Escaping The Mafia King

Chapter 46: 46- Nightmare

"You really thought you could get away from me, Hope? Your detective is dead, I tore out his insides and kept them just for you. And as for your mafia boyfriend? Well, I'm having him drawn and quartered as we speak, so very slowly."

"No!" Hope rushed at Ethan but he waved his hand and she was stuck in the air twisting and turning in his grip. "Bastard!"

"You should be grateful, Hope. I let your uncle have a swift death, just like I gave your parents when they got in my way."

"No!" The word tore from Hope's throat and she sat up panting as sweat poured down her chest. Her entire shirt was sticky with it. She plucked at it and sniffed before wincing. Everything was just as quiet as it had been before.

The iron plate on her door's window opened up and Marco glanced in on her. "Heard you scream, what's wrong?"

"Just a nightmare," she whispered as she hugged herself hard. "Please, can you just let me out for a few minutes? I don't want to be here after a dream like that."

Marco grunted. "Sorry, no way I'm risking that." He slammed the little metal plate back and Hope threw herself back on the pillows as tears welled. Being with Varys meant she was just a prisoner to someone else, even if she loved him. This was still just a fancy golden birdcage. No matter how gilded, still a cage.

The door rattled and Hope's eyes widened. Had Marco changed his mind? Had a chance of heart, or maybe even a heart transplant would be more likely in that case.

"Hope."

"Max!" Hope threw herself at him, knocking him against the wall. His arms folded around her and she allowed herself that second, and only that second before she pulled away. "Sorry, I got too excited to miss you, but an engaged woman can't be acting like that." She got a closer look at him. What she'd mistaken for blushing red cheeks, was streaks of blood, and he was favoring his shoulder. "What happened?"

"We took care of Ethan, just like I told you was going to happen," Varys replied. He'd been right behind Max, he'd seen everything. And best of all, Hope had turned the other man down.

"Varys, you're okay!" Hope threw herself at him next and buried her head in his chest, hugging him as tight as she could. "I was so worried for you, for all of you." She looked from one to the other. "And Uncle Vincent? Where is he?"

Varys frowned and turned around. "I'm not sure, let me find out. Hope, stay here."

What? Why did he look so worried? His confidence had developed a crack. "Why?" she questioned. "Is it Ethan?"

"Max, stay here with Hope, guard her with your life. Marco, you're coming with me. We're going to go find uncle Vincent. I'm sure he just wandered off, but I'm taking no chances."

Hope watched them go and the panic once more clawed at her. Besides, he was leaving Max with her. This was the same man that insisted over and over that she was to be his no matter what. The door clicked. "You're locking us in?" she whispered.

"Just a precaution, Hope," his eyes flickered to Max. "I trust you, and I won't be gone long. If this bastard tries anything, let me know and I'll put him down."

Hope nodded before turning to Max. He was leaning against the wall, his eyes half-lidded as he took shallow breaths. "Max?"

His eyes cracked open and her breath was taken away by his beautiful eyes. "You've made your choice, huh?"

Hope swallowed hard but didn't look away. She was going to face up to this one. "Yes, I did. I know he seems rough, but I've known Varys a long time, when we were younger, we were almost together."

"Yeah," Max replied. "Don't worry, I'm not going to force myself on you, Hope. I don't agree with your taste in men, but I'm not going to be the dick that takes that choice away when it's what you want, and call me crazy, but Varys isn't the same with you as he is others."

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Hope whispered. "Did Ethan escape? Does he still have Uncle Vincent?"

"I killed Ethan. I stepped on him until all of the life in him was crushed away. You never have to worry about him again, Hope."

The nightmare that was so vivid in her brain broke into a million pieces and faded away. "Really?" she whispered. Was it over? Was she allowed to breathe again?

"Really," Max replied with a wane smile before he winced and slipped down the wall. "This isn't the best idea, but can I use that bed of yours? Ethan got a little knife happy before Varys rescued us."

"Take off your shirt," Hope said as her mind raced. No, Ethan was an expert with that cruel knife of his. "Now, Max!" © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

He recoiled away from her bark but shrugged out of his shirt and tossed it to the ground. His beautiful skin was marred by ugly gashes deep into his skin. "Am I your bachelorette present?" he questioned with a chuckle.

"Lay down," Hope ordered instead. The wounds were nowhere near his gut. That was good news at least. And none of his current were leaking fluid, another good sign. But still. "You've lost a lot of blood, Max."

"Still have my life, it's enough."

Hope shook her head as she took his old shirt and using her teeth she tore it into a number of strips. "This isn't the cleanest, but unless I strip the sheet from the bed, I don't think I have a better choice. And you've already bled over the sheet so it's about the same."

She worked around him tying the strips into bandages and slings. When she was done he looked like a mummy and shook his head at her. "You do realize it's not going to be easy to protect you like this, right?"

Hope shrugged but smiled over her shoulder at him. "Guess that means it's my turn to protect you, Max."

His laughter echoed through the room as Hope turned her attention to the door. There weren't a lot of weapons available, but if anyone did break through that wasn't Varys, they were going to get a taste of her wrath, and nothing was going to happen to her friend, nothing.