The man leaned closer. “You aware you have a broken taillight?”

Ethan blinked twice. “No, sir. I wasn’t.” The road was empty. No headlights in either direction.

“License and registration.”

Muffled sounds from the cargo area had the cop’s eyes going wide. Ethan fired twice through the door, straight into the man’s torso.

“You had to fucking ruin my fucking day, didn’t you, bitch!” Ethan screamed. There was only one reason the taillight could be damaged.

A sob came from the back.

He pulled on his gloves before climbing out and stepping over the large man’s body. Quickly, he opened the trunk to make sure she was still tied up. Laura stared up at him with reddened eyes.

She flinched away from the cop car’s headlights. Her hands were tied together but somehow, she’d pushed the fitting out. He quickly put it back in place. Then he grabbed his taser and hit Laura with a five-second cycle. Her eyes rolled and she shook like she was having a fit.

“Do it again and I’ll hurt you so bad you’ll wish you were already dead.”

He slammed the door shut and grabbed the cop by the feet and dragged him into the thick grass at the side of the road. He snatched the body cam off his jacket.

He rolled the guy down the embankment, sitting on the frozen ground and kicking him with both feet. Next, he jumped in the patrol car and pulled out the dash cam, as well as the computer. He turned off the lights and the engine, got out and pushed the car off the road, steering it down the embankment toward the dead officer. Then he opened the cargo door on the SUV again as Laura scooted away from him. He pulled out another set of fake plates and quickly put them on the vehicle. It was fucking cold and even with gloves his fingers were almost numb. Ten minutes later and a car was just starting to head his way, headlights visible in the darkness. He pulled carefully onto the highway and punched the gas. He was going to make sure Laura and Yael and Alex Parker all wished they hadn’t pulled that stunt. Then, after Laura was taken care of and his coffers replenished a little, he’d leave the country and start a new life.

Ethan knew how to make money on the internet and how to avoid getting caught. He’d been doing it for years. It wouldn’t take him long to re-amass his fortune.

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t take long for Laura to die, either. For the millionth time he cursed Yael’s good luck and his bad. But he’d make her suffer with his current plan and, one day, when she was least expecting it, he’d make her pay.

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