All Chapters of COLLATERAL DESIRE : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Leo lunged across the glass stage, his hands clawing wildly for the microphone, but Ethan caught his forearm in mid-air with an iron grip and twisted it down onto the glass podium.The sharp crack of bone against the glass echoed through the speakers, making Leo drop to his knees with a strangled scream.Gasps tore through the crowded ballroom as four syndicate guards in the front row drew their weapons in unison. Black steel barrels pointed straight at the stage. Two hundred live media cameras flashed like lightning, capturing the sudden standoff in high definition. Executives screamed, diving under tables and shoving past one another in a frantic rush to escape the line of fire."Put your hands up, Vance!" one of the guards yelled, his voice cracking under the glare of the television lights.Ethan didn't move a muscle. He kept his grip locked around Leo's twisted arm, pinning my uncle flat against the glass podium while Leo groaned in pain. With complete tactical control, Ethan wrap

"Ava!" my father shouted over the deafening roar of the transport helicopter, taking a step toward us on the rain-soaked roof. "Step away from Ethan Vance this instant. You are coming with me."Ethan’s heavy forearm clamped around my waist like a steel band, yanking me flush against his chest and locking me into his side. His heart pounded a hard, steady rhythm against my back, but his posture didn't give an inch. He stood like an iron wall in the middle of the howling storm, shielding me from the downpour with his massive frame while his dark eyes locked onto my father."She isn't stepping anywhere near you, Arthur," Ethan growled, his deep voice carrying over the thundering rotors. "Her place is with me now.""You don't own her, Vance!" my father yelled back, waving his hand toward his heavy guard. "She is a Croft, and this family will not be dismantled by a brute!""She isn't your property anymore," Ethan answered, his thumb pressing possessively into my hip as he kept his body fir

"You have to hold on to me or you die!" Ethan roared into my ear, his breath hot against my wet skin over the deafening scream of the helicopter rotor.His arm clamped around my waist like a heavy band of forged steel, jerking my body upward just as my fingers lost their grip on the wet cable. We swung together in the empty sky, suspended hundreds of feet above the blurred gold lights of London. The wind tore through my clothes, biting deep into my bones, but Ethan shoved his shoulder forward, using his massive frame to shield me from the full force of the storm."Look at me, Ava!" he commanded, his voice vibrating through his chest directly into mine. "Do not look down!"I couldn't help it. My eyes darted lower for a split second, catching the sheer drop beneath my boots. Rain fell in sharp sheets, slicing across my face like shattered glass, while the metal cable beneath Ethan’s gloves groaned under our combined weight. Vertigo hit me like a physical blow. My stomach plummeted, and

"Don't touch that box yet, Ava," Ethan warned, his hand slamming against the cold titanium wall inches from my ear."It's the only reason we spent thirty-six hours flying to Zurich," I snapped, turning my head to face him. "My father's hidden ledger is in there. You said this would prove everything."Before my fingers could even brush the cold steel handle of the main safety deposit box, Ethan's large hand shot out. His fingers wrapped firmly around both of my wrists, gathering them together in a single, unyielding grip. With effortless power, he pinned my hands high above my head against the cool metal vault wall.The sudden movement brought his chest flush against mine, trapping me between the immovable titanium deposit lockers and the solid heat of his body. The scent of dark cedar, crisp mountain air, and fresh leather hit me all at once."We have time," Ethan murmured, his voice dropping into a low, quiet rumble that vibrated straight through my ribs. "The bank isn't opening the

"Out of air yet, Ethan?" Leo sneered.The words barely cleared his mouth before Ethan exploded off the frozen floor.He didn't hesitate, didn't negotiate, and didn't give my brother time to adjust his aim. Ethan lunged out of the blasted vault doorway like a weapon released from a spring. His open palm struck upward with brutal, horrifying precision, smashing directly into Leo’s throat. The force of the strike cut off Leo's sneer in a wet, gagging gasp. The heavy black silenced automatic rifle slipped from Leo's paralyzed fingers, clattering loudly across the granite floor.Ethan didn't stop. He grabbed the lapels of Leo’s tailored jacket and drove him backward into the corridor wall. Leo’s skull hit the reinforced granite with a sickening crack that echoed down the dark hall.Blood spattered across the pale stone, but Ethan was already taking him to the floor. He dragged my dazed brother down, driving his heavy boot knee directly into the center of Leo’s chest to pin him flat against