Dear Ex-wife, Marry Me novel Chapter 2015

Abner was gathering the stack of bills, ready to make his getaway, when suddenly he felt the cold barrel of a gun pressed against his side.

"Kid, seems like you don't know the rules of the game. Winning this big on your first go? Not so easy to walk away from here."

Abner stood frozen, the night's surreal events spinning in his head. Mountains of cash and now, out of nowhere, a man with a gun. Maybe because he had prepared for the worst, panic didn't even touch him.

"You guys dragged me into this game, and now you're the ones holding me back. From the start, it looks like I never really had a choice, did I?"

The gunman seemed taken aback by his calm. A kid raised in the backwoods, oozing composure, daring to negotiate with seasoned hitmen.

Abner slowly turned around, ignoring the gun at his side. "It's been you tailing me these past few days, hasn't it?"

Every late-night trek home, he felt eyes on him. He first thought it was Mark's crew, but if it were them, they'd have made a move already. The man's gaze tried to pierce through Abner, searching for a hint of panic. But Abner was just too collected.

Minutes later, the man holstered his gun, seemingly impressed by Abner's reaction. Had Abner shown any sign of fear, he wouldn't be leaving alive tonight.

"Your father wants to see you."

Abner thought he was hallucinating. His father? The felon? The man who, for all his sins, was supposedly executed years ago, now wanted to see him? Disgust flickered in Abner's eyes. Every misfortune in his life stemmed from that man.

"No thanks."

"You might think you know your father, but I believe it's worth your while to meet him. You're in need of cash, right? To us, money's just paper."

"Still, no thanks."