The Path Of A True King.-Chapter 8: Argument

The Pool Club was alive with chatter and the clinking of glasses.

Dim lights flickered overhead, casting long shadows over the wooden floors as Elijah pushed open the door.

His red eyes scanned the room as he stepped inside, followed closely by Jack, Lucas, and Mai.

Aurora stood behind the bar, expertly pouring drinks for the customers, her sharp blue eyes flicking up as she noticed the group enter.

Elijah nodded in her direction. "Aurora, close up and come with us."

She arched an eyebrow but didn’t question him.

Drying her hands on a cloth, she muttered something to one of the other bartenders before slipping out from behind the counter and following them.

The group moved through a door in the back, descending a narrow flight of stairs that led to their private meeting room beneath the club.

At the bottom of the steps, Kai leaned against the table, phone pressed to his ear.

His expression was serious, his brows furrowed as he spoke in a low, controlled tone.

"They won’t be a problem for a while."

His voice was steady, but his grip on the phone tightened slightly.

It wasn’t just about reporting what had happened—he was setting the tone, making it clear that they weren’t ones to be played with.

Elijah descended the stairs, his red eyes locked onto Kai.

Without hesitation, he walked over and snatched the phone from Kai’s hand.

Kai tensed, his jaw clenching, but he said nothing.

He only exhaled sharply through his nose, watching as Elijah placed the phone flat on the table without hanging up.

Elijah turned to Kai, his expression dark.

"Why the hell did you ignore Lucas when he came to you? You know we need to look out for each other."

Kai’s frown deepened.

He crossed his arms, shifting his weight onto one foot.

"I told him to talk to you, but he just couldn’t trust you yet.

What was I supposed to do?

Hold his hand and walk him over?" His voice carried a hint of sarcasm, but there was frustration beneath it.

Elijah’s fingers twitched at his sides. "That’s not the point, Kai.

He came to us for help, and we brushed him off.

We can’t afford to ignore our friends."

Kai exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his brown hair.

"And what was I supposed to do, Elijah?

I didn’t even know what his problem was.

I was handling our other issue."

Before Elijah could respond, Tristan’s voice crackled through the phone speaker.

"Kai, I told you already—our neighbors, that unranked gang, tried to mess with us.

We shut them down quick with Ben’s men, and mine. That’s handled."

Kai nodded slightly, his posture relaxing a little. "Alright, so that’s wrapped up. But what’s this about Lucas?"

Lucas, who had been standing in the corner with his arms crossed, finally stepped forward. "It’s the Stray Dogs, Kai.

They hit my home. It wasn’t a full-on raid, but it was a warning.

They weren’t looking to kill—just to scare.

But with how many Intermediate Knights they’ve got, they could wipe us out if they wanted to."

Kai’s expression darkened. "Stray Dogs?" He glanced at Elijah.

"An Omega-ranked gang? How the hell are we supposed to deal with that?"

Mai, seated at the table with one leg crossed over the other, tapped her fingers against the wood rhythmically. "We’re not strong enough to fight them directly, but we can’t just sit back either."

Aurora, who had been silent until now, leaned forward, her amber eyes scanning each of them. "Instead of fighting them head-on, why not just remove the kids from the area? Find a safer place for them.

That way, the Stray Dogs won’t have any leverage over us."

Tristan hummed in thought before speaking. "That could work. The hotel Kevin manages—it’s near the place we claimed in the deeds we made our own. We could move the kids there."

Elijah rubbed his chin, considering the idea.

It made sense. If they moved Lucas’s younger siblings and the other kids in their protection somewhere safe, the Stray Dogs would lose one of their biggest ways to pressure them.

But there was one problem.

"Only problem is the police," Elijah muttered.

Kai smirked, his blue eyes glinting with something sharp. "Then we do what everyone else does—pay them off. And if they refuse..."

Elijah cracked his knuckles. "We beat them until they understand how business works."

A murmur of approval ran through the group.

They weren’t just some wannabe gang playing at this.

If the police thought they could get in the way, they’d learn the hard way what happened to obstacles.

Lucas then questioned "How about my mom, she is in the hospital and her Bills need to be paid."

Aurora sighed, rubbing her temple. "Alright, but let’s talk money. Lucas, your mom’s hospital bills aren’t cheap. We need funds to cover them, and that means everyone gives up 50% of their pay."

Lucas clenched his jaw but nodded. "Fine. We need to take care of our own."

Tristan added, "And we’ll need to set up a system to keep the hotel secure once the kids are moved in."

Elijah nodded. "Good. Then it’s decided. We relocate the kids, handle the cops, and start building up our forces. This is just the beginning."

The air in the room felt heavier now, the weight of their choices pressing down on them.

This wasn’t a game anymore—if it ever had been.

The Stray Dogs had made their move.

Now, it was their turn.

The night stretched on as the group ironed out the details.

Every angle had to be covered.

Every possible outcome had to be considered.

Mai tapped the edge of a notepad with a pen, scribbling down key points as they talked.

"We need transportation. How are we getting the kids out without drawing attention?"

Kai leaned back in his chair. "Vans. We can get a few stolen ones, swap plates, make them untraceable."

Lucas nodded. "One of Ben’s men can help with that. He’s good with that kind of thing."

Aurora tapped a finger against her temple. "That still leaves the problem of the Stray Dogs. They’ll notice when the kids are gone."

Elijah smirked. "Let them. I don’t think their target are the kids. But is the place they live."