The bullet missed the thug but struck the ground near his feet, sending up sparks. He scrambled backward in terror, rolling and crawling to get away.
The other thugs froze at the sudden gunfire, staring in uncertainty at Natasha with the pistol in her hand. None of them dared move closer.
“Dear, are you okay?” she asked, rushing forward and keeping the gun trained on the thugs. Dustin leaned against the overpass railing, breathing hard. He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and waved her off.
“I’m fine. It’s just a scratch.”
Natasha looked at his battered state and noticed his movements were not as sharp as before. Something wasn’t adding up, so she asked, “You used to handle guys like them easily. Why are you struggling now?”
Dustin smiled wryly. He didn’t see a point in hiding from her anymore and said, “I can no longer use my cultivation. I’m no different from an ordinary person now.”
“What?” Her eyes widened in disbelief. ” How did that happen?”
“It’s a long story. I’ll explain later,” he replied, shaking his head.
Questions and worry flooded her mind, but she knew now wasn’t the time to press him. She gritted her teeth and said resolutely, “Fine. Then I’ll guide you out of here ”
Just then, the crowd parted, and Gilbert walked over with Frederick, who had been watching from the sidelines with cold indifference.
Gilbert looked at Natasha holding the pistol without a trace of fear. If anything, he seemed amused.
“Put the pistol down and come with me. Maybe I’ll consider letting your little boy toy live. But if you resist, he’s a dead man.”
Her face darkened, and she spat coldly, You’d better not do anything stupid. I’m warning you. He is someone you can’t afford to mess with.”
“He’s someone I can’t afford to mess with?
“Gilbert laughed like she’d told the world’s funniest joke.
He went on, “What bullshit. In this country, is there anyone our family can’t mess with? Stop trying to scare me. Sure, I can’t do anything to you, but this guy? He’s done for today.”
He paused, his gaze roaming over Natasha’s body with crude intent as he licked his lips.
“Of course, I could spare him. Spend one night with me, and I’ll pretend this never happened. What do you say?”
“In your dreams,” Natasha snapped, shaking with rage. Gilbert’s expression turned cold as he said, “Then there’s nothing more to discuss.”
He waved his hand sharply and barked at the hesitant thugs around him.
“Get him! Whoever takes that punk down gets one million dollars.”
With the promise of the hefty reward, the thugs gripped their weapons tighter and started closing in.
Natasha gripped the pistol tightly and fired a warning shot into the air. “I dare anyone to come closer!” she barked. The gunshot made everyone freeze again, Gilbert scoffed at her threats.
“She’s got one pistol, and how many bullets could she possibly have? There are dozens of us. You think we should fear her? Chargee! Whoever brings me that kid gets double the reward!”
The thugs exchanged glances. Greed won out over fear, and they charged forward again with renewed shouts. Natasha’s face turned white. Her hand holding the pistol trembled slightly as she tried to decide who to shoot first.
Dustin squeezed her hand and glanced down at the dark, churning river below the overpass. His eyes hardened with resolve. If they were truly cornered with no way out, their only chance would be to risk jumping into the river.
At that critical moment, a sharp chorus of sirens suddenly wailed to life. The sound came from all directions, quickly enveloping the entire overpass area.
Then came the rhythmic thump of helicopter blades overhead. A police helicopter appeared above the overpass with its searchlight blazing down, illuminating everything below as bright as day.
At both ends of the overpass, dozens of police cars with flashing red and blue lights. They instantly surrounded Gilbert’s convoy and all his thugs.
Doors swung open, and countless fully armed officers poured out with riot shields and weapons, their guns all pointed at the thugs in the center.
“Drop your weapons. Hands on your heads. Get down.”
The authoritative command boomed through loudspeakers, echoing through the night sky.
This sudden turn of events left all the thugs dumbstruck.
Faced with that wall of gun barrels and overwhelming force, their earlier ferocity evaporated. Their faces went white as they dropped their clubs and knives with clattering sounds, placing their hands on their heads and crouching on the ground.
Natasha exhaled in relief. The tension she’d been holding finally released, and her body went slightly weak as she leaned against the car.
“Thank god they made it in time.”
Dustin quietly exhaled in relief as well.
Since he couldn’t use his cultivation and become mortal, he’d nearly fallen to these small-time thugs. He’d need to be more careful going forward, or he’d end up getting taken out by people who shouldn’t have stood a chance against him.
Gilbert and Frederick frowned at the sight, their faces darkening. But they didn’t look scared like common thugs would when caught. They just looked irritated that their plans got interrupted.
Frederick straightened his suit and snorted. With the Chandler family’s influence, even if they got arrested now, it would just be going through the motions. They’d be released safe and sound the same day. Still, it was a blow to their reputation.
He watched the police lock down the scene, then his eyes shifted to Dustin and Natasha standing together. His expression darkened with cold intent as he silently vowed that this was far from over.
