Chapter 319: Shadows at Dawn
Alexander slowly opened his eyes as he felt the morning light filtering through the window. He smirked to himself, remembering the intense night before; without a doubt, it had been an excellent session of fun and gains. He looked around and found himself entangled in the bodies of the three mercenaries. The blonde was holding him comfortably against her lap, letting him use her soft thighs as a pillow, while the other two slept wrapped around his torso.
Feeling Alexander move, the blonde blinked awake and gently stroked his hair.
"Good morning... Master," said the blonde, her voice soft and her eyes filled with submission.
"Good morning," said Alexander, sitting up slowly on the bed. "Today will be an interesting day. I need to clean up a few things before I go back to hand in my report, so you girls will be coming with me."
"Where do you want to go, Master?" asked the black-haired woman, rubbing her eyes as she sat up beside him.
"We are going to find the members of this group," said Alexander, crossing his arms. "I have quite a few things to settle with them."
The three women exchanged a quiet look for a second. The brunette sighed deeply and pulled her knees up against her chest.
"If we are going after Wild Rose... you should know it won’t be an easy task, Master," said the brunette. "Those bitches have their claws in every corner."
"Why did you join an organization like that in the first place?" asked Alexander, tilting his head as he looked at them with curiosity. "You still haven’t told me how you ended up dragged into that filth."
"We didn’t have many options," said the blonde, lowering her gaze while playing with the sheets. "My name is Brianna. My family sold me to a brothel when I was just a child because they couldn’t pay off their debts. Wild Rose ’rescued’ me, but only to train me as an assassin and a personal slave for the top ranks."
"I am Paige," said the brunette, chiming in with bitterness. "I was recruited off the streets. I was starving to death after the plague destroyed my village. They fed me, but they made me sign a contract that bound me to them forever."
"And I am Sydney," said the black-haired woman, looking Alexander in the eye. "I ran away from an forced marriage and fell into their net. They made us believe they were protecting us among women, but in reality, we were just their tools to extort and kill. The more we suffered, the more loyalty they demanded from us."
"Brianna, Paige, and Sydney..." said Alexander, tasting their names on his tongue. "I see. You’ve had a pretty rough life under those scum."
"That is why we told you the truth, Master," said Brianna, pressing her breast against Alexander’s arm. "We want nothing more to do with them."
"Sounds perfect to me," said Alexander, getting out of bed with a calculating smile. "Now that you belong to me, I will make sure to collect every one of their debts. Get dressed, it’s time to hunt."
Alexander walked down the stairs quietly, followed closely by Brianna, Paige, and Sydney. Reaching the ground floor, the air smelled of spilled beer and damp wood. Alexander’s five subordinates were already busy cleaning up the establishment; the previous day the bar had been packed as usual, but the group was more than accustomed to the morning routine of tidying up the place.
However, the moment they heard the footsteps and looked up, the five men froze for a second before malicious smirks and sheer complicity spread across their faces.
There walked Alexander, spotless, escorted by the three deadly mercenaries who hours earlier had tried to ambush him. But now, the three moved with hesitant steps, their faces flushed a deep crimson, and their eyes pinned firmly to the floor, exhibiting a demeanor so submissive and docile it seemed unreal.
"Well, well, well!" shouted one of the guys, leaning his broom against a table while letting out a loud laugh. "Look at that! Good morning, Boss!"
"Just as expected from the Boss!" said another through roaring laughter, high-fiving his companion. "We told you girls it wasn’t easy going against the team’s stallion!"
"Hahaha! Look at them! Yesterday they looked like wild beasts, and today they can’t even hold anyone’s gaze!" added the third, bursting into mock laughter while pointing at them with a rag.
The three mercenaries bit their lips. Brianna swallowed hard and lowered her head even further, feeling the burning heat on her cheeks spread all the way down to her neck. Paige and Sydney pressed close to Alexander’s side, clasping their hands in front of their laps in a posture of complete obedience, entirely unable to talk back to the men’s jeers.
"Cut the nonsense and get back to work," said Alexander in a calm voice, though a slight smirk of satisfaction played on his face.
"Yes, Boss!" all five answered in unison, amidst stifled giggles and whispered jokes as they resumed cleaning.
"Come on," said Alexander, glancing sideways at the blushing trio. "There are things we need to plan before heading out."
Alexander walked toward the tavern’s main entrance, adjusting his coat while Brianna, Paige, and Sydney followed him keeping their heads down yet alert for any instruction. Before crossing the threshold, Alexander paused for a second and turned his head toward the oldest man in the group, who was reviewing ledger books at the bar.
"Old 5, you can manage the accounting as always," said Alexander in a relaxed, confident tone. "There is no need to change a thing. I trust you, Old 5."
The veteran froze for a moment, his quill stopping mid-air over the parchment. Hearing Alexander’s words, a smile of genuine gratitude spread across his weary face, brightening his eyes. He bowed firmly and respectfully to his leader.
"Thank you very much for your trust, Master Alexander," said Old 5 with conviction. "I promise to keep giving it my all so you have nothing to worry about while you are away."
Alexander gave a small nod in response, turned on his heel, and stepped out onto the street, vanishing into the morning bustle alongside his three new shadows.