I would never admit it out loud, but I really enjoyed this side of my brother. This Ethan was strong and protective, not scared to face me head on.
“What did you do to her?” he asked again, stopping a couple of steps in front of my desk.
“What do you mean? Sexually? Well, it would probably be easier to tell you what Ihaven’tdone to her—”
“She left.”
My stomach tightened at his words; the unfamiliar emotions so palpable I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hide them from Ethan’s scrutiny despite being a master manipulator.
Where is she? How do you know? Did she call you? What did she say?These were all the questions I needed answers to but it would mean admitting any kind of interest and that was unacceptable.
“And you came here because…”
“Fix it!”
I let out a startled laugh. “Fix it?”
He gave me a sharp nod.
I laughed again. “I can’t fix what’s not broken. Unless I’ve broken her for other men, and in that case, I’m not sorry. The only thing of mine she enjoyed was my cock and somehow, I don’t think she’d let me use it on her again.”
Ethan frowned, cocking his head to the side and I knew I had slipped up somehow. “Was that why you ran her out of the city? Because she didn’t want to give you an encore?” I scoffed, hoping he would not see how close to the truth he was. “What makes you believe I even have anything to do with this?”
“Because you ruin everything!” he roared, and the sudden access of anger surprised me even more than his words. I’d never seen my brother lose his cool before; well, not since his childhood.
“I ruineverything?” He was clearly not talking about Ava anymore, or not only about her, at least. “Would you kindly tell me whateverythingmeans?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore.”
Anymore—that word stung. I knew our relationship had been strained for years, which was mostly my fault, but this word had a sense of finality that I’d not expected, as if he didn’t care at all, and that was somehow more concerning to me.
“I’d still like to know,” I added, leaning back in my seat.
Ethan waved his hand dismissively, his anger subsiding. This was also something he didn’t inherit from the St-Johns: the ability to hold a grudge like no one else. We were vindictive bastards but Ethan was his mother’s son. I always saw that as an insult, but today, I was not sure anymore.
“You have to bring her back here. Whatever horror you served her, whatever you blackmailed her with, you need to make it right. She has to come home.”
I shook my head and grabbed my mobile from the desk, breaking eye contact with him. I was concerned, too concerned, and I didn’t know how to hide something I’d never even experienced before over something other than my business.
“I can pay for a private detective if you want but—”
“I know where she is.” He sighed and looked at his watch. “She went home to Yorkshire.”
“Who would willingly decide to go to Yorkshire?” I sighed and nodded, hating the exaltation I felt at the thought of going to see her. “I’ll go there. I’ll bring her back to reason.”
He winced. “Don’t be a dick.”
“I’m never a dick!” I replied with fake offense.
“Do not threaten or blackmail her,” he added with a warning tone.
Fuck, he knew me better than I thought. If I couldn’t bribe, threaten, or blackmail, what did I have?
I sighed. “I’ll do my best.” I grabbed a pen. “So, where is she?”
Ethan gave me her address and I looked down at my phone, briefly wondering if I should take the train or just get the jet to Yorkshire.
Looking up, I saw Ethan still standing there, silently. I knew my little brother hated to spend more time than necessary with me and I expected him to flee as soon as I agreed to bring back his precious Ava.