What she needed was a few minutes to regroup and think this through. While she was in mourning for the loss of one of her Marines, she needed to deal with the big, pink elephant in the room.
The men who were back inDamascus,likely stressed the fuck out. With a few moments to spare, she’d face them.
Well, one of them in particular.
Pulling out her phone, she called Ethan back and handled that confrontation.
While he’d hurt her feelings, she knew that keeping that grudge was not helpful. In fact, she knew it would only do worse things.
So, she reached out to him.
And he answered on the second ring.
“Elizabeth?” he asked.
She began crying.
The second he saw her on the call and heard her sobs of distress, he wanted to be by her side. The bottom line was he knew he’d find her anywhere in the world.
“I’ll get to you,” he said. “Just tell me where you are, and I’ll get on the first flight to reach you.”
She stopped him.
“Please don’t. It’s likely what he wants. He knows what has happened by now. He’s waiting to see which one of you he can get. If you want to help me, don’t play into it. Stay where it’s safe.”
Ethan hated this.
God.
He hated this so much.
“I’m sorry for what I said to you. I was being an asshole, and you didn’t deserve that. I’m scared and frustrated. When I lose my sanity, I say things I don’t mean. Please know that I have faith, Lyzee. I’ve had faith since the day I saw you inSalem.Since the day I said,‘I do’. You’re the one thing that has never given me a reason not to have faith.”
She sniffled.
“I know. It’s okay. I’m just tired, EJ. I’m beat so far down, I don’t know how to get back up this time. I don’t have any choice but to call inThe Hunters. Gabe sanctioned it, and it’s now out of my hands.”
He let her talk.
“I stand for justice, but I just had to stare down into Jet’s face and say goodbye. How do I get him justice if I know that Devon Slater will buy his way out of this somehow? We all know that’s what will happen. Rich men don’t answer to the same rules. They can be corrupt and get away with it.”
He reassured her.
“They don’t get away with it for long. Every dog has its day, Lyzee, my love, and you’ll get him. I know you will.”
She laughed weakly.
“It hurt when you said you don’t have faith in me anymore, EJ. Jesus has fallen off the cross.”
It hit him hard.
This was exactly what he wanted to happen.
This was exactly what Devon had planned.
He’d studied them long and hard, and he likely saw their separation and how their marriage hit bumps. He knew all the secrets they kept locked away. The media shared everything with the public, and not all of it was false.
He went there.
