Lionel gasped for breath, the air crushing his chest like a massive stone.
I can't die, Lionel thought frantically. He'd clawed his way this far. He'd even gotten his only brother killed. He refused to die like this!
Pure willpower must have kept him alive, because just when death felt one heartbeat away, he finally located the medication in his pocket.
The pills took forever to work. When he could finally breathe again, he ripped the sack from his head.
Weak streetlights barely cut through the black alley.
Nothing else existed here—no rats, no people, nothing.
He'd been played.
Who the hell was it? Did they just want to beat him up, or was this something bigger?
He couldn't risk staying. His attacker might come back, and next time he might not walk away.
Back home, Lionel kept his mouth shut about the attack. At least the bastard had avoided his face—he looked normal on the surface.
But every muscle screamed with pain. Walking straight was agony.
——
Todd's POV
