The Marvelous Ethan Cole

Chapter 6

The first thing people noticed was his clothes.

His shirt was torn at the shoulder, a long rip that exposed part of his undershirt beneath. His jeans were stained dark in several places, some of it dirt, some of it something else. His face wasn't bruised, or have any purple shadow spreading from his cheekbone down to his jaw, but he looks  angry like someone that was involved in a fight. His hair was a mess, pushed back off his forehead but sticking up in places where it had dried wrong.

He looked like he'd been in a real fight.

Or worse, The room went completely silent.

Ethan stopped just inside the doorway and looked around, his eyes moving slowly across the tables, across the faces staring back at him. He didn't look embarrassed. He didn't look apologetic. He just looked.

Daniel started laughing first, evdh though he didn't understand what he happening, why did they allow Ethan to come here, he was supposed to be gone.

“Oh my God.” He slapped the table, his whole body shaking. 

“Look at this. Look at him. Vicky, this is what you're defending? This?”

A few others joined in, quieter at first, then louder when they realized no one was stopping them.

“Did he crawl here?” someone said.

“Maybe he got mugged on the way over.”

“Maybe he mugged someone.”

More laughter.

Richard stood slowly, his face dark. "

“What are you doing here?”

Ethan's eyes moved to him. “I was invited.”

“By who?”

“By the man who wanted me dead.”

The laughter stopped.

Daniel's grin faltered. Just for a second. Then it came back, wider than before, forced now. “What are you talking about?”

Ethan looked at him.

Daniel's face went pale.

“You.” Ethan's voice was quiet, but it carried across the entire room without effort. “You sent them.”

“Sent who?” Daniel stood up now, trying to pull his expression back together. 

“I don't know what you're talking about. You're clearly confused. Maybe you should go home and—”

“You sent six men to my restaurant tonight,” Ethan said. 

“They broke my legs. They stabbed me. They tried to burn the place down with me inside it.” He paused. “Do you want me to keep going, or are you done pretending?”

No one spoke.

Daniel's jaw worked back and forth. His hands were shaking slightly and he shoved them into his pockets. “You're insane. I didn't—”

“You called them after,” Ethan continued. “You asked if the job was done. You were angry when I answered instead of them.” He tilted his head slightly. “Do you remember what I told you?”

Daniel said nothing.

“I told you I was coming for you.” Ethan took a step forward.

“Here I am.”

At that moment Richard moved between them, one hand raised. 

“That's enough. I don't know what kind of accusation you think you're making, but you need to leave. Now.”

“No,” Victoria said.

Everyone turned to look at her.

She was standing near the center of the room now, her arms crossed, her face pale but set. “He's not leaving.”

“Victoria—” Richard started.

“He's my husband,” she said. “Grandfather approved the marriage. Grandfather chose him. And whether any of you like it or not, he has every right to be here.”

“Look at him!” Richard gestured broadly. 

“He looks like he just rolled out of a gutter. He's making a scene. He's embarrassing this entire family.”

“He's embarrassing you,” Victoria shot back. “There's a difference.”

At that moment Daniel forced a laughed, it was high and sharp, however deep down he couldn't believe those bastards didn't do their job.

“Oh, this is rich. You're really going to defend this? Him? He shows up looking like a homeless person, throws around crazy accusations, and you're taking his side?”

“I'm taking the side of someone who was attacked tonight,” Victoria said coldly. 

“And if what he's saying is true, then you're the one who tried to have it done.”

“It's not true!” Daniel's voice cracked slightly. “He's lying! He's—”

“Then prove it,” Ethan said.

The room fell silent again.

Ethan looked at Daniel, his expression completely calm. 

“Call them. The men you sent. Call them right now and put it on speaker. Let's all hear what they have to say.”

Even though Ethan knew they are dead, he still wanted to use the trick anyways.

At that moment Daniel's face went from pale to gray.

“I can't,” he said quietly.

“Why not?”

“Because—” He stopped. His hands came out of his pockets and he ran one through his hair, his eyes darting around the room like he was looking for an exit. “Because I don't know what you're talking about.”

Ethan took another step forward.

One of the security guards near the door moved toward him, his hand already reaching out.

Ethan didn't look at him.

He just moved his hand slightly, a small gesture, almost lazy, and the guard stopped mid-step. His eyes went wide. Then his legs buckled and he dropped to one knee, gasping, clutching at his chest like someone had just hit him there.

No one had touched him.

The second guard moved.

Ethan turned his head slightly and the guard froze. Completely froze, mid-motion, one foot off the ground, his whole body locked in place like someone had pressed pause on a video. His eyes were the only thing still moving, darting back and forth, panicked.

Victoria took a step back without meaning to.

“What—” Richard's voice came out hoarse. “What did you just do?”

Ethan ignored him. He looked at Daniel. “I told you I was coming. I told you to wait. You didn't listen.”

Daniel backed up until his legs hit the edge of the table behind him. He couldn't go any farther. 

“Stay away from me.”

“You sent men to kill me,” Ethan said. 

“You tried to burn down my family's restaurant. You tried to take everything from me.” He stopped a few feet away. 

“Why?”

“Because—” Daniel's voice cracked again. He looked at Victoria, then back at Ethan. “Because you don't deserve her.”