Dead. Ethan growled.
All of his men, fucking dead, and they didn't even manage to take out the man he had sent them for.
Ethan glared at the man that stood before him and the little weasel twisted himself in an attempt to not
meet his eyes. "It's not my fault." He whimpered, his voice coming in soft little whines.
"Not your fault?" Ethan replied. "How are you alive, and everyone else is dead? Explain why you
weren't inside that building when I ordered all of you to be." He leaned forward as he narrowed his
eyes. "Explain it nice and slow as if I'm an idiot. Your answer could save your life."
"Well, you see, I was going to be on the lookout for everyone. Hang out at the back and let them know
if anyone were coming so they wouldn't be taken out from a surprise attack."
"I see that the coward of the group survived. Something I plan to rectify when we're through here. Now,
speak. How did all of my men die to the hands of just one?" Stayed at the back? Not likely. This piece
of shit was trying to hide his cowardice, but Ethan would ferret it out.
"There were traps."
"Traps?" Ethan's voice trailed off. "You're not joking, are you? I despise jokes."
"No, there were flame-throwers and-"
"And how do you know this?"
"Sir?" The other swallowed hard. "I don't know what you mean."
"No sane person would have traps like that visible unless they were inside the building. For you to tell
me in detail what happened means you were inside as well and thought you'd lie to escape
consequences." Ethan continued in a conversational tone, but his eyes were sharp. "Would you care to
tell the truth yet?"
"But, Sir, I was-"
"The truth, now," Ethan stressed.
The man sighed and stared at the ground. "I followed them in. I stayed at the rear until we hit the first
trap. Once I realized how deadly it was, I backed out. I wanted to make sure someone survived to be
able to tell you the story."
"How noble," Ethan spat and the other winced away. "Don't think it saves you."
"Sir, please, I can still help you."
Ethan snorted. "Help me? You're worthless. I wouldn't trust you on another mission, nor are you worth
keeping around as a servant. Your usefulness is used up."
"Wait-"
Ethan pulled out his gun and shot the man between the eyes. He didn't bother watching as the body
toppled over. His thoughts were elsewhere. Max was fast becoming a thorn in his side. Time to live up
to the old adage. If you wanted a job done right, you had to do it yourself.
And he was going to enjoy every minute of taking care of Max himself. He didn't even care if the man
didn't have a bead on Hope yet. He'd get her back and force her to watch as he beat the life out of
these other men she put herself around.
He could just see it. Hope tied down a chair with her eyes taped open so she couldn't look away. And
he'd take his time with the detective. He'd cover him in knife slices first, all the better for his body to be
sensitive to every touch.
Then he'd beat the hell out of him, and wallow in Hope's horror. It was going to be fun making that
woman regret ever trying to run off on him and making him a laughingstock to his family. He'd managed
to stop the rumors that would get out beyond them, but he'd have to deal with their shit for a long time,
or at least until he got her pregnant.
That would solve a lot. An heir would stop his family in their tracks from any more personal attacks,
plus it would make sure that Hope had the perfect collar for her.
Ethan grabbed a phone. "I need someone to clean up a mess. Yes, blood was involved this time, thank
you." He glanced back down at the crumpled form. "Useless to the end."
His cleaner would be in soon and his usual clean standards would be met. He'd have to replace the
men he lost today, and he would tear it out of Max's hide. Maybe cutting him would be too kind of
torture. Maybe it would be better to tie the detective to a pole and lash him a hundred, no a thousand
times.
But if he did that, where would he keep Hope? Would he want her in front so she could watch every
flinch of agony? Or would he want her placed from behind so she could watch him decorate the other
man's skin with cuts? Or even better, he'd make Max's punishment area rotate. That way she could
experience all of it, and he could relish all the pain it caused her.
And once he was done with Max, he'd turn his attention to Varys. Sure the man was protected at the
minute, but that wouldn't last. They both ran in the same underworld, it wouldn't take much to make the
other man vulnerable and to take over his kingdom. Besides, he had plans for his wife, and that was
something Ethan would never forgive.
It didn't matter who it was. Anyone that touched his property, particularly that one, deserved a slow and
painful death.
His cleaners arrived and Ethan got up as he flexed his knuckles. Before he got to the fun stuff, he was
going to have to get Max, and then? Then it would be time to enjoy himself to the fullest.
And moments like this deserved celebration. Time to go find one of his hot bitches and sink himself into
her. He'd never impregnate one of those, but they made perfect bed warmers, and they would do until
he got Hope under his control again. He could just lose himself in her frightened and despairing eyes.
It was going to be perfect.
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