Chapter 3

Ryan hesitated, then pressed answer anyway.

"Ryan, help me." Of course it was Hailey, crying. "I've got nowhere else to go."

He cupped a hand over the receiver, his face going gray. She said something more, and he cut her off, urgent. "Don't go anywhere. Stay right there and wait for me."

Then, without a single word to me, he floored the gas.

I said nothing, and something in me sank.

The car stopped in front of our building, and before it had even settled Ryan was out the door and running.

Hailey practically launched herself at him, both arms locked around his neck, her red lips nearly pressed to his throat.

"My place is torn apart, everything smashed. I was so scared." She sobbed quietly, those alluring eyes with room for no one but Ryan. "You're all I have, Ryan. I'm so frightened."

She looked utterly pitiful.

Ryan couldn't bear it. He kept soothing her, even pressing kisses to her hair.

The two of them held each other like no one else existed, as if they'd long forgotten there was an outsider standing right there.

"Can I stay here? Can I be with you tonight? I'm really scared." Hailey lifted her face, all need and expectation.

"Of course." It was out of his mouth before he could think.

Only then did he seem to remember me, since this building was the marital home my father had left us.

"Eileen, could she maybe—"

"No." I cut him off. The anger in me caught and began to burn, and my voice turned colder with it.

"You know how Anthony operates. How's a girl like her supposed to get away from him? And she's only on his radar because she saved me." Ryan's face hardened too.

"So what? Can't she afford a hotel? With Damon watching her, ten Anthonys wouldn't dare touch her." I gave a cold laugh.

I pulled a stack of bills from my bag and threw it in Hailey's face, my eyes narrowing. "There. Hotel's on me." A beat. "Now get out of my sight!"

She looked terrified, clutching at Ryan's sleeve and mumbling in a hurt, aggrieved voice, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come to you for help. Of course I don't deserve to stay in Miss Eileen's house. It's my fault."

"Eileen." Ryan barked it. In all the time I'd known him, it was the first time he'd raised his voice at me like that.

He didn't bother hiding it anymore. His favoritism. His doting.

That was what finally pushed me over the edge. I swung my hand around and slapped Hailey hard across the face, and her soft skin went red and swollen on the spot.

"Do you really think you'd feel safe under my roof?" The smile on my face was a dangerous thing.

Hailey was clearly stunned. It took her a few full seconds to come back to herself, and then, flushed with shame and fury, she shook off Ryan's hands and ran crying toward the road.

Ryan shot me a vicious glare and started after her. Then he heard me say, cold, "If you go after her now, we are finished. For good."

He stopped short hesitated a long moment, then turned and stalked back inside in a foul mood.

I came in after him and found him sitting straight up on the sofa, his hands fisting and unfisting. He was clearly on edge.

But he wasn't on edge about how to explain himself to me. He was worried about Hailey, even though Damon was right behind her the whole time.

I sat down across from him. "Shall we talk?"

Ryan raised his head, back to his usual hard self, every bit the cold, decisive Don again.

I didn't speak. I just glanced at the open collar of his shirt.

He went still, then let out a dismissive little smile. "It's some girl's silly game. Why take it so seriously?"

"The same design, in the same spot on the chest? That's a girl's silly game?" I didn't bother hiding how tired I was of all of it.

Ryan folded his arms and leaned forward, those handsome eyes fixed on me. "Eileen, how many times do I have to say it? She saved my life. I can't just abandon her."

"So what, you pay her back with your body?" I asked, mocking.

He gave a sudden cold laugh and sat back, his face full of contempt. "Have you forgotten? You did the exact same thing for me once. Didn't you?"

I froze.

Five years ago he'd thrown himself in front of a bullet for me, and I'd married him over my father's objections without a second thought. I never imagined that the love I'd given so completely, holding nothing back, would become the blade he turned on me now.

He looked at me, and something seemed to land. A flicker of guilt crossed his face. He slowly reached out and took my hand, gripping it tight. "You know I never wanted to hurt you, Eileen."

For that one instant, he seemed like the Ryan whose every thought had once been full of me. But it was only an instant.

His phone began to buzz again, hard.

He hesitated, then answered, and his face changed in a heartbeat. "I'm on my way."

I stood. "Where are you going?"

"If you hadn't humiliated her like that, she wouldn't have fallen apart and crashed her car. I'm going to see her." He suddenly roared it at me, his eyes gone red.

"Ryan." I couldn't stop the shaking, but I forced the words out one at a time through my teeth. "I told you. If you go to her tonight, we are over. Completely."

Ryan stood with his back to me. His feet hesitated for half a second. Then he took a wide stride and walked out the door without looking back.

I drew a long breath and sank, deflated, onto the sofa.

Five years of marriage. This time it really had reached its end.