Chapter 37 Opportunity

Leon pulled out his phone, glancing at the screen. It was a message from Mike telling him that they had brought the package to their spot. Knowing he couldn't waste any more time with this he looked up at the now beaten-up Splits. Blood dripped from Splits' mouth and nose, staining the dry desert ground beneath him. His eyes were half-closed, barely registering what was happening. Leon knew he had to make a quick decision; time was running out, and the longer they stayed, the more danger they were in.

Leon pocketed his phone, then stepped closer to Splits, who was struggling to breathe through the pain. He crouched down, his face close to the wounded man's. "Splits, you know you messed up big time," he said, his voice low but intense. "But I'm not gonna kill you. Not here, not now. That would bring too much heat."

He glanced back at his crew, who were watching this scene in silence. "So you better watch your back mate 'cause your friends in blue still bleed red," He said as he got up from his crouched position kicking him one more time just for good measure. "Let's go before this spot turns into a Christmas show," He said as he walked back to the Cadilac wanting to get out of there. 

Leon made sure to pocket the recording device, a grim souvenir of the night's betrayal. Masking his fist one last time, he was already thinking of various hitters to call up to handle this. The man had to die but it couldn't be connected to him butter yet he should pin it on one of his opps. 

"You got lucky tonight," he muttered as he hopped into the Cadilac prompting the rest of the guys to follow. They cast a wary glance at the beaten-up guy on the ground not knowing what Leon was planning. They knew the unspoken rule: in this business, you never leave loose ends. But tonight, they had to make an exception.

The Cadillac sped off into the darkness, leaving Splits in the dust. The desert night swallowed the sound of the engine, the silence almost surreal after the violence of moments before. Inside the car, the tension was palpable. They knew they'd dodged a bullet tonight, but the threat wasn't over.

Leon leaned back in his seat, taking another large puff of his cigar. The glow of the cherry tip briefly illuminated his face, revealing a hard-set jaw and eyes filled with cold calculation. "We're heading to Vegas," he announced. "Can't risk running into the cops on the way back to the city. We'll lay low for a bit, let things cool off. Mike can handle the next part of the plan."

JT, sitting next to him, nodded. "What about Splits? You think he'll make it out there?" Leon exhaled a cloud of smoke, his eyes narrowing. "He won't get far. Not in his condition. But just in case, I want Mike to put the word out that he's a Rat. That way, no matter where he goes, he'll be looking over his shoulder."

As the Cadillac cruised down the highway, Leon's phone buzzed again. It was another message from Mike: "Package secure. Everything's set." Leon smirked, satisfied. Despite the night's chaos, the deal had gone through, and their operation remained intact. Now, they just had to play it cool and wait for the right moment to strike. 

"Vegas it is," Leon said, his voice carrying a note of finality. "Let's roll."

~~~

The next morning Jace awoke at 5 am just before the rising sun and started going through his morning routine. Working out with Dragon and Tore who were also up early. Due to the shifting of houses late last night, the others were still tired and didn't join them. 

Not that he minded for now since they were just starting their working relationship. However, in the future, they would have to be up and early working out with him as he believes that everyone should put in the basic efforts of staying in shape. It was more about the dedication to wake up early each day to commit to staying healthy than anything else.

Finishing a 2-hour workout session consisting of a lot of cardio, callisthenics, and Mixed martial arts taught by Tore. Safe to say Jace was shattered when he was done as the two instructors didn't take it easy on him. He had asked them for this and they obliged after seeing him mostly keep up with their instructions.

Despite feeling tired from the workout Jace still went to the room designated as the studio room to continue working after a quick shower. He managed to go through his daily vocal training for a half-hour before receiving a call from Chloe his now agent. Since it was 8 am here it should be around 11 over there in the Big Apple so he wasn't surprised to receive a call from her. 

"Hey, Kid how's your morning?" Her mature yet charming voice rang out over the phone's speakers the moment he accepted the video call. Despite being a Gen-Z he prefers phone class and face-to-face talks over text and Dm's. In his opinion, the only people that should be in his DM's are girls and companies trying to hand him their money. 

Chloe's face appeared on the screen, her smile was as sharp as her business acumen. "Morning's been tough, but productive," Jace replied, leaning back in his chair, still catching his breath from the workout. "How's New York treating you?"

"Busy as ever," Chloe said, her tone brisk. "I've got some small offers lined up that I don't think you should take, and a big opportunity if you can grasp it." She told him with a teasing smile that only brightened as she saw him sit up at attention.

Jace's curiosity was piqued causing him to sit up straighter and lean forward in curiosity. "If you say the deals are bad then just forget them I'm not strapped for cash after last month's Firstdayout streaming payments went through." He replied in a nonchalant tone after emanating to hold back his curiosity enough not to ask what this big opportunity she was talking was about.

Since she loved to tease him whenever she got the chance he had learned not that not engaging was the safest option. "You're no fun," She mumbled dejectedly no longer but quickly regained her composure, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Alright, I'll cut to the chase then. Our Parent company Dove Media will be holding its yearly Fashion show in partnership with Sinclair Fashion House," she stated with excitement sending a bright smile Jace way that would have been quite charming if she wasn't his aunt. 

Through his time with his new foster Mom, he had gotten quite close to her and started subconsciously treating her with the respect of a mother. Before he even realised something within him changed to the point where he would get upset whenever someone upset her. She treated him like a son, so he reciprocated, especially since she was the first adult to ever show him love and believe in him. 

That same extended to his aunt Chloe who was the only other family member he had met throughout his one and a half month. Thus despite having a business relationship with his new aunt, she started warming up to him as she got to know him. Despite being family he still had to make sure the business side of things was cleared up as he had no intervention to walk a runway wearing a dress.

"What does a Fashion show have to do with me?" Chloe merely chuckled after seeing the apprehension written all over Jace's face. "Relax, kid. No one's asking you to strut down the runway in some avant-garde outfit. It's more than that. They want you to perform."

Jace raised an eyebrow, intrigued but still cautious. "Perform? Like, music?"

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To Be Continued...