My Domination Begins With a Revenge

The Shadow Guard

"Kill him and take the phone!"

Gabriel roared the command and lunged forward. The massive debt collector aimed his jagged steel knife directly at Ethan's chest. The three other thugs charged from the flanks with their switchblades raised to strike.

Ethan stood perfectly still in the center of the parking garage. He did not drop his coffee or raise his hands to defend himself. He simply watched the killers approach with cold detachment.

The screech of heavy tires drowned out the sound of the attacking thugs.

Three armored black vehicles smashed through the wooden security barrier and skidded to a halt in a tight circle around Ethan. The heavy metal doors of the vehicles flew open before the tires even stopped spinning.

Twelve men clad in dark tactical gear swarmed the concrete floor. The Sovereign Global private security force moved with terrifying precision and lethal speed. They were known as the Shadow Guard and they protected the most powerful financial dynasty in the world.

A guard stepped in front of Ethan and grabbed Gabriel by the wrist. The guard twisted the thick arm upward until a loud crack echoed through the concrete structure.

Gabriel screamed in agony and dropped his weapon. The jagged knife clattered against the pavement.

The other three thugs barely took another step before the remaining guards descended upon them. Heavy combat boots swept their legs out from under them. The attackers were slammed face first into the concrete and pinned down in less than five seconds.

Ethan took a calm sip of his coffee and looked down at the men groaning on the floor.

Yesterday he would have bled to death in this empty garage. Today he possessed a private army that treated armed killers like minor inconveniences. He realized the sheer magnitude of his wealth in that quiet moment. The power to grant life or dictate death rested entirely in his hands.

Alaric stepped out of the lead armored vehicle and adjusted his charcoal suit jacket. The older executive looked at the subdued men with mild annoyance.

"Are you injured?" Alaric asked. He walked over to stand beside Ethan.

"No," Ethan replied. "They did not get close enough to try."

Gabriel groaned in pain and tried to lift his bleeding face from the floor. A tactical guard immediately pressed a heavy boot into the back of his neck and forced his jaw back against the rough concrete.

"You are making a huge mistake," Gabriel spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor. "I work for the Taylor family. They own the police and the judges in this city. You will all be locked in a cage by morning for assaulting me."

Ethan handed his coffee cup to Alaric. He stepped closer and crouched down to look the defeated debt collector in the eyes.

"Aiden Taylor hired you to break my knees," Ethan said. "But a street thug like you does not operate without top tier corporate protection. Who funds your debt collection agency?"

Gabriel gritted his teeth and refused to answer. He glared at Ethan with stubborn defiance.

"Speak," Alaric commanded from above. "Or my men will extract your teeth one by one until you remember how to use your words."

The guard standing over Gabriel pressed his heel harder against the spine of the criminal. The pressure threatened to snap his vertebrae in half.

"Graham Taylor!" Gabriel screamed as the pain became unbearable. "Aiden's father funds our entire operation through his corporate accounts. He uses us to crush his business rivals and intimidate the local politicians."

Ethan stood up and smoothed the fabric of his suit. The pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly. Aiden was arrogant but his father provided the financial shield that allowed him to torment the city without consequence.

"Let them live," Ethan ordered. He looked at the captain of the tactical squad. "Break their right hands so they cannot hold a knife again. Then send them back to Aiden and tell him the stray dog bites back."

The tactical guards nodded in unison and drew their solid steel batons.

"What about Graham Taylor?" Alaric asked. He pulled a digital tablet from his briefcase and prepared to issue commands. "He funds a criminal enterprise and approved a hit on your life. We can wipe his existence from the map before sunrise."

Ethan shook his head. Death was far too merciful for the men who had mocked his sister while she lay dying in a hospital bed. He wanted them to feel the exact same crushing despair he had endured while begging on his knees.

"Drain their corporate accounts and freeze their personal assets," Ethan said. His voice echoed like a death sentence across the cold garage. "Initiate a hostile takeover of the Taylor family supply chain right now."