Chapter 7 - A Shadowed Deal
Ethan ducked behind the tall bookshelf near the entryway, his heart hammering in his throat. He wrapped his fingers around an iron decorative bookend, his muscles coiled to strike.
The door swung inward with a faint groan. A tall, silhouette stepped into the gloom, a silhouette wearing a leather trench coat and a dark baseball cap. The man did not turn on the lights; instead, a narrow flashlight beam swept across the room, pinpointing the open desk drawers.
Ethan didn't hesitate. He lunged from the shadows, slamming the heavy iron bookend into the intruder's shoulder.
The man grunted, spinning around with military reflex. He blocked Ethan's second strike with a raised forearm and shoved Ethan hard against the desk, sending papers fluttering across the room. Ethan stumbled, recovering his balance to throw a heavy right cross, but the man dodged, grabbing Ethan's wrist and pinning his arm behind his back.
""Stop swinging, kid! I'm not here to kill you!"" the man hissed in a gravelly, familiar voice.
Ethan struggled against the grip. ""Who the hell are you?""
The man released Ethan and stepped back, flicking on a small lamp on the desk. Under the soft light, Ethan recognized the scarred face of Marcus Vance—his father’s younger brother, a man who had vanished ten years ago after being cast out of the family empire by Eleanor.
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""Uncle Marcus?"" Ethan gasped, his eyes wide in disbelief. ""What are you doing here?""
Marcus wiped dust from his coat, his eyes dark and hollow. ""Your mother sent her cleaners to erase this apartment thirty minutes ago. I intercept their comms. You have about ten minutes before two very bad men walk through that door to burn this place to ashes.""
