KILLAN'S POV
Hover told me to ease my mind — that he'd handle Caesar himself. His voice was calm, laced with that familiar venom he hides under every promise. "Rest easy, Craige," he said. "I'll deal with it."
And I believed him.
Because when Hover says he'll deal with someone, he doesn't mean negotiation or warning. He means elimination. He means there will be a grave — and this time, it will have Father Jake's name written on it.
That's just who Hover is. A man who finds pleasure in other people's downfall. A sinister creature dressed in expensive suits and silver rings, smiling while he watches lives collapse beneath his feet. If you're weak, you don't stand a chance against him. He doesn't just destroy you — he enjoys it.
I'm one of the few who can handle him, and that's the only reason I'm still breathing. I learned early that the only way to control Hover is to stare back at the darkness inside him and refuse to flinch. He respects power — nothing else. You either match his strength or you become his next amusement.
When I first met Hover, he wasn't my subordinate — he was a customer. The deal was supposed to be simple, just another exchange of money and silence. But from the start, I knew he was different. Cunning. Sharp. The kind of man who hides a dagger in every word. If you didn't know him, you'd think he was charming. But if you looked deeper, you'd see what he truly was — a storm wearing a human face.
In his prime, he was terrifying. No one dared cross him. Entire families folded under his influence, syndicates bowed at his command. He owned multiple companies scattered across the country, all clean on paper but rotten at the core. His reach extended everywhere — especially in the underworld, where his syndicate ruled without question.
A man like that shouldn't need anyone's protection. And yet, here he is… wanting Craige to protect him. Craige. It doesn't make sense. Men like Hover are the ones people beg for mercy from, not the other way around. Still, that's not my concern. My only concern is that the job gets done — and Hover has never failed me.
No one escapes my gaps. No one escapes my eyes.
Every target I've ever marked — gone. Every mission — perfect. Clean. No witnesses, no loose ends. Failure isn't in my vocabulary. Perfection isn't pride; it's the only way I've survived this long.
Hover knows this too well. That's why he's still useful to me. But he wasn't always. He tried once — tried to pull me under his thumb, to make me his weapon. Thought he could buy me. Command me.
I refused.
He didn't like that. And like every powerful man who's had his ego bruised, he tried to test me. Sent men to corner me, to measure if I was worth the trouble. He got his answer when I left his men bleeding and Hover himself nearly at death's door.
He learned the hard way: I'm not someone you mess with.
Ironically, I saved him that night. He was seconds from dying when I pulled him back. I don't even know why I did it. Maybe I wanted to prove I was in control — that I decide who lives and who dies. Or maybe, in some twisted way, I didn't want to see that kind of power wasted on a grave.
He's owed me ever since. And because of that, he now handles certain matters for me. It's an unspoken agreement — a balance of fear and favor. He's dangerous, but he's loyal… at least for now.
But even Hover has enemies. I learned that when three men — not ordinary criminals, but titans — tried to erase him. Their wealth and influence stretch across continents. The kind of men who buy governments, who turn wars into business opportunities. I saved Hover from them too, though I sometimes wonder if that was a mistake. Because saving him meant tying myself to his darkness even tighter.
I can't imagine ever needing help from those tycoons, but life has a cruel sense of irony. Maybe someday I'll knock on their doors. Maybe I'll beg for the power I once spat on. Who knows?
Right now, Hover is enough. His hands will do what mine no longer want to. He'll carve the world into silence, and I'll stand in the shadows pretending I'm not the one who ordered it.
After this… I'll stop.
That's what I keep telling myself. After this one — after Caesar, jake, after the last name on my list — I'll turn over a new leaf.
No more orders.
No more blood.
But the truth is, men like me don't get new beginnings. We only get pauses between our sins.
And when Hover's done digging Caesar's grave, I'll still be here — standing over the dirt, pretending the hole isn't meant for me too.
****
Caesar's (Father Jake's) POV
The smell of disinfectant filled the hospital room, sharp and sterile, yet somehow comforting. The beeping of machines marked the rhythm of my son's fragile recovery. Jake lay on the bed, pale but conscious at last. When his eyes fluttered open, relief washed over me like a tide after a long storm.
"Dad…" he murmured weakly, voice rough from sleep and tubes.
"I'm here, son," I said, leaning forward and brushing his hair from his forehead. "Don't talk too much. Just rest."
But Jake shook his head, his jaw tightening. "It was Killan…" His voice cracked. "He… he's the one who beat me."
The words hit me like a hammer. Killan. That name ignited something inside me—a dark, boiling fury that burned hotter the longer I sat there. "Don't worry, son," I said, forcing calm into my voice even as my hands trembled. "He will pay for this. I promise."
Before I could ask more, my phone rang sharply in my pocket. The screen flashed Dad. A bad sign. My father never called unless something was wrong—terribly wrong.
I stepped into the hallway and answered. "Hello, Dad—"
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" His voice thundered through the phone, making me flinch. I pulled it away from my ear instinctively, wincing. "What the hell did you do?!"
"W–what? Dad, I—"
"Our investors are withdrawing!" he roared. "Mr. Hover just pulled out his entire investment from the company! Do you have any idea how hard I worked to get that man to trust us?!"
My heart stuttered. "What do you mean? I didn't do anything wrong!"
"Don't give me that crap!" he barked. "Fix this mess, Caesar. Fix it, or start packing your things. I'll hand everything over to your younger brother—at least he knows how to keep a company running!"
The call ended with a deafening silence. I stood frozen in the hospital corridor, my mind spiraling. Hover… that Hover? The most feared, most influential businessman in the country? He was our biggest investor, the pillar that kept our empire standing. If he withdrew… everything I'd built would collapse in days.
My hand clenched around the phone until my knuckles whitened. My younger brother. The golden child. Father's favorite. The one I spent years trying to surpass. Now he was threatening to hand him my company—my legacy.
I returned to Jake's room, trying to steady my breathing, but my pulse raced uncontrollably. The walls seemed to close in. My wife's worried eyes met mine. "Honey… what happened? You look pale."
"Nothing," I lied, forcing a brittle smile. "Everything will be alright."
But it wasn't. Not even close.
Just as I reached for my phone to call my secretary, her name flashed on my screen. "Sir," she said breathlessly the moment I picked up, "I'm so sorry, but Mr. Hover has officially transferred his investment… to your younger brother's company."
The words shattered me. It was like the ground beneath me crumbled into dust. My knees buckled, and I sank into the chair, unable to breathe for a moment.
"What?" I whispered, disbelief choking me. "How… how could this happen? We were doing well. I handled everything perfectly."
"I don't know, sir," she replied softly. "But… should I set an appointment for you to see Mr. Hover?"
"Yes," I said quickly, grasping for any thread of hope. "Yes, please. Immediately."
"Right away, sir."
The call ended, but the silence that followed was heavier than before. My wife touched my arm gently, concern etched across her face. Jake, still weak, stared at me, sensing something was wrong.
I looked at them—my family—and forced myself to smile even as my chest tightened painfully. "It's okay," I said, though my voice trembled. "Everything will be alright."
But deep down, I knew it wasn't.Something bigger was moving beneath the surface—something beyond my control.And if Mr. Hover was truly behind this sudden shift… then maybe this wasn't just business.I need to know what happened...