Chapter 34: 34- Secrets


    "Got it." Max grumbled, rolling a transparent ss heavyweight ball in his fist, "No sign of Varys at his


    old house?" he waited a moment till the person on the other side of the call finished speaking.


    "Roy, sweep out the downtown area where Varys'' territory is, ask around to the informers. Be smart,


    don''t get in deep until it is absolutely not working out. Take Lucas with you, and send William on a


    stakeout for any man that is closest to Ethan. Send me the information on this Shawn and arrange a


    meeting with him in the next hour." saying, he hung up the call.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    His mind was a mess. Putting the heavyweight ball far away on the table, so that he does not break


    something with it like he had been doing for the past few days, he rested his palms on the ss table


    and took a heavy breath in.


    The whole matter of Hope''s kidnapping had turned out more messed up than he had ever imagined.


    His men were after her info, everything from underneath the ground was pulled out to see what the hell


    was going on.


    If there was anything that his men were good at, it was to pull out shit on people that even those people


    did not know existed. It was easy, it was work, and they were ruthless. Carefulness was Police''s job,


    his was to make sure he got what the client needed by either white hands or by dirty tricks. And right


    now what they had most needed was the past of Hope that was buried so deep, it took them through


    literal hell to bring out.


    A simple girl from North Carolina, that is what Vincent said. Vincent, whose own past had been kept


    hidden from his family was now worried to death about his niece.


    Vincent had been in a team of secret agents before he had gotten caught in the Afganistan, thirteen


    years ago. His years were no less than hell from what he had to endure there. His memories were still


    vivid. Vincent was the kind of man who was ready to take a bullet for anyone who was close to him,


    give up his life for them. That was the reason that he had not contacted his family for ten years


    because of being trapped in Afghanistan. And when he came out free, back to the country, he found


    out that his sister was dead, and Hope had moved somewhere else.


    Thinking that staying away was the only option to make sure his niece will stay safe from his past, he


    had not tried to contact Hope. But when Hope called him, there had never been any moment far


    happier than that.


    Max and Vincent had no idea of what Hope had been doing for the past thirteen years. In records, she


    existed till she passed high school. And then as the first year of college records started, everything


    started fading.


    Through digging, Hope''s past starteding up. She was not buried in mud. She was literally made of


    mud. From being connected to Varys'' family''s death to being married to Varys'' rival; Ethan, everything


    was one shock after anothering out.


    But somewhere the things were not sitting right. She had left North Carolina with all her things, from her


    passport to her cards. Her stuff that was stillying around at Vincent''s house was helpful in the search.


    And her husband was the rival but he was not taking any action to find her, this was clear. Underground


    was a small ce, and people like Ethan and Varys were the ruler of those underground areas. If Varys


    had kidnapped the rival''s wife, there would have been a war break out, but there was not any. Which


    meant there was something that was not quite right, and hidden from the eyes.


    A ping interrupted his thoughts. Snatching his phone from his pocket he nced over at the details.


    Shawn''s details blinked on the screen along with the meeting spot.


    Snatching the keys of his Harley from the table he walked out of the office. He wanted Hope back in


    front of his eyes. And if he has to ride the entire mafia n up the fucking wall through their throats to


    do that, he did not give a fuck about the consequences.


    Driving through the busy roads of Texas city, his Harley came to a stop in front of a ssmercial


    building. Max''s eyes scanned the phone screen again, going over the picture of the guy, and then lifted


    up to roam around the road. There, in a corner, near a Te the man stood, making Max''s eyes light up


    in recognition.


    He crossed the road with quick strides, making sure to avoid bumping into every day working people


    and reaching the man.


    "Shawn?" he inquired.


    The man looked at him from bottom to top, before saying, "you are not Mr. Chavez?" it came out more


    like a question than a statement.


    Max did not blink or exined. Tit or tat was their motto, and Shawn was a businessman running a


    business worth billions. Surely he would not have been the type toe for an immediate meeting if


    asked nicely. Shawn was dressed in the suits that are tailor- made for rich people in Armani stores. No


    stubble, clean appearance, grey suit with a blue color tie suited him very well.


    "He will being an hourter," Max stated and pulled out his ID to show him of his legitimacy and PI


    status, "for now, I need to have a chat with you, Mr. Shawn Peralta."


    *****


    Ethan''s shoes ttered against the floor as he listened to the live recording of everything Max was


    saying. nting a bug in his phone had not been an easy task, but there is nothing impossible if you


    have money in your bank and a gun in your hands.


    "Were Varys and Hope in the same ss?" Max inquired.


    "No, his brother, Hector was. But Varys and Hope were close friends." the other man, Shawn


    responded, "I remember he used to be with Hope literally all the time. I was suspicious that they were


    closer than being just friends. That fucker even punched me once for kissing Hope at a party."


    Max was silent for a couple of seconds before he grumbled in a low tone, "good move."


    "What?!" Shawn spat in anger.


    "Nothing." Max ignored and continued, "What happened after? Were you in contact with Hope after


    that?"


    Shawn huffed out in anger, "I was not. Ste and Hope were best friends so she might know. And now I


    am getting out of here because unlike you, I have a lot more fucking things to do instead of obsessing


    over chicks."


    Ethan clenched the bottle of whiskey around the neck and pulled it up to take a deep swig. His hand


    shook as he put the bottle down, his body barely containing the fury that he felt deep in his chest.


    "Fucking bitch," he spat, "she has got all the fucking men in the country wrapped around her little


    finger. "


    "Ryan!" he shouted, and a man standing outside the door immediately entered inside.


    "Boss?"


    "Find Varys'' hiding spot. I am bringing Hope back." the man nodded his head and immediately headed


    out to follow the orders.


    Ethan grabbed the bottle and drank half of it down before mming it down on the side table,


    "Hope, you wille back to me. Ruining my reputation is not this easy." his voice shook as he pushed


    the hair falling over his forehead and wiped the sweat, "I will kill you myself if you don''t. You are not


    getting touched by any fucking man as long as I am alive."