Page 40 of After the Chase

"Sarah." Ethan pushes off the wall and approaches us as I watch Sarah’s reaction to him. She sneers at him with clear hatred. "Leo's ex-wife. She made the mistake of trying to contact him after we got married and wouldn’t leave us alone. She knew the consequences.”

"Stop talking like I’m not fucking here, Ethan,” she says before she speaks to me. “Can you help get me out of here? This psycho thinks he can just lock me away,” she whines and the sound is grating.

"Quiet," Ethan says, his tone perfectly pleasant. "We have guests, apologies Noah, she forgets her manners."

"How long has she been here?" I ask, ignoring Sarah’s pleas for help.

"A while." Ethan's smile is cold. "Leo doesn't know, of course. He thinks she moved away, but that was too easy for Sarah, she wanted to control his life, so I had to react."

"Punishment," I observe.

"Exactly." Ethan's eyes meet mine, and I understand him. "You know what it's like, Noah. You have to protect what you own."

"Why is she still breathing?" I say.

"Because it amuses me," Ethan glances at Sarah who is sitting back on her bed, the fight leaving her. “That’s unless anything changes in the future, but for now, I enjoy knowing she is here. She also works upstairs when it’s busy, she has to earn her keep.”

“Doing what?”

“Cleaning, bar work, the kind of things she always thought was beneath her,” he says, chuckling.

“I wouldn’t have the patience to keep a prisoner,” I say as I turn to leave the room and Ethan follows.

“I take it I can trust you not to go talking to your husband about this,” Ethan says, and I scoff.

“It’s not my business, Ethan. I don’t care what any of you get up to. See you around.” And with those parting words, I walk toward the main area of the clubhouse.

“See you around, Noah.”

I don't speak to anyone as I leave the clubhouse. The men in the main room watch me pass, but no one approaches. The gossip of who I am has already circulated as the atmosphere is different, more relaxed.

Outside, I walk over to my waiting taxi and hop inside, and set off to collect Chase from the bar. When I arrive, I walkstraight inside, searching for my man. I don’t like it in here, too many dark corners and people. I prefer to stay at home.

“Hey Noah,” a voice speaks out to me as I enter the bar area and turn to see a guy I recognize. He looks at me expectedly like he is waiting for a response.

“Hi,” is all I can say. It takes a moment before it clicks who he is. The last time I saw him he was a mess, broken in spirit and his body fucked up. Simon. Carlos’ man.

“I never got to thank you for what you did, when, you know, all that shit in Brazil happened, and what you said to me on the plane.”

“No need for thanks.”

“Still, I’m grateful. Chase is over at the booth in the back with Dima.”

“Great.”

I walk past him further into the bar. Fucking Dima. Of all the times he has to be around, which means we’re not leaving anytime soon with the fucking neverending talking squad. If Ivan turns up I will start throwing shit as I’m not in the mood.

As I approach the table, Chase is in conversation with Dima and Seb, who are sitting across from him. I don’t bother to announce myself, as I sit next to Chase and grab him by the back of the neck, pulling him into a chaste kiss. I fucking need it.

“Oh, well that’s the best hello,” he says against my lips.

“We need to go.”

“We are here, you know,” Dima says across from us and I look up to see that annoying fucking grin on his face.

“I was hoping you would disappear. Why are you laughing?”

“I just find your abrasiveness amusing.”