3. Meeting the Suspected Murderer

The sound of three shots fired into the sky broke the silence of the night. In the courtyard of a large mansion, Javer stood with his gun raised in the air.

He had been waiting for almost twenty minutes. His eyes darted to one of the windows on the second floor that was covered by a large curtain. There was a silhouette of a person behind the curtain.

With his mouth clenched in anger, Javer pointed the gun at the second floor window, then pulled the trigger to fire three rounds until the sound of shattering glass was deafening.

"Do I need to order the other boys to search the mansion, Mr. Javer?"

With his hand still holding the gun aimed at the glass of the second floor window, Javer shook his head.

"Don't do anything until I give the order. Tell the others to stay in their positions."

Fed, Javer's trusted personal aide, nodded obediently. Although furious, Fed realized that he could not go against Javer's orders.

Once again Javer pulled the trigger to fire three rounds.

The window glass was already shattered. Only a moment later, the alumynium entrance door opened as the long sound of the door opening code rang out.

A tall, well-built man appeared when the door was fully opened. around him were five male guards. A smile curved across the man's face.

"What a pleasant greeting," the man said to Javer with a low, flat laugh.

Javer lowered the pustol. His eyes were cold as he looked at the man who was now walking toward him. Both of the man's hands were stuffed into his pants pockets.

Javer had placed the pistol beside his body, waiting until the man then stood two steps away from him.

"That's quite an interesting way of greeting you, Jack," Javer said expressionlessly. "You did it, didn't you?"

Jack's eyebrows furrowed. "Did... what? Which one?"

Javer laughed dismissively. "Asshole. That pssir bomb. You put it there, right?"

"Hey," Jack paused, turning his face to look at Javer more closely, "shouldn't you be greeting me, huh? Why isn't there any friendliness on your face?"

"I didn't come here to extend hospitality to you," Javer insisted.

"Oh, really?" Jack's eyebrows shot up. "Yes... considering you came here after killing a leading member of the Perdossic Cartel. You probably want something here. Don't you think?"

Javer smiled. "You understand me best. Consider it a gift from me to your cartel. Now, tell me, do you want the same fate as the leader of one of the relations of the Perdossic Cartel?"

Jack half bowed his head, exhaling harshly. "Before answering, let me ask you, are you satisfied after taking out an important person in the Perdossic Cartel?"

Both of Javer's eyebrows furrowed. "Doesn't the Perdossic Cartel have a wide network? Oh, I heard that now your cocaine business has penetrated to the Mexican Cartel network?"

Jack smiled wryly. "That's right, but it's a pity to lose one important person who is a link between networks. Ah... what if I take your business territory? Let's just say you'll need to compensate your network of contacts."

"What a loser you are," Javer commented with a chuckle. "It's no surprise."

Jack let out a sardonic laugh. The man in front of him had never changed. His face was cold, his tone casual, but his words were always threatening. Jack knew that Javer had come to Chicago from Italy for something.

Jack also knew that Javer would come to his house after his nightclub bombing reception.

Jack watched Javer who didn't seem fazed. Images flashed through Jack's head, imagining Javer's hands now being used to kill an important leader of the cocaine business.

A flurry of anger erupted in Jack's chest. But Jack kept the curve of his smile relaxed.

"You're not afraid at all, huh. What do you want?" Jack asked.

"Your responsibility for Ellene's death," Javer said firmly in a whisper in Jack's ear. "And the bomb incident at the nightclub. I know it was you."

Hearing Ellene's name made Jack raise both eyebrows. Jack had just remembered that Ellene, Javer's fiancée and the woman he loved most, was killed by a mysterious man about two weeks ago. Now Jack understood why Javer had traveled to Chicago, even approaching his mansion.

Apparently it wasn't just to warn him of a bombing attempt at a nightclub, there was something else: Ellene.

"I heard about Ellene's death, I-"

Javer immediately gripped Jack's shirt collar tightly with one hand, while his other hand pointed the gun at Jack's temple. Javer's movement provoked the pistols held by Jack's bodyguards to be pointed at Javer. The two bodyguards around Javer also pointed their guns at Jack's five subordinates.

Jack's facial expression was stunned at the sound of the trigger being activated, but there was no fear in his gaze. Shaking his head and smirking, Jack chuckled.

"You know you can't mess with me," Javer said to Jack, glaring.

"I know, that's why I want to play with you," Jack replied with a big grin on his face.

Javer tightened his grip on Jack's shirt collar. "You killed Ellene, right?"

Jack was suddenly nailed to the spot. A frown formed in the crease of his ksnjng. During his silence, Jack had no idea what to answer. Javer's question was completely unexpected.

"Answer, asshole!" Javer snapped right in Jack's face.

"Me? Why me?" asked Jack with an uncomprehending look.

"Shit. You want to dodge?"

"When did I dodge? I'm questioning your weird question," Jack replied. "You think I killed him?"

Javer grinned, the bag laughing maniacally. The grip on Jack's shirt collar gradually loosened, but the gun was still pointed at Jack's temple.

With a glare that didn't move from Jack, the gun moved slowly to a male guard and pulled the trigger, firing a bullet through the chest.

The sudden shooting distracted the four other guards. Deftly, the two male bodyguards near Javer pulled the triggers of their respective pistoms and fired bullets at the rest of Jack's bodyguards. The last male bodyguard was knocked down by Javer until there were no bidyguard men left.

Jack was wide-eyed, his breath caught in his throat as he watched the five bodyguards fall. The blood that was splattered around made Jack gulp his saliva painfully. Instantly his gaze became worried, Jack looked back at Javer who was already giving instructions to one of his bodyguard men.

"Are you crazy?!" Jack snapped at Javer. "What exactly-"

Before Jack could finish his sentence, the sound of explosions came from the side. Jack was stunned to cover his ears as he grimaced. When he turned his head, his eyes rounded in surprise to see flames raging from a building that looked abandoned a few meters away.

"Please enjoy my greeting, cousin."

Javer's words were his last before turning around, waltzing away with his two male bodyguards. Leaving Jack stunned as he watched the flames engulf the abandoned building.

The warehouse storing wine supplies and printed money ready for distribution tomorrow was on fire.

"YOU BASTARD, JAVER VITTORIO!"