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Of course Liz could be co herself There was the possibility she was blinded by a scholarship, a few kind words and the feel of Ethan’s arms around her Clarity would come with time, she told herself She didn’t have to tell anyone she was having second thoughts about leaving

An unfamiliar sedan pulled up to the curb and an older ed, then reached for so," he said as he approached, an envelope in his hand "You’re up early"

She smiled "It’s the only time it’s quiet"

"I hear you" He hesitated "My workday starts in a couple hours I was on otwithout one"

She rose and h, she felt uneasy with the ?"

The oldas you’re already up… Elizabeth Marie Sutton?"

How did he know her na sensation on the back of her neck

He held out the envelope, then waited until she took it "You’ve been served"

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"YOU SLIMY, WEASELLY, disgusting bastard," Liz yelled the second Ethan stepped into his office building

Ethan came to a stop and stared at her cautiously Liz looked ferocious, which wasn’t good, but he had a feeling he knehy

She stood by the reception desk It was still early enough that most of the staff hadn’t arrived Nevada’s truck was in the parking lot, but his sister was nowhere to be seen She normally arrived around six-thirty Today hadn’t been an exception The only difference appeared to be that she’d let Liz in to wait for hireen eyes flashing a level of rage powerful enough to o behind my back And here I stand Surprised Whichstupid where you’re concerned Know this--I will never trust you again Ever Do you hear me? I hope you rot in hell I hope there’s a special place there just for you"

She picked up the e pad from the reception desk and threw it at him He sidestepped the missile easily When she reached for the corabbed her arlared at him "There’s no excuse for what you did"

The envelope was in her hand

He wrestled with regret, then reiven him a choice "They weren’t supposed to serve you until this afternoon I was going to co"

"Oh, please Let’s not even pretend that’s true You’ve always been a coward and a liar That hasn’t changed"

He grabbed her ar to tell you I started to explain yesterday"

If her gaze had had laser power, he would be a sht now

"That’s sosandals"

She tried to pull free, but he didn’t let her go "Liz, cal Afraid he would bruise her, he finally let her go She staggered back a step

"I was going to tell you," he repeated

He read the betrayal in her eyes, the hint of pain "Liar," she echoed, then waved the envelope "If this is how you want to play it, then fine Because I know soood lawyers"

"I’d hoped we could work it out ourselves"

"You’re the one ent to court, Ethan"

He had He’d seen a fae and asked for an injunction One that forbade Liz fro Fool’s Gold with Tyler

"I didn’t kno else to stop you froht to a life," she said, rubbing her arm "That life is in San Francisco"

"You can explain that to the judge next week"

"I will I also plan to tell her that I made two efforts to tell you about Tyler and that the only reason you don’t already have a relationship with him is your late wife kept the inforuy in all this"

"You were going to leave," he re his best to hold his teot ive me a choice in theweekends As if that was enough"

She stared at him "Is that what this is about? You want more time? Then why didn’t you coe?"

"Because I’ve already lost tooany more You could walk away tomorrow and I couldn’t stop you Now I can"

"There were a lot of ways to guarantee my cooperation This isn’t one of them"

"The person I care about here is Tyler"

"And you think I don’t?" she de awake at night, worrying about hi what I think is best? Do you think it was easy to coo to tell you about hi to her judgeut clenched He wanted to say that Rayanne wouldn’t have done that, only he knew better She would have said that andshe’d both hated and wanted Beauty, brains, determination

He wanted the past to be different but the truth is his relationship with Rayanne had been ahinant--probably on purpose--he would have broken things off sooner rather than later

But she had gotten pregnant and he’d accepted the responsibility The way he would have done with Liz

"I would have married you," he said softly