing bet that you'd stay right where you are if she wasn't around, wouldn't you?"

My arm shoots out and I grab him by the throat. His breath catches when I dig my fingers in and squeeze as tight as possible. Within seconds he's purple in the face. "You don't touch her. She's carrying my child—your future grandchild. If you touch her then you break the blood law. And once you break the blood law you are no longer protected by it. I would make a convincing bet that your enemies would have you killed within seconds of the blood law being stripped away, wouldn't they?"

I release him and he coughs out in relief, stumbling over and grasping the edge of his desk while he pulls in air. I watch him with a sneer. I should have finished the job while I had the chance.

"You really are despicable," Father laughs, though it sends him into another coughing fit. "Impregnating a woman and suddenly she's untouchable? What a coincidence."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night. But remember if you touch either of us, you are free to be killed by anyone who wishes. Stay the hell away from me, asshole."

"You think it is this easy? This is far from over, Gregory."

"Don't push it!" I swing my arm back and clock him across the face. He stumbles backwards and crashes into the wall behind him, gaping at me in shock. I think until this moment he had no idea how serious I was. "You will not touch my family! I will personally slit your throat and watch the life drain from your eyes if you try it. If anyone tries it. You groomed me to your advantage and today, I've become your downfall. Choke on your failure, Father. Live with it for the rest of your miserable life."

His eyes harden and for a moment he looks like the vicious Abram Resnick that made the South Bloods what they are today. "I am your family, boy. You can run wherever you want but you can never pretend that you don't have my blood in you. I didn't make you anything except what you've always been."

"Then why are you experiencing fear? I can see it in your eyes, old man. I see right through you and I'm not impressed."

"This is a mistake," He spits. "You will regret it. You should know the consequence of making me your enemy."

"The only consequence I've faced at the hands on you is all the blood I'm responsible of spilling. Anything that comes after that will pale in comparison. I do not fear you, nor do I care for you. You lose."

His nostrils flare and he takes one step forward. "So be it. Don't say you weren't warned."

"Remember those words if you find yourself dying at my hands."

"To hell with you!" He shouts at my retreating back. Fuck him. I never want to see the bastard again.

I'm not surprised when I leave the warehouse and find the majority of the South Bloods loitering around. I have no doubt that they heard my argument with Father and when they see me, they all stiffen and face me expectantly. It is hard to tell what they want to hear right now.

"What was that, Raze?" One of them finally breaks the silence with his haughty demand. "You're fucking leaving?"

"We're hearing rumours," Another calls out. "That you're doing all of this just for a girl."

"You've gone soft!" Someone in the back shouts and the men cheer out their agreements, all their rage directed my way. "You're leading the most ruthless gang in New York and you're stepping down for a woman? It's a fucking disgrace!"

"We don't leave our men behind!" The accusation is followed by another round of cheers. The crowd of men gradually get closer to me, openly sneering and glaring. "We want to see consequences, Raze! Who have you chosen over your own men? Don't think we won't come after you!"

"And do what?" I ask. My voice is calm and low. They are all feeding off each other's testosterone, flooding their lungs with false courage and forgetting where they stand in our hierarchy. Either I can panic or make an example of their disobedience. "Remember the blood law."

One man steps forward. Duke. I've worked with him for nearly a decade now and he has always followed orders. Although he has a temper that runs hot and is one of our more ruthless members. He has done things even I cannot stomach, but I stay on my side of business and let him stay on his. Until he steps into my face now, shoulders pushed back under the false guise that he has the upper hand here. It's only because our men cheer for him and his mouth curls with bravery. Idiotic man.

"I would think leaving your men behind means breaking the blood law. And once the blood law breaks, you have no protection." He cracks his head side to side, grinning wolfishly. "Where are you hiding the pretty little thing anyway? Must have one hell of a pussy to make the great Raze fall to his fucking knees. Maybe I should go see for myself what all the fuss is about."

An example I will make.

The men behind him fall into fits of laughter and call out similar remarks. Duke juts his chin out proudly, chest knocking into mine. We are almost the same both in height and muscle but he does not know how to use his body to kill like a machine. I do. And right now, I don't hear or see or feel anything beyond the words he just said. I shut down, honing in on my rage to charge myself up on the inside. On the outside I'm stoic and Duke mistakes it for fear.

"What was that?" My question is spoken quietly but loud enough that the rest of my men hear. They finally simmer down, openly buzzing with anticipation to see what will happen.

Duke's grin widens. "I said, where are you hiding that piece of ass? I'm going to show her how a real man fucks, whether she's willing or not."

Breaths levelled, in and out. Feet gradually widening into stance. Hand already reaching for the knife in my pocket. But he sees none of this because he is a blind man. All he sees is the face I put on, cold and unblinking. I nod. "One more time, Duke. One more."

Duke chuckles. He's drunk on courage and uncaring that he's leaving his fate up to me. And I decide he will not live to see another minute of his life.

"I think I heard her name somewhere too." He licks his lips, eyes flashing. "Laura?"

Dead man.

Before he can blink, the heel of my palm strikes into his nose to catch him off guard. It was not meant to harm, but to distract. And while he's processing the burst of pain with a dazed look, I jam my fingers into his mouth and yank his tongue out. My knife slices it off in one smooth motion.

A tortured howl erupts from him and he falls to the floor, screaming in pain. Bursts of blood erupt from his mouth and he keels over, hand covering his face to try and salvage the mess made of him. It's pointless. He bleeds out all over the cement he lays on, cries tearing out of him. My face doesn't budge an inch.

I face my men and they all stumble backwards, growing somber once again and remembering their place. I hold Duke's tongue up before tossing it at them. "This is for speaking to me with disrespect. He is not the only one who talked out of his ass so who would like to go next? Who would like to challenge their leader?"

I get no response. My brows push up. "What's wrong? Weren't you all about to enlighten me of the consequences I'd face for leaving? Finish it. Tell your leader what you think you can do to him. I could use a laugh."

Still no response. I point to Jett, the man who claimed he'd come after me. "Get up here."

The men around him move back and open a pathway from him to me. Jett laughs nervously. "Raze..."

"Get up here!" I take my gun out of the waistband of my jeans and point it at him. "You do not disobey me!"

Jett panics, eyes darting around. He tries to stand tall, pride preventing him from owning up to the grave mistake he made. "I was just voicing what everyone was thinking! You—"

I pull the trigger. The bullet hits him neatly between the eyes and he falls to the floor. Before his body can even make contact with the cement, I turn to Duke and lift him up by the collar. His shirt is drenched in blood, face smeared, and he whimpers because he is unable to say anything. I have no mercy for him and the things he implied he would do to my Laura. Bastard. I poise the gun inside his mouth where his tongue should be and shoot. The bullet goes through the back of his neck and I drop him again, letting him bleed out like the miserable man he is.

"Let me clarify one thing." My voice sounds monotone. Robotic. I simply pocket my gun again and grab the man closest to me, tauntingly wiping my bloodied knife across his neck. He gulps hard. "Every single one of you could ambush me at once. You could step forward with guns blazing. But you would all end up dead at my feet even then. Who can tell me why?"

Still no answer. Pathetic men. Raving and bragging about being the most ruthless there was, yet fall silent from the child's play I just demonstrated. My eyes harden with warning.

"I may be Abram's son, but I am your leader because I have no rival. No equal. The status we have in this city is because I am the face of South Bloods. You are all thriving off my legacy. So don't fucking tell me that I never did anything for you. I have kept each and every one of you alive by choice. Let Duke and Jett be proof of that. And make no mistake—I am not soft. I do not hesitate to kill. If any of you tries to come after me or harm my family, the woman carrying my child, I will torture you until you beg for death. The blood law may offer protection, but none of you would have a chance even if it didn't. If you think otherwise, come face your leader right now and prove me wrong."

Wary glances are passed between each other. A lot of them are directed behind me and when I glance there, I find Father standing and glowering. I silently dare him with my eyes to approach me. I've long since outmatched him and he knows it. He might put up the most decent fight from anyone in this gang but he won't win. I turn around when it becomes clear he won't step up.

"I may be leaving but I am still your leader. You will always answer to me. I could come back decades from now and your sons and daughters will all know my name and the work I've done. They will fear me just as you do. This is my fucking kingdom. God help the fool who ever tries to fight me for my throne."

And I leave it at that. Without another word I stalk away, kicking Duke's lifeless body to the side. I lock eyes with Byron who's face is as passive as mine but there's a certain pride in his eyes that cannot be mistaken. He might be the only one I will actually regret leaving behind.

"If anyone wishes to join me, they can." I'm reminded to call over my shoulder. "If you do not wish to continue gang work then you may join my business. We could use the skills some of you possess. You decide what life you want to live just as I have. Approach me with respect and I will show you mercy."

Then I leave it behind for good. It is the first time I've been able to breathe in years.

__________________________

A/N

BOW DOWN TO THE FUCKING KING. Holy shit, Greg!! I knew he was my favourite character for a reason!

God, this has been such an intense read. Crazy how we're almost at the end!

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Happy Reading :)