Chapter 24 #2
“Or we tell the guard,” I say, to which Wolf groans, rolling his eyes. Grayson just listens. “Hear me out. If we take off and get busted, then we’re back in prison and none of us will be seeing her for months. But if we plead our case to him, then—”
“Nope, your scenario has already screwed us,” Wolf snaps. “You think that guy gives a shit about us or our situation? You heard him. He just wants to do his job, end of story.”
“Wolf’s got a point,” Grayson murmurs, and I fucking hate that they’re right.
“Fine, then what?” I pick at my fries as they both go back to eating their burgers, offering no solutions.
“Or, one of us heads over to her alone while the other two cover him. We return before the guard is clued in,” I suggest.
“And let me guess,” Wolf says. “That’s you?”
“It would make sense to send me. I am her marked Alpha.”
“Nah, shit plan.” Wolf scoffs, while Grayson laughs at his theatrics.
“I mean, the plan has merit. The priority is her safety, not our dicks,” Grayson says, glaring at both of us, and Wolf just shrugs.
I lift my gaze to the room to track down our server for another round of beer, when my attention catches on someone I recognize in the crowd.
I squint for a better look, and there he is—fucking Ethan, alone at a table in the corner, drunk out of his mind.
His table has half a dozen empty glasses, while he’s swaying on his stool.
“That fucking son of a bitch,” I growl. “I knew I’d seen him earlier at the grocery store.”
“Who?” Grayson asks, twisting toward my line of sight, Wolf doing the same. “Wait, is that Ethan?”
“He’s back in town?” Wolf asks.
“You know what? I’m starting to suspect that he never left.”
Wolf’s on his feet, tossing a handful of twenty-dollar bills on the table. “Let’s go pay him a visit.”
Grayson and I join him, the three of us moving amid the crowd to where he fumbles to place his beer glass down on the table. He lifts his head at our approach, eyes bulging.
“Oh! Oh, fuck!” He’s still swaying, clothes crumpled, his jawline covered in a three-day stubble, his hair a mess.
“Hey, buddy,” I say. “What’s been going on? How’s your dad doing?”
He blinks several times, utterly confused. “Huh? Oh, yeah, my…” He hiccups loudly. “My dad’s stroke.” He straightens himself. “Fine. He’s all good now.”
Grayson and I exchange looks, certain that he’s bullshitting.
“Anyway, what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be out of this town.” He runs a hand through his hair, squaring his shoulders, but he’s way too smashed to pretend otherwise.
“Funny, so where do you think we should be?” Grayson leans an elbow on the round table, staring right at Ethan.
His mouth opens, but nothing comes out. Then he rubs his face with the palm of his hand, glancing down at the table, refusing to meet our eyes.
“You all right?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Nope,” he finally spits out. “I-I fucked up bad,” he slurs. “You all have no idea.”
“Talk to us so we understand,” Grayson pushes.
“Did you do something?” Wolf demands quietly.
I doubt Ethan will remember most of this conversation tomorrow, considering how drunk he is, and this is the moment to find out what the fuck’s been going on.
He raises his chin. “I love that lodge in the woods. It’s my home.
” He strikes his fist to his chest. “Worked there for so many years, never took a vacation, and even told Eve I could run it myself. That I’d take care of it so she could retire.
” His expression darkens, lips thinning.
“But no, the bitch tells me it belongs to Lucy. Well, fuck that. I was there for the whole redevelopment of the place, not Lucy.” He grabs his glass and chugs a mouthful, then sets it down hard, beer sloshing over the rim.
Wolf snatches the drink from him. “Water—that’s what you’re drinking.” He hands it over to Grayson, who marches to the bar.
Ethan hiccups again, rubbing a hand across his face, and I’m inches from smashing that face into the table from how slow he’s talking.
“The town mayor came to me with an offer, telling me I deserved the lodge, seeing as I ran the joint.” He smacks a hand on the table, sending the empty glasses into a sway.
Wolf and I step back, expecting a catastrophe of broken glass, but surprisingly, nothing tumbles over.
“And then?” Wolf says just as Grayson returns and sets the water in front of Ethan.
“Then,” he slurs, pointing at Wolf. “He promised to help me buy the place, saying he knew someone who could scare Eve and Lucy into selling. Some guy who had a grudge with the place. Apparently, he was a friend of Jerry’s, who died on the property, and the mayor paid him big money for his help. So he jumped at it.”
Fury boils in my veins, hands curling into fists at hearing this shit. “What the fuck did the mayor get out of it?”
“Land. You know how much those rare pines in these woods are worth? Millions. And Eve owns nearly all of it.”
I grind my teeth, fully aware of the value. We’ve been logging a specific quantity only because Eve understands their value but needs the money. Yet, under no circumstances would she want all of them chopped down, which I assume is the mayor’s plan.
“That fucking weasel,” Grayson grunts under his breath.
“So, what?” Wolf grunts. “Eve gave you a job at the lodge, and your answer is to terrify her and Lucy for your own shitty greed?”
Ethan throws his hands in the air, all dramatic.
“That’s why I fucked up, man.” He’s sniffling now.
“I was so desperate for the place that I never thought about who’d get hurt.
” He leans on the edge of the table. “But when the mayor had someone call the parole office and pretend to be Eve to get you three out of there, I started to worry for Eve’s and Lucy’s safety. ”
“That’s a second too fucking late,” I snarl.
“Fuck, man, I already feel like shit.”
“You have no idea what I’m about to do to you,” Wolf warns, his lips peeled back.
Ethan flinches backward, hands out in front of him as if to block Wolf.
“I ruined everything, okay? Eve told everyone that she was going to ask her granddaughter to take over the business, as she couldn’t do it anymore.
But then she fell and broke her ankle, so it was the perfect reason to ask her to come home.
” He sighs heavily, his shoulders dropping forward.
“That’s why the mayor sent that other guy to pick up Lucy from the bar on her first day.
He was supposed to leave her deep in the dark woods, lost and terrified.
Then she’d be so afraid that she’d return to the city and never take over the lodge.
The mayor figured it’d be easier to convince Eve to sell the place if she had no one else to leave it to. ”
Ethan suddenly sways and falls right off the chair, crashing to the floor with a thud. He groans, but none of us are moving to help.
I’m fucking furious at their scheme. They terrify Lucy so Eve has no choice but to sell her lodge? What kind of deranged shit is that?
Others at the bar are staring at us now. Ethan’s dragging himself to his feet, whining.
But Wolf pushes forward fast, his hand wrapping around Ethan’s throat, and slams him against the wall. “You fucking asshole! You betrayed them.”
Ethan gags, then his face turns green, his cheeks puffing out.
“Oh, fuck,” I call out. “He’s going to vomit.”
Wolf releases him, jumping back, the rest of us doing the same, as Ethan doubles over by the wall and is viciously sick all over the floor. The people nearby are all shoving away from him.
“Christ!” Grayson groans, and everyone’s watching Ethan now. What a mess.
Ethan wipes his mouth with his sleeve, and I gag in my throat. He straightens and stares right at me. God, is he going to be sick again?
“They’re doing it tonight,” he murmurs. “The guy’s going to scare her really bad until she calls Eve and tells her she’s leaving and to sell the property.
And the mayor will be at the hospital waiting with the papers after the phone call.
” He’s heaving for air, holding his stomach.
“Hurts so bad.” He dry heaves and lifts his head.
“I told them I can’t do this anymore, so the mayor’s going to take both the lodge and the land for himself.
” He’s swaying on his feet. “I’m going to be sick. ”
“Well, that’s our cue, then,” Wolf snaps just as two bouncers shove through the crowd, charging for Ethan. I’m livid on the inside, terrified for Lucy. “We’ve got to get to Lucy.”
The men drag Ethan outside and dump him on the sidewalk.
Grayson’s already marching after them, and we follow. It’s dark outside, locals wandering around, while Ethan’s near a tree, spewing his guts out. Wonderful.
“I don’t give a shit about this prick,” I state. “Lucy needs us now!”
“I’m with Roman,” Wolf adds. “She’s alone. Fuck me, I’m going to kill someone.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Grayson growls as people stare in our direction.
Then he goes over to Ethan’s side and, moments later, returns carrying car keys and a phone. “Okay, we have wheels. You two grab him. He’s coming with us.”
“The fuck he is,” Wolf snarls.
“Listen,” Grayson mutters, closing in. “We’ll need him to repeat everything he just told us when this shit blows up, so he’s staying with us before the mayor gets to him. Now move.” And he marches toward the parking area behind the motel, while Wolf and I collect Ethan.
Wolf hauls him to his feet with such aggression that I almost lose my balance. “Hey,” Ethan groans.
“Yeah,” I say. “I don’t need this asshole throwing up all over me.”
“Don’t worry,” Wolf says. “He’s going straight into the trunk.”