Chapter 69
Chapter 69 – Paisley Ask a Question
3rd Person
Jane’s heart sank when she saw Ethan’s angry expression. ncing nervously at the door, she wrapped
her arms protec tively around her body. However instead of answering she simply backed away from
Ethan, unable to bring herself to fo cus on her alibi until she knew exactly what had happened. “What
else did he say?”
“He told me about the evidence connecting you to the crime scene.” Ethan exined, following her
slowly.
“The dress?” Jane asked, gnawing her lower lip.
“The dress, plus the hair and bloody footprints.” Ethan borated.
“He never told me about those.” Jane breathed shakily, turning away from the Alpha to try and collect her
thoughts without feeling his searing gaze on her. Of course, all this meant was that she could feel it on
her back instead of her face,ncing through her like aser beam.
“That’s typical.” Ethan told her, “they never tell you how much they have against you, he probably has
other things he didn’t tell me. That’s how they get you
they open the door for you to lie by making you think they only have a little bit of information, then see if
your story matches up with the other
N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.
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evidence.”
“My footsteps were there before I found her.” Jane whis pered, appearing so helpless and vulnerable it
hurt Ethan to look at her. “I don’t know how the dress or the hair got there,
but I didn’t do it, Ethan.”
Thispletely baffled the Alpha. He wasn’t stupid, of course he knew she didn’t do it. Surely she didn’t
think he be lieved she was guilty? She flinched when he took hold of her shoulders, forcibly turning to
face him. “Goddess, Jane. I know that.” He ducked his head, trying to catch Jane’s eyes even as she
determinedly averted his gaze.
Jane peeked up at him from beneath her eyshes, “You do?” She squeaked, disbelieving.
Cursing under his breath, Ethan pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. “Of course, sweetheart.”
Jane tried to stop herself from giving in to his warmth, but when he started to purr she couldn’t help but
bury her face in his neck and breathe in his incredible scent. “That’s it.” He praised, stroking her spine.
“No wonder you’ve been wound tight as a springtely.” When Jane was finally a little calmer, he pulled
back and caught her in his crosshairs.
“I need you to tell me where you were that night.” He pressed gently.
“I was with Eric.” Jane murmured, “we went to dinner to
gether.”
“Why did you lie about it?” Ethan inquired, trying not to jump to any conclusions about what they might
have been do ing that she would have wanted to hide.
“Because I was afraid if you knew that you’d get jealous and you two would be at each other’s throats
again. I wasn’t even thinking about it when the detectives asks, I was just on auto-pilot and repeating
what I’d told you.” She shared, pulling out of his hold.
“I suppose I deserve that.” Ethan admitted, letting her go.
“Ethan,” Jane sighed, slumping onto the edge of the bed in defeat. “Eve has gotten away with everything
she’s ever done. She’s going to get away with this too.”
“No she isn’t.” Ethan vowed.
“Ethan, if they arrest me, what will happen to the pups?” Jane fretted, speaking her fears aloud even
though she wasn’t sure she could actually trust him.
“They’re not going to arrest you, Jane.” Ethan growled, “I promise, I won’t let that happen.”
Even as heforted her, Jane couldn’t stop hearing Eric’ s usations about the Alpha echoing in her
mind: If you’re med for the murder, then Ethan will have the perfect ex cuse to hurt you all over again.
He’ll make you think he’s on your side by protecting you from prison, all the while making
you his ve again. He’ll get everything he wants the pups together.
T
you and
“I’m going to take care of everything, of you and the pups.” Ethan vowed, making the knot of fear writhing
in Jane’s chest constrict even more tightly. “You have my word.”
Outside the door, the pups listened with their keen ears pressing to the wood, their puzzlepletely
abandoned in the other room. They didn’t really understand everything that was happening, but they
understood Petra hadn’t just gone away on her own, and they knew the word “arrest” was very bad.
More than anything else, their sensitive instincts were picking up every ounce of Jane’s fear and
sadness, as well as all of Ethan’s tension and anger.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Eric.” Jane was saying now, “I’m just so anxious about all this aggression
between you. It’s not good for the pups.”
―
“It’s okay.” Ethan answered, “And I know, I’m worried too – about all this. Kids are like sponges, they
sense something wrong no matter how hard we try to shield them from it.” The sound of soft movements
inside was punctuated by a heavy exhale from Jane, and a few smacks in quick session like Ethan
was pressing a series of kisses to her skin. “Come on. Baby.” He encouraged a momentter, “Let me
finish dinner.
Why don’t you go have a nice long bath and try to rx.”
As the sounds of their parents drew further away into the master bath, the pups dashed back down the
hall to talk about what they’d discovered. “What was the mean man saying ’bout
ev… ev.. evdence? Parker asked.
Riley scanned the kitchen, seeing her mother’s phone abandoned on the counter. She dashed over and
grabbed the device, returning to the living area and typing a very badly spelled version of the word into
google. Luckily auto-correct. saved her, and a momentter the definition was staring up at
her from the screen. “It means proof of a crime.”
“Try googling Granny now.” Paisley suggested “They’re not telling us ‘nything. I don’t undstand how she
just went away.”
“It says she was murdered.” Riley reads in a horrified tone.
“Murdered?” Parker murmured, “like on those grown up TV
shows?”
“It means when someone kills someone else.” Riley ex ined, reading the second definition off the
screen.
“And they think Mommy did it.” Ryder summarized. “They think Mommy killed Granny.”
“That’s why Mommy’s so upset.” Parker frowned, “murdr ers on TV go to jail.”
“They were talking ’bout Eve.” Riley reminded them. “I bet she’s the one who did it, and she’s fwaming
Mommy.”
“We have to stop her.” Parker decided, “we stopped her once already, we can do it ‘gain.”
it?”
“You’re right.” Ryder agreed, “but how’re we going to do
“We can go to the police and tell them she didn’t do it.” Parker suggested.
“They won’t b’lieve us.” Riley stated promptly, shaking her head. “Grown ups never b’lieve anything they
can’t see with their eyes.”
“So we need proof.” Parker nodded, “but it won’t be easy
to get.’
While Riley, Ryder and Parker murmured amongst them selves, ovee with worry, Paisley sat back
on her heels.
She knew Jane was innocent just as much as the others, but as they began discussing ideas to try and
help her somehow, Paisley could only feel overwhelmed. Everything in her life was changing so much so
fast. A month ago she was awaiting surgery with no clue she had a mother or siblings; now they were all
there, her grandmother was gone, her greatest tor mentor had disappeared after trying to kill her multiple
times, and everyone around her was constantly scared and angry.
There was also one question she simply couldn’t get out of her young mind. She loved being with her
Mommy and the other pups so much but why hadn’t they been together all along? Why were Mommy
and Daddy ying hide ‘n’ seek all that time instead of staying together like all her friends par ents? Why
did Mommy leave her and keep the others? Didn’t she want her?
—
So when she heard the bedroom door open again and Ethan walking back down the hall, she jumped up
to meet him. Paisley ran right up to him with her arms raised over her head, and Ethan instantly scooped
her up the same way he’d done a thousand times before. His mother used to scold him for car rying
Paisley all the time, convinced he would spoil the little girl. However, now more than ever, he was
determined to show her and soak up as much affection as he could in these precious years when she
wanted to be with him constantly. Besides he figured that if a child had to be spoiled with some thing it
should be love, rather than material items.
“What’s up buttercup?” He asked with a smile.
“Daddy I has to ask you a question.” She announced, her little face scrunched up in a frown exactly like
the one Jane had been sporting a few minutes before. “A serious question.”
“Okay.” Ethan agreed, putting on his listening face. “Is ev erything okay?”
Taking a deep breath, Paisley gazed up into her Father’s loving face, and finally voiced the question that
had been
haunting her from the very first day she met Jane outside Eve s atelier. “Did Mommy leave cuz she didn’t
want me?”