Page 76 of Bound Bride
"Bullshit. You locked Calvin up and you're sending Rose back to her father? Why?"
"She is cheating on me with him."
Ethan stares at me and then he laughs loudly, wincing with every breath before he quickly sobers up. "You're serious?"
Rather than explain the pain, I gather my phone from the desk and swipe to the painful photo, then I hand it to him.
Ethan's face falls immediately. "Shit. Okay. This… there has to be some kind of explanation."
"I am all ears?" I gaze up at him and sigh as the alcohol finally starts working its magic. Numbness sweeps through my chest while heat gathers in my gut.
"I… can't think of one," Ethan admits while resting back against my desk. "But there has to be one. For one, Calvin would never betray you. That kid worships the ground you walk on. And Rose?" Ethan scoffs at my phone and hands it back. "She gets stars in her eyes just looking at you."
"The photo is real," I reply hoarsely. "I had it checked."
Ethan's brows dip. "Then there's something else we're missing."
"Like what?" I glance up at him. "Tell me what justifies my wife locking lips with her bodyguard?"
"She's not Lianna, for one," Ethan replies quietly. "Fuck. You can't think straight about Rose. You know this. You get clouded. I mean, you killed the fucking Italians for even threatening her. Are you really going to sit there and tell me that you're thinking clearly right now?"
"I am glad you are back." Focusing on Ethan is much easier. "I was scared you would die."
"You're drunk."
"Maybe. But you are my best friend, Ethan. When you went down… all that blood. I thought I was going to explode."
Ethan gives me a sad, lopsided smile. "Is that why you latched onto the worst-case scenario about that picture?"
"No."
"Don't bullshit me, Kon. I might have lost almost my entire bodily volume of blood but I know you. You get hurt and you self-destruct. Did you even ask Rose about the picture?"
There it is. The anger in my chest gradually burns away, revealing guilt wrapped in the hurt of betrayal. "No."
"Or Calvin for that matter?"
I can't answer. All I do is stare at Ethan until he sighs deeply and lifts his good hand to his face. He presses his fingers into his eyes and groans.
"Shit. Start from the beginning. Who gave you the picture?"
"General Zangier."
"Okay. I mean, it proves he was there when they were attacked and it explains why Calvin killed his men. Did he say why he was there?"
"He said… he said that after Lianna, he's been protective and he saw Calvin and Rose making eyes at each other at the wedding. So he kept an eye on them. He also said that he wasn't drunk when he made a pass at Rose at the party, he was just testing how Calvin reacted."
Ethan's frown deepens and he rubs at his jaw. "It's… convincing, I'll give him that." He shifts against the desk and pulls himself up to sit. "Okay, let's think this through." He glances at me and smirks. "As much as we can with that much vodka in you."
"I'm fine."
"Sure. We're both fine. Right, first, Calvin would never betray you like this. He's as loyal as they come and he's who I wouldtrust if I couldn't reach you. And Rose… did she ever seem unhappy?"
"Sometimes."
"With you?"
Her beautiful face fills my mind and I shake my head. "No. Just… with something else."
