Escaping The Mafia King

Varys' words weren't enough. Nothing was enough. Hope imagined what would happen to Vincent and Max if Ethan got his
hands on them and bit her lip so hard blood seeped into her mouth.
"Hope, calm down."
Varys' words were as if they were underwater. She could hear them, but they were dull and couldn't break through the wall of
panic.
She was going to lose her only family. She was going to lose him in the most horrible way possible, and Ethan would make sure
it hurt her. He would delight in it.
"Hope!"
Varys was nose to nose with her now as he folded her in his arms. "Varys?"
"Hope, I don't know where you're going on in your mind, but you need to break out of it, now."
"I can't," she whispered as she pushed at him. She had the strength of a kitten. "I have to save them."
His hold tightened on her. "Them?" it was the dangerous growl of a predator.
"My uncle Vincent, and Max," she whispered.
"Max again," Varys spat. "Why are you worried about him?"
"He helped me," Hope replied. "And he's all my uncle has. I don't want anyone dying because of me, being tortured because of
me." She swallowed. "You've looked into Ethan's past. You know what kind of monster he is."
"If I help you-"
"If?" Hope glared at him. "You already said you would."
"That was before I saw your desperation," he replied with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Fine, what's your if?" Hope snapped at him.
"I help you, you belong to me and no one else. I want you as mine, Hope. Promise that, and I'll put my life on the line to keep
those two safe and take care of Ethan, personally."

"Deal, but one condition," Hope held out a finger for emphasis.
"No conditions, just mine." Varys replied.
"No, listen to my condition, Varys, now," Hope glared at him. After all she was doing, he could at least agree to listen to her. "It's
important."
"I'm not sharing you, Hope. I'm not going to save Ethan's life either. If your condition is either of those things, I'm denying you."
Varys replied. His dark eyes swirled as he met her glare for glare.
"Can you at least listen before you glare at me?" Hope snarled at him. "My condition is that you come back safe, Varys! If you die
on me, or let Ethan get hold of you I swear I'll never forgive you and become a ghost myself so I can make you suffer forever."
Varys lip twitched. "That's your condition? Hope, you need to have more faith in me. Do you really think I'm so easily killed?"
"You don't know Ethan like I do," she replied. "Please, just promise me, Varys."
"You promise me first, Hope. I want to hear it from your lips."
Despite the situation, despite the betrayal of Max, Hope smiled. But an alive Max was far better than a dead one. He might
pretend to be tough, but she was the only one that knew what Ethan was truly capable of. Besides, better for budding feelings to
die now than for them to deepen and be pruned later. With Varys back, it changed everything.
"Hope?" Her name was a growl on his lips. If the situation wasn't as tense as it was, she would have laughed.
"Varys, I promise to be yours and no one else's, forever."
The flash of emotion in his eyes took her breath away. The range he went through in just a single breath. Had he ever looked so
grateful or so happy without the cockiness? It was like that boyish moment he'd had at the park but magnified. tenfold.
"Hope," his voice was thick as he took her hands in his. "I promise I'm going to save those two for you, and when this entire
debacle is done, we're going to get married."
Marriage? "What?" she squeaked.
"Marriage," he insisted. "If we're going to belong to each other, it only makes sense that we're married. But first, I'll take care of
Ethan."

Fear gripped Hope by the throat once more, sinking its claws into her and choking the life from her. "Please," she whispered as
she grabbed his arm and hugged him tight. "Please, be careful, Varys."
Varys smiled at her. "Believe it or not, Hope, I'm pretty smart when it comes to this." He glanced over at his awaiting family
member. "I've got a job for you."
"Sir?" The man snapped to attention.
Strange, they obeyed like Ethan's men, but the respect they showed was on an entirely different level. Ethan's men reacted to
fear while Varys appeared to respond to their master. Even though Varys had a dark core as well, a darkness she didn't want to
focus on.
"Send out the first wave of men to greet Ethan. I need him tripped up as I prepare my own plans."
"You're leaving already?" Hope questioned as Varys took her hand in his and tugged her off the bed.
"I am, and; you're going someplace safer. I'll take care of everything else, but I have to know you're going to be safe." he nodded
to the man. "I trust you. I hope that you realize that if anything happens to Hope, I'll be murdering you and your men. That's my
future wife you'll be escorting, Marco."
"Got it, Boss," he nodded to Hope. "Come on, I'll take you to a more secure room."
Hope glanced around the current one. Wasn't this where Varys slept? Why wasn't it safe enough?
"I'm not about to have a fight in my boss's room. He'll forgive a lot, but if anything happens to his bed, there will be hell to pay
and I don't feel like being the one to pay the bill. Besides, you'll be farther away if the fight breaks out here." He nodded to Varys.
"I've got her, Boss, good luck."
Varys chuckled. "I don't need luck anymore, I've got a Goddess to fight for." He leaned forward and kissed Hope's forehead. "I'll
be back soon, you just focus on staying safe, got it?"
"Why do you have to go?" she demanded. "You just sent men to deal with it right? Stay with me." She felt like a traitor for
begging him to stay. But as he turned to walk away and she saw his back, dread filled her and her stomach clenched. Things
would never be the same if he left now.
"I'm not the type of leader to send my men out to die for me for no reason. Besides, I'm going to force Ethan to pay me back for
every time he laid a hand on you. Believe me, when I'm finished with him, He's going to be begging for death."