Page 20 of All Mine
‘So, it worked for her then. All is not lost.’
Etienne swigged from his bottle and allowed himself to think of her. That gorgeous olive skin. The small freckle beside her mouth when she opened it in surprise.
‘Maybe you’re stressed. That can do it,’ Walker said. Etienne’s train of thought was interrupted by the vibration of his phone against his leg. He tugged it free of his pocket but the message was from his service provider, an update on his plan. He tossed it on the table in frustration and looked up to see both men watching him closely.
‘What’s that phone ever done to you?’ Walker frowned.
‘Nothing.’ Etienne sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. ‘I’m waiting to hear from someone.’
‘Who?’
‘Why?’ Four elbows hit the table as the two men leaned in.
Etienne looked between them both for a long second before shaking his head.
‘My brother.’
Fox sat up straighter on his stool, and Walker cocked his head.
‘In fact, my twin.’
Fox and Walker glanced at each other, checking whether the other knew. By the confusion on each other’s faces, it was clear that it was new news to them both.
‘Why have we never heard about him before?’ Walker said, who Etienne knew had an older sister living in the Highlands.
‘Where have you been hiding him all these years?’ Fox said, who Etienne knew had a younger sister living in Barcelona.
‘It’s not so much that I’ve been hiding him,’ he said with a sigh. ‘It’s more that we’re not close any more. My fault entirely.’
‘So why’s it bothering you now?’ Walker said.
‘It’s complicated.’ Etienne swigged his beer.
The other two men both waited.
‘I fucked up in the past. Long ago. Before I moved here.’ He shut his eyes briefly against the flash of memory, Kira in his arms, nothing else mattering.
‘Can you put it right now?’
Etienne shook his head angrily. ‘No. Like I said, I fucked up. He left. In fact, he ran away. It was dangerous for him to stay. All because of me.’
Walker nodded. ‘Like you said, sounds complicated.’
‘But he got back in touch last week. A single message. And now he’s not answering again.’ He banged the table.
Fox, the patron saint of patience due to living with two demanding bosses under his roof day and night, nodded sagely. ‘If he’s contacted you once, he’ll do it again. And then you can fix it.’
Etienne searched Fox’s kind eyes and hoped to God he was right.
Walker nodded along. ‘Sounds like this could also be the problem with your penis.’
Etienne looked into his laughing eyes and gave him a swift dead arm.
The band ran onto the stage and put an end to their banter.
Chapter Eleven
Isabella
