I used to wonder about my father a lot when I was a kid. What he was like, how he looked. Why he didn’t like me. I never really thought that maybe it was her he didn’t like. She was always so adamant that it was all my fault.
But Ethan’s words stirred a weird feeling inside me, something that bloomed into a memory. “You know, the last time I saw her, she said something kinda confusing.”
“What?”
I lowered my gaze.
With a soft sound, Ethan lifted my chin with the backs of his knuckles. Everything about him radiated warmth and assurance. “You don’t have to tell me, but you can if you want to.”
“I asked her why she even had me,” I whispered. “You know, since she hated me so much.”
He made a strangled sound and pulled me in, pushing my cheek against his chest. “Just the mere thought of you not being here is too painful to bear.” Suddenly, I was pulled back, my face pressed between gentle palms, and wide, imploring eyes stared solemnly into mine. “Thank you for enduring all those years. Thank you for keeping yourself safe until I could find you. You did so well, love. So well.”
My lower lip wobbled. “You say really nice things, E.”
Maybe it was because I was clearly getting emotional, or maybe it was because we were standing in a hallway, but he pulled back, offering me a small reprieve from all the knots he always tied me in.
“What did she say?” he asked, his eyes still caressing my face.
I frowned, recalling. “She said she kept me so he would know part of him was being raised by someone he hates.” I glanced up. “Why would she say that? She always said he hated me, not her.”
“Was she drunk?”
My mouth fell open. “How did you know?”
An angry bolt flickered through his stare. “Because you said she threw a bottle of vodka at you.”
I nodded. “She drinks a lot.”
“Could have been the alcohol talking.” He reasoned, slipping an arm around my waist so we could walk to Ivory’s door. “This is a heavy topic for the middle of a hallway. And you don’t need the stress today. How about we talk about this later? As much as you want.”
“Okay.” I agreed. But really, there wasn’t anything else to say.
“I’m sorry I can’t be with you all day, but it’s a busy time.”
I huffed. “I’m not a baby, Ethan. I can take care of myself. I don’t need Ivory to babysit me either.”
“So I’m your babysitter now and not your sister?” Ivory exclaimed from the doorway.
I hadn’t even heard it open.
“Of course not!” I called, rushing over to hug her. She laughed, a light, airy sound. Leaning into her ear, I said, “But I gotta give him a hard time, or he’ll get a big head.”
“Duly noted,” she whispered back.
“Telling secrets?” Ethan inquired.
“Yes, and I shall take them to my grave,” Ivory announced.
“Where’s Neo?” I asked, heading into the penthouse.
“He had to run to the gallery. His showing is approaching, so he’s been busy, but he’ll be back soon.” Her attention turned to Ethan. “Are you prepared for tonight, Ethan?”
“Of course. Just a few last-minute things to check on. I expect everything to go smoothly.”
“I’m sure it will, and I’m sure the entirety of the Upper East Side will be gossiping about it for days to come.”
Nerves coiled in my stomach. Being reminded I would be playing in front of basically everyone in this fancy world made me feel sick.
And well… so did knowing I was essentially defying Mother’s wishes by doing so also made me extremely anxious.
I never want to see one of these in your hands again! EVER! The angry yell echoed in the back of my head, and it took everything inside me not to wince.
“I have to get going,” Ethan announced, making my stomach drop further. “I’ll put this here for you, puppy.” He continued, showing me where he set my violin case.
With the case aside, he came forward, smoothing my hair and leaning down.
My lips tapped his cheek automatically. “Bye,” I echoed.
Surprise made me giggle when he popped a kiss to my nose before straightening. “I’ll see you later this evening.”
When he disappeared out the door, my heart clenched, and I rushed after him. “Ethan!” I called, hurrying into the hall.
He stopped halfway to the elevator, rotating on his heel. When he saw me there, he opened his arms.
“Close your eyes,” I told the bodyguard, who dutifully did as I asked.
Then I ran the distance between us, leaping up into his arms, wrapping around his upper half.
My heart instantly felt lighter, my worries less pronounced.
“Missing me already?” he asked softly.
I nodded.
“I love you.”
I nodded again.
Leaning around me, Ethan gazed toward the bodyguard and then back at me, smiling. “Come here.”
I leaned in, lips already parting so he could sweep his tongue inside, kissing me the way I craved. I was breathless when he pulled back, his taste still lingering on my lips.
“Love you,” he whispered again before gently setting me on my feet. “If you need anything, just call.”
When I stood there staring, he chuckled. “Go on, then. I’m not leaving ‘til you go.”
Bouncing forward, I kissed his cheek once more, then raced back into the apartment.
42
Ethan
* * *
I scanned the lengthy contact list programmed into my phone. A name and number I hadn’t used for a while pulled up on the screen.
The line rang twice before it was answered.
“It’s Ethan Abbott. I need you to do something for me.”
“Go ahead.”
“Find out everything you can about a woman in the Grimms. Milly Brown.”
“I’ll contact you when I have a report.”
“I’ll pay double if you’re quick about it.”
“Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Abbott.”
I disconnected the call and slid my phone back into my coat. It was hardly a pleasure, but ensuring this insufferable cow did nothing else to hurt Fletcher was of utmost importance.
And also, I was suddenly very curious about the so-called father who’d abandoned him.
43
Fletcher
* * *
“Pink!”
“Blue!”
“Pink!”
“Blue!”
I stared unblinking at Ivory and my self-proclaimed fairy godmother as they had quite the argument over the color of the tie I would wear tonight.
I had no idea that choosing a tie was such serious business until I met people from the Upper East Side.
Honestly, I’d never even worn a tie.
Well, okay, I wore a clip-on one once. It was oversized and had four-leaf clovers on it for Saint Patrick’s day. I wore it at the Rotten Apple because someone dared me to.
But it was a tie, so it counts.
“His jacket is midnight blue, sweet child. The lighter blue tie would complement that superbly,” Marco, Ivory’s stylist—and I guess now mine—insisted.
“Blue is a very nice choice.” Ivory agreed. “But the pink silk would be an eye-catching contrast to the blue velvet.”
The small raven-haired beauty and the tall man with flawless deep-chocolate skin rotated toward me at the exact same moment. Their expectant stares made me swallow nervously.
“Which one do you think?” Ivory asked.
I kind of wished they’d go back to arguing and forget I was standing here. “Uhh…”
“Now look, we’ve scared the poor child.”
“I’m not a child.”
“It’s just a figure of speech, darling.” Marco clucked his tongue. “Of course you aren’t. No child could snag the most eligible bachelor in all of New York!” Marco leaned in. His dark eyes w
ere lined with something that enhanced their natural brown shade. “I positively must know,” he whispered with a flourish. “How good of a kisser is Ethan?”
“Marco!” Ivory gasped.
Marco rolled his eyes. “Please. If you’d have told me, then I wouldn’t have to ask this little cupcake.”
Cupcake? But then the rest of his words caught up to me. Swinging around, I focused completely on Ivory. The burn of jealousy heated my lower belly, making me feel unnaturally grumpy. “You kissed Ethan?”
Ivory’s red lips fell open. Closed. Her blue eyes shifted to Marco accusingly.
Marco made a sound and spun toward the rack of clothes they’d just been arguing over seconds ago.
Of course she did. I mean, after all, they had been bequeathed… No, betrothed. For a long time, they were supposed to get married. I hadn’t thought about it until just now, but they probably kissed lots. Held hands… Had sex.
The heat previously in my stomach rushed through all my limbs, making my ears grow hot. I loved Ivory, but this… I did not like this. I didn’t like thinking of Ivory in Ethan’s bed, between those silky sheets, his body blocking the rest of the world from her vision.
I squeezed my eyes closed, toes curling against the floor as the urge to run came over me. I wanted out. Away from these feelings, away from the hurt that these thoughts conjured up.
“Fletcher.” Ivory’s voice was concerned and soft.
It made me even more upset. Ivory was perfect. The fairest of them all. There was no way I could ever compete with that. Insecurity slammed into me. I tried to reason with myself, but it laughed in my face.
I spun to flee, but Marco stepped into my path.
Fairy godmothers were supposed to be dainty and magical. Marco looked like a wall I wouldn’t be able to get around.
“Wait!” Ivory rushed forward to take my hand. “It’s not at all what you’re probably thinking.”
“You have no idea what I’m thinking,” I retorted, not meeting her eyes. A pang of guilt hit me because she was my sister and had always been kind to me. But then I had another vision of Ethan’s large hands floating over her skin, and I got upset all over again.
“Ethan and I…”
A rough sound ripped out of my throat.
“Our relationship wasn’t like that. We weren’t… physical.”
My eyes shot up to hers. “You weren’t?”
“No. There was never that kind of attraction between us.”
My head tilted. “You never kissed him?”
Her lips pressed together, and my stomach fell. “Yes. But only a handful of times. And those times only confirmed that we were not attracted to each other.”
My chest was tight, my foot bouncing restlessly on the floor.
“But it never went beyond that. It was never anything more. And he most certainly never, not even once, looked at me the way he looks at you.”
I glanced up. “Really?”
She giggled. “Most assuredly.”
Marco made a sound, rejoining the conversation. “I can second that. I’ve never seen that cool, composed man look lovesick until you.”
A small smile played at the corners of my lips.
“And I can tell you…” Marco shifted closer, gesturing toward my neck. “I’ve never had to match concealer to Ivory’s neck to cover up a slew of hickeys he left behind.”
The sound of my palm slapping against my neck filled the room. Embarrassment burned my cheeks, but I also burned with something else. Satisfaction. Just remembering the marks on my neck (and places they couldn’t see) lifted my confidence.
“Don’t be upset,” Ivory implored sincerely. “Ethan and I have never been anything more to each other than friends.”
“I’m not mad. Thanks for telling me,” I said, exhaling most of the jealousy I felt. Looking at Marco, I gave a small smirk. “Ethan uses a lot of tongue when he kisses. And sometimes he growls. He’s very possessive, and I like it.”
Marco squealed.
Ivory’s mouth dropped open.
Glancing at the two ties they’d been arguing over, I chose. “Pink. It’s Ethan’s favorite color.”
“I think my soul has left my body!” Marco declared. “And I also think Ethan isn’t the only possessive one.”
Maybe he wasn’t. Maybe it felt good to let people know he belonged to me and me alone.
Clucking his tongue again, Marco guided me toward a chair. “Let’s get you all done up so you can knock the socks right off your prince at the ball.”
44
Ethan
* * *
Despite the endless amount of tasks throughout the entire day, the daytime hours seemed to crawl by. I checked my clock and phone more times than I cared to admit.
Waiting. I was reduced to waiting until I would see Fletcher tonight, left wondering what was taking the private investigator so long.
Sure, I’d only called him hours ago, but I expected results quickly. The more time that passed, the more uneasy I became.
It didn’t matter the day was filled with things to focus on. In the back of my mind was the memory of Fletcher’s pale face and wild eyes. The whispers of the truths he finally told me and his palpable fear when he thought she’d been following him.
Maybe he didn’t think she would be creeping around the Upper East Side. Maybe he didn’t think she cared enough about him to figure out where he spent his time these days.
I flat out refused to operate on what-ifs and probably-nots. Knowing what I knew about that damnable woman now and the abuse my love had suffered, leaving anything up to chance was not something I was willing to do. I was willing to trust his instincts, and if they told him she was lurking, then she probably was.
I wanted to know her whereabouts. Now. I wanted every last detail about that woman so I could do whatever was needed to keep her away.
I was dressing in one of the brand-new suites of the hotel we were opening tonight because it seemed much easier to do so here than fight with city traffic just to go home and change. I was unzipping the garment bag my tuxedo was in when my phone rang.
Forgetting the suit, I picked it up to stare at the caller ID. It wasn’t the PI but someone better.
“Puppy,” I said affectionately into the line.
“I look stupid,” Fletcher announced into my ear. “I don’t look like you in a suit.”
A wide smile broke over my face, and for the first time all day, I felt at ease. “You must look better.”
He made a rude sound. “I look ridiculous.”
“You do not!” Ivory said from somewhere close by.
“And it’s uncomfortable,” he muttered.
“You’ll get used to it.” Neo assured him, also somewhere close by.
“Where are you?” I asked, feeling a ping of jealousy they were with Fletcher and I wasn’t.
“Stuck in traffic.”
“You should have gotten ready here,” I murmured, regretful.
“What if I’m late?” He worried, voice small.
“You have plenty of time to get here. And even if you are, it’s okay.” I could feel his nerves through the phone, the electricity of them practically reaching through the line with a shock.
“Don’t be nervous.” I spoke softly. “You’re so talented.”
“But I’m not used to playing in front of crowds.”
“You play in the crowded subway station all the time.” I reminded him.
He made a rude noise that I found adorable. “This is different.”
“It is.” I allowed, not wanting to invalidate any of what he felt. “But I believe in you. And I’ll be here the whole night.”
He was quiet, but his energy was very different from just moments ago.
“Are you smiling?” I asked.
“Maybe.”
“I love you.”
“Me too.”
Bree started knocking on the suite door, and I sighed. “I have to go, but I’ll be waiting for you.”
/>
“‘Kay.”
After seeing to Bree, I dressed in a traditional but modern black tuxedo with a black and gold paisley printed silk tie. The sleek black boots I wore had a bit of a heel, so I stood even taller than my already impressive height.
The massive ballroom on the ground floor sparkled with all its brand-new finishes and golden details. Everything was in place. The staff was organized, and the piano player accompanying Fletcher was already filling the air with song.
Bree was dressed in a light-blue gown, her blond hair pulled up, accentuating a long, graceful neck. My assistant really was a beautiful woman, but she didn’t seem to realize it. She also seemed rather nervous, which was something I didn’t often see from her.
“Bree, you look lovely this evening,” I told her when she stopped at my side.
“Thank you,” she replied, demure. “Just trying to represent you and Abbott Group to the best of my ability.”
“Yes, well, you are exceptionally good at it.”
She flushed, which made me smile. “Don’t be so nervous. We’ve had many of these events before. It’s just par for the course.”
Really, all the work was done now. All that was left was to stand around smiling and shaking hands. The elite were incredibly predictable and socially boring. Everyone would laugh and interact while showing off their money and accomplishments, inwardly judging everyone that stood nearby.
I would be guilty of this as well. And I couldn’t help but feel exhausted by it, knowing that the people I would have to fake it around the most tonight would be my own parents. The scene in my office yesterday was definitely not resolved, but I wasn’t fool enough to think they wouldn’t be here.
This was an important work and social event. My parents not showing would practically be scandalous as well as bad for business. Tongues would be wagging for weeks and stock prices in Abbott Group could take a hit.
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