As soon as the guy fell silent, three men in suits rushed toward him. From their behavior, it was obvious they were bodyguards. They hadn't gone into the club with him not only because they had received orders from their young master, but also because they were certain: in this city, no one would dare lay a finger on their boss's son. But as it turned out, there was someone who dared.
Seeing his security, the young man shouted loudly:
"Turn this bastard into a cripple! I take full responsibility. And ten thousand to each of you."
Hearing the promised reward, the trio exchanged glances. They were professionals, former military men — they felt no irrational fear of Ray; they soberly assessed the risks. However, the money served as an excellent trigger.
Tyler wanted to intervene, but seeing his friend's predatory smile, he decided to let Ray have a bit of fun after all.
At first, Ray didn't want to cripple these men. He understood: this was just their job — protecting the foolish son of an influential client. If they had simply taken their charge and left — he wouldn't have said a word.
But seeing that they were seriously intent on earning their pay by making him a cripple, his attitude toward them changed drastically, and he charged forward without hesitation.
The man closest to him managed to react and tried to strike back. Tyler noticed the punch was well-executed — the guy clearly knew how to fight. But it wasn't enough. Ray ducked down, executed a perfect uppercut straight to the jaw — and sent his opponent into a dark room. The jaw crunched, the body went limp.
The second man lunged at Ray, but his kamikaze attempt ended with his chin meeting Ray's knee. The guard folded like a rag doll.
Casting a disappointed glance over the limp pair, Ray looked at the third — and saw that he had a pistol aimed at him.
Seeing the barrel, Ray calmly walked up to the guy. Dropping to his knees so that the muzzle touched his forehead, he said: "Go on. Shoot. Do it."
These words snapped Tyler back to reality. He had been so mesmerized by how quickly and efficiently Ray had knocked out the pair that he had missed the moment when the last bodyguard drew his weapon. By the looks of it — the youngest of the trio.
He knew his friend had a "leaky roof." But only now, seeing how Ray dropped to his knees and asked to be shot, did he understand — just how serious it really was.
Collecting himself, Tyler quickly drew his own pistol and addressed the bodyguard:
"Kid, don't be stupid. Put the gun away. Take your client and your colleagues — and we'll part ways peacefully. As you can see, my buddy's a little out of his mind. He's got nothing to lose. I do. But if need be — I'll put you all down. Because this guy is my best friend. So think hard: do you really need a hole in your skull?"
After wavering for a moment, the young man finally lowered his pistol. Realizing the situation had de-escalated, he moved to help his colleagues. But the idiot everyone had forgotten about opened his mouth again.
"You can be sure — the lives of everyone dear to you will turn into hell! I hope your momma, who had the misfortune of birthing a bastard like you, is hot enough to earn her keep out on the street! If you have a sister — they can work together, and then your family might have a shot at a normal life! You will curse this day!"
As soon as that bastard finished speaking, not only Tyler, but his own bodyguard and the girl understood: he was done for.
Seeing how the man sprang from his knees in a flash and lunged at the moron, the bodyguard froze in horror. From the look in Ray's eyes, it was clear: if he stood in his way — only death awaited him.
Tyler didn't intervene either. Watching as Ray broke that idiot's legs, he frantically thought about what to do. He clearly understood: after such words, broken limbs wouldn't be enough to quench his friend's fury.
Seeing that Ray was already on the verge of simply snapping the guy's neck, and that the man had not only screamed in pain — he had shit himself.
Tyler, not knowing how to stop his friend, shot him in the shoulder.
Because of the rage flooding his soul, Ray barely felt the pain. But the gunshot broke his train of thought, allowing his mind to clear.
Tossing his prey aside like a sack, Ray turned to his friend and, smirking, said:
"You should have aimed a little to the right and slightly higher."
"Don't even dream of it," Tyler retorted. "I'm certain that the little girl you adopted has a yandere complex. And if I want to live long and happily — and I do — that means I have to handle you with kid gloves."
"Lately, meetings with you haven't ended very well. Maybe I'll get lucky, and next time someone will just shoot me," Ray said with a bitter smirk.
"I'm still ashamed about that incident… But I'm definitely not to blame for this one."
"I don't think you want to see the cops. So get out of here. I'll sort it all out. If you want — you can take her with you. She probably won't mind. But if I were in her shoes, I wouldn't get involved with a psycho like you," Tyler said.
"Watch your tongue. Otherwise, you might find yourself sharing in this idiot's misfortune," Ray said, nodding toward the stunned young man, and added: "But seriously — thank you. And you're right: that little beauty is better off staying away from me."
The girl, finally coming to her senses, said:
"Hey, big guy, I'm still here. And you're not my daddy to tell me what to do. But… thank you, I guess. Though you didn't need to go that far."
Miku couldn't understand what made her speak so brazenly to this giant. After all, just a few moments ago, she had been trembling with fear.
Looking at the girl, Ray smirked.
"Love truly is blind. But your dimwitted betrothed insulted not only me, but my mother and sister. As this pretty boy said — I really do have nothing to lose. So let him be glad I didn't finish him off. I don't hit women. But if you insult my mother or sister — I will find a way to turn your life into hell."
"I don't know what this guy did. But I can see — you still love him. Love is evil. You'll fall for a goat. And when love leaves — the goats remain."
"Where am I going with this? If you want your goat to live a long life — try to explain to him that any attempt to harm those dear to me will cost him very dearly."
Having finished speaking, Ray said goodbye to Tyler and left.
"Your friend is a very unusual man," the girl said, watching him go.
"This guy looks impressive. Even I get scared when he's angry," Tyler admitted, "and I've known him for many years. Everything could have ended much better if that idiot hadn't stepped on a landmine. My friend is a good guy. Until you decide to insult his family. Then he can be a cute kitten… or a predator. And this guy was stupid enough to wake the predator."
With these words, Tyler crouched down beside the injured man and said:
"I don't know who your father is. But I am the chief prosecutor of the state. And my old man is no simple man either. If you want to settle this through the influence of our old men — know this: this giant is my best friend. And for him, I am ready to go to any lengths. But I personally saw you fall. Moreover — I was even caring enough to call an ambulance. Considering that, in falling, you managed to break all your limbs… Your luck leaves much to be desired. But you were fortunate — you didn't break your neck."
When the ambulance left, Tyler quietly asked:
"You're not going with him?"
"No. In one thing, your old friend was right — I truly did love him. But that person is gone now. And it's unlikely he'll ever come back. Now in our pair, it's every man for himself. In any case — thank you for your help."
"We both know I did almost nothing," Tyler said modestly.
"That's not true at all. At the very least, you spared me the necessity of seeing a corpse."
Having finished speaking, the girl caught a taxi and left.