Chapter 5
Late at night, north of New York City.
Outside an old, rundown courtyard far from the busy downtown area.
Rhode took a taxi here. It was the old house his parents bought when they were hiding their identities, and the only safe place from his childhood. Looking at the familiar but faded gate, a sharp pain hit his chest.
He was about to push the door open when he suddenly heard harsh cursing from inside the quiet yard, followed by a woman crying and a child begging desperately.
“Fuck! You bitch! I lost money outside, so what if I ask you for a few bucks for medicine?”
A man roared roughly, mixed with the sound of heavy slaps. “No money? Then tomorrow you’re coming with me to that fancy club to work as a hostess! With that face of yours, you can pay off my debt in one night!”
“Robert! Are you even human? That’s Linda’s life-saving money!” the woman cried out in agony. “Please, give it back. Linda has chemo at the hospital tomorrow…”
“Fuck the chemo. It’d be cleaner if that little bastard just died!”
“Bad guy! Don’t hit my mom! Let go of my mom!” A young but firm child’s voice rang out.
“Shut the fuck up, or I’ll kill you right now!” the man snarled.
“Don’t! Let go of Linda!”
Hearing those familiar, heartbreaking cries, Rhode felt like he’d been struck by lightning. It was his neighbor Jennifer Brown’s voice.
In an instant, cold fury flashed in his eyes, and a wave of killing intent exploded like a tsunami.
“Bang!”
Veins bulged on his arms as he kicked the heavy iron gate to pieces and stormed inside, radiating violence.
“Boom!”
The old gate couldn’t withstand the force and shattered into chunks, scattering across the stone ground and kicking up clouds of dust.
Rhode Stark stepped through the broken gate, his face full of rage.
Under the moonlight, a thin, sickly-looking man stood with a twisted expression. He had both hands clamped around the neck of a four- or five-year-old girl with pigtails and was holding her high, ready to slam her onto the hard ground.
The girl was Linda Brown. Her small face was red from choking, tears streaking her cheeks. When the gate exploded, she spotted Rhode rushing in. Grabbing her last hope, she forced out a weak cry:
“Uncle Rhode… quick, save Mom…”
“Linda!”
Jennifer Brown, sitting on the ground with a swollen face and messy clothes, screamed in despair.
Robert froze when he saw Rhode burst in. He glanced at him, then at Jennifer lying there looking pitiful, and seemed to get the wrong idea. His sunken eyes filled with twisted anger.
“Great, Jennifer!” Robert spat. “So you’ve been fucking some guy behind my back in this dump! No wonder you keep pushing for a divorce and won’t even give me money for medicine!”
“Bullshit! Robert, don’t make shit up!” Jennifer shook with rage, tears streaming down her face.
“I don’t care who the hell you are—both of you can go die!”
Robert’s face twisted as he gripped Linda tighter and hurled her toward the ground with all his strength.
“Looking to die.”
Rhode’s eyes turned cold.
In the split second Linda was falling, his body shot forward like a blur.
The next moment, his right arm swept through the air in a smooth arc and caught the terrified girl safely in his arms.
At the same time, he kept moving forward, driving his shoulder into Robert.
“Thud!”
A heavy impact sounded. Robert didn’t even have time to scream before he was lifted off the ground and slammed into the courtyard wall. He slid down limply.
“Ugh—”
The second he hit the ground, Robert coughed up a mouthful of blood, clutching his chest. It felt like his insides had been rearranged, and he couldn’t tell how many bones were broken.
Rhode didn’t even look at him. He casually handed the shaking girl to the side.
“Linda!”
Jennifer crawled over and pulled her daughter into her arms. Tears poured out as the two clung to each other, sobbing.
“Cough… damn it…”
In the corner, Robert spat blood and tried to get up. He stared at Rhode, his rage overpowering his fear. Wiping his mouth, he kept cursing:
“You bastard… you hit me? Jennifer, you bitch, think you’re hot shit just ’cause you found a guy to fuck? I’m still her husband!”
While yelling, Robert’s hand groped around on the ground and grabbed a red brick. His face twisted as he swung it with all his strength at Rhode’s head.
“Die!”
The brick came flying with a whoosh.
Rhode didn’t move. He just lifted his right hand, fingers spread, and caught it easily.
“Smack.”
The brick landed right in his palm.
The grin on Robert’s face froze.
“That all you got?”
Rhode smirked coldly. He squeezed his fingers, and the brick crumbled into dust.
“This… this isn’t possible…” Robert’s legs gave out and he dropped to the ground, his face white as a sheet. This guy wasn’t human. If that grip landed on his neck, he’d be crushed to pulp.
Linda, still in Jennifer’s arms, saw it all. Her eyes lit up with awe. She stopped crying and tugged at Rhode’s sleeve. “Uncle Rhode… can you make this bad guy go away? He bullies Mom every day. I’m scared…”
Rhode looked down, patted her head, then turned his cold eyes on Robert.
“Sure.”
