But between him and Lucy looking at me all morning like I was leading them to the slaughter and that I’d be the one to deliver the fatal blow had been a unique form of torture.
So I’d done the one thing I could think of that might buy me the sliver of trust I needed to make all this easier for the both of them.
I’d told Ethan the truth.
About the fact that I didn’t lie and when I’d finally answered his question from the night before.
It had been a strange thing to speak the words aloud…to admit for the first time what drove my aversion to being touched. I suspected Ronan and Memphis knew because they knew about my past, but I hadn’t actually ever told them what I’d told Ethan.
“I’ll run this under my own name,” I heard Ronan say to Ethan once he’d collected the blood. “I’ll need a urine sample too at some point,” the man said softly and I watched Ethan nod his head. The little bit of unbruised skin on his face went bright with color and I wished there was some way I could spare him the humiliation.
I saw Ronan nod at me and I knew what he wanted. I opened the door and motioned to Phoenix who went and sat back down in one of the armchairs near Ethan. I felt my gut twist uncomfortably at how close the two men were, but I didn’t want to admit what the cause of the uncomfortable sensation was.
But just because I didn’t want to think about it, didn’t mean I was safe from the thought.
I knew Phoenix was gay. He was also a very good looking man and his presence here meant Ronan had plans for him with this case. It should have been a relief because it would make things that much easier when I asked Ronan to reassign me.
It wasn’t a relief.
Not even close.
“Ethan, I would like to start by saying nothing you tell us leaves this room,” Ronan said. “My men and I are here to help you.”
“You’re a doctor,” Ethan said softly. “Why do you even have men?” he asked, his voice laced with distrust.
“Because I’ve been where you’ve been. Alone. Scared. Broken,” Ronan said softly. “Someone helped me fight back and I decided to pay that forward. In a perfect world, there’d be no need for the men who work for me, but you and I both know that very little about this world is perfect and sometimes things like justice need a helping hand.”
Ethan didn’t respond at first, but I felt a shimmer of electricity flicker through me when his eyes met mine.
And then I saw it.
That moment where he was giving me exactly what I wanted, along with proof that he was fucking terrified. I didn’t need to hear the words to know what he was saying.
I’m trusting you. Please don’t let me down.
I gave him a nod, ignoring the fact that Ronan and Phoenix were both watching us.
I’ve got you, Ethan.
Ethan dropped his eyes and took a deep breath. “My name is Ethan Rhodes. Up until about six months ago, I was working as an ER doctor at George Washington University Hospital in Washington D.C.”
“And Lucy?” Ronan asked when Ethan didn’t continue.
“She’s my ex-boyfriend’s stepdaughter.”
“Eric Palmer?” Ronan asked softly.
Caught off guard, Ethan managed a nod and then said, “How did you know?”
“After Cain told me yours and Lucy’s first names, I had one of my people do a little digging. She found a BOLO alert on you.”
“What…what is that?” Ethan asked.
“It means ‘Be on the Lookout.’ It’s used to inform law enforcement to be on the alert for suspects, missing persons and people of interest. It allows police officers to detain someone until the interested party can be notified,” Ronan explained.
Ethan paled, but nodded. “Is it…is it for kidnapping?” he asked.
“No, it’s not a warrant. You’re named as a person of interest in transporting a minor across state lines.”
“Person of interest?” Ethan asked, his voice shaky.
“You haven’t formally been charged with the crime,” Ronan said.
“Why wouldn’t Eric just have me charged with kidnapping?”
“My guess is your ex wanted some wiggle room…he needed help finding you, but didn’t want you to be formally charged.”
Ethan shook his head. “He wants to control the outcome,” he murmured.
“It’s a calculated risk. If you’re arrested and charged, you’re more likely to tell your side, but as a POI, he can work something out with you and drop the charges if things go his way.”
Ethan nodded. “He doesn’t want me in jail. He wants things to go back to the way they were. And when things quiet down…”
I remembered Ethan’s words from the night before. He’d been so certain Eric would kill him. He’d actually accepted it as a foregone conclusion.
“Start at the beginning, Ethan,” I said softly as I watched Ethan try to hold himself together. I was tempted to go sit next to him on the couch, but I knew it would look strange, so I stayed where I was.