Chapter 13: The Doc's Diagnosis
Ethan walked into the doc's office, his eyes scanning the room for any signs of trouble. The doc, a gruff but kind-hearted man named Dr. Lee, looked up from his examination of the missing runner.
"Hawk, thanks for coming," Dr. Lee said, his voice serious. "This kid's been through hell."
Ethan's gut tightened as he approached the examination table. The runner, a young man named Alex, was battered and bruised, his eyes sunken with fear.
"What happened?" Ethan asked, his voice low and even.
Dr. Lee hesitated before answering. "From what Alex has told me, he was jumped by a group of men outside a rival family's territory. They beat him up pretty badly, but he managed to escape."
Ethan's eyes narrowed. This sounded like more than just a simple beating. "What else did he say?" he asked, his voice pressing.
Dr. Lee glanced at Alex before answering. "He said they were looking for information about...about you, Hawk."
Ethan's heart skipped a beat. This was getting worse by the minute. "What kind of information?" he asked, his voice cold.
Dr. Lee hesitated again before answering. "They wanted to know about your relationship with Roman."
Ethan's eyes snapped to Alex, his mind racing with questions. Who was behind this? And what did they want with Roman?
But before he could ask any questions, Alex spoke up, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Hawk, I'm sorry. I didn't tell them anything. I swear."
Ethan's expression softened, and he placed a hand on Alex's shoulder. "It's okay, kid. You did the right thing."
But as he looked into Alex's eyes, Ethan knew that this was far from over. Whoever was behind this was still out there, waiting for their next move.
And Ethan was determined to find out who they were, and put a stop to it once and for all.
Dr. Lee cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Hawk, I think we should get Alex to a safe house. He's not safe here."
Ethan nodded, his mind already racing with plans. "I'll arrange for protection. But first, I need to know more about what happened."
Alex hesitated, his eyes darting nervously around the room. "I...I don't know if I should say anything else."
Ethan's expression turned stern. "Alex, I need to know what's going on. Who was behind this?"
Alex took a deep breath before answering. "I...I don't know for sure. But I think it might have something to do with the Morano family."
Ethan's eyes narrowed. The Morano family was a rival mafia family, known for their ruthless tactics. If they were involved, this was much bigger than Ethan had initially thought.
"I'll take care of it," Ethan said, his voice cold. "But Alex, you need to be careful. If the Morano family is involved, they won't hesitate to hurt you again."
Alex nodded, his eyes wide with fear. "I'll be careful, Hawk. I promise."
Ethan's expression softened, and he placed a hand on Alex's shoulder. "I'll make sure you're protected. But for now, let's get you to a safe house."
As Ethan arranged for Alex's protection, his mind was already racing with plans to take down the Morano family. This was personal now. They had messed with his family, and they would pay for it.
But as he walked out of the doc's office, Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something. Something big.
And then, just as he was about to get into his car, his phone buzzed. It was a text from an unknown number.
"Hawk, you'll never be able to protect Roman. We'll always be one step ahead."
Ethan's heart skipped a beat. Who was this? And how did they know about Roman?
He knew one thing for sure: he would do whatever it took to keep Roman safe.