Loving His Forever by LeAnn Ashers Page B

head tilted to the side, then she turns to me. “I could watch that man’s ass all day, every day.”
    Chase gapes at her for a split second before he bursts out laughing. Ethan entwines our fingers and we start toward the door but stop when we see Evelyn standing there, stoic and ghostly pale with fear. Ethan’s body stiffens to battle ready in a split second.
    “Mom, what is it?” He charges over to her, letting go of my hand.
    “No, no, no.” She shakes her head in disbelief. She looks over at us with wide eyes. Something is horribly wrong. The look in her eyes reminds me so much of me I almost collapse to the ground. I know that look.
    Walking up to Ethan, I put my hand on his back and look around him. He wraps his arm around me tightly, like he’s trying to pull me into his body.
    “I finally found you, bitch,” an evil voice cackles. I look at the man standing in front of us. My head whips back like I’ve been smacked. He looks a lot like Ethan, but that’s where the resemblance ends. This man is pure evil and it radiates off him.
    He is staring at Evelyn with so much rage I want to grab her hand and take her away from it all. Looking behind me, I see Chase tucking Jessica behind him, his body taut. Dave has his hands resting on Evelyn’s hips and moves her so he is standing slightly in front of her. Kane has Sydney completely hidden behind him, her face buried into his back.
    “Where is our bitch of a daughter?” he roars at Evelyn. She flinches and tears roll down her face. Shaking, I hold tighter on to Ethan, who pushes me further behind him. I know he’s about to attack this man. What is happening? Who is this man?
    He walks around the porch and stops closer to Evelyn. Dave pushes her farther behind him. “Ahh, I see you have a new dick to suck.” He tsks and laughs darkly.
    Ethan starts to rush the man, but Chase grabs him at the last second. He still leans toward him, anger rolling off of him. “Who the fuck are you?” he yells, his face red, his hands clenched with barely restrained anger. I grab tighter to the back of his shirt.
    “Ethan, is that how you’re supposed to talk to your father? Speaking of children, where’s that blond bitch that took you guys away from me? She was the whole reason for you leaving.”
    My heart is breaking instantly at hearing him say he’s Ethan’s father and at how he’s talking about Sydney. My sweet man shouldn’t have to feel an ounce of hurt.
    “Get off my property now! I give you one fucking minute before I kill you myself. You kidnapped me and I finally got away.” Evelyn’s voice hitches at the end.
    My heart stops and I realize how dangerous this man is. Scared, I bury my head in Ethan’s back. His arm comes around me, hugging me to him. His body is shaking from his emotions. He wants to hurt this man at the thought of what his mom had to go through at the hands of his father.
    “Ethan, I’ve got you,” I whisper against his back and clutch his shirt tighter, trying to hold in my own emotions.
    Then a body hits the ground hard. Looking over, I see Kane has knocked him out. Ethan goes to his mom hesitantly, not knowing what to do or how to help her.
    “Mom,” he starts and lifts his hand toward her but drops it, not knowing what to say.
    “FUCK!” he roars and walks off the porch and to his truck. He rears his hand back and punches the side it. I climb down the steps and run to him. I don’t want him to hurt himself.
    “Ethan,” I call, and he immediately stops the hitting. His chest is moving raggedly. He doesn’t turn and look at me.
    My heart is breaking, seeing him like this. This is not my Ethan, who has done everything in his power to make sure I always feel safe. He has become so much more to me than a friend. I realize in this moment that I have feelings for him. I hurt when he hurts.
    “Baby.” I touch his arm to get his attention. He jerks slightly when I say baby and turns to me. He opens his truck door and sets me up on