Chapter 8

“I don't think Ethan did it.” Nicky said, taking a sip of her latte, fingers wrapped around the paper cup for warmth. She studied her cousin over the rim of the steaming cup, frowning in concern at the strained look on Erin's face. “We may have only dated for a year, but I know him enough to know he never lies. He's always brutally honest.”

Erin sighed, pressing two fingers of each hand to her temple in an effort to ease the throbbing headache that had plagued her since Ethan had stalked out the apartment two hours ago. “I don't know what to think Nicky. There's too much coincidence involved for me to just believe he had nothing to do with it.”

“Well, I believe the dude's as guilty as sin.” Kim declared, still reading the offending article, nose wrinkled in disgust. “I mean c'mon, him rushing over to your apartment is enough proof of guilt.”

“That's jumping to conclusions Kim.” Nicky shot Kim a quelling look. “There's no proof he came over because he was guilty.”

“Oh please. How much proof do you need to see past your nose Niks?” Kim flung the paper aside and sat up, folding her legs under her body, sweeping wisps of dark hair from a face that had been described more than once as 'arresting'. “You want proof? How about the fact that he somehow happened to be at the same restaurant as Erin and her date?”

She held up a hand when Nicky opened her mouth to protest. “Wait, I'm not done yet. This is the same guy who has been nursing a five year vendetta against Erin, effected a hostile takeover of your family's business all because of some creepy thirst for revenge and who has vowed total humiliation for her? You must be blind if you still think he's innocent.”

“I know Ethan.” Nicky's replied, jaw set in a stubborn line. “Regardless of what he's done or plans to do, I believe him if he says he didn't do it.”

“You need to take off those blinders and see the guy for the devious creature he really is.” Kim huffed, leaning over to snatch the coffee cup from Nicky's unsuspecting fingers. “It's been five years girl, he must have changed a lot since you two dated. A man does not raise a multimillion dollar company in five years without sinking to some nasty levels.”

Erin groaned, wishing the both of them would be quiet so she could think. Her mind still reeled from this morning's close call with Ethan and coupled with the newspaper article and the news Carlos had delivered, today was rapidly turning into one of the worst days of her life.

She suppressed a shudder as her mind replayed the scene in her room, cringing in shame at how easily she had succumbed to his seduction- had gotten lost in those kisses. Thank heavens Carlos' interruption had come when it did or she might be having a lot more to regret than just a few intimate kisses and caresses. God knew she could do without making any more mistakes like that in the future, certainly not with all that was going on in her life right now.

Kim was right, Ethan certainly had enough motive for releasing that damn article to the press, mainly because of his earlier threats but also because she could not think of one single person who stood to gain something from the story.

One small fact nagged at Erin though. If Ethan was guilty, why then had he come to her apartment and deny responsibility? It would have been much easier to have done the deed and sat back to see the results- namely seeing her completely and utterly humiliated. Another option was that he had actually come over with the intent to take advantage of her vulnerability, carry out phase two of his twisted plan by having sex with her so he could really rub it in her face.

The thought made Erin shudder again. If that had been his intent, then she was an even bigger fool. All she wanted right now was to curl up in bed and sleep, putting those memories behind her but a few minutes after Ethan's stormy exit from her apartment, Nicky and Kim had come over.

Erin sighed and dragged her attention back to the present where Nicky and Kim still argued about Ethan's involvement. Deciding she had heard enough of Ethan's name today, she intervened.

“It doesn't matter if Ethan's responsible for the article or not.” She cut in, her tone firm. “What matters is what the hell am I going to do to get it retracted. I can't allow my parents to read the article, not with all that's been going on, especially dad.”

“That might be impossible.” Nicky replied. “They may have already seen the paper-”

“Mum would have certainly called to deliver an earful if she's seen it.” Erin said, rising from the couch. She'd changed into jeans and a light blue sweater, and she tugged the edges of the sweater closed as she paced the room, hazel eyes thoughtful as while her mind frantically searched for a way out. Her mother would have been on the phone by now, that much was certain.

“Maybe so.” Kim said, watching Erin pace. “But unless by some miracle, you manage to get all the copies withdrawn, they will eventually see it.”

She stopped by the coffee table and picked up her cup of mocha, taking a deep sip. She grimaced at the tepid liquid, forcing herself to swallow and resumed pacing.

“You could find out who's responsible for the article and get them to print a retraction.” Nicky suggested. “I'll go with you if you like.”

Erin paused again and looked at Nicky who was currently perched on the sofa- the piece of furniture conjuring up images of an encounter she'd much rather wipe from her memory. Even the thought of Ethan's kisses and where his mouth had been caused her skin to heat up and her senses threatened to spin out of control. She wrenched her gaze from the sofa, firmly quelling the mental torture.

“Right now, I have more important things to deal with Nicky.” Erin said, the words coming out sharper than she intended. She grimaced at the look of mild surprise on Nicky's face and forced her voice to soften.

“Dad's having surgery today and then there's a crisis in the kitchen I have to deal with. There's no time to go chasing after some sleazy reporter who will most likely twist the entire situation out of hand.”

She glanced at the leather watch strapped around her right wrist and groaned. It was almost noon and she still needed to sort out the mix-up with the menu, then rush over to the hospital in time to talk to her father before he went into surgery at two 'O' clock. The thought of going to the hospital did not appeal to Erin. For one thing, if her mother didn't already know about the article, then Erin would have to tell her, something she dreaded so much. Then of course, Todd...what would be his reaction? Would he change his mind about seeing her again? So many questions unanswered.

“I'll go with you to the hospital then.” Nicky had risen from the couch and came up behind Erin, slipping her hands around her waist. Erin let herself be pulled into the comforting embrace, sighing at how twisted her life had become in the space of a few weeks and she desperately needed some measure of comfort right now.

“You're so tense.” Nicky murmured, her tone sympathetic. “Wish there was some way I could help.”

Erin leaned back till her head rested on the taller girl's shoulder, “I'll be alright Nicky.” She replied, her tone much more optimistic than she felt. Lifting her head, she turned around to face her cousin and forced a bright smile. “How is Ryan these days?”

At the mention of her fiance, a soft, wistful smile played across Nicky's mouth. “He misses me terribly.” She replied. “He's even thinking of coming down to Chicago.”

Erin felt a pang of envy run through her as she listened to Nicky. She didn't resent her cousin the happiness she'd found-far from it- but sometimes, Erin couldn't help wishing her own love life would just sort itself out.

“That's great!” Erin said, hoping her tone gave nothing of her inner feelings away. Her phone rang and she crossed to the bedroom, sweeping it from the bed. One look at the screen elicited a loud groan. Obviously, her mother had heard the news.

“Why me?” Erin muttered, ignoring the call and tossing the phone back onto the bed. She crossed to her closet and drew out fresh clothes, slipping into a black pencil skirt and a white blouse, topping it off with black three-inch heels. Eschewing make-up, she grabbed her purse and walked back into the sitting room where Nicky and Kim waited.

“Mum knows.” Erin informed them in clipped tones. “I don't want to speak to her over the phone, rather have it out face to face so I'm off to the hospital.”

“We'll come with you.” Kim said, giving Erin a look of sympathy. “Your mum's less likely to go ballistic if we're there too.”

Nicky snorted in disbelief. Having been on the receiving end of Victoria Gosling's fury, she knew very well just how ineffective their presence would be. “Don't count on it Kim. Aunt Vic is like a titan when she's furious.”

Erin listened with half an ear as she called Reception to order a cab. With any luck, her mother would be too preoccupied with the impending surgery to deal with the issue now. Finished with the call, she led the way to the elevator, thinking how ridiculous it was that at twenty seven, she was still wary of being told off by her mother.

The crisis with the mixed up food supplies would have to wait, Erin decided as the three friends made their way down to the lobby.

                         ****

Ethan leaned back in his chair and stared at the man sitting across from him. He struggled to contain his anger and the urge to permanently wipe off the self-satisfied smirk from the editor's florid face. The fool sat there, mercifully oblivious to the murderous thoughts running through his mind, chattering away about client privacy and some other bullshit, causing Ethan's mood- already bad from the encounter with Erin this morning- to deteriorate rapidly till his jaw was clenched tight enough to crush teeth and it took all his self restraint to stop himself from lunging across the gleaming desk and smashing in that meaty face.

He had to give the man some credit, Ethan acknowledged reluctantly. Despite the threat of legal action for defamation of character, the sleazebag still clung to the bit of information that Ethan wanted- the person who had leaked the story and the photos.

Still, Ethan was not deterred. There were other ways to get the information he wanted, after all he hadn't taken his company to the level it was now without picking up a few tricks along the way. That was one reason he had decided to have the meeting in his office, knowing the opulent décor would aid his intimidation.

“Craig.” Ethan leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk, fingertips forming a steeple as he leveled a glare at his guest. “You do realize just how precarious your situation is right this moment?”

The editor squirmed, obviously uncomfortable with the piercing gaze. Good. Ethan thought in satisfaction. The more uncomfortable the man was, the easier it would be to get what he wanted.

The look on Craig's face was of someone who had just sucked a lemon. “Look Mr. Lachlan,” He began, arms spread in a gesture of helplessness. “Even if I want to tell you my source, I'm bound by the rules. What I can tell you however, is that the pictures were e-mailed to one of my reporters along with the story and I deemed it authentic enough to run it.”

“Interesting.” Ethan drawled, his tone laced with sarcasm. “And just how did you deem it authentic enough? Did you call the parties involved- like say Miss Gosling or myself- for a confirmation?”

The weasel had the guts to smirk and Ethan almost lunged. “Well, I could hardly do that now, could I?” Craig said, leaning back in his own seat, arms crossed over a portly stomach straining the buttons of his dark gray shirt.

Ethan rose, unfolding his length from the chair in slow deliberate movements. A flash of panic crossed the editor's face as he came around the massive desk, casually allowing his fingers to trail over the smooth surface. Ethan stopped just shy of the editor's seat and leaned against the desk, folding his arms across his chest. Craig seemed to visibly shrink back, attempting to put as much space between them as possible.

“Let's get something straight Craig.” Ethan said, carefully keeping his tone pleasant though laced with a hint of intimidation. “I value my privacy as does Miss Gosling and your article..” He stressed the word with enough contempt. “Is a serious invasion of that privacy. Trust me when I say I don't deal lightly with those who take me for granted-as you have done up till this very moment. I can make your worthless life even more miserable than it already is and you don't want that. So I am being lenient here and giving you one last chance to-”

“Y-you can't threaten me!” Craig's voice was high-pitched, giving away just how scared he was at that moment despite the attempt at bravado. “This is-”

“I wasn't finished Mr. Delaney!” Ethan cut in, his voice cold, expression hard and unforgiving. He unfolded his arms and leaned closer, allowing the man to see the determination in his gaze. “You will give me your source, or by God, I will have your sleazy excuse of a newspaper run to the ground by tomorrow morning. Then we'll see how you can afford that little red Ferrari and the mistress in Hillton when you have the IRS and your wife chasing you down like a pack of hungry wolves.”

Craig paled, eyes bulging out of their sockets at Ethan's words. He looked like he was about to have a heart attack there and then and Ethan idly wondered of he should call for an ambulance.

“Y-y-you c-can't do that.” Craig gasped.

It was Ethan's turn to smirk. “Try me.”

He could almost see the wheels turning in the editor’s head as he mentally weighed his options. Then apparently deciding that it was much easier to comply than make an enemy of one of the most influential men in America.

“Well.” Craig coughed, adjusting his bulk on the seat, a resigned look on his florid face. “Since you out it that way. She gave her name as Lilian Putney and claimed to be a close friend of Miss Gosling and really seemed to know a lot about Miss Gosling too, like how the head honcho is currently in the hospital cos of a heart attack, the breakup with the ex-boyfriend-”

Ethan went still at those words, the information crashing into his brain like a ton of bricks. Henry Gosling was in the hospital? When the hell had that happened and why was he just hearing of it?

“Hold on a moment.” Ethan held up a hand to still the flow of words still spewing from the editor's mouth. “Henry Gosling is in the hospital?”

“Yeah.” Craig nodded eagerly. “The family kept that bit away from the press, and I wouldn't have known about it until Ms. Putney mentioned it. Even told us the hospital he was in and when we checked it out, the info was right. Well, that was proof enough for me so I-”

“Do be quiet for a moment?” Ethan snapped, rubbing at the throbbing ache in his temples. Now he understood the reason Erin had seemed so tense and exhausted. He needed to find out something. “When did he have the heart attack?”

“A couple days ago. Maybe Monday.”

That confirmed his suspicion that his takeover bid had probably caused the man to end up in the hospital. He passed a hand over his face, suddenly feeling like the worst sort of man. Ah hell! He groaned silently, this was not supposed to happen.

He thought for a minute, then made his decision. He looked down at Craig, discovering the man looking up at him with a puzzled expression. “You will print a retraction Craig.” Ethan told him, straightening to his full height. “I want it published in the papers tomorrow morning or there will be dire consequences. Have I made myself clear?”

“A retraction?” Craig exclaimed with a look of horror. “Are you fucking serious? That's like saying our newspaper is untrustworthy...I can't do that!”

“If I don't see an article in the paper tomorrow morning saying your previous story was a bag of lies, I will skin you alive Craig.” The words were laced with enough venom to turn Craig a shade of green. “You have my word on that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to.”

Ethan reached across the desk and depressed a red button. “Laura?” He spoke through the intercom. “See to it that Mr. Delaney is shown out.”

“Yes Ethan.” Laura's voice crackled over the intercom.

He nodded and bid the editor a good day, pausing to grab his jacket and strode out.

                   *****

“Would you care to explain what this is?” Victoria held up the offending newspaper, while leveling a disapproving look at her daughter. Her voice echoed in the deserted corridor, a clear sign that she was upset. Erin knew her mother seldom spoke loud unless she was angry.

“It's a newspaper mother.” Erin replied with a weary sigh, leaning against the white wall. She looked towards Nicky for help, but her cousin and Kim had retreated to a safe distance. So much for support, she thought wryly.

“Don't get smart with me young lady.” Victoria snapped, green eyes sparking in anger. “I know it's a newspaper. What I want to know is why on earth your name is on the front page of this..this rag.”

“I don't know mum.” Erin raked a hand through her hair, dislodging strands from the ponytail. Her body ached in every spot and she wished she were anywhere else but here. “I was just as stunned when I saw it this morning, believe me.”

“What will your father think when he sees this? And who are these men they claim you were cavorting about with last night? Is one of them the man with whom you had dinner?”

The word 'cavorting' caused a small smile to cross Erin's face. Her mother could be so old fashioned sometimes, using words best suited for the Victorian era. She would have made an excellent titled lady.

“Mum, I wasn't cavorting with anyone. And the article is wrong about what happened last night. Sure, I had dinner with To...with someone, but I certainly was not flirting with two guys. Quite the opposite in fact.”

The ding of the elevator doors opening distracted them. Since Erin was facing the elevator, she was the first to see the man who stepped off the elevator. She smiled uncertainly as Todd walked towards them, dressed in blue scrubs.

His face was unreadable when he came up to her. “Hello again Erin.”

“Hey.” Erin murmured, feeling self conscious. She wasn't sure if Todd had seen the article or not for one thing. She could also feel her mother's eyes watching the exchange, coupled with that of Nicky and Kim served to make her uncomfortable.

“I tried calling last night to make sure you were OK.” Todd said, fiddling with the stethoscope hanging from his neck. “You didn't pick up, so I thought maybe you were upset at me for leaving you on your own. Left a message on your voice mail.”

Erin frowned, wondering when he had called and why she hadn't heard the phone ring. “No, I am certainly not upset.” She opened her purse and dug out the phone. Sure enough, there were a couple of missed calls, a few from her mum but others from Todd's number. Ah hell! She must have been asleep when he called, and in all the distraction of the day, she'd hardly checked her voice mail.

“I'm so sorry Todd, but I didn't hear my phone ring. I was probably sleeping when you called. I'm sorry.”

He grinned and swept a hand through his already ruffled hair. “Wow! That's a relief. I was worried I'd ruined things with you. So are we