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I knew Ryker would blow everything to hell, so I allowed the rest of my false confession to slither past my lips. “I called the police and had him arrested. They didn’t question me. You’re a celebrity, Julian. One call from me and I could have your mother behind bars.”
He stepped around me to confront Ryker, and I blocked his path. He circled the opposite way, and I immediately mimicked his motion. Exasperated, he caught my shoulders and physically turned me. Face to face with his brother, he allowed torturously long moments of silence to pass before speaking.
“Is this true?”
Thoroughly confused, Ryker stared through me with a silent question on his face. With a slight dip of my chin—so slight I worried he’d miss it—I pleaded with him. I hated to drag him into a lie with his brother, but it saved his own ass. My nonverbal cues let him know if he backed out now, he’d throw me under the bus.
Blowing out a chestful of air, he raised his eyes to the icy ones boring into him. “Yes, it’s true,” he lied. “I went to jail because of her. I tried, but she’s so damn stubborn, she wouldn’t listen. Now I have a court date.”
I held my breath as Julian alternately stared between us, his eyes a mix of disbelief and anger. Finally, he settled them on me. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Don’t be cute, Phoebe. Why did you do it? You know I didn’t want you alone.”
“Yes, Julian, I know that, you never let me forget it.” He deserved every bit of that jab. “I know it wasn’t rational, and I have no excuse. I did it, and it’s done. Let’s move on.” I turned to head upstairs when his hand caught my arm.
“Not so fast,” he ordered, studying my face. “Why didn’t you call me? I specifically asked you to call if you needed me. Didn’t you think having my brother arrested constituted needing me?”
Damn. He’s right.
Reverting to the proven tried and true, I ran a hand through my hair and swept a sultry glance up his body, meeting his eye. “I know. I should’ve, but I didn’t want another argument where you got mad and yelled at me for not agreeing with the all mighty word of Lord Julian.”
A cheap shot? Hell yeah. I’m grasping at straws.
“I’m not yelling at you!” he yelled. “I just don’t understand why you’d upset yourself and cause a shit storm over absolutely nothing.”
“You’re yelling.”
“I’m not yelling,” he yelled again. “If I yelled, you’d know it. This is not yelling. This is speaking very fucking loudly.”
“I don’t know why I do half the things I do lately. I’m an emotional basket case.” At least I spewed partial truths. “Don’t ask me to explain because I can’t. I did it. I’ve apologized to Ryker, and he forgave me. Why can’t you?”
Losing some of his anger, Julian palmed the back of his neck and sighed. “I still think there’s something you two aren’t telling me.” He glanced at Ryker. “And I can’t get mad at you because, well, frankly, I don’t get half the shit she’s saying.” Resting both hands by his sides, he shrugged. “So, I guess we’re at an impasse.”
Ryker shot me a heated glare. For a moment, a rush of indignation welled inside me. What the hell was his problem? I saved him from Julian’s fraternal wrath, and he thanked me with a death stare? I made a mental note to tell him where to shove his stare when were alone.
“Don’t you agree, princess?” Julian directed a stare my way.
The less I said the better, so I bit my tongue until it bled. “I guess so.”
Turning toward the stairs, he threw his chin over his shoulder toward Ryker. “Send your papers to Kristina Graham, our new manager.”
A bewildered look crossed Ryker’s face. “Papers?”
“Yes, Ry, your papers—your arrest papers and your court affidavit. Send them to her and I’ll make it go away. It’s not your fault my fiancée’s a lunatic.”
Ryker glanced at me with a panicked look, and Julian followed his every move. I nodded as discreetly as possible and he grunted, dropping one shoulder in defeat. “Sure, man. I’ll do it tomorrow.” He couldn’t exit the front door fast enough. Sticky latch and all, his sprint time was worthy of a gold medal.
Weary from amateur detective work and fighting with the brothers Bale, I turned to follow Julian upstairs when he abruptly stopped, his eyes sparking authority. “I meant what I said, Phoebe. This discussion isn’t over. I’m going to take a shower, but I wanted to remind you we’re not done…so no lame-ass excuses.”
Every fiber of my being screamed at me to pick a fight, but instead, I closed my mouth and nodded, following him up the stairs. Whatever he had to say, it was big. Just like the wall that grew between us.
A wall I wasn’t sure could be brought down.
