Chapter 2 - THE SYNDICATE'S MARKBy 3:00 AM, the sixth floor of Ashborne Memorial was locked down under armed security.
The fake orderly—identified as a hired hitman named Marcus Vance—had been hauled away in zip-ties by Ethan’s private security detail, bypassing the corrupted local police precinct completely.
Inside Room 604, Dr. Miller, the head surgeon, was finishing checking Ethan’s incision stitches.
"You're lucky the suture line didn't tear completely open, Captain Ward," Dr. Miller warned, adjusting the bandages. "You need rest, not hand-to-hand combat."
"I'll rest when the people who tried to kill my family are in the ground," Ethan replied coldly.
Dr. Miller sighed, shook his head, and exited the room under armed escort.
Reese walked over to the bed, checking Ethan’s heart rate monitor and adjusting his oxygen line. She could feel his intense gaze following her every move.
"You should have let my guards handle him," Ethan said quietly, his voice low and intimate in the quiet room. "You put yourself between a killer and a syringe, Reese."
"I am the charge nurse on this floor," Reese said, keeping her tone professional despite the rapid pounding of her heart. "And Eli asked me not to leave."
At the sound of his name, Eli, who was sitting on the edge of the bed clutching Ethan’s hand, looked up. "I told her about the wolf ring, Daddy. Nobody else listened."
Ethan pulled his son close, kissing the top of the boy's head. "I know, buddy. You were very brave."
Ethan reached out with his uninjured arm, his thick fingers gently capturing Reese’s forearm. The heat of his hand transmitted right through her blue scrubs, sending a warm shiver down her spine.
"The wolf-head ring belongs to the Fenris Syndicate," Ethan revealed, his eyes darkening. "They're a rogue black-market defense contractor operating out of Ashborne. Three days ago, my SEAL unit intercepted a shipment of dirty weapons they were smuggling through the harbor."
"Is that why your SUV was run off the road?" Reese asked quietly.
"Yes," Ethan growled. "They wanted to silence me before I could present the encrypted hard drive to the Department of Defense. And now... they know Eli saw the assassin."
Reese felt her stomach drop. "Eli is in danger?"
Ethan looked up at her with deadly absolute certainty. "They will come for him next. Which is why I need you to do something insane, Reese."
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"What?"
"I need you to come with us."
