For the third time that evening, Erin felt shock course through her like a punch in the gut, stealing her breath in one forceful slam, threatening to topple over her already fragile hold on reality.
She wouldn’t be surprised to suddenly wake up to find that the past few hours had been nothing but a product of an already stressed out imagination. She could hear Ethan saying something, but she couldn’t make out anything through the frantic swirl of thoughts as her brain struggled to piece together a story that made more sense than the ridiculous notion that Nicky was somehow involved in all this.
She shook her head, and took a step back, her legs coming up against the chair and she sank down to it, the tightness in her chest a reminder that she had forgotten to breathe. She opened her mouth on a gasp, the renewed flow of oxygen helped to clear her muddled thoughts enough to hear Lillian ordering them from the house and threatening to call the cops.
Her gaze shot to Ethan, as he stood so still he seemed to be made of stone, the only sign of animation the ice cold fury that swirled in his eyes. She’d seen him like this once before; the first time they’d met and she had managed to piss him off after less than ten minutes alone with him. She remembered being the recipient of that look – the barely concealed rage that could crush its prey in a heartbeat. That day, she’d unwittingly made a dangerous enemy and Erin had no doubt that whatever was going through his mind at the moment boded ill for Lillian.
As though recognizing the formidable presence of a predator, Lillian shivered, fear replacing the self-satisfied smile of a minute earlier. To her credit, she didn’t cower or run away, her eyes darted about the room in search of something with which to defend herself.
For long seconds, the only sound in the room was the loud ticking of the clock.
“There are two things you need to know about me, Ms. Putney,” Ethan finally spoke, his voice low yet dangerous. “One. I am not the kind of man you wish to have as an opponent because I fight dirty. And two…”
He moved, closing the gap between them and leaning down so he could look Lillian right in the eyes. She let out a small squeak of terror and shrank back at whatever she read in his eyes.
“I will make you wish you had never crossed me and mine, and by the time I am through with you, a broken heart will be the least of your worries.”
He straightened, dismissing her with a look and held out his hand to Erin. Bemused, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her up and usher her out the front door, leaving two terrified women in their wake.
The minute he shut the front door, Ethan dropped her hand, and without a word, stalked towards their parked car, his every movement controlled like a beast in a cage waiting to be unleashed. Despite the warm midday sun, Erin felt a shiver travel down her spine as she watched him walk away, suddenly hesitant about being in the same car with him in this mood.
His opinion of her had been less than glowing before, after all, he still believed she’d manipulated Nicky into breaking up with him and now, to discover that she was also responsible for breaking up yet another relationship and getting caught in the middle of an insane plot for revenge, and not even to add the extra offence of believing she had been aware that Nicky still loved him..
Her head throbbed badly, the rays of the sun seeming to pierce through her irises and she shut her eyes against the glare. Nicky didn’t love Ethan…she knew that for certain, but for her to actually go around telling people otherwise made Erin out to be some sort of man stealing monster and that, she could not forgive. She’d covered for Nicky, endured Ethan’s scorn and all this time, the ungrateful little bitch was….
“Are you coming, or do I go on without you?”
Erin’s eyes snapped open and she found herself gazing into a pair of blue eyes. Ethan regarded her impassively, his face giving away no clue to his thoughts as he stood at the foot of the steps.
Erin took a deep breath and began walking down to steps to join him. “Ethan, I need to tell you something.”
He raised an eyebrow and glanced behind her at the door. “It can wait. Let’s go.”
He turned and walked off without a second glance. Feeling her temper rise at his dismissal, Erin glared at his back, but followed nonetheless. By the time she reached the car, he already had the engine idling, not sparing her a look as she slid in, barely managing to shut the door before he put the car in motion.
As they pulled onto the main road, Erin tried again, turning slightly so she could face him. He stared straight ahead, his white knuckled grip on the wheel saying volumes of his mood and she fell silent, deciding to wait until he’d calmed down a bit. When that would happen, she had no idea.
Instead she shut her eyes again and leaned her head back against the headrest, wincing as the drums inside her skull began beating a relentless rhythm of pain. She’d never been much of a drinker, but right now Erin wished for some alcohol to take the edge off her worries. Right now, she couldn’t say what troubled her the most; Ethan’s anger or Nicky’s lies, each one intertwining with the other to produce the mammoth of all complications.
“Where is Nicky?”
Erin turned to face him, her mouth tightening as she wondered at his motive for asking. “Why?”
His lips twisted in a grim smile.
“Still playing the protector, Sweetcheeks? I’d have thought you’d be throwing your dear sweet cousin under the bus by now. Or wasn’t that what you wanted to tell me a few minutes ago?”
“I…” she began and stopped. Much as she hated to admit, Ethan was right. She’d been about to tell him the truth about Nicky. Still, hearing him say it was cringe inducing. She turned her gaze out the window, watching the scenery as the car ate up the miles, trying to gather her thoughts.
Telling Ethan about Nicky’s treachery would do her no favours. Knowing him, the arrogant sod would see it as another example of her trying to come between them and she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction adding more misery to what had fast become the most miserable week of her life.
The car slowed at the toll bridge and Erin turned to find Ethan studying her with an intensity that raised goosebumps on her skin. Resisting the urge to squirm under that gaze, she stared back at him until the blast of car horns from irritated drivers behind them forced him to break contact and resume driving.
“What happened five years ago, Erin?” Ethan asked his tone abrupt. “And I want the truth.”
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Erin struggled with her thoughts, suppressing the selfish part of her that wanted to blurt out everything. She was tired of carrying Nicky’s secrets, tired of having to endure the censure in Ethan’s eyes each time he looked at her. Still, regardless of Nicky’s betrayal, she couldn’t – wouldn’t give up the secrets that were not hers to tell.
“Even if I wanted to tell you, I don’t think it’s my place to do so.” She sighed, careful to avoid looking at him. “I think it’s high time you and Nicky talked, if she chooses to tell you the truth or not, is up to you.”
“And what if I want you to tell me the truth?”
Erin raised her eyebrows in mock surprise. “Would you believe me? Come on, Ethan, we both know you don’t trust me and you think I’m a selfish, manipulative bitch who would do anything to get what I want.”
“You’re not selfish.” Ethan broke in, while she stared at him in open-mouthed shock. “I may have thought so in the beginning, but – and I’m saying this by way of an apology – you’re not. If anything, you have this rather stupid but adorable tendency to put your family needs before your own and they take it for granted. Did I say that was stupid?”
For several seconds, Erin could only stare at him in disbelief. Ethan had actually paid her a compliment, though of course, in his usual manner, he’d also managed to insult her in the same sentence but still. He’d apologized. Sweet lord in heaven!
“Thank you,” she replied softly, wincing at the sharp throb of her headache. She gave him Nicky’s address then asked, “So, what are we going to do about Lillian?”
His features hardened in renewed tension. “I’ll take care of it.”
She nodded, keeping her eyes fixed on the road. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this mess, Ethan. Believe me, I had no idea Luke was seeing anyone else when we started dating, in fact, I made a point in asking him and I remember he told me he’d ended a previous relationship three months before meeting me. So help me, I don’t know what or who to believe.”
“She was lying.” Ethan replied, and when she glanced at him askance, he elaborated. “Luke didn’t lie to you. If he had a secret girlfriend stashed somewhere, I would have known about it.”
He would? Erin leaned closer, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Did you know Luke?”
Ethan shrugged, his usual unreadable expression in place. “In a manner of speaking.”
“In a manner of…what is that even supposed to mean? Is that some sneaky underhanded way of saying you had him checked out?”
He didn’t reply, but the corners of his mouth twitched. “In a manner of speaking. Honestly darling, I’m surprised you didn’t run a background check on him. Or is that a privilege you reserve for your cousin’s dates?”
“I didn’t think it was important.” Erin mumbled, chagrined he’d found out. “Look, I don’t want to talk about it anymore ok?”
He raised his eyebrows in surprise but said nothing else, letting the rest of the ride pass in silence.
The truth was, she’d always felt guilty about prying in people’s lives ever since the night Ethan had accused her of being too controlling. Still, the thought that Ethan had taken an unusual interest in her life was just this side of unsettling…and she made a mental note to arrange for some tech guys to sweep her apartment for bugs, she wouldn’t put it past Ethan to be sneaky.
Ethan covertly studied the woman sitting so close, every breath he took, his nostrils filled with her intoxicating essence. Christ, it muddled his senses to the extent he kept forgetting he was supposed to be furious, murderously so. And heaven help him, once he got his senses back, he was going to decide how best to teach Lillian Putney a lesson she would be hard pressed to forget in a lifetime.
But first, he would deal with Nicola Gosling, would willingly wring every single morsel of truth from her manipulative little mouth and put an end to this madness once and for all. He stole another glance at Erin, noting for the first time how vulnerable she looked, sitting there with her hands tightly clasped, the unfocused look in her eyes hinting at a headache, shoulders tense, and he seriously wanted to hit someone – Luke, Nicky, Lillian – it didn’t matter, as long as he could somehow protect the one woman who had suddenly become a victim of a pair of vicious lying sluts.
Something had definitely happened five years ago, something only Nicky and Erin knew about and he needed answers, and since Erin was not spilling, that left the other cousin.
He pulled the car to a stop in the parking lot adjoining Nicky’s apartment and killed the engine. Beside him, he felt Erin sigh and run a hand through her hair, if possible looking even tenser than before. He placed a hand on her arm, the contact sending waves of mild shock racing through both bodies.
Her eyes raced up to meet his, pupils dilating in sudden awareness of his touch.
“What?” She whispered, tongue darting out to moisten her lips, and he nearly groaned aloud at the action. Damn it Ethan, he admonished himself silently, now was not the time to imagine doing shocking things to that mouth…. or having those luscious lips doing things to him.
He grimaced in disgust and abruptly broke the contact, uttering a curse under his breath.
Damn traitorous body.
When he spoke, his voice came out harsher than he’d intended.
“When we leave here, you and I are going to have a long talk so don’t even think this is over yet.” Erin’s eyes flashed in rebellion or was it disappointment? And she yanked open the door and stalked away without a word.
“Shit!” he swore louder this time and hurried after her, catching up in a few long strides as she marched on without sparing him another glance. Together, they entered the building and she led the way to the elevators.