Page 95
Story: Master of Pain
“You’re pissed at me, aren’t you?” I finally ask.
She shakes her head. “I’m upset, don’t you think I’m not. However, you did save his life, and being angry at you isn’t what Ethan needs right now.”
“Most parents would kick me out, make the choice for him,” I reply.
She sighs. “My parents made enough of my choices, so I let Ethan make his own. If he regrets some of them, then he’ll learn from that. Obviously, I want him to live through those choices, but telling him not to see you wouldn’t do any good.”
“Would you rather he didn’t?” I brace myself.
“I don’t know yet. You’ll have to show me who you are outside of a bad boy who rescues my son and gets into trouble,” she insists with a small smile.
I can’t help but smile weakly back at her.
“Get us all some coffee.” She pats me on the arm. “I’ll take cream, no sugar.”
She steps back into the room. I nod. She didn’t offer to pay, which is good because I would insist she didn’t.
After asking what the other two want and getting clipped answers, I head down to the hospital cafeteria to get the coffees. Having an errand gives me some time to get my head on straight.
Before I go back up with the coffees, I make a phone call.
“Marco, what’s going on with the Greivans?” I ask him the second he answers.
“Everything’s good. The guy who attacked Ethan was one of the rebels. Now that he’s gone and you made an example outta him, the others are either crawling back into Callum’s lap or leaving the city completely.” Marco sounds proud.
“So I ain’t gotta worry about anyone else coming after him?” I ask.
“No. They were your biggest problem, so I don’t see there being another one now that we’ve got everything settled. As long as Ethan’s connected to you, there’s always gonna to be some risk, but that’s the same for all of us, brother,” Marco replies.
I sigh, a weight lifting off my shoulders. “What has Father said?”
“He’s already bought you a bottle of scotch to thank you. I think he’s sending a gift basket to Ethan’s room,” he chuckles.
“Really?” I step into the elevator.
“Yeah. I think this’ll be enough to make him forget about the ritual for a little bit. Ethan took the damage, Dad reaps the reward.”
I huff. “Of course. I don’t like it, but this does make things a little easier. If Ethan can forgive me, anyway.”
“Wow, forgive you? You’re really going to get on your knees and apologize? That’s a first for you,” he says teasingly.
I smirk slightly as the elevator reaches Ethan’s floor. “I’ll be on my knees, but I won’t be apologizing.”
“You said it, not me. Talk later.”
“Later.” I hang up and balance the coffees as I head to Ethan’s room.
“Dante,” Lena says breathlessly as she suddenly steps out of the room.
“What is it?” I ask, stepping into the room quickly as I see the panic on her face.
Anne grabs the coffee cups from my hands and puts them on the nearby table.
“Ethan’s waking up.”
19
ETHAN
She shakes her head. “I’m upset, don’t you think I’m not. However, you did save his life, and being angry at you isn’t what Ethan needs right now.”
“Most parents would kick me out, make the choice for him,” I reply.
She sighs. “My parents made enough of my choices, so I let Ethan make his own. If he regrets some of them, then he’ll learn from that. Obviously, I want him to live through those choices, but telling him not to see you wouldn’t do any good.”
“Would you rather he didn’t?” I brace myself.
“I don’t know yet. You’ll have to show me who you are outside of a bad boy who rescues my son and gets into trouble,” she insists with a small smile.
I can’t help but smile weakly back at her.
“Get us all some coffee.” She pats me on the arm. “I’ll take cream, no sugar.”
She steps back into the room. I nod. She didn’t offer to pay, which is good because I would insist she didn’t.
After asking what the other two want and getting clipped answers, I head down to the hospital cafeteria to get the coffees. Having an errand gives me some time to get my head on straight.
Before I go back up with the coffees, I make a phone call.
“Marco, what’s going on with the Greivans?” I ask him the second he answers.
“Everything’s good. The guy who attacked Ethan was one of the rebels. Now that he’s gone and you made an example outta him, the others are either crawling back into Callum’s lap or leaving the city completely.” Marco sounds proud.
“So I ain’t gotta worry about anyone else coming after him?” I ask.
“No. They were your biggest problem, so I don’t see there being another one now that we’ve got everything settled. As long as Ethan’s connected to you, there’s always gonna to be some risk, but that’s the same for all of us, brother,” Marco replies.
I sigh, a weight lifting off my shoulders. “What has Father said?”
“He’s already bought you a bottle of scotch to thank you. I think he’s sending a gift basket to Ethan’s room,” he chuckles.
“Really?” I step into the elevator.
“Yeah. I think this’ll be enough to make him forget about the ritual for a little bit. Ethan took the damage, Dad reaps the reward.”
I huff. “Of course. I don’t like it, but this does make things a little easier. If Ethan can forgive me, anyway.”
“Wow, forgive you? You’re really going to get on your knees and apologize? That’s a first for you,” he says teasingly.
I smirk slightly as the elevator reaches Ethan’s floor. “I’ll be on my knees, but I won’t be apologizing.”
“You said it, not me. Talk later.”
“Later.” I hang up and balance the coffees as I head to Ethan’s room.
“Dante,” Lena says breathlessly as she suddenly steps out of the room.
“What is it?” I ask, stepping into the room quickly as I see the panic on her face.
Anne grabs the coffee cups from my hands and puts them on the nearby table.
“Ethan’s waking up.”
19
ETHAN
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105