When I’ve finished with my rather extensive tale of woe, Charlotte is perched on the arm of her husband’s chair, gripping his hand as though I’ve relayed the story of a rather melodramatic season of television. She probably has a point. I didn’t realize how utterly un-normal the whole thing was until I had to say it aloud. Justin keeps rubbing his chin, as if willing a beard to grow.

“Man, that’s…intense,” he says at last.

“So Emma doesn’t know all that?” Charlotte blows out her cheeks and practically slides into her husband’s lap. He holds her by the waist, looking contented. Just seeing that closeness is almost more than I can bear right now.

“I want to tell her, if she’d pick up my call.”

“We could do something sneaky.” Already, Charlotte’s expression brightens. “We’ll have her over for dinner tonight, and you’ll hide in the bathroom. Then, when she’s halfway through a glass of wine and feeling more in the mood, you walk out without a shirt.”

“Why does he have to be shirtless?” Justin arches a brow.

“Hey, looking’s for free. I know the rest’ll cost me.” She kisses his cheek.

Much as I appreciate being mentally undressed by my friend’s wife, I feel this isn’t the time. “Perhaps I should go. I’ll find time to talk to her in my own way.” I stand, and Justin comes over to slap me on the back. Back slapping. Again, there’s something about Americans that I’ve never understood.

“Emma just wants to be let in. If you do, she’ll come back. I can tell she’s crazy about you.” He hooks an arm around my neck. “And if you ever hurt her again, I’ll have to run you down in the street.”

“There’s the elder brother death threat I was missing.” Honestly, now it’s happened I feel much more secure. “I’d have to thrash you soundly, you understand. In the spirit of being fair.”

“Of course.” We shake hands on it. All very civilized.

Charlotte comes back into the room with a zooming Sebastian, and walks me to the door. I hear Justin get a text just as I step into the outside world…and then a split second later, he’s shoving past me. I grab onto the side of the house as he barrels towards his car.

“What the hell’s got into you?” I snap. When he turns, all my irritation dissipates, because I’ve never seen him so white with astonishment. Swallowing, he hands me the phone.

“Look.” That’s all he says as I grab it and read a text. The sender reads as Lily, the little sister. The instant I see Gavin’s name, my blood freezes. Freezes, then instantly boils. Gavin. Rough. Scared. Plz come.

I’m so furious I don’t even mentally change that ‘plz’ to ‘please.’ Well, not for a few seconds at least.

“Palm Desert? That’s a few hours away,” I mutter, tossing the phone back and striding down the walk. “Get in. We’ll take my car.”

“What? You’re coming?” Justin sounds as dazed as if he’d been hit by a solid piece of plywood. While Charlotte asks what the hell’s going on, I get into the driver’s seat. The engine roars to life as Justin gets in beside me, still looking pinched and worried. The tires squeal as I pull out and make a very swift, very reckless U-turn in the center of the street. Justin presses back in his seat as we speed away. I’m gripping onto the steering wheel with all my might. Gavin couldn’t hurt Emma the way he wanted to, the way he seems equipped to treat women. So he goes after her little sister. The bastard. That’s it. I’m going to challenge him to a duel in the fucking desert. A duel with what, I’m not sure. There might be an extra bike tire in the trunk. We could start by rolling each other to death.

“Fras, when Lily texted about some guy named Gavin…was he the guy you told us about?” Now Justin sounds especially sick.

“This is either going to end up as a farce or a tragedy.” I grunt this out between my teeth as I make a hairpin turn onto the freeway ramp. “Either Gavin will be dead by my hand soon, or he’ll have married the French maid.”

“In America, we just say we’re going to kick his ass.” Justin cracks his knuckles, a wild light coming into his eyes. “And if he hurt my sister, I’m going to deliver on that promise.”

I’m so damned proud of Justin. He’s become the confident, potentially murderous good man I always knew he could be.

As the miles fall away and the sun begins its descent, I wait for my heart rate to slow. Nothing calms me, though. When I think of this whole Gavin mess, from Gillian to Emma to Lily, all I see is a problem I didn’t deal with when I should have.

I won’t make that mistake again. For Lily’s sake, and especially for Emma’s, I’m going to be the man everyone needs.