Page 69 of Betrayal of a Billionaire
“None of your business,” Grant said.
Ethan narrowed his eyes at him. “Do you really want to play it that way?”
“No matter which way I play this, I’m certain it’ll be front-page news tomorrow morning, and you’ll use every detail to convince Julia that I’m awful.”
Ethan sucked in a breath. “The way you’re behaving, we won’t have much convincing to do.”
The comment stung him. Was his behavior both past and present enough to turn Julia away from him? Their conversation in the car had seemed easy and normal, but she’d avoided him the moment they got home. And he’d definitely interrupted something between her and Luke. Was it already too late?
“Did you even think about your family at all before you got behind the wheel drunk?”
Grant lifted his eyes to the sky. “I’m not drunk.”
“I bet a breathalyzer would disagree. Should we try it? Or maybe I should just take you in for a blood-alcohol test. It’ll keep you off the road, at least.”
“So, am I under arrest?”
Ethan shook his head. “You really are arrogant, aren’t you?”
“What do you want from me? It’s obvious where this is going. You’re going to throw the book at me, use it to convince Julia that she should leave me, and do your best to make life painful for me.”
“I want the truth. You’ve been drinking. You chose to get behind the wheel of a car. Did you think about Julia when you did that? Did you think what it may do to her if you were arrested…again? Or worse?” He shrugged, shaking his head again, his tone measured. “If you really want me to see you as more than just someone who’s only out for himself, answer the question. Does she matter to you at all? Does your daughter? Or your son? Does anyone matter outside of Grant?”
Grant slid his eyes closed. The only person he’d been thinking of when he’d grabbed the keys was Julia. Now he imagined her face, not just disappointed, but a deeper hurt. Did she ever see glimpses of a man worth staying with, or was he just a chapter she was waiting to close? “Of course, they matter.”
“Okay, now we’re getting somewhere. So, you say you care about others. But not enough to not drive drunk.”
Grant cocked his head. “I really don’t need a lecture on drunk driving, okay?”
Ethan offered him a sarcastic chuckle. “It looks like you do. I just pulled you over after erratic driving, you smell like a bar, and you’re denying you’re impaired. Again, I can prove it to you, but I’d really rather not do that.”
Grant furrowed his brow. “You’d rathernotdo it? I find that hard to believe.”
“Look, I know we’ve given you a hard time. And I’m not sure you’re the best thing that’s happened to Julia, but I don’t really want to tell her you were arrested for drunk driving tonight.”
He wrestled with the image of her finding out. Would she see it as another failure, another strain on their already complicated relationship? “You don’t? So, what are you saying? You’re not arresting me?”
Ethan’s jaw tensed as he heaved a sigh. “Not unless you’re going to continue being reckless.”
Grant’s mind turned to his plan to confront Luke. Maybe it wasn’t his best idea.
“You get in the car, I follow you home, and you stay there until you sleep this off.”
“You won’t tell anyone about this?” Grant asked.
“Stays between us. Unless you give me a reason to say something.”
“Such as?”
“Such as you decide you know better than me, and you’re going to put the residents of this town in danger by hitting the streets again.”
Grant gritted his teeth as he considered his options. He imagined Julia’s disappointed look as she bailed him out of jail…again. “Fine.”
“Good,” Ethan said as he snapped his ticket book shut. “Just a warning then. Don’t do it again while you’re in my town.”
“Got it, Chief.”
A smile spread across Ethan’s face. “Well, at least someone acknowledges me as Chief. Oh, by the way, while you’re sleeping this off, just be glad I pulled you over, not Alicia. You would have been at the station right now, not heading home.”
