Chapter Thirty-Four
Ablack SUV rolled up the drive, gravel crunching under the tires. Ethan’s father stepped out, suit jacket tossed in the back seat, sleeves rolled up, hair mussed as if he’d run his hands through it a hundred times.
He looked exhausted.
“Ethan,” he said, striding toward him. “I tried to reach you two at the cabin last night.”
“We left,” Carter said. “It was safer to leave for the night.”
His father said, “We weren’t home either when it happened. We took Sarah out. I’m… I’m sorry this happened.”
Still, Ethan found no words.
His father shook his head. “It’s not your fault, Ethan. I’m sure it’s the same assholes who tried to get money from you after I paid for the bikes.”
That hit Ethan harder than he had expected.
His family wasn’t there. They could’ve been hurt too.
A sadness washed over him when his father mentioned the family dinner for Sarah’s impending trip to Paris.
He was no longer a member of the Evans family.
He wasn’t invited to the dinner or to the airport for Sarah.
His father exhaled, stroking his beard. “They destroyed your electronics and clothes. They didn’t touch your books or pictures. I’ll replace whatever needs replacing.”
Ethan’s knees nearly buckled. His books. His pictures. The things that mattered most. Still safe. His father’s wallet was his go-to tool for fixing whatever went wrong.
His father stepped closer to Carter, lowering his voice. “I’m trusting you with my son.”
Carter’s answer came without hesitation. “I will protect him.”
Ethan didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know how to breathe around the mix of relief and fear with an exhaustion pressing down. All he knew was that Carter stood beside him, solid as ever. And for the first time since the phone call, Ethan didn’t feel like he was about to fall apart.
His dad turned to Carter. “Ethan doesn’t go anywhere without you. Understood?”
Carter nodded. “Yes, sir.”
A faint but real warmth stirred in Ethan. Carter’s extra time was more than welcomed.
His father continued but looking at Ethan, voice clipped and tired. “I terminated all your jobs on the ranch for now. Hired more men to handle your chores. Until this is sorted, you’re not doing any work around the ranch.”
Riding was the one place he felt free. Losing it felt like someone had shut off the last light in the room. “How am I supposed to pay you back?” Ethan asked.
“That’s not a priority right now. Your safety comes first.”
Then his father looked at Carter again. “I want you to take Ethan out of here. Until the security is in place. All you two need to do is pack and leave.”
“Go where?” Ethan shouted.
“Beach house. I’ll text the code and address for Carter.”
Again his father stepped closer to Carter, voice low but firm. “Remember, I’m trusting you with my son.”
Carter nodded.
“And we will formalize our deal upon your return,” his father said to Carter.
“Yes, as you wish.”
Ethan let the words sink in, slow and heavy, like warmth spreading through him in a way that didn’t feel entirely safe.
What deal did Carter make with his father?
He wanted to know. He had to know. For a second he couldn’t pull in a full breath.
His eyes drifted to Carter’s hand—steady, close, something he shouldn’t want to lean toward but did anyway.
The world around him blurred at the edges, the way it always did when too many things hit at once.
He just stayed still, staring at the space between them like it might hold him together if he didn’t move.
But Carter stood beside him, steady as ever.
“Before we leave,” Carter said. “Ethan was denied entry to his room.”
Ethan’s stomach twisted again. Hearing it out loud made it sting all over.
His father stopped short. “When did that happen?”
“Just a few minutes ago,” Carter said. “Mrs. Evans told him he didn’t have a room in his home.”
Face slack, like someone had yanked the ground out from under him, his father asked, “What the hell is going on?”
“According to her, I don’t live there anymore,” Ethan said.
His dad turned to him, eyes sharp. “You’re not to blame for the break-in.”
Carter didn’t soften it. “She told him he was to blame because of his lifestyle.”
He hated Carter had to repeat it. Hated that his father had to hear it. Hated that it was true.
“What lifestyle is she referring to?” his father demanded.
Ethan swallowed hard. His throat burned with a raw ache. “She said Carter was playing house with me.”
His father’s face flushed red, anger rising fast. “I’m sorry, Carter. She was wrong to accuse you of doing those things with Ethan.”
Carter shook his head. “My problem is she went after him when he’s already hanging on by a thread,” he said, voice low but steady. “He tried to walk into that house and couldn’t even catch his breath.”
Ethan hadn’t realized Carter noticed that.
Carter didn’t look at him—he kept his eyes on Ethan’s father, shoulders squared as if he was bracing against something. “He did nothing to deserve to be talked to like that. Not today. Not ever.”
The words weren’t loud, but they landed heavy.
Not a speech. Not a label. Just Carter pointing out exactly what was in front of them.
Ethan was still shaking a little, still trying to stay upright, still trying not to fall apart again.
And somehow, that hit deeper than being called innocent ever could.
“Apparently she doesn’t approve of Ethan living with me,” Carter said.
“It doesn’t matter what she approves of,” his dad snapped. Then he exhaled, rubbing a hand over his beard like he was trying to reset himself. “I’ll address it. Directly. And immediately.”
Carter’s reply came slower, more measured, almost like he was checking Ethan’s reaction before he spoke. “Good,” he said. “Because he doesn’t need another hit like that.”
His dad nodded once—sharp, decisive.
Carter’s tone stayed low, steady, protective in a way that wrapped around Ethan instead of ordering the room.
His father looked directly at his son. “Ethan, do you want to check out your room with me?”
Ethan’s shallow breath hitched before he could stop it. His body reacted first with his shoulders tightening, and stomach flipping as if he’d swallowed cold water too fast. He didn’t even glance toward the house. One look would’ve been enough to knock the air out of him.
He shook his head quickly. “Dad… no.”
The word came out softer than he meant, almost hoarse. He kept his eyes on Carter instead, as if he needed something steady to focus on while. The rest of him felt scraped raw. “I just want to get ready to leave,” he added, not quite meeting his father’s eyes.
It was a profound weariness that weighed him down, making his arms and legs feel heavy and his chest constricted. Going back inside that house would be walking into a memory he wasn’t strong enough to touch yet.
His father nodded, though he looked like he wanted to argue. Instead, he stepped forward and pulled Ethan into a quick, tight hug—something he didn’t do often. Ethan froze for a second, then let himself lean into it. Just a little.
Relief washed through Ethan so fast it left him lightheaded, like the moment a skittish horse settled under him after a tense start. His shoulders dropped, the tight pull in his spine easing as he pictured his books and photos untouched, still right where he’d left them.
“I’ll get you photos and books from you room for you and we’ll deal with the school stuff later.
” His father didn’t look at Ethan when he said it.
His eyes were locked on the security crew instead, sharp and assessing, as if he were daring them to miss a single detail.
“Right now, nothing matters except keeping you safe.”
Ethan swallowed hard. “Thanks.” His voice cracked, embarrassing and small.
His father stepped closer to Carter, lowering his voice the way he did when he was shifting into business mode. “I’m putting this in your hands,” he said. “Tell me you have a plan for keeping him safe.”
Carter didn’t answer like a man giving a report. He answered like someone who already felt the weight of Ethan pressing into his ribs. “Yeah,” he said. “I’ve got him.”
The difference hit Ethan hard—his father talked like he was assigning a task. Carter talked like he was making a promise.
They said their goodbyes, and his father headed toward the workers again, barking orders and pointing at fence lines.
Ethan watched him go, feeling hollow and heavy at the same time. The kind of tiredness that settled into his bones.
Carter touched his shoulder lightly. “Come on, Ethan. Let’s get inside.”
Ethan nodded, grateful for the excuse to move, grateful Carter was still there, grateful he didn’t have to face any of this alone. Everything was too big, too fast, like the world was shifting under his feet and he couldn’t find anything solid to hold onto.