Ethan (Alluring Indulgence #5)(5)
Author: Nicole Edwards

February

“Son of a –” Ethan bit off the last word, the sound of his wrench hitting the corrugated metal wall satisfying what was left of his curse.

“Whoa,” Zane’s voice echoed through the large, open space and Ethan turned to face his younger brother. “Someone piss in your Wheaties this morning?”

“Fuck off,” Ethan growled, keeping his voice low enough for Zane not to hear him, but it gave him the satisfaction of saying the words.

“I heard that,” Zane said with a grin. “You got any coffee in this place?”

“You don’t drink coffee,” Ethan retorted as he went to pick up the wrench he’d launched across the room.

“No, but you could use a cup,” Zane declared. “Or ten.”

Zane muttered the last two words, but Ethan heard them loud and clear. He clamped his jaw shut to keep from saying anything. His mood was bad enough, he didn’t need to let Zane get to him right now. And truth be told, he really could use some coffee.

And maybe a personality transplant.

“Where’s Blake?” Zane asked as Ethan followed him into the small office that Ethan occupied from time to time. Zane previously used the office as well when he had worked for Walker Demolition. Since he had moved on to run one of the clubs at Alluring Indulgence Resort, Ethan was the only one who spent any time in there and even that was limited.

“He quit this morning.” One of the main reasons Ethan had resorted to throwing tools so early in the day.

“What the fuck, man?”

Ethan looked up at Zane, pausing in his pursuit of coffee. As he slid the pot out from the coffee maker, he rolled his eyes. “Sorry, didn’t realize you needed a translator.”

“Shut it. Why’d he quit?” Zane asked, dropping into the chair and leaning far enough back that it looked like he would tip over backward at any second. Maybe he would and then Ethan could laugh for the first time that day.

“He’s moving on,” Ethan answered, trying to be politically correct. He’d rather say “Because he’s an asshole” but that would sound personal.

“What are you going to do now?”

Ethan finished pouring his coffee and carried it over to the desk cluttered with papers and parts. Lowering himself into his chair, he lifted his ball cap and scratched his head before dropping it back in place. “I’m gonna work. What the hell did you think I was going to do?”

“You know what I mean. You can lay off being a dick. I’m not here to give you a hard time.”

“Why the hell are you here then?” It wasn’t like any of his brothers stopped by just to shoot the shit. Granted, Ethan saw them several times a week, but that was usually at his parents’ house or at Moonshiners.

“Oh, yeah, that.” Zane smirked. “Zoey’s in labor.”

“What the hell!” Ethan bolted up out of his chair, knocking over his coffee cup in the process. “Son of a fucking bitch.”

“Chill, bro. You need to calm the fuck down, you know that?”

Ethan was too busy grabbing napkins and throwing them at the spill to respond. Probably a good thing for Zane too because Ethan wasn’t in the mood to put up with his cocky ass attitude. It was only eight thirty in the morning and he’d been working for three hours already. He was tired and yes, he was in a foul fucking mood.

Once he mopped up the mess, he grabbed his keys and his wallet from the desk drawer, took his Stetson off the hat rack on the wall and tossed his ball cap on the desk. “What the hell are you waiting for? Are they at the hospital?”

“Yup,” Zane grinned as he got to his feet slowly, obviously testing Ethan’s patience.

“You coming?” Ethan asked, not bothering to look back at his younger brother. If he weren’t so damn tired, he’d put Zane in a headlock and take him to the ground like he’d done more times than he could count when they were kids. They were pretty well matched in height and weight now, but Ethan was confident he could do it. The idea put a smile on his face for the first time that day.

“Meet you there,” Zane hollered over his shoulder as he raced to his Jeep. “Don’t worry, we’ll be there when your slow ass gets there.”

Ethan would’ve responded with a “fuck off” but Zane was jumping in his Jeep and peeling out of the gravel lot before he had the chance.

As soon as he was behind the wheel, Ethan grabbed his cell phone and hit Zane’s number. When his brother picked up, he said, “What hospital are they at, jackass?”

He was answered by a rumbling chuckle. “St. David’s in Round Rock. Need me to wait for you?”