Chapter 155

He seems crazy.

Greyson thought indifferently. Why should I do that for him? Those bastards guaranteed my safety? You believe such nonsense? Trying to persuade me with bullshit he doesn't even believe himself.

He had seen people risk their lives for love before. His younger brother Chase and his partner Joshua had been like that. A man who willingly accepted that choice knowing he might die.

Ezra was the same. Like Joshua and Chase back then, he was risking everything for his love. But there was a problem with that.

Why are you risking my life too?

Greyson thought with a frown. Ezra's choice could be considered admirable in its own way, but the problem was that he was trying to sacrifice others. What about his own life getting dragged into this?

In the past, he would have told him to cut the ridiculous bullshit. All the guys gathered here, including Ezra and the one in his grasp, Greyson could sweep them all away without exception. The requirements for self-defense were met. It would be such an easy and boring task, but...

There was just one thing holding him back.

If Ezra dies, Dane will be sad.

Greyson thought indifferently. Even while watching Ezra cry and cling to him, he felt no emotion, but he didn't want Dane to be sad. The thought of Dane suffering because of someone other than himself - that absolutely couldn't happen.

Would he resent me?

Thinking that, he had no choice left.

What would Dane have done in this situation?

The answer was simple. Greyson released his grip without a word. The man who crashed to the ground writhed in agony from the sudden rush of oxygen.

"Gak, gaak, gak!"

"Joseph!"

"Hey, get him!"

The men who had been hesitating and unable to attack all rushed at Greyson at once. While one guy checked on Joseph, the others beat Greyson all over with the wooden clubs they were holding, causing Ezra to shout in panic.

"Mi-Miller, Miller! No, stop! Hey, how can you beat someone like this...!"

"Shut up, stop whining like a girl."

The men only mocked Ezra. Seeing their reaction, Ezra turned pale.

"No, Miller! Stop it, I said stop!"

He desperately rushed in but was no match. Ezra, who was pathetically knocked away, could only watch with a pale face as Greyson was beaten one-sidedly.

When the thick wooden club broke, they used fists and kicks. Even after Greyson staggered and fell, they continued beating him like that for a while. Only after venting their anger to some extent did the men finally step back, breathing heavily. Ezra swallowed hard at the sight of Greyson lying there covered in blood.

"Mi-Miller! Miller! Get it together!"

Ezra rushed over urgently and shook his body. Fortunately, he wasn't unconscious. Greyson, who made a groaning sound, cursed lowly.

"Fuck, I really hate pain..."

"Miller...!"

Tears suddenly welled up in Ezra's eyes. He protested to the leader of the gang that had done this to Greyson.

"You said you wouldn't do this kind of thing! You said Miller would be safe, so I believed you, but to beat him this severely, you guys..."

"What, you gonna sue us? You're an accomplice too."

The man said with a smirk. For a moment, Ezra froze completely. Greyson blinked his half-open eyes and sighed. Stupid bastard, couldn't even think that far.

The men approached again to take Greyson. Ezra blocked Greyson's front and shouted desperately.

"Mo-money... what about the money!"

This was probably the reason he had gotten involved in this. Greyson, who was just listening, heard the man's voice.

"We already gave it to you."

At the grinning face, Ezra's eyes widened as if in shock. They gave him money? When?

When they first approached Ezra, they had talked at a family restaurant. And the money Ezra had received at that time was...

"That... the promised amount was $20,000, but what you gave me then was only $200!"

Ezra shouted roughly as if coughing up blood, but the man burst into laughter instead.

"That's enough, what did you even do?"

"You, you deceived me..."

Ezra trembled with betrayal, but they only mocked him instead.

"Oh yeah. Try suing us for fraud. Think you'll be safe?"

Then the man who seemed to be the leader pointed at Greyson with his chin.

"You're the one who brought this guy here, helped us catch him, right? You'll get fired from work, is that okay?"

Ezra's vision went completely dark. Getting fired from work - absolutely not. He had already mortgaged his house and borrowed all the money he could. There was nothing left to sell. Only a bed remained as furniture in the house. He was already on the verge of bankruptcy. Ezra was paralyzed with fear. If he got fired from the fire station too, his family would...

"Ezra."

That's when it happened. At the sudden call, Ezra turned around in surprise. Greyson, lying on the ground, looked up at the night sky and said.

"Check the gift I gave you last time. I think I might have gotten the price wrong."

Ezra blinked in confusion. Belatedly, he remembered the birthday gift for his daughter. Thinking it was a cheap imitation, he had sold everything else but never even considered that.

"Uh..."

He belatedly came to his senses and tried to ask him something, but didn't get the chance. The men pushed Ezra aside, lifted Greyson up, and put a black hood over his head. It was clearly to avoid revealing their destination. After tying his wrists behind his back and shoving Greyson into the truck bed, they all piled into several cars.

"Miller!"

Ezra desperately called his name, but the truck had already started moving. The leader sitting in the back seat of a sedan rolled down the window and shouted to the bewildered Ezra.

"Thanks, good work! Let's never see each other again!"

Leaving only laughter behind, they drove away. Ezra could only watch them disappear into the distance.

* * *

Silence descended again. Joshua still glared at Dane with a face full of distrust. Receiving that gaze, Dane thought this was probably the most incompetent he had ever felt.

"You know too, Greyson Miller doesn't sleep with the same partner twice. Even if I asked to sleep with him, he'd refuse. So why would I bother with such troublesome business?"

It wasn't entirely a lie. The fact that Greyson didn't sleep with the same partner twice was something Joshua knew, and the fact that Dane wouldn't obsess over someone while risking rejection was also true.

Actually, everything Dane said was true, but at the same time it was also false. Because of that, it wouldn't be easy for Joshua to grasp the hidden meaning within.

As Dane expected, Joshua frowned and fell into thought. Hearing words that weren't much different from the information he knew made it seem plausible. Go for it, go for it. Dane silently chanted while waiting for Joshua's reaction.

Ha, Joshua finally sighed and swept his hair back with one hand.

"A commission came in."

"Commission?"

Was that why this guy came here? Like dropping by on his way somewhere...

To Dane, who was vaguely guessing, Joshua said.

"To provide security for you."

Dane couldn't react immediately. His mind didn't work for a moment at the unfamiliar expression. After a few seconds of silence, he asked with a deeply furrowed brow.

"What did you say?"