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"Looks like we came just in time," he said, a smirk playing on his lips. "It seems to me like you were planning to run away with our money."

Ezra sighed, glancing over at Olivia. "You knew they were coming, didn\'t you?"

The thugs followed Ezra\'s gaze, seeing nothing but empty space. They turned back to him, laughter bubbling up among them. "Who\'s he talking to?" one of them jeered. "Dude\'s cracked in the head."

"Probably trying to pull some trick to make us forget his debt," another suggested. "He doesn\'t want to pay for this month."

Hadrian shook his head, shrugging innocently. "No chance of that."

Olivia\'s voice, barely a whisper, reached Ezra\'s ears clearly thanks to his enhanced senses. "Yes, I knew they were coming. This is a test to see how you deal with humans while keeping to the Law of Secrecy."

Ezra accepted her words with a resigned nod. Turning back to the thugs, he drew on his experience as a lawyer, hoping to reason with them. "Listen, I know what it looks like." He spread his arms to indicate the surroundings. "Suitcase packed and ready. But it isn\'t what you think. Just give me one more day.

I can get your money. Just one more day."

Hadrian\'s laughter echoed through the small apartment, filling the space with a sense of impending violence. "You\'re just trying to buy time to escape," he sneered.

Ezra sighed, seeing the futility of reasoning with them. These men were hardened, accustomed to using force to get what they wanted.

There\'s only one choice left.

Ezra cracked his neck, a habit from his time as a human when preparing for a difficult task. "I guess I have to speak in a language you understand."

The room seemed to tense as Ezra stepped forward, his demeanor shifting from passive to resolute. He could feel Olivia watching him and smirked. Let me show you how we deal with humans here at Southside.

The thugs glanced at each other and laughed. Three against one. Emboldened by their perceived advantage, they didn\'t notice the subtle change in Ezra\'s posture.

"Alright, Mr. Lawyer," Hadrian taunted, "let\'s see what you\'ve got."

Ezra tilted his head, considering his options. He needed to subdue these men without breaking the Law of Secrecy, which meant no vampire tricks in front of them. It had to look like a human altercation, one he could win without revealing what he was.

"One last chance," Ezra said, his voice steady and calm. "Leave now, and we can avoid any unpleasantness." See, Olivia? I gave them every chance to retreat.

Hadrian laughed again, stepping closer. "Unpleasantness? You\'re the one who\'s going to be in a world of hurt."

Ezra stepped forward and threw a jab, quickly remembering to decrease his speed and strength to human levels. His punch connected squarely with Hadrian Kane\'s nose, a sickening crunch echoing in the small apartment. Blood sprayed, and Hadrian staggered back, grabbing his nose as if he couldn\'t believe what had just happened.

"Wuh?" He said, confused. He removed his hand and checked it, seeing the blood on it. "Ezra! You\'re gonna regret that," Hadrian snarled, his voice muffled by the blood pouring from his broken nose.

"I\'m pretty sure I won\'t." Ezra stood his ground, taking a boxer\'s stance, muscles coiled, ready for the inevitable. The three thugs behind Hadrian hesitated for a moment, glancing at each other before rushing at Ezra with a mixture of anger and bravado.

The first thug lunged, swinging his fist at Ezra\'s face. Ezra ducked under the swing and delivered a swift punch to the thug\'s ribs, feeling the impact reverberate through his fist. The thug gasped, doubling over in pain. Without pausing, Ezra grabbed the man\'s arm and twisted it behind his back, forcing him to the floor with a pained cry.

The second thug came at him from the side, aiming a wild punch at Ezra\'s head. Ezra blocked the punch lazily with his forearm and countered with a precise strike to the thug\'s jaw. The thug stumbled back, dazed, and Ezra followed up with a knee to the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. The thug collapsed, clutching his midsection and groaning in agony.

The third thug was more cautious, circling Ezra with wary eyes. He feinted left, then right, trying to find an opening. Ezra waited, his movements measured and calm. It was like the thug was moving in slow motion. Whatever you do, I\'ll see it, so, just pick a side for God\'s sake.

When the thug finally committed to a punch, Ezra sidestepped and caught his arm, using the thug\'s momentum to flip him over his shoulder. The thug crashed to the ground face first, the impact knocking him out cold.

Ezra turned his attention back to Hadrian, who had recovered enough to pull out a knife. The blade glinted menacingly in the dim light, and Hadrian\'s eyes were filled with fury.

"You think you\'re tough, huh?" Hadrian spat, his voice filled with venom.

Ezra remained silent, watching as Hadrian lunged at him with the knife. He leaned out of the way, the blade slicing through the air where his head had been.

Seizing the opportunity, Ezra sent a punch to Hadrian\'s stomach with enough force to drop him to his knees. Hadrian gagged, then fell forward, puking all over the floor.

Ezra grabbed Hadrian\'s hair, yanking his head back. He raised his fist, ready to deliver another blow, but paused. The apartment was silent except for Hadrian\'s ragged breathing and the faint sounds of the city outside. Ezra could feel Olivia\'s eyes on him, a silent reminder of the thin line he had to walk.

Hadrian choked out a few intelligible words.

"Like I said," Ezra\'s eyes narrowed, and his voice was cold and firm. "Give me one more day."

With that, he delivered a final punch, knocking Hadrian out. The thug\'s body slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Ezra stood over him for a moment. He frowned in disappointment. That had been too easy. Valaren growled in agreement. It had been like taking candy from a baby.

He took a deep breath, then dusted his hands with a flourish, as if brushing off the confrontation.

"Done and Dusted."