From Bullets To Billions novel Chapter 56

Chapter 56: A Big Favour

It was completely unexpected. Max hadn’t even seen it coming, how Jay had predicted where he’d be and yanked him down to safety.

It showed Jay had instincts, real ones. But out of everything, the part that surprised Max the most was that this giant wall of muscle had clearly lied, shouting to throw everyone off, sending the others charging in the wrong direction.

Max didn’t waste a second. He scrambled to his feet, not daring to linger. Who knew how long it would take for the others to realize they’d been tricked? Still, he had to ask.

"Why?" Max said, panting. "Why did you help me? You know Dipter’s not going to be happy about this."

Jay just shrugged, completely casual about it, like none of this was a big deal. "As if you’d be dumb enough to tell them," he said. "And besides, you don’t seem like the type to repay a favor like that with betrayal."

He spoke so matter-of-factly that Max almost forgot the situation they were in.

"I meant what I said back at the classroom," Jay continued. "I really thought they just wanted to talk to you. I had no idea they were planning this, gathering so many people... and with weapons too."

"If it was just me," Jay said, his voice low, "I would’ve dealt with it using my fists. What they did back there... it made me sick. I always act based on how I feel, and that? That didn’t feel right. Someone like you, who fights head-on, shouldn’t be taken out like that."

It was rare, finding someone like Jay. Someone who had his own code, his own morals, and still had the guts to stand by them, even if it meant going against everyone else.

From what Max had seen and heard, he actually liked Jay. It was just a shame they were standing on opposite sides.

"I’ll repay you for this favor," Max said, nodding once as he walked past Jay. There wasn’t anything else he could do for now, hanging around would just drag Jay into even bigger trouble.

"If you ever get into any mess, any kind of trouble... come find me. I’ll help you, however I can."

Without another word, Max broke into a sprint, racing down the dim streets. He knew the others would still be combing the area, searching high and low for him. If he wanted to make it out, he had to move fast.

Behind him, Jay stayed back, watching him disappear into the night.

"You’re the one offering to help me, huh?" Jay said under his breath, a small chuckle escaping him. "How could a nobody like you possibly help someone like me... but those were some good words, kid. Real good words."

****

Max kept running through the streets, his breath ragged, his legs moving purely on instinct now. He hadn’t spent much time in this city, not enough to really know his way around, so he was relying on gut feeling alone to find his way back.

He ducked around corners, crossed empty roads, cutting through alleyways without thinking twice. Only when he was sure the coast was clear did he finally pull out his phone. At least with that, he could pull up some directions and map out a route back home.

But there was another problem. He could feel it, blood still dripping from his back, slowly but steadily. The wound must have been deep if it was still bleeding like this.

And now, with no one chasing him anymore, the adrenaline that had been fueling him was starting to crash hard. His vision blurred at the edges, the world tilting slightly with every step.

"Damn it!" Max cursed under his breath, looking down at the screen. Several missed calls lit up the phone. All from the same contact, the Stalker.

"So much for being some special security team," Max grumbled. "My ace up my sleeve ended up being worth nothing after all."

In the back of his mind, there was this gnawing feeling, something he hadn’t wanted to admit before. A part of him had always suspected it.

This whole thing had been a setup. _{freewēbnoveℓ.com}

Max wasn’t as naive as Jay. He had known from the start there would be trouble, he just hadn’t expected it to be this bad. He hadn’t expected them to be armed.

In his current state, Max knew he had no chance of taking on that many people, armed or not. That was why, in his desperation, he had messaged Aron.

The thing was, in the rush, Max had left out quite a lot of important details. His message had been simple, blunt: Come now. ASAP.