he’d kept hidden from her. “He knew why she was here. And being the protective big brother, I told him I’d help find her and whoever did this to her, not to mention discover who is stealing the money.”
She nodded. “And you saw that I wanted to find her just as much as your brother , so you knew I was the obvious choice.”
He placed his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together before he found her gaze. “Yes.”
She leaned back on the sofa. “Why not just come clean and tell me the truth? Why hide it?”
He let his head drop again. “I didn’t hide it.” He glanced back up. “I was afraid you’d say no.” He knew his eyes were pleading with her. “You have to understand, Ethan isn’t a playboy. He’s never been the type to date a lot of women. If he’d told me that he loved her, I would have had her pulled from the investigation, which is probably why they kept it a secret. It was too dangerous , and I wouldn’t have risked her safety or his happiness for anything in the world.”
He rose. “Lexi, I don’t trust easily, but I trust my brother and his decisions without question. He’s not impulsive, and when he confessed he loved her, I knew I had to do everything in my power to see that she comes out of this unscathed, if for nothing other than Ethan’s sanity.” He held out his hand to her. “When we Hathaways fall, we’re all in…for a lifetime. You know…soul mates and all.” She slid her fingers into his, and he pulled her up against his chest. “He’d do anything to find Catherine, and I’d do anything to help him.”
****
It was then that Lexi realized she’d been play ed right into Trip’s hand. When he said he’d do anything, he’d meant it. She was starting to understand the length of the distance he was willing to go. He’d used her own emotions against her, for his own gain. Although she too had gotten what she wanted, she realized there was more to the man holding her in his arms than she’d previously thought. He was not only devoted to his family but was a ruthless businessman on top of everything. She’d need to keep her guard up around him and remember the reason she was here.
He used his thumb to smooth the lines on her forehead. “You can’t say I didn’t warn you , Lexi. I meant every word I said about helping you find Catherine. That’s first; the money can wait.”
She slid out of his hold , putting more distance between them. Distance she meant to keep. “That’s where you’re wrong, Trip. The investigation is what’s going to lead me right to her. Your first mistake was not telling me everything. Your second was underestimating me.” She walked to the door and paused with her hand on the knob. “Everyone is considered a suspect until I say they’re not. You aren’t running this investigation; I am. And right now, I have some questions for your little brother.”
He followed in step behind her , guiding her with his hand on the small of her back. Before they reached the staircase, he leaned over and whispered, “I’m sorry, wife.” He laced their fingers. “I won’t ever keep anything from you again.”
His words meant nothing to her. She understood what was at stake and that their game of charades had to be convincing whether she liked his tactics or not. Catherine would have done the same for her had the roles been switched. She paused at the top of the stairs. “If you care anything about Ethan and Catherine, then see that you don’t. The little things are going to help me break this case, and if I can’t trust you, then we’re going to have an even harder time finding the truth.”
He nodded and leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I am nothing but honorable when I give you my word. I’ll prove it to you, Lexi.”
Chapter 6
Trip pushed open the door to an office. Ethan was sitting behind the desk and a row of monitors. He motioned for her to come in and glanced up. “I take it Trip has told you
She nodded. “And you saw that I wanted to find her just as much as your brother , so you knew I was the obvious choice.”
He placed his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together before he found her gaze. “Yes.”
She leaned back on the sofa. “Why not just come clean and tell me the truth? Why hide it?”
He let his head drop again. “I didn’t hide it.” He glanced back up. “I was afraid you’d say no.” He knew his eyes were pleading with her. “You have to understand, Ethan isn’t a playboy. He’s never been the type to date a lot of women. If he’d told me that he loved her, I would have had her pulled from the investigation, which is probably why they kept it a secret. It was too dangerous , and I wouldn’t have risked her safety or his happiness for anything in the world.”
He rose. “Lexi, I don’t trust easily, but I trust my brother and his decisions without question. He’s not impulsive, and when he confessed he loved her, I knew I had to do everything in my power to see that she comes out of this unscathed, if for nothing other than Ethan’s sanity.” He held out his hand to her. “When we Hathaways fall, we’re all in…for a lifetime. You know…soul mates and all.” She slid her fingers into his, and he pulled her up against his chest. “He’d do anything to find Catherine, and I’d do anything to help him.”
****
It was then that Lexi realized she’d been play ed right into Trip’s hand. When he said he’d do anything, he’d meant it. She was starting to understand the length of the distance he was willing to go. He’d used her own emotions against her, for his own gain. Although she too had gotten what she wanted, she realized there was more to the man holding her in his arms than she’d previously thought. He was not only devoted to his family but was a ruthless businessman on top of everything. She’d need to keep her guard up around him and remember the reason she was here.
He used his thumb to smooth the lines on her forehead. “You can’t say I didn’t warn you , Lexi. I meant every word I said about helping you find Catherine. That’s first; the money can wait.”
She slid out of his hold , putting more distance between them. Distance she meant to keep. “That’s where you’re wrong, Trip. The investigation is what’s going to lead me right to her. Your first mistake was not telling me everything. Your second was underestimating me.” She walked to the door and paused with her hand on the knob. “Everyone is considered a suspect until I say they’re not. You aren’t running this investigation; I am. And right now, I have some questions for your little brother.”
He followed in step behind her , guiding her with his hand on the small of her back. Before they reached the staircase, he leaned over and whispered, “I’m sorry, wife.” He laced their fingers. “I won’t ever keep anything from you again.”
His words meant nothing to her. She understood what was at stake and that their game of charades had to be convincing whether she liked his tactics or not. Catherine would have done the same for her had the roles been switched. She paused at the top of the stairs. “If you care anything about Ethan and Catherine, then see that you don’t. The little things are going to help me break this case, and if I can’t trust you, then we’re going to have an even harder time finding the truth.”
He nodded and leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I am nothing but honorable when I give you my word. I’ll prove it to you, Lexi.”
Chapter 6
Trip pushed open the door to an office. Ethan was sitting behind the desk and a row of monitors. He motioned for her to come in and glanced up. “I take it Trip has told you
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