Page 98 of The Bad Brother

Thirty million?

I knew Ethan was standing to come into a trust fund when he turned twenty-seven, but…

“What about River?” I ask, my heart pounding in my chest because this is not the plan. This is not how this was supposed to go.

Which part? The part where Jensen told you he’s in love with you or the part where you told him that you’re leaving and he decided to throw the mother of all monkey wrenches into your getaway plans?

Yes. The answer is yes to both.

Mentioning River gives him pause—but only for a second. “You heard me say I’m in love with you, right?” He gives me one of his killer, knee-knocking grins. “If I let you just up and leave without a fight, River’d?—”

“You can’t follow me.” I say it loud, my tone edged in panic. “You can’t?—”

“Why?” He gives me thatslapped in the facelook again. “Why can’t I follow you?”

“Because I know what happened, Jensen,” I tell him in a rush, those jumbled up words falling out of my mouth, faster than I can catch them. “Ethan told me?—”

“You talked to Ethan?” He’s on me in a flash, thedistance between us gone, before I can blink. Standing over me, Jensen shakes his head. “Where? Did he call you? What?—”

“No.” Shaking my head, I fight to keep it from scrambling. “He was waiting for me in the parking garage when I?—”

“You saw him?” The face looming over mine goes pale and his hands shoot up to grip my upper arms. “Are you okay? Did he touch you? Jesus, did he?—”

“No.” Reaching up, I push his hands away before skirting my way around him because I suddenly feel boxed in. I need space. I can’t think when Jensen is touching me. I don’twantto think. “Ethan didn’t touch me. He—” Turning to look at him, I hold up a hand to keep him in place. “He told meyou’rethe crazy one. That you’re dangerous. That you broke into your parents’ house and threatened your mother. That you followed him to the club and—” Dropping my hand, I shake my head. “He told me that I don’t know the real you—what you’re capable of.”

“That’s not true, Peach. You know me.” He doesn’t close the distance between us but I can tell that he wants to. “Ethan lies. He’s always?—”

“He said the same thing about you,” I tell him quietly. “He also told me that if I wanted to know you—therealyou—that all I’d have to do is google Lyla Strong.”

IDON’T HAVE TO ASK SLOANE IF SHEfollowed my brother’s advice. I can tell by the way she’s looking at me. The way she’s keeping her distance. Doesn’t want me crowding her. Touching her.

That’s what she was doing while she was sitting in her car in the parking lot earlier.

She googled Lyla’s name and now she knows everything that happened.

Or at least she thinks she does.

A part of me wants to just let her go.

Give up.

Just walk out the door. Go sit on my couch and wait for Sloane to pack up and drive away to her brand-new life, away from this whole mess—and that same part knows I should let her.

Just let her go, man. It was never going to work anyway. You’re no prize. Not to someone like her. Someone like you wouldhave to fight, tooth and nail, every goddamned day, to keep a woman like her—and then, sooner or later, she’d realize that and find someone better, anyway. Better it happens now, before you let yourself sink any deeper. Ethan won again. Just accept it and move on.

“You’re right.” I give her a flat smile, gaze fixed on a spot just above her shoulder because if I look at her now, I’ll start screaming. I’ll flip the fuck out and scare her even more than she already is. “It was a dumb idea. I’ll get out of your way. You need to get some sleep before you hit the road.” Bobbing my head, I force myself to move, heading for the stairs.

I’m down them and halfway between them and the front door before I hear her behind me.

“Seriously?” She shouts at my back. “That’s it? That’s all I get after everything?—”

Suddenly angry with her, I stop walking and turn on my heel to look at her, no longer giving a shit if I scare her or not. “What else is there to say?” I shout back. “You’ve got it all figured out. You know everything so—” I lift my arms, letting them fall in an exaggerated shrug. “yeah, Sloane—that’s it. That’s all you get because there isn’t anything else.” Leaving her standing in the middle of the living room I turn toward the door, just to turn right back around. “You didn’t even ask me if I did it. Like everyone else, you just believed him.”

“Did you?” She asks quietly, her big brown eyes swimming with tears. “Did you hurt that girl?”

“No.” I shake my head. “The first time I even heard of Lyla Strong was when Cade’s father was handcuffing me and stuffing me in the back of his squad car.” I remember itlike it was yesterday. Cal came for me in the middle of football practice. Dragged me off the field and took me to the station. “My mother gave him permission to question me without an adult present since I was a minor. Refused to send the family attorney to represent me. Said that if I wanted a lawyer, I could wait for the public defender.” The memory of sitting in that interrogation room, all alone and scared shitless, pushes a bitter smile onto my face. “She’s always hated me. From the day I was born.”

Still standing several feet away, Sloane shifts from one foot the other. “Why?”

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