Ethan (Alluring Indulgence #5)(72)
Author: Nicole Edwards

No one responded to Braydon’s bitter remark, but Beau noticed the weary look in Mack’s rugged, worn features.

Beau had to wonder how often this happened. It wasn’t a secret that Travis and Gage were married to each other and to Kylie, which in itself had brought about some rumors within town, but Beau knew no one had the balls to stand up to Travis Walker, so it was clear who the target had been.

The group dispersed slowly, everyone moving over to the bar to settle their tabs, including Ethan who had remained silent the whole time. Beau wanted to ask him if he was all right, but he knew better than to approach him. For months they’d been doing this little song and dance, eye contact that spoke volumes, but no words were ever said unless the other brothers were the ones doing the talking. Ethan had perfected the art of keeping himself distanced.

Beau pulled his wallet from his back pocket when Mack approached.

“I got yours, man,” Ethan told Beau, surprising the fuck out of him. “Mack, I’ll settle both tabs.”

Beau knew he looked like an idiot, his mouth probably hanging open, but the simple fact that Ethan had said something to him in public had caught him totally off guard.

“Thanks.” It was the most he could offer. He couldn’t find any other words.

Ethan didn’t say anything more, but the hint of a sexy grin tipped the very edges of his lips. What the hell had come over him?

Not that Beau really needed to know the answer to that question. Not yet anyway.

In fifteen minutes though, that was certainly going to change.

Chapter Twenty One

♂

“Care to explain what the fuck that was all about?” Travis yelled when they stepped out of Moonshiners and into the chilly night air.

Sawyer reined in his temper before turning to face his brother. Barely. At least Brendon had the good sense to turn around and go back inside.

“No, I fucking don’t,” Sawyer bit out, yanking his arm out of Travis’ vicelike grip as he headed for his car. He didn’t want to fucking talk, he wanted to pound the shit out of Jimmy Reardon. He wanted to repay the bastard for what he’d done to Ethan all those years ago.

Shit, as soon as he heard Jimmy’s voice, the memories of that horrible night when Ethan called, and Sawyer had found him looking like death warmed over had blindsided him. If anyone ever questioned whether that infamous red haze was real, well Sawyer could now attest to its existence. His vision was still hazy as the rage continued to simmer inside of him.

Did he overreact? Probably. Did he draw unnecessary attention? Maybe. Did he fucking care? Not one goddamn bit. Sawyer would do it all again in a heartbeat.

The appropriate response would’ve been to let the statement roll off his back the way Ethan had managed to do. Unfortunately, he wasn’t built that way. Then again, had it been anyone else, Sawyer knew good and damn well that Ethan would’ve gone the distance to protect the victim of that hateful bullshit.

It was how they were raised.

But, when it came to the differences between him and Ethan, Sawyer would admit that his younger brother possessed significantly more self-restraint. He envied Ethan and his ability to keep his head up with all of the bullshit that went on around him on a daily basis. The fact that Ethan remained in Coyote Ridge proved just how much his family meant to him. Sawyer wouldn’t have blamed Ethan if he had disappeared long ago, gone in search of a place that was much more accepting of him than this fucked up little town.

Then again, Sawyer wasn’t sure he’d know what to do if Ethan wasn’t there. Ethan might be a loner, but he was still his brother and knowing where he was and that he was all right was one of the most important things to Sawyer.

And tonight, Sawyer had been strangled by the hatred he felt for Jimmy Reardon. He wanted to pay him back for the hell he put Ethan through when he’d beaten him and left him for dead down by the lake. The only saving grace was that Ethan had managed to call him. When Sawyer had arrived with Greyson in tow, he’d been terrified that he was too late.

What they found was a beaten and bloodied Ethan, his face so messed up he was barely recognizable. Greyson, being a paramedic, had wanted to get Ethan to the hospital, but Ethan had refused. Thankfully, aside from a few cracked ribs, a mild concussion and a broken nose, they’d had to only worry about the bruises that had finally faded over time.

Well, that was all they had to worry about in the physical sense. Ethan was damaged much more than that on an emotional level.

Still, to this day, Sawyer wasn’t sure how he’d managed to keep from killing Jimmy. He’d never talked to a soul about what happened. Well, aside from his father. He’d been beside himself with fear that night and calling Curtis had been his only option. But aside from that conversation, he’d never mentioned the incident to anyone, not even Travis.