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✨ Chapter twenty three: The Knock at Night
Moses didn't respond immediately.
Anita's words lingered in the air, heavy and unshakable.
You're not invincible.
For a split second, something flickered in his eyes—fatigue… or was it fear?
But just as quickly, it disappeared.
"I'll be fine," he said quietly.
Anita didn't argue this time.
That alone unsettled him more than anything.
Later That Night
The room had fallen into a tense silence.
Anita had finally drifted into a light sleep, her breathing soft and uneven. Moses sat beside her, elbows on his knees, staring at nothing.
Thinking.
Calculating.
Henry…
That name didn't sit right.
Henry didn't have the power.
Which meant only one thing—
Someone bigger was pulling the strings.
Knock. Knock.
Moses' head snapped toward the door.
Slow. Controlled. But deliberate.
His eyes darkened instantly.
No one was supposed to be here.
Not at this hour.
He stood up silently, careful not to wake Anita.
Another knock came.
This time louder.
More impatient.
"Moses…"
Anita's voice was barely above a whisper.
She was awake.
Fear already creeping into her eyes.
"Stay here," he said firmly.
"But—"
"Stay. Here."
The tone left no room for argument.
Moses moved toward the door, each step measured.
His hand hovered over the handle.
Then paused.
His instincts screamed at him—
Danger.
"Open the door."
The voice came from outside.
Deep. Unfamiliar.
Cold.
Moses didn't move.
"Who is it?" he asked calmly.
A short silence followed.
Then—
"We just want to talk."
A lie.
He could hear it.
Feel it.
Behind him, Anita slowly sat up, clutching the bedsheet tightly.
Her heart was racing now.
"Moses…" she called softly.
He ignored her.
Instead, he reached into his pocket.
Pulled out his phone.
Quickly typed a message.
PAUL.
LOCATION COMPROMISED.
Sent.
Then—
He unlocked the door.
The moment it opened, three men stood outside.
Dressed in black.
Faces unreadable.
But their eyes—
Their eyes said everything.
"Finally," one of them smirked. "You kept us waiting."
Moses leaned slightly against the doorframe, unfazed.
"You picked the wrong place," he said calmly.
"Oh?" the man stepped closer. "And why is that?"
Moses' gaze sharpened.
"Because you just made this personal."
Inside the room, Anita's breath caught.
She had never seen this side of him before.
Not calm.
Not gentle.
But… dangerous.
The man chuckled.
"We're not here for you."
That made Moses still.
"Then leave," he said coldly.
The man's smile widened.
"We're here for your wife."
Silence.
Absolute.
Deadly.
Before the words could settle—
Moses moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
His fist connected with the man's jaw before anyone could react.
A loud crack echoed through the hallway.
"Run!" Moses shouted without looking back.
Anita froze for half a second—
Then instinct took over.
She jumped out of bed, heart pounding, fear surging through her veins.
Outside, chaos erupted.
The other two men lunged forward.
Moses fought back, every movement sharp, precise—like this wasn't new to him.
Like he had done this before.
Too many times.
But three against one—
Even he couldn't hold them off forever.
Inside the room, Anita grabbed her phone with trembling hands.
Her mind raced.
Police.
Call the police.
Her fingers shook as she dialed—
But before she could press call—
The door slammed open.
One of the men stood there.
Bleeding.
Angry.
And coming straight for her.
Anita's breath hitched.
She stumbled back.
"No… please—"
A shadow moved behind the man.
Then—
CRASH.
Moses slammed him into the wall with brutal force.
The man dropped instantly.
Unconscious.
Moses stood there, breathing heavily.
Blood stained his sleeve.
His eyes—
Cold.
Ruthless.
Protective.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, turning to Anita.
She shook her head quickly, tears now streaming down her face.
"Moses… what is going on?" she whispered.
For the first time—
He didn't answer immediately.
Because now…
There was no more hiding.
Sirens echoed faintly in the distance.
Getting closer.
Moses closed his eyes briefly.
Then looked at her.
Really looked at her.
"I lied," he said.
And just like that—
Everything changed.
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