Chapter 468: Family Matters
Chang Xuefeng opened the door, already on guard for whatever had set Hattie off. Normally, she would race to the door, no matter what any of them said, so for her to insist that one of them open it.
Well, it doesn’t bode well for whoever was on the other side.
The rest of the guys fanned out behind Hattie, their sole focus on the man facing them. If ’dirtbag’ had a look, this would be it. Sure, they were in the middle of an apocalypse, but the amount of grease in the man’s blond hair was enough to deep fry something.
As if completely unaware of the guys’ disgust, the man on the porch gave a crooked smile.
He was in his early 30s, maybe. Still fit, though the kind of fit that came from resentment, not discipline. His eyes swept over Chang Xuefeng, then Tank, and lingered a little too long on Dante’s knife. There was no shame in him—only the smug calculation of someone who thought he’d found the top of the food chain.
"Nice place," the man drawled. "Didn’t think the government types were still operating in homes like this. But then again, you boys look like the real deal."
No one responded.
Tank didn’t blink.
Chang didn’t move.
The man cleared his throat and stepped one boot onto the threshold, ignoring the way the very air around him seemed to resist his entry. "Right. Name’s Marc. I was told this is where wishes get granted. Didn’t believe it at first, but I’ve seen too much weird shit lately to call it crazy."
Hattie stayed hidden behind Tank, her fingers curled into his shirt even as she felt a weight on her chest the moment the stranger spoke his first word. Sure, he lost his O City accent, but his voice... the cadence... he couldn’t change that, no matter how long it had been.