Chapter 33: Breaking the Beast

Jarek's knuckles ached.

Rowan Kane was still standing, but barely.

The massive enforcer wiped blood from his mouth, his grin unfaltering despite the beating. Around them, the warehouse was dead silent, the onlookers watching with anticipation.

Kane cracked his neck. "Not bad, Thorn. But I'm not done yet."

Jarek exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "You sure? 'Cause you're swaying a little."

Kane chuckled. "I like you. Too bad I still have to break you."

Then, without warning—he charged.

Jarek braced himself.

This was it.

A Monster Unleashed

Kane moved like a wrecking ball, his sheer size and momentum making him unstoppable.

Jarek sidestepped, barely avoiding a massive swing. Kane's fist slammed into a wooden beam, splintering it like paper.

Tobias, still watching from the shadows, whispered, "Okay, yeah, I vote we run."

Jarek ignored him. He had a plan.

Kane was strong—absurdly strong—but brute force alone wasn't enough. The big man was slowing down, his movements just a fraction less precise.

That meant one thing.

He was getting tired.

Jarek grinned.

Now it was his turn.

Exploiting the Weakness

Kane swung again—a heavy, downward strike aimed at crushing Jarek's skull.

Jarek ducked.

Then he drove his fist into Kane's bad knee.

CRACK.

Kane roared, stumbling.

Jarek didn't stop.

He threw a left hook to the ribs, followed by a sharp elbow to the jaw.

Kane staggered.

Jarek dodged another swing, then delivered a brutal knee to the stomach.

The big man grunted, doubling over.

Jarek saw his chance.

With everything he had, he leaped forward and drove his fist straight into Kane's face.

CRACK!

Kane's head snapped back.

For a second, he stood there.

Then—he collapsed.

The warehouse fell into absolute silence.

Jarek took a step back, panting.

The beast had finally fallen.

The Aftermath

Jarek wiped sweat from his brow. His entire body ached.

But he'd won.

Tobias peeked out from behind a crate. "Holy shit. You actually did it."

Sylva, arms crossed, muttered, "Took him long enough."

The gathered onlookers stared at Kane's unconscious body. Some were furious, others shocked.

Jarek turned to them.

"Anyone else wanna try?"

No one moved.

Smart choice.

One of Kane's men—a grizzled older thug—stepped forward, glancing down at his fallen boss. He exhaled sharply.

"You beat Kane fair," he admitted. "That means you're in charge now."

Jarek blinked. Wait. What?

An Unexpected Promotion

Tobias burst out laughing. "Hold on—he just beat Kane, and now he's the boss?"

The grizzled man nodded. "That's how it works in the Rustyard. Strength rules. If you take down the top dog, you take his place."

Jarek rubbed his temple. "Great. So what, I'm supposed to run a gang now?"

The man shrugged. "Either that, or you leave, and someone else takes over."

Jarek sighed. This was not part of the plan.

But then again…

Maybe this could be useful.

Caden's men were everywhere. If Jarek had his own network—even a group of criminals—he'd stand a better chance of surviving.

He turned to Sylva.

"What do you think?"

She studied him carefully. "If you refuse, someone else will step up. Probably someone loyal to Caden."

Tobias grinned. "I vote we take the gang. We can rename it 'Jarek's Idiots.'"

Jarek rolled his eyes.

But… he was seriously considering it.

A New Empire?

Jarek stepped forward, facing the gang.

He needed to be clear. Strong.

"Listen up," he said, his voice firm. "I didn't come here to take over. But if I walk away, the next guy in charge is just gonna bow to Caden. And I don't like Caden."

A few murmurs. People were listening.

"So here's the deal," Jarek continued. "You work for me now. That means no more blindly following orders from some noble bastard who sees you as expendable."

The grizzled man folded his arms. "And what do we get in return?"

Jarek smirked.

"A shot at something better."

The crowd exchanged glances.

Then—slowly—some of them nodded.

Sylva gave Jarek an impressed look. "Not bad."

Tobias grinned. "Alright, boss. What's the first order?"

Jarek exhaled.

This was happening.

And if he played it right—this could be the start of something big.