From Bullets To Billions novel Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Following The List

Max gripped Mo’s fist tightly, his own arm trembling from the strength he was using to hold it in place.

"What the hell are you doing? Let go! Have you gone crazy?" Mo shouted, panicked now.

Just as Mo reeled his other arm back for a punch, Max struck, his free hand snapping forward in a sharp, heavy slap that cracked across Mo’s cheek. The blow was so strong, it left Mo stunned, his vision wobbling like the world had tilted.

"Who’s going to whose funeral?" Max growled.

Then, without warning, he brought his knee up and drove it right into the center between Mo’s legs. Mo let out a strangled cry, his body crumpling to the ground in a heap.

"A blow that could take out Harry Potter," Max muttered coldly.

He didn’t stop. He raised his hand again and struck Mo across the face with the back of it, a second slap that sent spit flying from Mo’s mouth.

"What... what’s happening...?" Mo groaned, barely able to form the words. His vision was darkening, his lips swelling, his whole body frozen in place.

"I’m not done!" Max snapped.

Clenching his fist, he drove it forward, full force into Mo’s face. A sickening crunch followed as his knuckles slammed into Mo’s nose, sending his head whipping backward. Blood sprayed, and Mo’s body hit the ground with a dull thud, completely still.

"This punishment, the one you used to laugh at, the one you handed out every single day to Sam and Max, this is nothing compared to that!" Max shouted, his voice raw with fury.

And it was in that moment, Mo realized, he didn’t stand a chance. This wasn’t a fight. This wasn’t even a beating. He wasn’t facing the Max he knew. He didn’t know who he was up against now. This version of Max... was a monster.

Panicked, Mo scrambled off the ground and turned to run. But he barely managed two steps before Max grabbed him by the collar, yanked him back, and slammed him down hard onto the concrete.

"Can you feel it?" Max asked, his voice low and venomous. "Can you feel the pain? Because of you, Sam will never feel this again. He’ll never feel anything."

Max flipped Mo over and grabbed the tie hanging loosely around his neck, the same one from his funeral suit. In one motion, he wrapped it tight around Mo’s throat and started to pull.

Mo’s hands shot up instantly, clawing at his neck in desperation. He scratched at the tie, at his own skin, his fingers slipping uselessly. His nails tore into his flesh, drawing blood, but he couldn’t get under the fabric. He couldn’t breathe.

"And for the rest of their lives," Max seethed, "his family will carry this pain you left behind."

"I... I... I’m sorry!" Mo barely managed to choke out.

Max loosened the tie instantly, and Mo collapsed onto the ground, gasping desperately for air. His chest heaved as if the oxygen was thick and heavy, and his body trembled uncontrollably. His eyes were bloodshot, tears welling at the corners, and his scalp prickled like his head had nearly burst from the pressure just moments ago.

"’Sorry’ is just a word," Max said coldly. "It fixes nothing. And you... you’ve gone beyond fixing. No apology can undo what you’ve done." His voice dropped as he reached down. "You wanted to play the wannabe gangster? Then you deal with the consequences."

Grabbing the tie that had just nearly choked the life out of Mo, Max wrapped it tight around his knuckles, the fabric biting into his skin. With a single hand, he lifted Mo by the scruff of the neck, like he weighed nothing.

"I’d suggest you don’t show your face at school on Monday," Max warned, winding his fist back. "No one’s going to believe the weak Max Smith was the one who did this to you."

He’s been fighting, Aron thought. So that look I saw earlier... I was right. But for Max Stern to get personally involved?

Then his eyes narrowed slightly. At least he doesn’t look injured. If anyone had dared lay a hand on the young master...