Damien went on the offensive.
Not with soldiers.
With lawyers.
He filed a class action lawsuit against the cartels.
Not for money.
For their assets. Their properties. Their power.
And the world watched as the most dangerous man in the city became the most dangerous man in the world.
---
The idea came to him at 3 AM.
Again.
Christabel was asleep beside him. Her hand was on his chest. Her breath was slow and even.
He couldn't sleep.
He was thinking about the cartels. About the attacks. About the people who had almost been taken.
They had tried to hurt his family.
They had tried to hurt his people.
They had tried to burn down everything he built.
It was time to make them pay.
Not with violence.
With the law.
---
He woke Christabel.
Not gently.
He never did anything gently.
"I have an idea."
She opened her eyes.
"It's 3 AM."
"I know."
"Your ideas at 3 AM are either brilliant or insane."
"Same thing."
"Different intention."
He told her. About the lawsuit. About the assets. About the properties. About the power.
She listened.
She didn't interrupt.
When he was done, she was quiet for a long moment.
"The cartels have lawyers."
"I know."
"The cartels have money."
"I know."
"The cartels have power."
"I know."
"So do we."
---
The next morning, Damien called Sterling.
"I want to file a lawsuit against the cartels."
Sterling was quiet for a moment.
"Which cartels?"
"All of them."
"That's not possible."
"Make it possible."
Sterling was quiet again.
"You're asking me to do something that's never been done."
"I'm asking you to do something that needs to be done."
Sterling nodded.
"Then we'll need more lawyers."
"We have more lawyers."
"We'll need more time."
"We have more time."
"We'll need more money."
Damien smiled.
"We have more money."
---
The lawsuit was filed on a Friday.
Not in a small courtroom. In a federal court.
Not with a small team. With a team of two hundred lawyers.
Not with a small request. With a request for the cartels' assets. Their properties. Their power.
The world took notice.
The headlines were brutal.
"Moreau Declares War on Cartels."
"Billionaire Takes on the Underworld."
"Is This Justice or Suicide?"
Damien read the articles.
His face was calm.
Christabel watched him.
"You're not nervous?"
"I'm not anything."
"That's not healthy., but its the surirval of the fittest and am gonna bully everyone of them cause i can"
The cartels responded.
Not in court.
In the press.
They called Damien a fool.
They called him a target.
They called him a dead man walking.
Damien smiled.
"Let them talk."
"Let them threaten."
"Let them dig their own graves."
Sterling looked at him.
"You're not afraid?"
"I'm not afraid of men who hide in shadows."
"What are you afraid of?"
Damien was quiet for a moment.
"Losing the people I love."
---
The legal battle lasted months.
Depositions. Hearings. Motions.
The cartels hired the best lawyers money could buy.
Damien had better lawyers.
Not because they were smarter.
Because they were motivated.
Because they had been almost recruited.
Because they had been almost destroyed.
Because they had been saved.
---
Maya worked on the case.
She was no longer a barista.
She was a lawyer.
She was a warrior.
She deposed a cartel lieutenant.
He was arrogant. Confident. Sure of himself.
She asked one question.
"Do you know who I am?"
He laughed.
"Should I?"
"I'm the woman you almost recruited. I'm the woman you almost destroyed. I'm the woman who said no."
He stopped laughing.
"You're nobody."
"I was a nobody some time ago. Ooo how low the great have fallen you been supressed so shut up"
David worked on the case.
He was no longer a paralegal.
He was a lawyer.
He was a fighter.
He deposed a cartel accountant.
The accountant was nervous. Sweating. Shaking.
David asked one question.
"How much money did you launder?"
The accountant didn't answer.
"How many lives did you destroy?"
The accountant didn't answer.
"How many nights did you lie awake, wondering if today was the day?"
The accountant started crying.
"I can't—"
"You can."
---
Sarah worked on the case.
She was no longer a legal aid.
She was a lawyer.
She was a protector.
She deposed a cartel enforcer.
The enforcer was huge. Muscular. Intimidating.
Sarah didn't flinch.
"Do you know who I am?"
He laughed.
"Should I?"
"I'm the woman you almost recruited. I'm the woman you almost destroyed. I'm the woman who said no."
He stopped laughing.
"You're nothing."
"I'm everything."
---
James worked on the case.
He was no longer a public defender.
He was a lawyer.
He was a savior.
He deposed a cartel boss.
The boss was calm. Controlled. Dangerous.
James asked one question.
"Do you know who I am?"
The boss smiled.
"You're nobody."
"I'm the man who's going to take everything from you."
The boss stopped smiling.
"You can try."
"I already have."
---
The months passed.
The case progressed.
The cartels fought back.
They filed motions. Delayed hearings. Threatened witnesses.
Damien didn't flinch.
"Let them fight."
"Let them delay."
"Let them dig themselves deeper."
Sterling looked at him.
"You're not worried?"
"I'm not worried about men who are already defeated."
"How do you know they're defeated?"
Damien was quiet for a moment.
"Because they're fighting a war they can't win."
---
That night, Christabel put Lena to bed.
Not Damien. Her.
Lena was full of questions.
"Mama, why is Papa always on the phone?"
"Because he's fighting bad people."
"With guns?"
"With lawyers."
Lena thought about that.
"Are lawyers stronger than guns?"
Christabel smiled.
"Sometimes."
---
Damien appeared in the doorway.
"She's asleep?"
"She's dreaming."
"Of what?"
"Of you."
He walked to her.
Took her hand.
"The cartels are fighting back."
"I know."
"They're trying to delay."
"I know."
"They're going to lose."
She looked at him.
"I know."
First Line of Chapter 171 (Teaser):
"The one hundred twenty-sixth week, the cartels made their biggest mistake. They went after Damien's family. Not Christabel. Not Lena. The lawyers. The ones who had been saved. The ones who had everything to lose. And they learned that family protects family."