Escaping The Mafia King

"Speak." Varys sat behind his desk as he watched the man fidget in front of him.
Whatever the news was, it wasn't good. His fingers curled into fists. Would he have to kill Hope?
"It's about her past, her ex." The man ended with a gulp.
Varys closed his eyes as the thought of that monster getting to be with his Hope for even a moment. "Go on," he said with a
growl.
"I discovered some hidden hospital records. Well, not even hospital. Her doctor. I managed to loosen his lips." He chuckled.
"I don't care what you had to do to get the information. All I care about is the results. Now, stop stringing me along, and talk."
"She's had some serious altercations with that piece of shit when he's drunk. Broken nose, concussions, fractured orbital bone."
"He hit her?" Varys growled the question out. That pig of a man was going to pay.
That was HIS Hope. His, no one else was allowed to touch her, let alone hurt her. Then again, if that was the case, it was
unlikely she betrayed him intentionally.
"Sir?" the squeak of his man grabbed Varys' attention again.
"What?" he snapped.
"You're about to break that bottle, I would hate to have to clean up that."
Varys glanced down at where he throttled the neck of the bottle. The whiteness of his knuckles stood out against the wine bottle.
The bottle he'd bought for her in hopes of apologizing and patching things up. "Thanks," he grunted as he relaxed his hold.
Varys held the bottle tight to his chest and strode out of the room. There was only one place he needed to be, at her side.
"Sir, I wasn't finished," his man called from behind.
"We'll go over the rest later. I've got a woman to meet," he replied.
He banged on her door with three thuds before he unlocked it and jerked it open. Hope looked up from the bed, in much the
same position he'd left her before. "What do you want?" she demanded as she dared to glare at him.

"What the hell were you doing with that abusive shit, Hope?"
"Ethan?" she replied and then sighed. "It's a long story I don't want to get into, Varys. It's over between us."
"You let him beat you." Varys said it softly but his entire body was tensed like a giant spring.
"I never let him," Hope shot back. "Do you think I wanted that?" she sneered. The rage radiated off of her in waves that
threatened to consume him. "You think I liked what happened? Oh, yes, please, Ethan hit me again! I love concussions!"
"You let him because you never left him, Hope. You stayed and just let him use you like a punching bag." The words were tar in
his mouth. He hated them, and he hated her for making him say them. "Why?"
Hope snorted and shook her head as she stared at him. "You're an idiot and an asshole, Varys."
God, she was lucky that she was who she was. Anyone else would have had their tongue pulled out for talking to him the way
she did. He'd lost many a gossiping maid that way. "You're the god-damn stupid one to end up with the fucking mafia. I left you
so you could have a normal life, Hope. I wanted you to be happy."
"And I thought you didn't know about your family's business," she snapped back. "I'm stupid? You're the one that broke my heart,
Varys. Ethan just happened to be there to take advantage of it. But if you had trusted me, if you had let me know you were okay,
I'd never have ended up in that mess in the first place."
Varys closed his eyes as the fight drained out of him. "I'm sorry, Hope. I didn't know until that night, and once I found out all I
could think about was protecting you. I'm sorry I broke your heart, but don't you think I am hurt too?"
She opened her mouth to retort and then closed it as she too sighed and the tenseness in her faded away. "How did we end up
here, Varys?"
The soft way she said his name sent a jolt through him. How could he ever think about having to kill her? Even if it killed him,
he'd keep her safe. "We're both idiots?" he suggested with a soft chuckle.
She looked up at him then and smiled and he couldn't help but smile back. "Do I really have to be locked up like this?" she asked
as she gestured to her cuffs.
"You tried to run away from me, Hope."
"No, I tried to let Vincent know I was safe. I just left the message through a man that works there."

"One that was calling your name with too much familiarity." Varys pointed out. "I can't let any other man around you. No one that
calls your name in that way."
Hope rolled her eyes. "Because you don't trust me."
"Because I don't trust myself to not kill anyone else that cares for you." He chuckled himself. "Not the best thing I want to admit,
but I'm crazy about you, Hope. Emphasis on the crazy."
"Sir?"
Varys glanced over prepared to take out another of his men but paused. This one was one of the better ones. One who would
know better than to just interrupt unless it was important. "What?"
"There's been movement on Ethan, Sir. You told us to inform you if anything unusual happened."
"And?"
"He's left his base. Moving on his own, and heading straight for," he paused and glanced at Hope. "Perhaps we should have this
discussion in private?"
"No, whatever you have to say, I want to hear it," Hope interrupted. "Just spit it out."
"He's traveling through our territory."
"Is he?" Varys smirked. "So he's ready to settle this like a real man? About time."
"No, he's not heading towards us, Sir. He's heading towards that coffee shop that she was staying at."
"What?" Hope whispered as her eyes widened. "He's going for Max and Vincent!" She grabbed onto Varys arm as she looked up
at him. "Please, Varys, save them," she pleaded.
And as she gazed at him with those hopeful eyes, he knew there was never another option. "I'll do my best."