Chapter 46: The Dent!!
Miles eased his car to a slow crawl along the moonlit avenue, the hum of the engine soft against the night’s stillness. The glowing skyline of Star Harbor shimmered in the rearview mirror, a peaceful reflection of the calm he was heading home to—until everything changed in an instant.
From both sides of a narrow street, black heavily-tinted sedans surged forward, cutting him off and forming a ring around his vehicle like vultures encircling prey. Tires screeched, engines revved, and headlights flared, forcing Miles to slam the brakes. The car jerked violently to a halt—then crack!—a sharp jolt hit from behind.
The impact wasn’t serious, but enough to crack the rear license plate and dent the bumper.
Miles’s eyes narrowed. His grip on the steering wheel loosened calmly as if nothing had happened. Without a word, he pushed the door open and stepped out, his boots pressing quietly onto the pavement. Around him, doors burst open and over a dozen bulky men exited their vehicles, half in leather jackets, half in dark casuals—mercenary types, or overconfident bodyguards-for-hire.
One of them swaggered forward, a cruel grin on his face. "Where are you going, boss?" he sneered. "You should stay here tonight... forever."
Miles ignored him.
Instead, he walked to the rear of his car, crouched slightly to inspect the damage. His eyes passed over the dent, the cracked plate, the faint scrape of paint—and then he stood back up slowly.
The man closest to him chuckled mockingly. "That’s your future tonight," he said, kicking the bumper slightly.
Miles’s head tilted.
His eyes, once calm, sharpened into something cold. Final.
Without a word, he raised one hand... and brought it crashing down on the offending car’s front bumper. The sound was like thunder meeting steel.