“It’s okay.” He clucks his teeth. “I figured.”
“Feel free to bail on dinner.”
He laughs. “Wouldn’t dream of it. It’s good to see you, Evie.”
“Yeah, you too,” I smile as the door opens and our waiter walks back in with our appetizers.
Ethan’s just finished telling me about his and Evelyn’s plan to possibly move back to England in the next few years, and I’m starting to tell him about the Zakharova, when the door to the private room is kicked open.
I’m turning to see why our waiter just barged in like that when I see the frozen, shocked expression on Ethan’s face as he looks past me.
Oh fuck…
“Vaughn!”
I jump out of my chair. But he’s already barreling past me like a freight train and grabbing Ethan by the collar.
“What thefuck?!” Ethan yells, grabbing Vaughn’s wrists and trying to yank his hands away. “Who the—” Recognition suddenly bursts across his face. “Wait, you’re that motherfucker who got me wasted a few weeks ago!” His lip curls, and his eyes shoot across the table to me.
“Is this your ‘nothing serious’ guy?!” he snaps before glaring at Vaughn. “Get your goddamn hands off me, you fucking psychopath. What didn’t sink in the other night when you fed me those cocktails and God-knows-what else. I told you everything.”
I shiver as he jerks his focus back to me.
“Yeah, your fucking boyfrienddrugged me, Evie. Picked a real winner here!”
I whirl on Vaughn. “You didwhat?!”
“I’m going to make this very simple,” Vaughn growls at Ethan. “Leave. Now.”
Ethan snorts. “Try again, psycho. I’m not doing anything wrong and I’m not going anywhere. I’m a friend of the house, you dickhead.”
Vaughn’s blue eyes glint lethally as his mouth curls into a dark smile. “Not anymore, you aren't. I just bought the place.”
He yanks a folded contract out of his jacket pocket and slaps it on the table before he gets right into Ethan’s face.
“Consider yourself no longer a friend of the house.”
Vaughn jabs a finger into Ethan’s chest.
“I would also consider leaving in the next four seconds,” he continues. “Unless you’d like your teeth for dessert.”
Ethan turns and shoots me a cold look. “What thefuck, Evie.”
“Ethan, I amso sorry?—”
“Tell your brother he can take his business wherever the fuck he wants. I’m not interested in this shit.”
He shoves past Vaughn and storms out without another word.
My face is tight and throbbing as I slowly turn to stare at Vaughn.
“Whatthe actual fuck,” I hiss, “wasthat?!”
Vaughn looks at me utterly calmly, arching a brow in amusement as he plucks my wine glass off the table and takes a sip. “So, we’re swearing now?”
“I can’t keep up!” I scream at him. “I mean, you’re with me, and youfuckme, and you save me. Then you tell me we’re not in a relationship?—”
“Because we’re not?—”
