It took Harrison far too long to realize that he hadn’t been hit. His eyes cracked open, and he gaped at Cole.
“If you weren’t her brother, you’d be on the floor, groaning in pain right now and probably spitting out teeth.” Just so he understood the situation. “But then, if I were the uncontrolled, mercenary bastard killer that you want Evie to believe I am…I guess I wouldn’t let the fact that you’re her brother stop me. I’d beat the ever-loving-hell out of you just because I wanted to do it.”
Harrison wet his lips.
“I do want to do it,” Cole assured him. “But you’re wrong about who I am. You’ve always been wrong. Now Evie knows it. She knows that you’ve lied to her. That you’ve hidden the truth, and that you aren’t the hero she thought.”
“What?” Harrison’s eyes flared wide. “No, Evie didn’t think—”
“You were the brother who swooped in to save her when she was sixteen. Instead of casting her out, you gave her a safe life. That made you a hero in her eyes. Freaking Superman.”
Unease flickered on Harrison’s face.
“I didn’t want to be Lex Luther to your hero. That’s not how I wanted Evie to see me, even if it’s how you wanted her to view me.”
“You are what you are—”
“And so are you. Right now, you’re the dick who betrayed Evie.”
Harrison’s jaw dropped. His gaze darted toward the hallway. “No, she’s mad at you, not me.”
Cole laughed. “You are a clueless SOB, aren’t you? Evie didn’t leave crying because of me. She left because of you. Because her hero just fell from grace.” His laughter vanished as he fought not to take that swing at Harrison. “Another sin at your feet. I don’t like it when anyone makes Evie cry. Do it again, and I won’t be holding back.”
Harrison raked a shaking hand over his face. “Evie, no, she’s not angry with me.”
Cole didn’t speak. He did turn on his heel and head toward the hallway.
“She’s not going to want to see you!” Harrison blasted after him. “You read the scene wrong. Evie wants you gone. She was crying because she can’t stand what you are.”
Now Cole had to spin around and stare at the guy in confusion. “Are you truly that clueless when it comes to her? Don’t you know her at all?”
“I know her better than anyone else—”
“Then you have no excuse for hurting her this way. Never do it again.” His stare raked over Harrison. “There is one question I have to ask. This shit keeps coming up, and you know, I get where Evie stands on it, but I need to make sure I understand you.”
Harrison peered at him in confusion.
“The wrong answer is going to lead to serious trouble for you. The kind of trouble that’s life-changing.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Are you in love with Evie?”
Shock flashed on Harrison’s face.
Cole’s hands clenched.
Then disgust coated Harrison’s features. “Are you crazy? She’s my sister!”
Good answer. You get to keep breathing. “Gia Eastman thinks that you broke up with her because of Evie.”
Harrison glanced away.
“Shit. You did.”
Harrison paced toward the window. “I was supposed to be in LA. When she was taken, I was scheduled to be there. It was originally my hotel room, not hers. The trip was PR for the company.”
“But Evie’s not involved in the company.”
“Sometimes, she helps out with PR work. Putting a family face on things, you know? Like she did at the charity gala last night.” He blew out a breath. “Two years ago, I was supposed to go to LA. It was a photo op thing. But Gia wanted me to spend the weekend with her. So I asked Evie to go in my place.”
“And she was taken.”
Harrison’s head sagged forward. “Yes, she was. I got the call about her while I was with Gia. Gia didn’t exactly like it that I left her bed in order to run to Evie’s rescue.” He whirled around. “What kind of BS was that? My sister was abducted, but Gia acted like it was some kind of inconvenience. That I should just call the cops and let them handle things. I got the feeling she didn’t care if Evie came back home or not.”
Well, well…another reason for Cole to dislike Gia Eastman.
“Then when she found out that Evie was slated to inherit everything I had, hell, she started demanding I change my will. That I make new arrangements immediately. Gia told me that as soon as we were married, she expected to come first with me.”
Cole lifted his hand. “Back up. What do you mean, Evie gets everything?”
“She’s my sister,” Harrison said simply. “I know that you think I’m an asshole. Join the club. Most people think that. But I truly only want what’s best for Evie. In the event anything should happen to me, I’ve made arrangements for Evie to inherit everything that I possess.” A rough exhale. “I didn’t plan to marry Gia. She was making assumptions. And I,” Harrison coughed, “may have told her—after Evie was safely back home—that I was stepping back from our relationship because I wanted to be there for my sister.”
Hell. Harrison had used Evie as his excuse. “Now Gia has it out for Evie.”
“Well, she probably doesn’t like her much but—”
“Do you know that Gia was the last person in the restroom with Evie last night? Right before someone drugged her and threw Evie in the back of a sedan?”
“I…heard that.”
“Well, hear this. Your ex might be a kidnapper, and if she is, I’m personally gonna throw her ass in jail.” He squared his shoulders. “Now excuse me, but Evie needs me.” He marched for the hallway.
“She might not want you anywhere near her—”
“Dumbass,” Cole threw over his shoulder without looking back, “I’m the one she does want close.” Confident. Cocky.
But that confident facade faded the minute he rounded the corner in the hallway and came face to face with a closed door. He stood there a moment and pulled in some fast breaths.
Jesus. Don’t let that prick be right. Don’t let him be right. Evie knew the truth about him, and maybe she had run away because she was scared. Or disgusted. Or a thousand other things. Cole hoped not. He prayed not. He’d been bluffing his butt off with Harrison. Never let the enemy see weakness. But the truth was…
Cole was afraid.
Afraid that when he opened that door, Evie would tell him to get the hell out of her life. She’d have tears on her cheeks, she’d absolutely break him with her pain, and she’d tell him that she never wanted to see him again.
If she did that, then what in the hell would he do?
He swallowed. Squared his shoulders. Lifted his hand. Knocked on the door. “Evie?” He held his breath while he waited.
“Come in.” Her voice. Hushed and husky.
He reached for the knob. Turned it ever so slowly. Or maybe he wasn’t turning it slowly. Maybe everything just felt slow because it sure seemed as if the door was opening in slow motion, too. The seconds took forever to tick on by.