Ethans Fal (38 page)

Cal lowers his eyes but fails to look contrite; he just looks filled to bursting with evil fury. He narrows his eyes and fixes his deathly stare on Ada. His Uncle follows his line of sight, his lips curl into a salacious sneer. I step in front to block the view before I give a quick curt nod to Daniel. I agree, we need to leave. I walk back to Ada while Daniel follows me with his back never turned on Cal and the other men.

The back of Daniel’s car is eerily quiet, Bethany is curled against Daniel and Ada is still trembling in my arms. I break the silence because it’s suffocating. “What the fuck was that?”

“I was about to ask you the same question.” Daniel’s calm tone is at odds with his clenched, twitching jaw.

“You first, because I do not have a fucking clue.” I tighten my hold around Ada when I feel a fresh surge of tear induced shaking.

“I had no idea the owner was Vadim Krasnov. If I had, we never would’ve set foot inside.” Daniel informs me.

“Shit…How do you know that for sure?” My head is fucking spinning that Ada has anything to do with Eastern European criminals. I only know of them because they have been buying up large chunks of the premium property market in London, as a way of laundering millions of pounds. We were approached last year with one particular development. The client wanted to buy the whole scheme unseen, and before we had even laid one brick. They pay well over market price and push property prices sky high.

“He came over and asked if I was checking out the competition. He made an offer for my clubs a few months ago but after a background check, I chose not to deal with him. He has a rather unsavoury reputation and that man with the…” He pauses but Bethany looks up to see why he is censuring himself, he kisses her nose, and offers a tight smile. “That man you were
speaking
with is his nephew, Michal, and I believe he is being groomed to take over the empire. Since I have never seen you so much raise an objection, other than to me of course, do you want to tell me what got you so heated? Is there
something
that
someone
hasn’t been telling you? ” His understatement is ironically comical and I snort out an incredulous laugh. Ada’s whole body tenses and she curls tighter into my arms.

“Daniel.” Bethany’s warning tone is welcome and he shrugs it off, not pursuing an answer that after all is not his problem.

I kiss Ada’s hair and whisper so softly I am not sure I want her to hear. “I love you, Angel, but you have to talk to me.” Just a quietly she whispers back.

“I know.” Her eyes search mine out in the darkness, illuminated sporadically by the passing street lamps. Such unbearable sadness, it claws at my soul, she has to let me in.

She was silent for the rest of the journey, which took no time at all but dragged at a glacial pace because of my need to be alone with her. She was silent walking into the apartment and she was silent when we showered. Although, she did let out a sigh when I massaged her hair, taking my time with the pressure points and again when I rubbed jasmine body lotion over every inch of her skin. I wanted to remove every trace of her encounter tonight and replace it with my touch, a sweet scent, and my love. She crawled under the covers and curled into the smallest ball, impenetrable and a blatant desperate attempt to disappear. I climb in and slide up next to her, uncurling every tightly flexed limb until she is aligned with my body. My fingers trailing soft strokes from her hip, over her tummy. I do this until I feel her relax, her muscles soften, and her breathing is calm. My fingers dance over her belly button and down, but this time I slowly trace the indent of her scar, above her pubic bone. She places her hand over mine holding me there. I wait…I’m going nowhere.

“I loved him…a first love to end all first loves, I thought. I sacrificed everything to be with him and it was no sacrifice at all because I loved him so fucking much.” Her voice wobbles but she sucks in a deep breath and continues. “My father beat the shit out of him when we told him I was pregnant…offered to pay him off but he told my father to go to Hell. No one had ever spoken to him like that, ever. I loved him for that more than anything, I think. My father kicked me out and Cal picked up all the pieces. He found us a home, got a job as a courier for his uncle, took care of me, and when Pip was born he took care of us.” It’s my turn to hold my breath and she freezes because she can feel my whole body tense.
She had the baby! What the fuck! She didn’t miscarry; she lied to me.
“I’m sorry I let you believe otherwise, Ethan, but the truth…the truth is it doesn’t matter now.” Her voice is thick with pain and I don’t have to see her face to know it’s soaked once more. I should stop her, I should comfort her and say none of this matters, but she’d lied to me. I want the truth…I want it all. I know there’s more, I can feel the pressure of it like a hair-line fracture in a dam wall, so I just wait.

She shakes her head and I don’t know if that is to clear unbearable thoughts or to get her story straight. My stomach knots and aches, I push down the notion that her deception has caused that seed of doubt to sprout and fester. “Pip was born on the twenty-first of April; I was seventeen. She would’ve turned four this year and I have no idea where she is.” Her body racks with sadness and all I can do is hold her and it feels like a drop of comfort in an insurmountable ocean of pain.

“What happened, Ada? What happened to your baby?” I coax softly after a long time just rocking her, waiting for the sobs to ebb.

“Cal made a deal with my father. He took us to this house one day. He sold our baby to my father, who had arranged for Pip to be adopted. I was completely blindsided. How could I possibly know the man I loved was capable of such betrayal; I didn’t have a clue until it was too late. Even then I didn’t believe it until my father took great delight in telling me what a lowlife Cal really was.” Her voice is a broken whisper, laden with insurmountable sadness. “I didn’t get to say goodbye…I didn’t get to say goodbye.” Oh, sweet Jesus, no…I climb over her so she is facing me, even if her face is now cupped and hidden in her hands. I feel impotent against such pain, my arms hold her broken soul in a trembling body. I hold her all night. I am not sure if she sleeps but I can’t, my mind is filled with unanswered questions. All of which boil down to why hasn’t she got her baby back now? At a guess it has something to do with her father or maybe not having the money to pursue a legal case, but it still doesn’t account for why she hasn’t gone to the authorities…What the fuck is she waiting for? Her baby could be anywhere…She could be with a good family, yes, but she could be somewhere worse. Shit, she could be just like me at that age…I swallow back the rise of bile and feel a sheen of heat coat my skin. I unravel her limbs and slide from the bed.

In the shower the hot water pummels my skin, I hang my head and endure the scorching needles slicing into the back of my neck. So many questions but none of it really matters. She’s telling me the truth now, which mean she trusts me and coming from what she’s been through that is a huge fucking deal. So, I may not understand but it really doesn’t matter…I love her…she is mine and together we will get her baby back. There is a sudden gap in the steam when the door to the shower opens and the air is sucked out. Her whole demeanour is timid, not like her at all. I hate the reticence, the doubt. She squeals when I pull her roughly to me and slam her hard against the slate grey tiles. Her wide eyes darken and when she gasps, I swallow her cry with my urgent kiss. I need to fuck the uncertainty right out of her. I need to make her understand, she is mine now and nothing else matters. My hand grabs the supple flesh of her arse and I hoist her up my slick body, positioning the tip of my cock at her molten entrance. She makes me so fucking hard, all the damn time, maybe she should doubt herself more often. This is one thing I am certain of us; our amazing fucking chemistry, her love brings me to a whole new level of ecstasy I didn’t know existed in this world–Heaven maybe, but not on Earth.

Her hands thread into my hair and she tugs and grips, her hips wriggle and she tries to sink onto me. I have her pinned and she is going nowhere until I say so. She lets out a frustrated whimper into my mouth that I just suck down, my tongue teasing hers. She pulls my bottom lip between her teeth and holds, her intention to cause pain is a wild sparkle in her deep blue eyes. I groan when she starts to bite down but she lets go when I let her sweet body drop hard onto my cock.

“Ah, God…yes!” Her breathy cry makes my balls ache, and I slam back into her, harder, deeper and she meets every thrust with greedy fervour. Her legs wrap high around my waist, but I don’t feel close enough. I push one leg down and hitch the other over my forearm. Oh fuck that’s better, one hard grind of my hips and every muscle in her body contracts with the depth of my intrusion inside her heat. She pants out little breaths and her palm rests on my hip, a cautionary, if futile, manoeuvre to hold me back. I tilt and press a little deeper still–like I said, futile. I own this woman and I want her to feel just how much, from the inside out.

Her moment of hesitation is obliterated by my relentless drive to consume and draw every ounce of pleasure from her body. Faster, harder, and so fucking deep, at that point when there is no air between us, we are one–body and soul. She gasps wordless cries, quakes and shudders, falls to pieces in my arms and I come like I have never before…
Oh, God, this woman!…She fucking owns me.

Ada is quiet through breakfast and I can’t wait to get her in the car for the five or six hour drive back home. Undivided attention with no escape and we can sort all this shit out. She can give me the whole unabridged story. Only then can we move forward and figure a way to get back the baby who was cruelly taken from her. Daniel’s stern tone breaks the easy silence.

“Not negotiable, Bethany…Patrick is going with you. I have to be here for this meeting tomorrow but if you want to go back with them today. You are fucking taking Patrick.” Bethany slumps next to me and rolls her eyes. but I am with Daniel on this. What they went through last year would make anyone paranoid about safety and they have Luca now.

“Fine, but we are never
all
going to fit in Ethan’s Mini.” She protests like that is an actual obstacle.

“You’re funny this morning Mrs. Stone…Patrick can drive you all down together and I will drive Ethan’s car down sometime tomorrow, might be the day after.” He is distracted by his buzzing phone. He raises a finger to the unfinished conversation. He takes the call and walks out of the kitchen.

“You don’t mind me crashing with you for a few days?” Bethany turns to me. “I mentioned it to Daniel this morning, and since he didn’t freak, I sort of said you’d invited me. I may have laid it on a little thick that seeing you this weekend made me realise how much I’d missed you. Not a lie, by the way, but it would be great to spend a little time on the beach with Luca and you guys.” Luca is currently sporting an impressive face full of mushed up biscuit, very little appears to be going in but he doesn’t seem bothered. I look at Ada and her eyes are dull with residual sadness, but she is making the effort to smile. I really wanted the time in the car, but Bethany looks too excited by the idea of a getaway. It can wait until we are home…in bed. I may just have to use alternate measures to ensure she can’t escape.

“Sure that would be great…but we have a party tomorrow night. I feel bad you’ll be on your own, but we can’t get out of it. My friend from school has rented a cottage at Rock and is having a big engagement party. I haven’t seen some of these guys for years–”

“God, don’t be silly.” Bethany jumps in. “It’s not like it will stop me from clubbing or anything. This little one has pretty much curbed my wild nights.” Bethany wipes Lucas biscuit encrusted face, revealing a chubby rose-cheeked cherub.

“Wild nights…you’re hilarious.” I mock. “You forget after a drunken night with Sofia I know all about your wild nights and doing a double shift at her father’s restaurant does not cut it…pretty sure your wild nights started the day you met–”

“Me…and damn right!” Daniel strides back into the kitchen and tilts his wife's head back and holds her heated gaze. Ada and I flash a look of
should we perhaps leave
but he just kisses her forehead and goes to get a fresh coffee from the space station machine in the corner of the kitchen.

It is a good job we are taking Daniel’s town car because there is no way we would fit everything in my Mini. How can such a small child need so much shit? Daniel is hugging Bethany, Luca is all strapped in his buckets seat and is already dozing. Ada is just about to climb into the back seat when I capture her hand and trace her knuckles with my lips. Her tongue sweeps her bottom lip and she gives a tentative smile. I can feel the tendrils of doubt creeping back in, trying to regain their hold from last night.

“Hey, we will sort this out, Ada… But I need to know
everything
.” She swallows thickly, but she head her nods almost imperceptibly. “I need to hear the words, angel.” She straightens her shoulders like she is preparing for a herculean task.

“Tonight…I’ll tell you everything tonight.” She lets out a stuttered breath but if anything she looks light for the weight of the burden suddenly lifted. I am glad, she doesn’t need to carry that for a moment longer. That is my job now.

The drive is a nightmare and takes almost eight hours in the end, everyone is a little on edge not least because we are running out of entertainment options for a fractious six month old. When we reach the apartment it is like a military operation getting the car unpacked with the speed needed not to cause the road to be blocked any longer than absolutely necessary. We all heave a sigh of utter exhaustion when I close the apartment door. Patrick has gone to find a parking space and check-in to a Bed and Breakfast at the end of the road. Bethany is setting up the travel cot and Ada is staring glassy eyed into Luca’s as he hangs onto his bottle like it is the Holy Grail. I sit next to her and lift them both into my lap.

“It’s going to be all right, Ada…you don’t have to do this alone. We’ll find Pip.” That was probably not the right thing to say while she’s feeding my nephew because her shoulders shake with a surge of sorrow. “I’m sorry, angel…don’t cry please, angel, don’t cry. You’re killing me here.” Her head falls to the side and rests on my shoulder. I turn to kiss her hair and the tears on her cheek. “You tell me everything and I promise to make it better.” My tone may sound a little harsh but the words are resolute.