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Ethan
I couldn't believe my mother sometimes. I knew exactly what she was doing. And despite her meddling, I knew nothing could affect my mood. I was having a good time showing Diana around my hometown, and not even my meddling mother who was trying to hook us up could get in the way of that.
If only she knew the things we had already done.
Honestly, I was shocked by the way Diana was so taken with Abington. I thought for sure she’d be disappointed at the small town and the little it had to offer her in terms of what she was used to. Honestly, on the drive over, I had braced myself for her brat-like ways. I had prepared myself for a meltdown or for her to try and make a break for it. But instead, we’d had a lovely time. We walked around, she listened as I told her about the history of the town. And surprisingly, she listened and absorbed it all. She even found herself something she really wanted to purchase and I was able to buy it for her.
For some reason, that really topped out the day for me.
“So, what are the two of you getting into next?” my mother asked.
“I figured lunch was a good way to round out the day before we headed back to the house,” I said.
“Please tell me you took Diana to our famous square with the lovely fountain,” my mother said.
“Fountain? What fountain?” Diana asked.
“You didn’t take her to the fountain?” my mother asked.
“No, we hadn’t made it that far down,” Ethan said.
“Could we go?” Diana asked.
Her eyes were wide with curiosity and that shocked me even more. She wanted to stay out in town? She wanted to keep walking around all of the thrift shops and boutiques? This wasn’t like the Diana I had come to know at all, and it intrigued me. Though with the way my mother was talking, it almost sounded as if she was going to tag along with us.
“Come on. I’ll show it to you, Diana. Ethan can sit here like a bump on a log,” my mother said playfully.
Great. My mother was coming along.
“I’ll get lunch. The two of you wait for me outside,” I said.
“He’s such a good boy. I trained him right,” my mother said.
She and Diana shared a giggle as my mother linked her arm with Diana’s and guided her out the front door.
What the hell had I just gotten myself into?
I paid for our lunch, then walked between the two of them as we headed to the fountain. It wasn’t much. The square was a patch of land at the end of the fourteen-block stretch that was paved and decorated. It had a splash fountain the kids of the town could run around in during the summer months and it had a covered stage that sat off towards the back where weekly outdoor concerts took place throughout the year. Diana and my mother pulled away from me, talking and getting to know one another. And for a split second, I thought I saw a genuine smile cross Diana’s face.
Relaxed. Rested. And genuine.
“Abingdon really is a darling town,” Diana said.
“Well, I’m glad you like our little corner of the world,” my mother said.
My heart swelled with pride at hearing those words come from Diana. I liked that she liked the town. I’d always loved it, despite how little I got back to visit. We walked around the square and Diana took in a few kids running through the fountain and I saw a sparkle in her eye. She looked at the children almost endearingly, and I could’ve sworn her eyes unfocused there for a second.
Like she was ripped into a dream-like state.
“Have you been into our little jewelry shop?” my mother asked.
“There’s a jewelry shop around here?” Diana asked.
“There is. It’s owned by a middle-aged couple in the area. They make all of their own pieces.”
“Wait, all of them?”
“All of them. Handcrafted in the back of their store. Some on a daily basis,” my mother said.
“Can we go?” Diana asked.
She looked back at me with an eagerness I’d never be able to disappoint.
“Of course we can. Lead the way, Mom,” I said.
We slipped into the store up the block and I watched as Diana’s eyes scoured the walls. She took in all the glittering loose diamonds before walking over to the glass cases. Her fingertips ran over the tops of them and I watched the gemstones and diamonds reflected in her amber gaze. She was entranced by all of it. But not in a selfish way. It was as if I was seeing an entirely new person emerging from her, and it kept me on my toes.
“Could I try that necklace on?” Diana asked.
One of the attendants came around and unlocked the case before bringing out the display.
She had better taste than I would have expected. I thought she would have gravitated to the largest and most expensive pieces in the store. But instead, I watched as she tried on a delicate diamond necklace. Each diamond was accented with a small, ocean-washed pearl, and it glistened against her olive skin. Her eyes sparkled with delight. A healthy flush rose against her cheeks. She brought the necklace away from her skin, then placed it back on the velvet and stroked it softly with her fingers.
“It suits you,” the store clerk said.
“Thank you for letting me try it on,” Diana said.
I watched the clerk put it back while Diana traveled the store some more. She didn’t spare a thought to purchasing it, nor did she look back at me to see if I could get it for her. Especially since I had set the precedence. And in that moment, I decided I was going to get it for her. The way her eyes sparkled when she looked at it in the mirror indicated a happiness that I hadn’t seen in her before.
But before I could track down the clerk, my phone buzzed against my hip.
“This is Ethan,” I said.
“Stark. It’s Liam. I’ve got news from Logan in D.C. Can you get back to the estate?”
“That bad?”
“Don’t want to discuss this on the wire, no.”
“Sure. Yeah. I can make it back to the estate,” I said.
“I’ve got one of the guys already heading to the downtown area. If Diana wants to stay out, he can take over guarding her while you get back.”
I saw something black move in my vision and I turned my head towards the front door of the store. I watched Granger come in and stand in the corner, looming over all of us. Sometimes, I forgot how efficient Liam was because I was too focused on reminding him to keep his dick in check.
And I felt Diana’s gaze on me as her face fell in my peripheral vision.
“I’ll be back soon,” I said.
“Talk then,” Liam said.
“Is everything okay, sweetheart?” my mother asked.
Diana stayed over in her corner, watching the scene but not interjecting herself into it. She looked almost sad, and when her gaze turned to the man at the door her stoic stare took over. She wasn’t happy, and I didn’t blame her.
I wasn’t happy about leaving, either.
“I have to go for a little bit. Work,” I said.
“Well, don’t work yourself too hard, okay?” my mother asked.
“I’ll try not to. But the man at the door is going to keep you and Diana company until I get back or you two get home, okay?”
“Of course. I know how it goes. I’ll make sure Diana stays safe.”
“No, Mom. Not your job. That’s his job. You just stay alert and keep yourself safe.”
I bent down and kissed her cheek before I made my way for the door. The disappointment that washed over Diana’s face punched me in my gut. But I forced myself to push past it. I walked out on the sidewalk and ran my ass back to my SUV, then hopped in and got myself back to the estate. Her safety was paramount, and I wouldn’t allow anything to compromise that.
Not even her own wishes.
Annoyance filled my veins as I grew closer to my childhood home. I didn’t want my day with Diana to be interrupted. I wanted to spend the entire day at her side, exploring my hometown with her and watching this new woman blossom before my eyes.
I slammed my car into park and pushed my way through the front door, feeling my hot-headed temper rise up my throat.
“Liam. Report. Now,” I barked.
“Diana must’ve thrown a diva-scale tantrum today,” he said, grinning.
I glared at him as I rounded my way into the office and it shut him up. Then, he shrugged and took over the debriefing.
“Senator Logan received another package, but this one was dropped off at the damn door of his hotel room,” he said.
“How the hell is that even possible? No one knew where he was staying except us,” I said.
“Well, the perp figured it out. We’ve been moving his location every other day, following standard protocols put in place. Mason’s making sure they aren’t followed, and the room is swept for bugs every time. They take a circuitous route, the senator has a curfew, and he takes all of his meals in his room where it’s first tested for poisonous agents.”
“Do you have a picture of the package?” I asked.
Liam pulled up pictures on his phone and handed it over to me. And the contents made my stomach roll. Inside of the black box were two white rabbits. One of them larger, one of them smaller. Both of them with severed heads. This box also contained a note that was written in much the same manner as the first.
“And before you ask, yes. That’s the rabbit’s blood used to write that note,” Liam said.
“Great,” I said flatly.
You can try to hop away, little bunnies, but you can’t escape your crimes. Or your punishment.
Anger surged through me. How dare someone threaten Diana’s life? I felt my possessiveness blanket me and I was helpless to stop it. Every fiber of my being filled with a need to protect her, and I was powerless to push the feeling away.
I had to let it swallow me. I had no other choice.
“I want that damn box sent to the lab immediately. I want fucking clues, and if our lab can’t get them then you let them know we’re finding another damn lab to pair up with. It’s time to catch this son of a bitch. This has gone on long enough,” I said.
“On it. I’ll let the lab know,” Liam said.
“Keep me updated every fucking step of the way. Whenever you hear from that lab, I want your first call to be to me.”
“Not to the police?”
“No. I’m first. They’re second. Got it?” I asked.
“Loud and clear, Ethan.”
I wasn’t letting this asshole get away with this a second longer. I was going to put my hands on this man before he was turned over to the police. And when I did, I was going to let him know that he didn’t fuck with my clients. That he didn’t fuck with me.
And that he sure as hell didn’t fuck with Diana.
