Chapter 612: Probably Can't Get Out
"Yo, Mr. Kensington, remember me?" A voice suddenly cut through the air.
Nathaniel glanced up. It was that debt collector he'd roughed up before. The dude's face was still messed up, making him look even more pissed.
Nathaniel smirked, not sure if he was mocking or just amused.
That smirk set the debt collector off. He swung and clocked Nathaniel right in the face, "You still think this is funny?"
Nathaniel's head snapped to the side. His cheek went numb, but he didn't flinch or make a sound.
The debt collector, still salty about the last beatdown, saw his punch didn't do much. Just as he was about to swing again, a voice from behind barked, "Stop!"
A door creaked open, and footsteps echoed. Nathaniel looked up. A guy walked in, probably the casino boss. Everyone around bowed their heads in respect.
The debt collector stepped aside, "Sir."
Todd Bailey glanced at Aurelie lying on the ground, "Get this woman up."
Nathaniel wiped the blood from his mouth and shot Todd a cold look, "Leave her out of this. She's got nothing to do with it."
Todd raised an eyebrow, "But her old man owed us. Now he's dead, the debt's on her."
Nathaniel locked eyes with Todd, "Come after me instead."
"Come after you?" Todd looked surprised. "You wanna cover her debt? Just so you know, it's a hefty sum."
Nathaniel sneered. "Exactly. She can't pay it back. Taking her won't help. Let her go, and I'll stay. I'll cover her debt and pay up for hitting your guy."
Todd chuckled, "You in love with this chick?"
That question again.
Cecily had asked him before, and he'd asked himself. The answer was no.
But looking at Aurelie passed out on the floor, he didn't want her hurt.
So, love or not, he didn't know.
"This ain't about the debt," Nathaniel dodged the question.
Todd didn't push. He plopped down on a black sofa, tapping his fingers on the table, eyeing Nathaniel like he was weighing his options.
After a moment, Todd waved his hand, and two goons carried Aurelie out. Todd said slowly, "I don't like messing with women. Since you're willing to pay, fine. But you hit my guy, and you wanna cover her debt too? That's a big tab."
"Just spit it out," Nathaniel hated the runaround. He'd already braced for the worst when he walked in.
"You beat up my guys, and they're still sore about it. What do you think should happen?" Todd asked.
"You wanna hit me back?" Nathaniel's eyes showed no fear.
The guys Nathaniel had beaten were already cracking their knuckles, moving in, "Sir, let us handle him. We got a score to settle."
"Yeah, tie him up and beat him to a pulp first," some of the guys suggested.
"No!" Todd raised his hand to stop them. "That's too boring. Besides, he didn't tie you up when he beat you. It wouldn't be fair."
Todd seemed to play fair, but Nathaniel could see through his eyes that he was bad news.
Todd smirked, a hint of sadism in his eyes, "Let's make this interesting. You wanna pay your girl's debt? If you can beat everyone I throw at you, we'll call it even for the beating. I won't pursue it further, and I'll let you pay her debt. How about it? You game?"
Nathaniel looked at Todd, still calm, "Do I have a choice?"
"Good, then it's settled. I have a life-and-death agreement here. Sign it, and whether you live or die, it's on your own." Todd slapped an agreement in front of Nathaniel.
Nathaniel stepped forward, glanced at the agreement, and looked up at Todd, "Can you guarantee her safety and that you won't mess with her again?"
"Of course, I'm a man of my word," Todd smiled.
Nathaniel didn't hesitate and signed the agreement.
Todd put away the agreement, staring at the signature. "Nathaniel! Oh, I forgot to mention, your brother specifically asked me not to let you leave alive. But I don't like others meddling in my business. If you survive, I'll keep my promise, let you pay her debt, and let you both go. So, it's all on you."
Todd stood up and told his men, "Now, settle your scores."
Todd turned and left, closing the door behind him. His men surrounded Nathaniel.
"He beat us so bad that day. Today, don't hold back. Beat him to death," one of the guys shouted.
"Yeah!" they responded in unison.
Nathaniel clenched his fists.
Aurelie hadn't been released yet but was taken to another room. The coldness around her seeped into her skin.
She shivered slightly, slowly opening her eyes to see a dark room, looking particularly oppressive, like a cage.
The unfamiliar environment was scary enough. She curled up.
"You're awake," Todd's voice came from beside her. Aurelie looked up to see Todd sitting on a sofa, staring at her.
Todd exuded an oppressive aura, making Aurelie's nerves tense. She forced herself to stay calm and meet Todd's gaze, "You're the casino owner."
Todd raised an eyebrow, "How'd you figure it out?"
Aurelie had already suspected it was the casino people seeking revenge before she was knocked out. The man in front of her had an unusual presence, so it wasn't hard to figure out he was either the casino owner or someone related.
Aurelie tried to stay calm and meet Todd's gaze, "What do you want? I can't pay back Joshua's debt."
Aurelie had resigned herself to death because she couldn't repay the debt. Now that they had caught her, they seemed cruel. She felt she wouldn't make it out alive.
At least she wouldn't drag anyone else down.
"I know you can't pay it back. Don't worry, some fool has stepped up to pay it for you," Todd laughed.
Aurelie got what he was saying, and her heart just dropped. "Who?"
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