Blood Money

David had sent Xavier flying with a punch to the stomach, sending him crashing into his desk. 

Xavier was unable to get up easily, his weight working against him, and he felt like he had broken his back. 

The pain was excruciating, and he let out a loud groan as he struggled to move. 

"Ahh," he groaned, his face contorted in agony, eyes screwed up in pain. 

"You..you'll pay for this, David!" He gasped, his voice weak but venomous. 

David loomed over Xavier, his expression stern and unforgiving. "I didn't want to resort to violence, but you left me no choice," he said, his voice firm but controlled.

"Now, are you going to pay me what you owe me in full, or do we need to do this the hard way?" he demanded, his eyes blazing with intensity.

Xavier's eyes widened in terror as he gazed up at David, shock and fear etched on his face. He had always underestimated David, seeing him as calm and composed, and had often teased him for it. 

But now, faced with the sudden and brutal display of violence, Xavier realized his mistake. David's eyes seemed to bore into his soul, and Xavier trembled with fear.

Xavier attempted to salvage his dwindling courage, sneering at David, "I can have you thrown out of this club in an instant, banned for good! You'll be lucky if you get a dime!" 

He tried to sound convincing, but his voice trembled slightly. "Don't push your luck," he added, trying to sound menacing. 

"Do your worst," David replied, his eyes glinting with a fierce intensity. 

Xavier's eyes widened in perplexity, unable to accept that David saw through his bluff. "Eh?" he stuttered, his composure cracking.

Xavier's confusion was short-lived, as David's sudden and brutal snap of his pinky finger sent him reeling in shock.

 A piercing scream tore from Xavier's throat, his heart racing with fear, and his breathing quickening to panicked gasps. 

"Why are you doing this?" he begged, his eyes streaming with tears as he cradled his injured hand. 

The sound of his own screams and the sight of his own tears seemed to terrify Xavier even more, and he cowered away from David, his eyes pleading for mercy.

David leaned in closer, his eyes blazing with intensity as he lowered himself to Xavier's level. 

"You're really asking me why I'm doing this?" he hissed, his voice low and menacing. 

"I've already told you, I need it for my mom's medical expenses. Don't play dumb with me, Xavier. You know Laura is fighting for her life in the hospital, and yet you still try to take advantage of me? You think I don't work hard enough?"

David's words were laced with anger and desperation, his eyes boring into Xavier's soul. 

The deafening music of the club swallowed the sounds of the altercation, ensuring their violent exchange went unnoticed by the surrounding crowd.

"Please, I beg you, stop!" Xavier pleaded, his voice cracking with terror, his eyes overflowing with tears. 

He cowered away from David, his hands raised in a futile attempt to shield himself from further harm.

"Mercy, please!" he whimpered, his body shaking uncontrollably as he begged for reprieve. 

The desperation in his eyes was palpable, his face contorted in a pitiful expression that seemed to scream "enough!"

David's words dripped with venom as he sneered at Xavier.

"Isn't it funny how the tables have turned? I was always the one begging, coming to you like a peasant for the money I worked hard for, every month. But now, you're the one begging me to stop. It's unexpected, to say the least."

David's eyes blazed with anger, his voice heavy with contempt.

"You always paid everyone else on time, but I was left in the dust, like I meant nothing. That's a betrayal that cuts deep. 

And to think, you were supposed to be my mom's friend! I can't fathom what she saw in you - a fraud, a user, a heartless excuse for a human being. You're nothing but trash, Xavier."

David's anger boiled over, his fists clenched, ready to unleash more punishment on the cowering Xavier.

"I wasn't friends with Laura, she was a junkie whore I used at my convenience," Xavier said boldly, with a short laugh. 

"I see you still have the boldness of talking down about my mom, hopefully this will help you shut up," David said, his anger escalating as he snapped two more of Xavier's fingers, the sound of the breaks echoing through the air. 

Xavier's laugh turned to a scream of pain as he cradled his mangled hand, his eyes wide with fear.

Xavier's eyes widened in terror as he realized the devastating consequences of David's relentless assault. 

The thought of losing the use of his hands sent a chill down his spine, and his mind raced with horrific possibilities - broken legs, or worse. 

With a swift motion, Xavier withdrew his injured hand and begged David in a shaky voice, "I'll pay you right away, please spare me, I'll give you six thousand." 

His eyes pleaded for mercy, his voice cracking with fear, as he desperately sought to appease David and escape the brutal beating.

With a sly grin, David countered, "I'm afraid six thousand won't cut it. I'll need ten thousand to show your offer some serious consideration"

"I only have eight thousand on me, I swear. I don't have any more than that, please," 

Xavier begged with a quavering voice and reddened eyes, as tears poured down his face. 

"Ten thousand dollars, exactly," David reiterated, his hand poised to inflict further pain. 

"Not a penny less." Xavier's eyes widened in terror as he frantically nodded, "Ahhhh, wait! Wait! Wait! Ten thousand dollars, I'll pay it, I'll pay it!" 

His voice was laced with desperation, his words tumbling out in a frantic bid to appease David and spare himself from additional suffering.

Xavier's face was beet-red, his skin slick with sweat, as fear paralyzed him. The thought of more broken fingers sent his mind reeling. 

David's gaze bore into him, his eyes flashing with contempt, as if Xavier was beneath him. The disdain in his eyes was palpable, making Xavier feel smaller and more helpless than ever.

This was the same man who said he had no money to pay him just a few minutes ago. Whining and begging for him to stop. 

David was utterly disgusted, "how pathetic! Very well, go get it." 

Xavier's voice was laced with desperation, "I-I can't move, I think my back is broken," he begged, his eyes wide with fear. "Please, get it from the safe. I'll give you the combination." 

David's expression remained unsympathetic, but he nodded curtly and strode towards the safe. 

Just as he was about to ask Xavier for the combination, a loud beep pierced the air, making David's head turn sharply towards the source of the sound.

Xavier had swiftly triggered a small red button that had fallen on the floor; the button which had been knocked off from the table when Xavier crashed into it, turned out to be a cleverly concealed panic button. 

Initially, David hadn't given the button a second thought, not realizing its importance, but now he realized Xavier's true nature, a treacherous snake. 

He ran towards Xavier who had a smug grin on his face, which seemed to say, 'you're done for.'

With a fierce determination, David punched Xavier repeatedly, until the smirk was replaced with a pained expression. 

Realizing that Xavier had no intention of revealing the safe's combination, David swiftly rummaged through Xavier's pocket and retrieved his wallet, finding a wad of cash and no sign of the coveted code.

David swiftly stashed the wallet containing the five thousand dollars in his bag, but his escape was thwarted by the sudden arrival of two hulking men, their massive frames blocking his path. 

Xavier's clever trick had summoned these formidable guards, who now misconstrued the situation, eyeing David as the aggressor. 

Their gaze fell upon Xavier's crumpled form, and their faces hardened with a fierce loyalty, ready to pounce on David.

The smaller of the two giants, his voice dripping with menace, sneered, "Looks like you're in a whole lot of trouble, boy." 

With a fierce battle cry, he charged towards David, his massive fists clenched and ready to strike, leaving David with barely enough time to react.

"You may have bulk, Joe, but that doesn't mean you're quick," David taunted, landing a swift strike to Joe's neck and following up with two rapid kicks to the jaw.

Joe crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain. Meanwhile, the second giant swung a powerful punch, narrowly missing David's chest by mere inches, the wind from the blow rustling his clothes.

With lightning-fast reflexes, David unleashed a precise and devastating combination, striking the giant's ribs twice and then his stomach, the blows landing with a loud thud. 

The man's attempts to defend himself were in vain, his massive frame crumpling under David's swift and deadly attack. 

As the giant slumped to the ground, David cracked his knuckles, wincing slightly at the faint ache in his hands, a testament to the force he had unleashed.

The two men lay there, groaning in unison, their massive bodies motionless.

Xavier's eyes widened in shock, "just one punch and a kick? What kind of monster is he??" He thought to himself. 

"You spineless fools! He's a mere wimp, and you're crying like babies? Get my money back, or suffer the consequences!" Xavier ordered with a mouthful of blood. 

"You still have the balls to boss them about huh?" David sneered, and swiftly gave him a chop on his neck, which knocked him out. 

David slipped out of Xavier's office and into the pulsating night, the club's deafening music drowning out any hint of the turmoil that had just unfolded, leaving Xavier and his thugs lying defeated and unnoticed. 

David got to an alley, pulling out the money he swiped from Xavier's wallet to count it but his focus was quickly diverted to the ominous shadow looming at the alley's entrance.