Isabelle released a little squeal when he wrapped his arms around her, lifted her off the ground, and spun her around. Ian claimed her as soon as Aiden released her. Isabelle clung to him while he twirled her around before placing her on her feet. He grinned at her as he held her shoulders and leaned back to inspect her.
"It's good to see you, sis," he said and slapped her on her shoulders.
"You too," she told him.
He stepped away from her and turned toward Stefan. "Stefan," he greeted and extended his hand.
Stefan clasped his hand and shook it. "Where's Ethan?" Aiden inquired as he scanned the crowd of people moving around them.
Isabelle felt her smile slip away when they both turned questioning looks on her. "We have a problem," she told them.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ethan lifted his head from his hands when the front door opened. He didn't have to see them to know his brothers had arrived; he could hear and smell them. He lifted the glass of whiskey sitting on the table before him. It probably wasn't the best idea to be drinking right now, but it seemed to be the only thing helping to curb the edge of the growing insanity within him.
He took a sip of the liquid and braced himself for the invasion of his family. Solitude was best for him right now, but there was no way his family would give him the opportunity. Ian poked his head out of the house first, but Aiden was right behind him. Isabelle shoved them both out the door and stepped onto the patio behind them.
"Look at you, drinking all by yourself, in the middle of the day; somebody's wallowing in self-pity." Though Ian smiled, his voice held no humor, and his eyes were troubled as he studied Ethan.
"If you join me, I won't be by myself," Ethan said.
Ian's eyes widened as he approached, he hesitated as his gaze locked on Ethan's. He knew what his eyes looked like now, knew what his brother was seeing, and if Ian looked like this, he would hesitate before approaching him too. Ethan lifted his drink and saluted his brother with it before downing the rest of the contents. He'd drank so many of them, he didn't feel the burn anymore. He didn't feel a buzz either. There was only a softening of the razors slicing his stomach and chest apart.
"Here's to afternoon drinking," he muttered and refilled his drink.
"Ethan—"
"Don't talk, just drink," he interrupted Ian.
He lifted his glass and swirled the amber liquid around.
"Those are my kind of words," Aiden said as he dropped into the seat across from him. He already had a beer in hand. His brows were drawn together as he studied Ethan, but he took a swig of his drink. "Though they're usually uttered during more festive times, but here's to moping."
"I'm not moping!" Ethan snapped at him.
Aiden snorted. "Could have fooled me. Anyway, where is the little human?"
"She's in her room, and you're to stay away from her," Ethan warned.
"I think it's only right I meet my future sister-in-law."
"That most likely won't happen."
Aiden stared at him before leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "When you're not such an obstinate ass, you'll realize not only will it happen, but it has to happen."
Ethan glowered at him as he took another sip of whiskey. "Not if she doesn't want it to."
"Ethan—"
"No!" he barked. "Like I've told Isabelle, back off on this."
Aiden's cheerful demeanor vanished, his forest green eyes were steely as he relentlessly held Ethan's gaze. Ian slid into the chair next to him, grabbed a glass, and poured himself some whiskey.
"You smell different," Ian commented.
"I killed a man," he admitted. "And I'll do it again if it means keeping her safe."
"So Isabelle said," Aiden replied.
"Do I smell like a landfill?" he inquired.
"No, nothing that bad, but it's different...maybe like overripe fruit," Isabelle answered. "It's nowhere near as repugnant as the smell coming off the vampires who attacked us at the hotel or the ones with Tristan."
"Good to know," he murmured.
"What about her friends?" Ian asked.
"What about them?" Ethan asked.
"Are we going to allow them to keep their memories?"
"She'll hate me if I take them away," Ethan told him. “I won't mess with her mind, and I won't allow any of you to either. She has to know the truth if she's going to stay safe."
"At this point, they all do," Stefan said. "We can't warp their thoughts to our bidding to keep them here. I don't think they'll be a threat to us, they care for Emma, and will help to keep her safe."
"If they become a threat to us?" Aiden asked.
"I'll kill them myself," Stefan said flatly.
Ethan remained silent as he thought over those words. "Even if she hates me after, if they somehow become a threat to her I'll kill them too, but I do believe they'll keep our secret and do whatever it takes to keep her alive."
"If you two are confident of that then I'll trust your judgment," Ian said. "Have you talked to dad yet?"
"No, why?" Ethan asked.
"Because if anyone knows what you're going through, it's him."
"Yeah, I guess, but I don't want to involve him or mom. They're thousands of miles away; worrying them isn't going to do anyone any good."
"They would be on the first plane here if they knew," Isabelle said as she and Stefan settled into the other chairs.
"And that's the last thing I want to happen. There's danger here; the two of you shouldn't even be here," he said to Aiden and Ian. "You haven't even hit maturity yet."
"Well, one of us hasn't," Ian said and shoved Aiden's shoulder. Aiden scowled back at him and flipped him the finger.
"You did?" Isabelle demanded of Ian. "When?"
"Last month," Ian answered. "I figured I'd wait until summer break to tell everyone."
"Well, congratulations," Isabelle said and squeezed his hand.
"I guess
