Page 17 of Possessive CEO

Ethan must be looking for me now. He must have heard the voicemail already. And like he’s read my mind, my phone buzzes in my pocket.

Janus’ wild eyes light up. “That’s him. Give ‘em to me. Come now. Ya don’t want me to shoot Mel, do ya?”

I clutch my phone so tightly but still hand it to Mike’s outstretched hand. “Yep, that’s him,” he tells Janus.

“Lemme answer that. Ya know nothin’ about dealin’ with them rich folks. Just watch them two girls. I’ll make sure we walk out tonight as millionaires.”

As if Ethan will let them get away. He went ballistic when one of his employees forced himself on me. I wonder how he’ll react when he sees what these assholes are doing. They don’t know what’s coming to them.

Janus has never been smart. That’s why he always carries a gun.

“Hello?”

I don’t know what Ethan is saying on the other line, but he’s raising his voice already.

“Ya girl’s here, Mr. Erickson. Don’t worry ‘bout it. I just need something from ya. Ya listening, buddy? Ya. I have Mel and Em here. Gimme 50 million in cash and I’ll give ‘em back to ya without a scratch. Ya won’t even see my shadow anymore. Be in another country in a week most likely. How’s that?”

Janus is nodding and smiling at Mike. They really think they can pull this off. They’re convinced they can outsmart Ethan. Stupid fools. He eats idiots like them for breakfast.

“We’ll send you the location, man. Don’t have to tell ya twice not to call the police, aight? This just between you and me. Gimme the money and I’ll scoot. Faster than you can blink.”

He ends the call and gives Mike a high five. He’s laughing maniacally like he just won the lottery. He’s already making plans about what he’s going to do with 50 million.

This gives me pause.

Is this the guy I’ve been so afraid of my whole life? He’s nothing more than a pathetic loser. I don’t know what Mom saw in him. He’s not even intimidating. This is why he hides behind his gun. It makes people fear him. But without that weapon, he’s nothing more than an addict in a desperate search for his next hit. Someone who’ll do anything for drugs.

If he thinks Ethan will give him the money and he’ll walk away scot-free, then he’s got another thing coming.

7

ETHAN

I’m not gonna kill him. I’ll break every bone in his body and watch him scream in agony. He’ll be in so much pain, he’ll beg me for his death.

But no. I won’t give it to him.

He deserves to suffer. He deserves to spend every waking hour in terror.

As I drive to the location he texted, just a few minutes beyond Emily’s old neighborhood, I remember that call. I just got off the meeting when I heard Emily’s voicemail about her picking up her sister for an emergency.

But when the son of a bitch answered, my muscles grew tense and a boiling fury began to swell inside of me. The way he casually told me he’d kidnapped her and her sister. 50 million? That’s fucking nothing in exchange for Emily. But when I think of everything she’s gone through because of him? That only angers me more. Who the fuck does he think he is hurting my girl?

Gripping my steering wheel tightly, I glance at the small suitcase strapped on the passenger’s seat, car rumbling over a pothole-ridden road. I navigate through the broken concrete, my breathing too loud. Reynolds insisted on coming with me, but I refused. I can take care of this alone.

Blood roars in my ears as I shift the gear to park and take note of my surroundings. The eerie silence hangs heavy in the air, and I watch the dilapidated structure before me. Three storeys. Dust coating its windows. Weathered doors hanging on its hinges.

I grab the suitcase, step out, and scan the area, musty odor filling my nostrils.

He’s probably watching me now. Once I get my hands on him, I will show no mercy.

I push the door open, rusty hinges creaking in protest and my shoes sticking to the floor filled with broken furniture, syringes, and every kind of trash. Shafts of dusty sunlight filter through the broken windows. It won’t be long before it’s nighttime.

Venturing deeper into the building and straining my ears to listen to the slightest sounds, my footsteps echo in the hollow space. Where are they?

As if on cue, someone says, “Up here!”

I walk on the decaying staircase cautiously, my senses on high alert, body primed for a fight, the wooden steps groaning under my weight. I reach the second level, quickly scanning for them. From the collapsed ceiling and exposed beams to the dirty mattresses on the floor, all I want to do is take Emily and her sister out of this disgusting place as fast as I can.

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