Ethan (Face-Off Book 5)

by Jillian Quinn

  “You should invite her to come out with us tonight.” Before I have time to stop myself, the words are out of my mouth. But I don’t regret them.

  Will’s face lights up as he removes his cell phone from his pocket. “Good idea. She could use a few drinks. Mia’s been even more uptight than usual. I don’t know what has her so pissed off all the time.”

  I do. Me.

  I miss the sound of her voice. For the past two weeks, I haven’t been able to get her out of my head. My cock still perks up at the thought of her naked body. Her sweet scent is still burned into my nostrils. I miss the way she laughs and the silly jokes she makes. I love that she doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her. She’s so carefree. Nothing holds Mia back from what she wants. If it were up to her, she would tell Will about us in a damn heartbeat.

  Why does she have to be related to my best friend, of all people?

  And why am I acting like such a coward?

  I’ve never wanted anyone as much as Mia. The last time I was this dependent on something my father sent me away. I almost ruined my future over it, which scares the hell out of me.

  “Hey, little sis.” Will holds the phone up to his ear. “Come hang out with your big bro tonight. Family drinking night, my treat.” He laughs at Mia’s response. “If you’re so worried about me, then you should come and be my chaperone.” A few beats pass where he rolls his eyes and then chuckles. “Yeah, I could use a lap dance… or two or three. Why do you want to go to Scores?” He nods a few times. “Gotcha. Don’t work too hard. Is that a yes? Mmmkay… see ya then.”

  Will hangs up with Mia and stuffs his phone into his pocket. “Change of plans. Mia is coming. She wants us to meet at her apartment, and for whatever reason, she wants to go to Scores.”

  Now, I’m the one laughing. “Your sister wants to go to a strip club? I have to see this for myself.”

  Will cracks a smile. “Me, too. She looked awkward as fuck at The Sixth Floor. I can’t even imagine how she’ll react when a stripper shoves her tits in her face looking for a few bucks.”

  Laughing, I glance around the crowded Chinese restaurant below Mia’s apartment, wishing she were here with us. It’s her favorite place to eat in the city, which is kind of sad, considering this place is a dump. Shifting in my seat, I finally make eye contact with Will, who is now shoving more food down his throat.

  I glance at the fortune cookie paper on the table in front of me. Flattery will go far tonight.

  I wonder if it will work on Mia. Because I need to do a lot of apologizing—more like groveling—if I want her back.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Mia

  Sifting through my closet, I hold my cell phone to my ear as it rings on the other end. I need something sexy to wear if I want to get into the club. It wasn’t hard to recruit Will for a night of debauchery at a strip club, but I have to look the part if I’m going to get any answers.

  I push the hangers along the metal rack and yell, “Clarke,” when she answers the phone. “My best friend in the whole wide world. Please come with me tonight. I need a plus one for my next mission.”

  She chuckles. “Okay, I’ll bite. Where are we going?”

  “Scores.”

  More laughter. “A strip club. Oh, this is rich. Have you ever been to one?”

  “No, of course not, but I got a lead. I want to chase it.”

  “Now you think they’re selling drugs at Scores?”

  I lift a short, leather skirt from the rack and study it. “Yeah. From what I can tell, the Mafia is the supplier of the drugs. Scores is another one of their fronts.”

  She blows air into the receiver. “And you honestly think you can take them down? This is dangerous, Mia. Why don’t you call that cop from the eighteenth precinct you trade information with? It’s not your job to bust criminals.”

  “I could use some backup or at least someone who knows where I am in case shit gets crazy. Are you coming or not?” I cradle the phone between my ear and shoulder and step into the skirt, sliding it up my thighs.

  For a second, I think of Ethan, who loved taking this thing off me. Asshole.

  “I guess,” she huffs. “How can I pass up the chance of seeing you in a strip club?”

  “I’m glad you find this so amusing. Will seemed to think so, too.”

  She gasps. “Will knows about the case? I can’t believe you told him.”

  “No, of course not.” I reach behind me to zip the skirt and glance down at my pale legs that could use some bronzer. “I need you to keep Will company while I dig around and see if there’s any suspicious activity going on there. He’ll be up my ass if you don’t come and be my wing woman. Pretty please. I’ll owe you one.”

  “As your friend, I’ll come. You’re getting too invested in this story. I’m afraid you’ll get yourself killed if you don’t watch out.”

  I shut my closet and look at myself in the full-length mirror glued to the front of the door. Not bad for last-minute stakeout attire. After wearing this outfit to The Sixth Floor, I know I can pass the dress code test. I laugh at the thought of a dress code at a place where they take their clothes off for money.

  Hilarious.

  “Can you be here in an hour? Will’s coming to my apartment. I scheduled an Uber for nine o’clock.”

  “Yep, I’ll be there. Whether you’re right about this lead or not, I have to see your reaction when you walk into Scores. This is priceless.”

  “Whatever.” I roll my eyes. “See ya in a bit.”

  “Later, chica.”

  Not long after I hang up with Clarke, I hear Will in the living room talking loudly to someone. I can’t make out the words, only the tone of their deep voices. I check my appearance in the mirror one last time before I grab my purse from the bed and walk out of my bedroom and down the hall.

  The last person I’d expected to find lounging on my couch, with his foot propped up on the coffee table, is Ethan. Where the fuck has he been for the past two weeks? I want to say something, even though I know I have no right to the information. Ethan’s not my boyfriend. He owes me nothing. Still, it doesn’t hurt any less seeing him after all this time.

  I stop in front of the coffee table, my arms crossed over my chest. “Why are you idiots being so loud?”

  Neither of them answer me, still talking over each other, same as they always do.

  I stare down at Ethan. A cocky smirk turns up the corner of his mouth when he peeks up at me. Sucking in a deep breath, I do my best to compose myself. The heat from his gaze produces a fire beneath my skin.

  Ethan licks his lips, a simple gesture Will doesn’t pick up on. But I do. When it comes to Ethan, I never miss a beat.

  Why is he playing games with me? Why did he disappear on me? And why the hell is he lounging on my couch like some lazy, entitled prince?

  “Remind me to make an appointment for you,” Ethan says to me, interrupting Will. “My girl at Boyds will hook you up.”

  I tilt my head back and laugh. “Like I can afford to shop at Boyds. Unless you have a girl at Plato’s Closet or Walmart, I’m good with what I have, thank you very much.”

  “Tell her to put it on my tab,” Will says.

  I narrow my eyes at him. “Since when do you shop at fancy department stores?”

  He shrugs. “I have to wear suits and ties for games. I’m not a complete caveman.”

  “Oh, right. I forgot about that. Well, thanks for the offer, but I’m not a charity case.”

  Will shakes his head. “It’s not charity, Mia. You’re my sister. I want to do something nice for you. So does Ethan.” He holds his hand up and moves it around the apartment. “Look at how you live. I’d rather see you somewhere safer and with food in your fridge not slumming it. You deserve better than this.”

  I let out a puff of air and drop the conversation. We have the same argument so often I might as well let him feel better by doing this one nice thing for me. With my bargain shopper powers, I’m sure I can find a few
things on the cheap.

  “Fine,” I mutter. “If buying me clothes will make you happy, then I’ll meet the girl from Boyds.”

  Will smiles. So does Ethan, who removes his cell phone from his jeans pocket. Ethan types out a quick text message, and a few seconds later, it dings.

  “Alanna can see you tomorrow after you’re done work,” Ethan says.

  “Okay, great. Thanks. Now, can we get the hell out of here? Clarke should be here any minute.”

  As if on cue, Clarke knocks once, before stepping inside my apartment. “Is everyone decent?”

  Will pushes himself up from the couch. “Why wouldn’t we be?”

  Clarke flips her hair over her shoulder and snorts. “Never know with you living here. I’ve read enough about you to know I should knock before entering anywhere you live, Romeo.” She drags out his nickname and snickers.

  Will laughs. “And why is that?”

  She cocks an eyebrow at him. “Because you’re a bad boy.”

  I narrow my eyes at Clarke.

  What is she doing? Ugh, she can’t like my brother. He’s… well, he’s Will. My brother loves a challenge, and Clarke will give him one.

  In one swift motion, he moves past me, hovering over Clarke. He’s a lot taller than her five feet two inches. Even in heels, she looks tiny in comparison to him. Will studies her face and licks his bottom lip. Shit. He does like her.

  He glides his fingers along her bare shoulder, pushing the strap of her top down her arm. “I’d say you shouldn’t believe what you read in the papers, but at least they got that part right.”

  “Okay, enough of that.” I throw my hands onto my hips and glare at my brother. “Can we make it to Scores without you hitting on my friend?”

  Will peeks over his shoulder at me, and then his gaze shifts to Ethan. “Hey, I had to watch E hit on you. Deal with it, little sis.”

  Clarke flashes my brother a wicked smirk. “For the record, I’m not interested. Save your energy for someone else.”

  Oh, no. Now, he won’t give up until she’s screaming his name in the bedroom next to mine. At least Clarke has self-control, unlike me when it comes to Ethan.

  Ethan walks around the table to stand at Will’s side and locks eyes with me. Could he be any further away? Idiot.

  Choosing to ignore him, I check the time and realize our driver will be here any minute. “Time to go.”

  Will exits the apartment first, with Clarke behind him, leaving me with Ethan. We stare at each other for a second before I get enough sense to dig my keys from my purse.

  “You look beautiful,” Ethan says under his breath. His voice is so low I have to strain to hear him.

  “Thank you,” I mouth, not wanting my brother to hear us.

  Will and Clarke are halfway downstairs, already arguing with each other over something.

  Ethan touches my cheek with his calloused thumb, cupping the side of my face in his hand. “Mia, I’m sorry.”

  That’s all he says before releasing his grip on me, though the hold he has over me stays with me all the way to the strip club.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ethan

  The look on Mia’s face when we walked into Scores was priceless. I knew it would be, so I snapped a picture with my cell phone without her noticing. Maybe one day I’ll show her. For now, it’s the picture attached to her number in my Contacts. I thought about making it my background picture, but Will would flip the fuck out if he were to see his sister on my screen.

  Mia stares around the room and bites her cheek. She avoids the girls shaking their asses on the stage as if they don’t exist. It’s hard not to notice with all the men surrounding them. Clarke doesn’t seem the slightest bit phased, where Mia keeps her eyes pointed in front of her and bites her lip.

  I hook my arm around Mia’s back and pull her closer to me. She stiffens from my touch but peeks up at me.

  “You okay?”

  She nods. “Yeah, I’m good. Why is everyone so worried about how I’ll react? I’m not a total prude.”

  I dip down to whisper against the shell of her ear, “Oh, I know.”

  She sucks in a deep breath and blows it out. “You’re the devil in expensive clothes.”

  I laugh at her comment. She has no idea.

  Clarke comes up on Mia’s right and yells, “Wanna come with? Will’s buying me a lap dance.”

  Mia narrows her eyes at her. “Nah, I’ll pass. I have to do the thing, remember?”

  I crane my neck to listen to their conversation, hoping to find out more about this secret mission. Mia has always been adventurous. I worry about her digging too deep. I know from personal experience that the underworld of Philly can be a cruel and dangerous place. The places I would venture to get my next high almost got me killed a few times when I was younger. If my father hadn’t found the box I hid under my bed, who knows where I would be right now? I doubt I would’ve made it to the NHL without him forcing me to become a better person.

  “You can have fun in the meantime,” Clarke says. “Have you ever had a lap dance?”

  Mia scrunches her nose at her friend. Her innocence is so adorable.

  “Nope never had one,” Mia says. “Go with Will. I’m sure he’ll show you a good time. He probably knows this place like the back of his hand.”

  More like his cock.

  Clarke laughs. “I’m sure he does.”

  We both do. Scores is like a right of passage for everyone on our team. Tyler Kane brought Will and me here our first year with the Flyers. Now that Kane’s married with a few kids and attached to his wife’s side, the tradition of breaking in the newbies has passed to Will, and by extension to me too.

  Will winks at Mia. “I promise to take good care of her. Don’t worry. We’ll have fun for you.”

  Mia waves her hand at Will and Clarke before turning to me. “You, too, Ethan. I have things to do.”

  Will shoots me a look that says, Stay with her. I have no problem following Mia around for the night. Without Will hovering over her, I can give Mia a proper apology. She deserves more than one. I owe her a lot more than I’m sorry for being an ass.

  Will waves to us and then leads Clarke by the hand through the throng. She seems down for whatever and right up his alley. Hopefully, Clarke can keep Will entertained long enough for me to get Mia alone.

  “You don’t have to follow me around just because Will is afraid to leave me alone,” Mia says after they disappear into the crowd.

  I thread my fingers between hers and give her hand a good squeeze. “Someone has to look out for the lamb when all the wolves are around.”

  She tilts her head back and laughs. “Why do you call me that? It’s a stupid nickname, you know.”

  “No, it’s not.” I lead Mia over to a two-person table in the far corner, on the left side of the bar, and pull out a chair for her. “The first time I saw you, I admired you for your innocence. You weren’t tainted by life or the hard choices you had to make. There was something about you, something good and fragile. Back then, lamb was the first thing that came to my mind.”

  She sits and allows me to scoot her chair into the table. “The name doesn’t make sense for who I am now. Maybe that’s how you saw me when I was a teenager, but I’m nothing like that now.”

  “You’ll always be my little lamb,” I confess.

  “Whatever.” She hugs herself, pushing her tits up in the process. Once she realizes where my eyes have drifted, she snorts, annoyed with me. “The last time I checked, you owe me an apology. Where have you been for the past two weeks?”

  “I’m staying at the Ritz. I needed to get away for a little bit.”

  “Why do you think it’s okay to keep disappearing on me? I texted and called you. You didn’t bother to answer a single message. One minute, you were kissing me on my living room floor, and the next morning you were gone. Has anyone ever told you that you’re not good for a girl’s ego?”

  “I’m not good for you,” I admit. No matter
how many years pass, I’ll never feel worthy of Mia. “A bastard like me doesn’t end up with a woman like you.”

  She uncrosses her arms and leans forward, pinning me down with her intense gaze. “Why don’t you let me make my own decision instead of doing it for me? You and my brother think you know what’s best for me. For once, I’d like to have a choice.”

  I reach across the table to touch her hand, feeling her soft, delicate skin. “You know it’s not that simple, Mia.”

  “How about I go find Will? If he’s the reason you’re being a dick, then let’s get it out of the way. You promised to tell him after the playoffs were over. He should know the truth, anyway.”

  “There’s nothing to tell.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Well, I guess I must’ve imagined your head between my legs. And that must’ve been another guy bending me over my kitchen counter… or sneaking into my bed late at night.”

  I scan the room for Will and spot him entering a private room on the other side of the club accompanied by Clarke and a few girls.

  “Oh, I see,” she grunts. “God forbid Will overhears us. I’m sick of lying to my brother. Either grow a pair and tell him, or I will.”

  “I want you, Mia. But I can’t…”

  She crosses her arms over her chest, nostrils flared. “Why the hell not?”

  “Because you’re like a drug to me. I can’t kick one addiction to find another.”

  She narrows her eyes at me. “What are you talking about? What addiction did you have before me?”

  I wave off her question. “I’ll make a deal with you. Why don’t we see what happens between us before we tell Will?”

  “I love how you assume our relationship won’t work before it even begins.”

  “I don’t do relationships, Mia. When was the last time you saw me with a girlfriend?”

  She bites her lip, mulling it over. “Never, I guess. I’d assumed you kept that part of your life hidden from me on purpose.”