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Andro smirked. “Of course.”
“Just kill me and get it over with.” Van spit again, but this time, it was a wad of blood.
“No, I think it's best if you suffer just a little.” I grabbed the leather strap I kept for situations like this. Usually, my tools would go with me on a job, but since we were in the basement level of the house, they were splayed out on the metal table within easy reach.
Andro and I had worked together before on this kind of thing, so we moved in unison—a hit with my leather strap, a kick to the gut from Andro. It was like a choreographed ballet.
Van was dripping blood onto the floor, moaning about how sorry he was before we really got to the good stuff. I didn't even hear when the door burst open, but the gasp that followed and the hiccuped cry were sounds I would recognize anywhere, and they would haunt me for the rest of my days.
“Orsino, what's going on?” My omega was standing there, wide-eyed and terrified with his dog Kira at his feet.
“Ethan, why are you—” I stepped toward him.
He stepped back, and Kira stepped between us, baring her teeth as if she was going to protect my omega from me. Ethan put a hand on her collar to hold her in place. Ethan’s gaze scanned the room, taking in the sight of a Russo tied to a chair, beaten and bleeding.
“Stand down, Kira.” I knew she was upset by what she saw and smelled. Blood was splattered over my shirt, and my knuckles were bruised from the hits I had landed on Van before I switched to the strap. “Ethan, I'm sure you’re very confused. Let's go talk about this.”
Andro moved forward, and Kira turned on him. She leapt forward, almost pulling Ethan with her. The fur on her back stood on end and she wasn’t gonna let anyone near Ethan.
“Omega… Help me, please!” Van called out. Blood dribbled from his mouth and his eyes were swollen and purple.
“Ignore him.” I stepped to the side so he was no longer in Ethan's view.
Ethan stepped out of the room, and I followed. Andro knew I would return when I could or he would take care of the situation without me. We were almost done, anyway. Our goal had been to teach Russo a lesson, and we had done that.
“It's not what it looks like.”
“Were you beating that man to death?”
Technically. Yes. That was exactly what I was doing. “Okay, it is exactly what it looks like, but the reasons?—”
“Did he owe a debt to someone like my father?”
“Sort of, but it's?—”
“He's somebody's father. Someone’s family. What would happen if his omega son presented and tried to sell himself like I did? Would you accept?—”
“Van's omega son is in a boarding school five hundred miles from here. I don't even think he's old enough.”
“That's not the point, Orsino!” His eyes filled with tears that quickly flowed down his cheeks. “How could you?—”
“Ethan, you knew my business dealings were less than ethical from the beginning.”
“I know.” He shook his head and blinked a few times as if he was trying to get everything in his head to make sense. “I know!”
I took a deep breath and tried to calm my racing heart. “Just let me explain. What are you doing down here anyway? How did you find me?” I wasn’t exactly hiding from Ethan, but generally, he called first before he started wandering around the house.
“My dad called me. He has the money to pay off our debt.”
“Okay…” I hadn’t been keeping close tabs on Ethan’s father over the past few weeks. I assumed he’d returned to his old ways after I’d taken Ethan from him.
“Would you let me out of this arrangement if he paid you back?” His face was completely stoic, and I had no idea what he was asking. “Apparently, he has the interest too.”
Was this really happening? “Is that what you want?”
“I don't know. I—I thought I knew, but seeing you like that…”
Fuck. “Ethan, please, let me explain.” My heart leapt into my throat, and once again, I tried to reach out to touch Ethan, but he flinched and moved away.
