Willow took an audible breath. “Ethan?”
“I’m here,” he replied tensely. “Willow, I need you to—”
Antonio cut him off. “Your friend here, he the same guy that raped you?”
The only immediate response was dead silence.
After a moment, he replied, “That sounds like a yes.”
“It—how did you—? It’s not that simple—I don’t know who told you what, but he didn’t… he didn’t….”
“I saw a video,” Antonio stated.
“What?” she whispered raggedly.
Antonio’s lips pressed together, the fury on his face growing as he looked at Ethan.
“He didn’t—I don’t want to talk about that. You need to leave, right now, Dad.”
“Is this the guy or not?” Antonio pressed.
She hesitated. “Yes, technically, but it’s complicated and I’m not angry at him anymore and I do not want you to be at his house, do you understand me? Leave him alone.”
“Do you love this asshole?”
Her breath caught. Instead of answering, she took on a warning tone. “Dad, please leave him alone.”
Antonio shrugged at Ethan, as if mildly disappointed. “All right, baby. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
The man did not look appeased, not at all, and although Willow was telling her father to leave him alone, Ethan was increasingly aware that she had not backed up his presumptuous claims—not at all.
“Willow,” he said, his voice rising a bit.
“Do you hear me, Dad?” she demanded, he
r voice rising in response to his. “Dad?”
“Yeah, I heard you. I have some things to take care of.”
“Yes,” she blurted. “Yes, to all of it, goddammit. You don’t know the whole story, you don’t know what’s been going on—you never even called to check on me, so I definitely don’t need you out seeking vengeance on my behalf. If you hurt Ethan, I swear to God, I’ll turn this conversation over to the police.”
Eyebrows quirking, Antonio said, “Huh. Already he’s more important to you than family, huh?”
“Ethan is my family,” she stated, so immediately and so immovably that it gave even Ethan pause.
“I see,” the other man said lowly. Then, eyebrows knitting together, he said, “Did he knock you up?”
She sighed heavily. “No, I don’t mean… no, but I do love him and if anything happens to him…”
Whether it was a threat or a statement, he didn’t know, because she didn’t finish the thought.
“I see,” Antonio said again.
Ethan waited with bated breath to see how the older man would respond that time, but he seemed to be taking his time mulling it over.
“I’m serious, Dad. Leave him alone, okay? Please?”
“All right.” Nodding at Ethan, he said, “You can hang up now.”