Page 76 of The Bad Brother

Per usual when it comes to Sloane, my fucked-up imagination is running wild.

By the time the bottle is half empty, I’ve managed to convince myself that she ran into Ethan at the club while she was eating some fancy salad with her mother. In my head, Ethan is contrite. Sincere. He apologizes for what he did. How he treated her. Tells her he loves her. Wants her back.

And in my fucked-up head, she falls for it.

I imagine that she’s withhim right now.

That she forgot all about me and the weeks she spent letting me touch her.

Every time I’ve fucked her.

Made her come for me.

That she’s relieved and happy, now that she can go back to her old life. Leave me behind like a bad dream she’s finally waking up from.

Like I don’t matter.

Never mattered.

By the time I hear her key hit the lock, it’s nearly 1AM and it takes every shred of self-control I can muster to keep from launching myself over the back of the couch so I can tackle her to the ground. Fuck her until she remembers who she really belongs to.

Ethan.

She belongs to Ethan.

No she doesn’t.

Not anymore.

That psychotic little cocksucker has taken everything from me.

Everything.

I’m keeping this.

I’m keepingher.

And I’ll put him in the fucking ground if he even thinks about trying to take her away from me.

“Don’t turn on the light.”

The startled gasp that follows my command tells me she didn’t see me. Didn’t even know I was here until I said something. I don’t know why but knowing that pisses me off even more.

“Jensen?”

“Yeah…” The question wrapped around my name makes me laugh because who else would it fucking be? “Jensen.”

“What are you doing?” She doesn’t sound startled anymore. She sounds confused. “I looked for you downstairs but Cade said that?—”

I told Cade that I’d had enough fun for the night and I was going to bed. Handed him my bullwhip and top hat and left him in charge of the circus. Obviously that was a lie.

“Where have you been?”

It’s not a question. It’s an accusation.

“I went to work after lunch,” she tells me quietly.

No she didn’t.

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