Page 39 of Lost Without You
His woman. He liked the sound of that and the reality even more.
“How do you do? I’m Rachel Desoumas,” Rachel responded politely, offering her hand to Lara.
Lara ignored her and turned back to Ethan.
“Get rid of your hook up so we can talk,” Lara bit out and stepped closer to him.
That is, until Watson entered the foyer and hissed at her. Smart cat.
“Rachel is my girlfriend. You will show her the respect she deserves and then get the hell out of my home. I don’t even know why you’re here. I told you on the phone the last time we spoke that it was the last time. There’s nothing more to say.”
“Girlfriend?” Lara turned to Rachel, her blue eyes full of fury. “Ethan may have a lot of money, but he’s still a workaholic. I hope you like coming in second.”
Rachel smiled at Lara and shook her head.
“I’m an admitted workaholic myself so we’re a perfect match. Now if you don’t mind, our dinner is getting cold. And I’m sure yourcurrenthusband is waiting for you.”
Rachel stood beside Ethan and slid her hand into his. He had to admit, it felt all kinds of right.
“Ethan, I want to speak to you alone,” Lara hissed, her cheeks reddening as her temper mounted.
“No.” Ethan replied and moved to open the front door. “We’ve been divorced for years and yet you keep contacting me and trying to make me feel bad about our shared history. I told you on the phone that I don’t want to talk to you anymore. I’m done apologizing. Now, please leave.”
“You’ll be next,” she yelled at Rachel and then turned on her four-inch heels and stomped out of the house.
Not to be outdone by the humans, Watson wandered over to the door, his tail twitching and his ears flattened. He continued to hiss and yowl as Lara got in her car and drove away.
“I’m so sorry she insulted you.”
Rachel didn’t say anything. She moved closer and drew him into her arms, reaching up and giving him a claiming kiss.
“You don’t need to apologize. She’s bitter and a bit jealous,” Rachel murmured as she peppered his face with sweet kisses. “And I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”
They reheated the omelets and enjoyed a glass of white wine, sitting on the back deck overlooking the water. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks, combined with the good food and excellent company, had Ethan relaxing. Despite the earlier drama, he was more content than he’d been in ages. Too bad it was short lived as his phone rang.
Incoming call: LKedler
“Lane,” Ethan answered.
“Are you sitting down?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.”
“I connected with Dalton. Or rather, he interrogated me. Even though we’re on the same side, and I have ten more years of experience than him. What a dick. Sorry, I digress. I’ve been officially contracted to assist with Walter’s case.”
“Good. Did Dalton tell you about the email Rachel received today?”
“Yup, we’ll see if we can trace the IP address. The main reason I called was to let you know that Harrison has left the country.”
“Business trip?”
“I assume, but the timing is interesting. Especially given the fact that Harrison hasn’t flown anywhere in the past five years. From what I’ve learned, he has a deep-seated fear of flying after a mishap in 2018.”
“What would compel him to get on a plane now?” Ethan asked.
“Makes you wonder. And I can confirm that he had a very long meeting with his lawyer shortly before taking off. Call me paranoid, but it seems like he’s creating an alibi. If something happens to Rachel or someone else connected to this case while he’s overseas…”
“Ah, fuck.”