Chapter 328

Bullets ripped through the gas tanks, and boom! The cars went up in flames, turning the whole abandoned warehouse into a fiery inferno.

Screams echoed as Hadley and Tanner bolted out with their crew. More gang members, engulfed in flames, stumbled out only to collapse and die moments later.

Peter didn't make it. Looked like he got caught in the blast.

The three families' faces were grim. They survived but lost a lot of men and gained nothing. They dreaded the punishment waiting for them back home.

Hadley sighed, staring at the blazing warehouse. "Guys, let's head back. With a fire this big, Jasper's probably toast. We got zilch."

Tanner's face was tight with pain. His bulletproof vest had stopped the bullets, but his chest hurt like hell-probably a couple of broken ribs.

He glanced at Hadley and Jay. Their faces were just a bit sooty, no major injuries.

Tanner knew their alliance was done for. No common interests meant no friendship.

Without a word, Tanner turned and left with his remaining men.

Hadley and Jay didn't care. They exchanged a look and left with their people too.

But after a while, they all came back at the same time.

Hadley and Jay eyed Tanner. "Weren't you leaving? Why are you back?" they asked.

Tanner snorted, "Why didn't you leave?"

Jay shrugged. "Looks like we all have the same goal."

Hadley ran a hand through his hair and smirked, "Alright, let's be real. We're all after the gold here. I counted about six cars inside. Perfect-each family gets two. No more fighting, and it covers some of our losses."

Jay and Tanner exchanged glances and nodded. This was the best they could do for now.

But when the flames died down and they rushed in to check, their eyes went wide.

"Damn it! Weren't these cars supposed to be gold? Why are they just iron?" Tanner yelled, furious.

Jay and Hadley looked just as pissed.

"We've been played. These cars aren't gold; they're just gold-plated," Jay said, adjusting his glasses.

Hadley frowned. "With Jasper's stolen funds, he could've built these with solid gold. Did he stash the money somewhere else?"

Tanner snorted and pointed at the charred bodies. "If you wanna know, go ask Jasper. See if you can figure out which one of these crispy critters is him."

The explosion had left so many charred bodies, it was impossible to tell which one was Jasper.

Hadley sighed, looking at the bodies. "Some of these are our guys. We need to clean up and find Jasper's body. We should bring back his DNA report to convince our leaders."

After Hadley finished speaking, he glanced at Jay and Tanner.

Jay nodded in agreement.

Tanner, already injured and now fuming, suddenly fainted.

His men quickly rushed him to the hospital.

Jay and Hadley watched Tanner's car drive off, exchanging wry smiles.

"I feel like fainting too, just to avoid the family head's wrath," Hadley said with a bitter smile.

Jay shook his head lightly. "Hey, at least we're still breathing. There's always a chance to turn things around."

"You sound like a philosopher," Hadley said, rolling his eyes.

Jay chuckled bitterly. "I studied philosophy in college. Doesn't pay the bills, just makes you hungry."

Jay seemed to recall some bad memories, shook his head, and walked away. They had a lot to do next.

Hadley also left, leaving behind the burning wreckage.

Meanwhile, Tim had taken the unconscious Jasper to the nearest hospital, shelling out a lot of cash to save his life.

Tim didn't plan to leave Jasper there, worried the four families would find out he was alive and start more trouble. To avoid that, he called Michael for help.

"Mr. Williams, we've found Jasper, but he's in bad shape and needs medical help. Otherwise, we'll only be able to bring his body back," Tim informed Michael.

On the other end of the line, Michael quickly gave instructions. He'd send Tim some money to get Jasper to a hospital in the wealthy area first for treatment. Then he'd arrange a private plane to bring Jasper back home.

After getting the money, Tim moved fast, taking Jasper to the wealthy area and waiting for Michael's plane.

After a rough journey, Jasper slowly opened his eyes and looked at Tim, his voice hoarse. "Which family are you from? What happened to my cars?"

Tim shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, your warehouse caught fire. Those gold cars couldn't be saved."

Jasper's eyes looked empty, like he'd lost his soul.

Gold doesn't burn, but it can be stolen. Even without the fire, his gold wouldn't have been safe.

"I don't want to live, let me die," Jasper said softly, looking at Tim.

Tim flat-out refused. "What are you thinking? You can't die. You're still on the wanted list, and I need you for the bounty!"

Jasper sighed softly, closed his eyes, and said nothing more.

As the private plane landed and the medical team took Jasper on board, Michael got the news and informed Isabella.