Desire Me If You Can [Novel] - Chapter 12

Leaving behind a lingering sense of unease, the fire chief returned to his office. As soon as his back disappeared from view, the remaining men turned their gazes toward Grayson. They stood there, staring up at him with hardened expressions, as if confronting a dangerous criminal.
With arms crossed or one hand on their hips, their faces were filled with unconcealed displeasure. Coupled with the disgust they felt toward themselves at having been momentarily captivated by his unprecedented beauty, their hostility soared to its peak.
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In the chilling silence, the air in the room grew increasingly tense. In the midst of all this, one of the men stepped forward and looked up at Grayson as if trying to assert dominance, and spoke in a low voice. “You’re a firefighter starting today? You?”
He scanned Grayson’s entire body with an openly disbelieving gaze. As if to assist him, another man asked in a harsh tone,
“How did you even get in here? We all went through tests, shouldn’t you have to as well?”
“That’s right, the physical test. That’s the most basic of basics.”
Following the man who quickly interjected, others started chiming in, seizing the opportunity.
“When there’s a fire, you have to rush into the scene carrying incredibly heavy equipment. Can you even do that?”
“Suddenly showing up and calling yourself our colleague? No way, we won’t accept it.”
“We’re a team. If a spoiled brat like you joins and screws up, all our lives will be at risk. Hey, are you even listening?”
“Answer us, you son of a bitch. Are you deaf?”
The men vented their frustrations and shouted, but Grayson didn’t react. He looked indifferently past them, then suddenly moved. Seeing him trying to ignore them and walk away, they angrily blocked his path.
“Is this fucking bastard ignoring us right now?”
“Where do you think you’re going so boldly? Without our permission!”
“Get out of here! This isn’t a place for a brat like you!”
They brandished their fists under Grayson’s chin and yelled. With his path blocked, Grayson grimaced, then let out a deep sigh. The men were still brimming with confidence.
This bastard is finally backing down. Of course, we are firefighters, protectors of this district! How could a punk like him stand against us?
As they puffed out their chests in satisfaction, Grayson slumped his shoulders as if disheartened and muttered softly, his voice drained of all energy,
“Ugh… I really hate ugly people…”
It was a murmur, almost to himself, but loud enough for everyone to hear. A chilling silence descended upon the room. The men, who had been yelling just moments before, were stunned into silence, as if hit on the back of their heads. In that brief moment, Grayson seemed to have lost all his energy. He covered his mouth with one hand and took deep breaths, as if about to vomit, further fueling the fire in the men’s chests.
“What did you say? You son of a bitch!”
“Motherfucker, you wanna die? Alright, let’s go right now!”
“I’ll fucking kill you! How dare you talk to us like that?!”
“Come on, coward! Come at me! I’ll crush you!”
Someone threw a punch along with a stream of curses, and as if it were a signal, they all lunged at Grayson. Grayson frowned and stopped, and to their surprise, he made a whimpering face as he sighed deeply. Just as the men hesitated, he muttered, almost complaining,
“Ugh… I hate touching ugly people…”
The men’s fury exploded.
“What? This motherfucker!”
“Kill him! Let’s kill him right now!”
“I won’t let you get away with this, you bastard!”
The man who had heard and was the one closest to him, his face red with rage, threw a punch. It wasn’t about their pride as firefighters anymore. Their chests were filled with nothing but the desire to beat this arrogant bastard and teach him a lesson.
Unfortunately, Grayson easily dodged the blow with a slight turn of his body. While the man, thrown off balance by his missed swing, gritted his teeth and regained his stance, another man attacked. This time with a kick. His leg shot up to Grayson’s thigh, but Grayson easily evaded it with a single step back.
The same scene repeated itself over and over, but the men didn’t give up. Their eyes burning with determination, they threw themselves at him even more fiercely, determined to take him down. This wasn’t going to end easily. Grayson was getting bored. He was annoyed by the waste of time and anxious that he was dealing with these idiots when he should be searching for his destined one.
That’s when it happened. As he dodged another punch with a slight turn, Grayson’s eyes landed on it. A crowbar, a firefighter’s tool usually used to open locked doors, but it sparked a different idea in Grayson’s mind.
Just as a man’s fist connected with Grayson’s stomach, Grayson grabbed the crowbar.
“Uh.”
The man, momentarily dazed, hadn’t yet registered the fact that he had actually landed a hit on Grayson, who had been dodging so effortlessly. A shadow fell over him. He looked up to see Grayson looming above him, a smile spreading across his face.
“Now this is self-defense.”
Before he could react, the crowbar swung through the air. The man collapsed without a scream. The other men were momentarily stunned, but they didn’t have time to hesitate. By the time they realized Grayson Miller had deliberately taken that punch, the crowbar was already coming at them.
What followed was a one-sided beating. The men tried to attack Grayson, but they couldn’t even touch him. Their arms, waists, and backs were mercilessly pummeled. Fortunately, he didn’t hit their heads, but the impact on their bodies was still brutal. As one man screamed and fell, another lunged forward, and as he was knocked back, the fallen man would stagger back up and attack again.
Now, the absurd notion of teaching Grayson Miller a lesson was gone. All that remained was their petty pride and stubbornness. The last vestiges of their will, refusing to collapse pathetically.
Despite their desperate efforts, Grayson wasn’t even out of breath. He wielded the crowbar skillfully, his movements precise and efficient.
This monster.
The first man who had attacked him cursed through gritted teeth.
This guy might kill us.
A chilling premonition accompanied his fear.
No, he definitely would. If not now, then someday, perhaps soon.
This bastard is going to kill us all.
Just as he thought that, the crowbar came flying at him.
He couldn’t withstand it this time.
Is this the end?
The man thought as he closed his eyes.
A loud cracking sound echoed. It seemed to come from farther away than he expected. The man froze, the sound as if originating not from his own body, but somewhere else.
When he slowly opened his eyes, an unexpected sight greeted him. Someone had hit Grayson Miller’s back with a chair. And the moment he saw the red-haired man holding the broken chair leg, he couldn’t
help but let out a sigh of relief.
“Dane…!”
As he called out the name, as if seeing a savior, Grayson Miller slowly turned around, his face contorted in a frown. Soon, their eyes met. Deep purple eyes filled with displeasure locked with narrowed blue eyes.
Dane, throwing the broken chair aside, frowned deeply.
“Who the hell are you?”
Snap.
Dane blew up the gum he was chewing and popped it, glaring at the unfamiliar man who had just been
causing such a commotion.