“Kerri, if you walk out to face that son of a bitch on your own, it’s over.”
She clenched her hands. She should’ve known her family would come between them sooner or later. Fury boiled up inside her, and she wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all, but that wouldn’t serve any purpose. That wouldn’t change the fact that she had to face her family or that Ethan had given her an ultimatum.
The end had come a little earlier than she’d expected, that was all. Ethan would’ve eventually wanted out anyway when he realized the kind of conflict her presence would create in his family, or when he realized the full extent of the baggage she brought as Barron Sterling’s granddaughter, estranged or not. The SUVs outside were just the beginning.
She took a breath. “Then it’s over,” she said, doing her best to control her unraveling emotions and thoughts. The one thing she’d mastered growing up around her family was how to keep herself together regardless of the circumstances.
She started to turn away. Ethan gripped her arm almost too hard, but the physical pain was nothing next to her emotional turmoil.
“Tell me you don’t love me,” he said.
She looked at the large beautiful hand holding her. Why did he care what she felt for him? If she said she loved him, would anything change? Would he take back his ultimatum?
No, she realized. He’d insist on coming with her, get tangled up with Barron and make enemies out of the Sterlings.
“I don’t love you,” she said quietly.
His face turned blank. He let go.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
THE DRIVER TOOK KERRI to the Ritz, SUVs surrounding them like so many mechanized beetles. Three of her “bodyguards” then escorted her to a swanky suite on the top floor, though they didn’t follow her in. She barely registered the opulence of the suite. Barron liked his creature comforts and always traveled in style.
He was seated at a table with two sets of refreshments on it. He still had all his hair, though it was completely silver now. The thick mustache under his rather large crooked nose still had some auburn in it, as did the famously bushy eyebrows. He dressed casually, just a long-sleeved shirt and soft gray slacks, but the rich material hinted at wealth.
Who was she kidding? Everything about him was wealth and power.
“Grandpa,” Kerri said.
“Hello, Kerri.” He gestured to the empty seat on the other side of the table. “Thank you for joining me. Please sit.”
She took the chair and poured herself a cup of tea. Barron didn’t drink coffee, so of course there was none. “I didn’t realize you had business interests in northern Virginia.”
“I have business interests everywhere. But what brings me here is a family issue.”
Her fingers clenched around the delicate handle of the cup, and she relaxed them with deliberate care. “You didn’t have to send those men.”
“I disagree. I needed to make sure you didn’t disappear on me this time, since Justin seems incapable of keeping up with you.”
She said nothing and looked around. No one else was in the suite.
“Can you get to the point?” she asked. “I have things to do.” Such as collecting her things from Ethan’s place and returning the Audi to Natalie.
He nodded and seemed to gather himself. “Very well. I wanted you to know I’m sorry.”
Kerri put a finger in her ear and wiggled it around. “What? For a moment there it almost sounded like you were apologizing for something.”
Barron leveled a look at her. “Don’t be fresh.”
Despite herself, Kerri quailed a bit inside. Old or not, Barron was still a formidable figure. She closed her eyes briefly and held up a hand. “Okay. What are you sorry about?”
“About everything.” He shifted in his seat. “We forgot to appreciate what we had.”
Not hard to do when you’re the man who has everything. “Anything in particular?”
“You.”
She shrugged, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. “Was I something to appreciate? I thought I was just a reminder of what you lost.”