Page 58 of To Heist and to Hold
Isaac was silent beside him for a time, his posture easy, and Ethan relaxed just because of his presence.Tonight’s plans to flush out the villain, all while they hosted their largest event of the year, were fraught with tension and anxiety.Though he knew it needed to happen, that they needed to oust whoever was responsible for threatening Dionysus’s hard-earned reputation, ruining lives such as Miss Marlow’s, and indirectly causing Gavin’s death three years earlier, that did not mean he did not worry about the repercussions.All they had worked toward could very well be at risk.
But having his brother beside him, knowing they were in this together no matter what might occur, was the greatest comfort to him.
Until said brother opened his mouth and spoke again on that subject Ethan had no wish to discuss.
“What will happen between the two of you after this night is through?”
Ethan clenched his back teeth so tightly he felt the ache of it radiate to his ears.“Nothing will happen.”
“Why?”
A sharp bark of laughter escaped Ethan’s lips.“Why?That should be obvious.”
“What, because it started out under false pretenses?”
“I would think,” Ethan managed through his teeth, “that is a good enough reason.”
He expected his brother to concede.Which was truly stupid of him.His brother had never conceded in his life.Ifanything, opposition only made him more tenacious.
“You’re an arse.”
“What the hell…?”Ethan muttered before he glowered at his brother.“How am I an arse for believing there is no future for us?”
“Because, dear brother,” Isaac proclaimed with a disgusting amount of self-assurance, “while it began with a lie, it’s obvious that the feelings you both developed during said affair are not.”
Why, Ethan wondered, did his heart leap in his chest at that?But he would not be swayed by that traitorous organ.“Bollocks.”
Isaac shrugged.“Why else would you be brooding?Not that you don’t brood most of the time,” he corrected himself.“But this brooding is different.And it only intensifies whenever Mrs.Marlow is mentioned.”
“It doesn’t matter how I might feel,” he gritted, his cheeks heating because Isaac had been able to see to the heart of him so easily.“What matters is that everything Heloise proclaimed to feel was false.”
There was a heavy pause.Then Isaac said, tone thoughtful, “I believe her feelings are much more real than even you can imagine.”
Before Ethan could think how to react to that, Isaac adjusted his cravat and said, “I’d best be off now.There’s still much to do before the evening commences.Though,” he continued, sobering considerably, “are you quite certain we cannot confide our plans to Teagan and Parsons?”
Ethan sighed, though not from frustration at his brother once more bringing up such a contentious subject.No, this sigh was born out of pain, plain and simple.There was nothing more in this world he wanted—besides Heloise, of course, but that was a fruitless wanting—than to confide inhis two closest friends.
“I truly wish we could,” he said.“But though I’m fairly certain of their innocence—”
“Theyareinnocent.”
He dipped his head in acknowledgement.Or, rather, his deep need to believe in their innocence.With his certainty that Isaac was not to blame, his desire to think only the best of Teagan and Parsons had become so powerful, he was having a hell of a time ignoring it.God knew that even considering one of them as the source of the betrayal at Dionysus devastated him.But it was made so much worse when he thought of Gavin’s death three years earlier—and that the one responsible had allowed Gavin to take the blame.How could either of them have done something so heinous?It had been one thing for someone to cheat their patrons and betray the trust of everyone who worked at the club; it was quite another to play the coward, inadvertently leading to Gavin’s death.
But he could not shy away from learning the truth.No matter how much it might gut him.
“You know as well as I,” he said, voice soft, “that the fewer people who know about this the better.”
“I know,” Isaac replied, shoulders slumping.In the next moment, however, his chin came up, a determined gleam entering his dark eyes.“The fewer people who know about it, the safer we’ll all be, Teagan and Parsons included.”He grinned.“As well as Mrs.Marlow, whom I have every hope of calling my sister-in-law someday.”
Before Ethan could think how to react—God knew the war that was going on within him, part of him rejoicing at the very idea and another part wanting to reach out and punch Isaac in the face—his brother winked and was out the door.
“That little shit,” he growled to the empty room before going back to staring out the window, trying and failing not to think about his brother’s words becoming reality.It was a relief when Mary arrived.That relief, however, was short-lived.
“Mr.Sinclaire, sir,” she piped from the doorway.“Mrs.Finch and Mrs.Marlow have arrived, along with several other fine-looking ladies.”
Why did his heart leap at that?So violently, in fact, that if he weren’t certain it was being held in by his ribs, he’d expect it to burst from his chest and bounce across the room.Frowning, he glanced behind him to the empty street below.
Mary, bless her, was one step ahead as usual.“They’ve arrived by the back door.Shall I show them up?”
