Chapter 37: Unleashing the Warrior
by SlivvoThe room was thick with tension.
Jordan stood alone, his stance firm and unshaken, as eight gangsters surrounded him.
The Camdens watched in amusement, convinced they were about to witness his downfall.
Jordan, however, felt no fear.
It wasn’t arrogance—it was experience.
Compared to true warriors, these men were nothing more than thugs playing pretend.
These so-called “fighters” spent their nights drinking, partying, and indulging in excess, thinking their bar brawls made them deadly.
But Jordan?
He had survived the battlefield.
Four years ago, before he was forced to become the Camdens’ live-in son-in-law, his family had sent him to Syria—to train, to fight, to survive.
Out there, it wasn’t about winning a street fight or proving one’s toughness.
One wrong move meant death.
Those he had fought weren’t some petty criminals with flashy tattoos.
They were killers, warriors, men who had known nothing but war and bloodshed.
They fought not for pride, but for survival.
Jordan had survived for an entire year.
What were eight thugs to him now?
The First Strike
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Jordan moved like lightning, each punch landing with deadly precision.
Three men collapsed instantly.
The remaining five hesitated, realizing that Jordan was no ordinary opponent.
Two rushed at him from different angles—a common street-fighting tactic meant to trap a person in between.
But Jordan was faster.
With one swift kick, he sent the first man flying, knocking over a chair.
The second received a brutal roundhouse kick to the ribs, crashing into the wall with a sickening thud.
The Camdens gasped, their smug expressions replaced with disbelief.
“What kind of monster is he!?” Drew muttered under his breath.
But Jordan had made one small mistake—he had let his guard down for just a second.
One of the remaining thugs lunged at him from behind, grabbing hold of his torso.
At the same time, two others gripped his arms, locking him in place.
Salvatore’s smug grin returned.
“Finally caught you.”
The Hunter Becomes the Hunted
Jordan’s expression remained calm.
His hands might have been restrained—but he still had his teeth.
On the battlefield, he had once bitten off an enemy’s ear to survive.
This was nothing new to him.
Before the thug behind him could react—
Jordan sank his teeth into his ear!
“AARGHHH!”
Blood spurted as the man screamed in agony, clutching his torn ear.
With a powerful twist, Jordan freed himself, elbowing the man in the gut and flinging him to the side.
Two swift kicks sent the remaining fighters crashing onto the floor.
Silence.
All eight men lay sprawled, groaning in pain.
No one in the room could believe their eyes.
A Family’s Realization
“Oh my God…”
Old Mrs. Camden clutched her chest, staring at Jordan as if seeing him for the first time.
“Was this why my husband forced Hailey to marry him? Because he knew Jordan was a warrior?”
For three years, the Camdens had questioned why Old Mr. Camden had chosen Jordan for Hailey.
Now, it all made sense.
Even Hailey froze, the gears in her mind turning.
“Grandpa wanted me to marry him… for protection?”
Yet, the thought felt ridiculous.
“But this is a time of peace. What enemies do we even have?”
Her thoughts ran wild as she struggled to understand her grandfather’s reasoning.
Herman crossed his arms, laughing. “So this punk can fight. Big deal.”
Benedict, Hailey’s father, smirked. “At least he’s good for something.”
Herman sneered. “Benedict, you fool, do you think I’m complimenting him? Fighting is useless in today’s world! Fighters end up dead or in prison!”
Then, Herman revealed a shocking truth.
“You think Dad arranged Jordan for Hailey first? Wrong. He came to me first. He wanted Jordan to marry Elle.”
Benedict and Sylvie gasped.
“What!?”
“That’s right,” Herman continued smugly. “Dad said he had a ‘perfect match’ for Elle and asked if I was willing to let her marry young. She was only 17 then.”
“When I found out it was Jordan Steele, some country bumpkin, I turned him down immediately. That’s why Dad picked Hailey instead.”
Drew laughed mockingly. “So Hailey got the leftovers of what my sister didn’t want.”
Elle grimaced. “Ugh, Grandpa really had terrible taste. Jordan’s just some brute. I could never marry a violent man.”
Jordan, silent until now, felt a shock of his own.
‘So this was the truth behind my marriage?’
For years, he had believed his family had done the Camdens a favor, that Hailey’s grandfather had seen something special in him.
But in reality, he had been the rejected choice.
His eyes met Hailey’s, and for a moment, both of them were transported back three years—
To when they first met.
At that time, Hailey had been a sweet, innocent college girl, not the manipulative woman she had become.
Jordan, fresh from the battlefield, had craved peace, warmth, love.
For the first year of their marriage, he had genuinely loved her.
Now, that love was gone.
Jordan turned away.
He had more important matters to deal with.
The Final Blow
Salvatore, once cocky, now trembled in fear.
Jordan strode toward him, grabbing his hand.
CRACK.
Salvatore screamed as Jordan broke one of his fingers with ease.
“Tell me,” Jordan’s voice was low and deadly. “Who told you to frame me?”
Salvatore, despite the pain, gritted his teeth. “I don’t betray my people. If you have the guts, kill me.”
Jordan studied him for a long moment.
Then, with a dismissive kick, he sent Salvatore crashing to the floor.
“I repeat, I did not steal from you. If you have real proof, call the police. Otherwise, don’t waste my time.”
Turning away, he headed for the exit.
A Loyal Goodbye
Woof! Woof!
Jordan felt a tug on his pants.
He looked down.
Lucky.
The small dog refused to let him leave.
Elle pulled at him, but Lucky whined, struggling to break free.
Jordan knelt down, stroking Lucky’s head gently.
“You’re the only thing in this family worth stealing.”
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving a stunned silence in his wake.
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