“Say something,” I pleaded with Ethan after minutes of silence. Guilt gnawed at me as I noticed his expressionless face.
“I know, Emily,” Ethan finally said, surprising me. I narrowed my eyes, confusion setting in. What did he mean by that?
“I don’t understand,” I said, shaking my head.
“I’m not a fool, Emily. I knew the moment the phone I gave you in Miami got disconnected, the moment my men spotted Wayne. Alpha also told me. Did you really think you could hack my computer without me noticing?” Ethan’s voice deepened as he spoke, making my heart race.
“Honestly, you were terrible at hiding it,” he said, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. I stared at him with wide eyes, my heart pounding and my mind swirling. If Ethan knew all this, why didn’t he stop me? Why did he let it go this far? Was this ambush for me, not him?
“Are you going to kill me now?” I asked, the only question that came to mind amidst the chaos in my head. A smile appeared on Ethan’s face as he shook his head.
“On the contrary,” Ethan said. “I’m going to let you kill me.” His words only deepened my confusion. What the hell did he mean by that?
“I don’t understand,” I stuttered, fear creeping in as my heart raced faster.
“I love you, Emily,” Ethan said, his voice softer now. “More than anything I have right now, more than even my life. And for whatever reason you decided to work with Wayne, I probably deserve it. I would gladly give my life if it meant you could be happy.” His words made tears stream down my face as I began to cry.
“No,” I sobbed, still holding him. “I was foolish. I shouldn’t have agreed to work with him,” I confessed to Ethan, who cradled my face, gently wiping away my tears.
“Don’t cry. It’s okay,” Ethan’s reaction wasn’t what I expected, and it only made me feel worse.
“I’m sorry I betrayed you,” I said, my voice breaking as Ethan’s thumb caressed my cheek.
“It’s okay,” he consoled, pulling away slightly to meet my gaze.
“I don’t know what to do. He threatened to kill my father if I didn’t bring you here,” I explained, my voice barely above a whisper. Ethan’s eyes bore into mine.
“What do you want to do?” he asked, as if trying to gauge if I truly wanted him dead.
“I don’t want to lose you or my dad,” I admitted, my voice trembling. Ethan watched me silently, almost as if confirming my words.
“You’re not going to lose your father,” Ethan reassured me. “I already have men stationed at your house in Asheville. Wayne can’t touch him,” he explained, to my surprise.
“You really knew everything?” I asked, feeling a wave of guilt wash over me. He had been aware of my betrayal all along. Did he set me up?
“Yes. Christof told me what Wayne was planning during Gloria’s memorial. I told you Christof wouldn’t be able to harm me, he needs me. There are rules to how we work,” Ethan said, leaving me even more confused.
“But I broke that rule. I betrayed you,” I began, but Ethan interrupted.
“You’re my exception, Emily. No rule applies to you,” he said, his voice deep and tender. If my heart wasn’t racing from fear, it would have been fluttering.
I stared at him, then at the warehouse. If Christof wasn’t going to betray him, then what was really going to happen in there?
“So what would have happened if I didn’t confess?” I wondered aloud, still not fully understanding.
“If you hadn’t told me, I would have walked in there and let myself get shot, just like you planned. I have nothing to live for anymore,” Ethan said, breaking my heart. I was the reason he lost everyone he cared about, and now he was willing to die just to make me happy.
“And Christof?” I asked.
“I’ve made arrangements for him to get full access to all my shipments. You’ll get all my money,” Ethan said, sending shivers down my spine. The idea that he had planned his death made me feel sick.
“I’m sorry,” I cried, “I’m sorry I betrayed you, I’m sorry I made plans with Wayne. But please, please change the plans. I don’t want to lose you. I love you too much,” I pleaded, my voice breaking as I sobbed. I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to him.
Ethan smiled at me, his eyes locked on mine. “What are you saying, Emily?” he asked.
“If for any reason you have to die today, then I want to die by your side,” I said, the only thought I could cling to. “Let’s die together”.
Ethan chuckled lightly. “Do you mean that?” he asked, and I nodded, desperate. The thought of death scared me, but the thought of watching Ethan die terrified me more.
“If you would have me, then I’ll live for you. But if at any point you can’t have me, then I would gladly lay down my life for you,” Ethan said. As his words left his mouth, I pulled him closer, crushing my lips against his. I kissed him hungrily, my hands gripping the back of his head, holding him firmly. He kissed me back, our tongues dancing before I pulled away.
“Live for me,” I pleaded between breaths. “Let’s go somewhere far. The island. Let’s just be happy and forget all of this,” I begged, staring into Ethan’s eyes. But his eyes told me the answer before his lips could. “You can’t?” I echoed his thoughts, and he smiled faintly.
“You’d rather die than go somewhere far from me?” I asked.
“You wouldn’t understand,” Ethan said. “What I do is the only way I can protect the people I love,” he tried to explain, but he was right, I wouldn’t understand.
“So what are we going to do now?” I asked, glancing at the warehouse where I was sure Wayne was waiting.
“I’ll handle it,” Ethan said, pulling away from me completely. “Just stay here. I’ll be right back,” he assured me. I nodded, sitting quietly as I watched him pick up his phone, dialing a number as he got out of the car.
With his phone to his ear, he walked towards the warehouse. My heart raced as I watched him disappear inside. Despite his assurances, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was going to sacrifice himself to make me happy.
Unable to sit still, I got out of the car, carefully making my way to the warehouse. As I reached the door, I opened it slightly, peering inside. My heart nearly stopped when I saw Ethan standing between Christof and Wayne, both of them pointing guns at him.