CHAPTER 299: LOYALTY IN BLACK AND RED

The signal on the gym door had gone up earlier that day.

It wasn’t just a decorative logo, it was a coded message. A sign that, even though the gym was "closed," members of the Bloodline Group could still enter. And it wasn’t a signal used often. Only in very particular circumstances.

Like now.

When a meeting was being held.

This kind of information was never passed along by text or group chats. That was sloppy. Dangerous. Instead, it was spread the old-fashioned way, by a trusted voice. And this time, that voice had been Joe’s.

For the event planned today, only the strongest, most committed members of the Bloodline Group had been called in. Those who were proven. Those who could be relied upon when things got messy.

The first to walk through the door were two familiar faces, Aki and Mayson.

They weren’t from Max’s school, but they’d already earned their place in the Bloodline’s inner circle. Both had fought beside him against the Clapton Alliance, proving not just their fighting ability but also their loyalty.

Since Jay’s disappearance, Joe had been the one keeping tabs on the allied schools. Aki and her girls had been promoting the Bloodline brand hard, wearing the merch in their territory, making sure everyone knew who they stood with.

And Mayson... well, he’d become a bit of a local legend. His name came up often in the halls of his school, stories about how he’d gone toe-to-toe with Rick, the hardest hitter in the area, and taken every punch without going down. That kind of reputation sold merch almost as well as Max’s name. Wealthier students were even paying extra to wear the same designs.

Max stepped forward as they entered. "I wasn’t sure you’d come."

Aki grinned, stepping closer. "Are you crazy? We’re part of the Bloodline Group. We already pledged our loyalty to you. Everyone who needs to be here is ready today."

"It’s the same for us," Mayson added. "We’re not like the others in our school. We know the path we’ve chosen."

Joe lifted both hands in a quick, almost defensive gesture as Max’s eyes lingered on him.

"I promise I explained everything to them," Joe said. "Even how what happened to Jay might be connected to what we’re doing today. I did exactly what you asked. These people, Max, they really want to help you."

Max studied them for a moment. As long as they knew what they were walking into today, he’d let them make their own choice. He wasn’t going to hold their hands. But if they were putting their trust in him, then he’d do everything he could to make sure they came back.

Shortly after, the door opened again. More figures stepped inside, their footsteps echoing in the still air of the gym.

Many of them walked in grinning, their energy electric, feeding off the charged atmosphere in the room. The ones who had just arrived were all from the old Clapton High Alliance.

At the front was Rick himself, leader of Clapton High, his trademark confident stride impossible to miss. Beside him loomed Bando, the tall, broad-shouldered athlete who towered over most in the room. Gi and Bazma followed close behind, each with the air of fighters who’d seen more than a few scrapes.

Out of the wider Bloodline network, there wasn’t a single person missing.

"Max," Rick said, clenching a fist in front of him. "We heard there was something big going on, and we want in. Being part of the Bloodline Group... it’s more important than school to us."

His voice was firm, eyes locked on Max.

"More important than any of that. The Bloodline Group is going to be something big after today, we can all feel it. And we want to be a part of it. We want to help you make it happen."

Lastly, two more figures stepped through the doorway, Print and Erik, the leaders of West Brinehurst.

"I couldn’t have said it better myself," Print added with a grin. "So tell us, Max, what is it you need us to do?"

Max’s gaze moved slowly across the group. Every single one of them was dressed in Bloodline merch. Not a school jacket or team hoodie in sight. It was a clear statement, this was who they were representing today. Not their schools. Not their cliques. The Bloodline.

When Max had first asked Joe to reach out to the delinquent leaders across Brinehurst, he’d expected maybe half of them to decline. Joe had been instructed to tell them the truth, no sugarcoating it. They wouldn’t be fighting some rival school or defending turf from petty wannabes. They’d be going up against a real gang.

Joe had also been told to tell them about Jay. How he’d died. And how the gang was almost certainly behind it.

Max had braced himself for hesitation. Fear. But instead... the turnout was overwhelming.

"Everyone has their schools ready," Rick said, his voice carrying across the gym. "We’ve got our groups assembled. You give the word, and we move to wherever you need us."

Wolf’s eyes roamed over the gathered fighters. He could feel the strength radiating off them, like a tide waiting to crash.

"You sure know how to gather some strong ones, don’t you?" he muttered to Max, a hint of approval in his tone. It was crazy to think that someone would try to recruit a team of highschoolers. The thing was, lower tier gangs regularly did this, but the top of the top spread out amongst the street gangs.

For the first time, all of the strongest in the area were aligned under one banner.

Max stepped forward, letting the silence stretch just long enough for every eye in the room to focus on him.

"This is it," he said, his voice low at first. "Today is the day the Bloodline Group will be known, not just through the entire city of Notting Hill... but the entire country. And they will all learn the consequences of crossing us."

The room practically vibrated with the roar of adrenaline.

"Let’s go!" Max shouted.

And the Bloodline answered.