Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75770 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
EPISODE 123
ANONYMOUS THREATS
Sebastian
“Evie,” I say as gently as I can while narrowing my eyes at River. “How is the pregnancy a danger to you?”
Evangeline gulps, sniffling. “Because of who the father is.”
“Who is it then?” Alex demands, his tone nearly as angry as the look on River’s face.
“If I tell you, I’ll be in even more danger.” Evangeline sniffles again, shaking her head. “I swear to you, I can run this event smoothly.”
River scoffs. “Because it’s gone so well so far.”
I shoot him a look. The last thing Evie needs is Riv and Alex antagonizing her.
“I hate to be the one to bring up the elephant in the room,” Brett says, “but if you’re in danger, Evangeline, that means everyone around you is in danger, including the women we brought here and swore to protect.”
Brett’s not wrong, and I open my mouth to say so when—
“No, no, no,” Evangeline says. “You all are fine. I’m the only one in danger here. The father—he doesn’t even know about the pregnancy.”
“That’s not going to keep you safe though, is it?” Alex snaps. “If he finds out, he’ll come looking for you.”
“But he isn’t going to find out,” Evangeline says, defiance glinting in her teary eyes.
River shakes his head, raking his fingers through his dark hair. “Damn it all. This is what Misty has on you, isn’t it? She knows who the father of your baby is.”
Evangeline jerks back as if she were slapped. Her pale face drains of the little remaining color, and her eyes go wide. After what feels like an eternity, she barely nods her head.
“Hell,” Brett says, his voice low. His gaze is stern but full of concern.
“I know,” Evangeline whispers, folding her arms over her belly as if to protect the life growing within.
“No surprise there.” River shakes his head. “Misty’s the kind of woman who will use whatever she can to get what she wants. And in this case, she seems to want me.”
“Don’t forget that she chose me for her private date,” Brett reminds us. “And we don’t really know Misty yet.”
“I know all I want to know,” River retorts. “You think just because—” He stops abruptly.
“Uh…just because what, Riv?” I ask.
River looks at the floor. “Nothing. Fucking nothing. You enjoy that date, Brett. And I’d suggest you use your God-given charms to find out what she’s really doing here. To find out why it’s necessary that I stay and let Misty get to know me so Evangeline can be safe.”
“Excuse me?” Alex raises his eyebrows.
“I guess we guys have a lot to talk about,” River says.
“Yeah, we do,” I agree. “You going to be okay, Evie?”
She nods.
“You could tell us who the father is,” Brett says. “We’re vaults, all of us. Trust us on that.”
He’s right. The four of us have been keeping secrets for twenty fucking years.
“I can’t.” Evangeline bites her lower lip. “I know you think you can protect me, but you can’t. Not from him.”
“Evangeline—” Alex begins, but she cuts him off with a wave of her hand.
“No, it’s my secret to keep. And my responsibility to protect my child.”
Brett takes charge then, as he always ultimately does. “You get some rest,” he says to Evangeline. “I need to talk to the guys anyway.”
She swallows. “All right. And River, I did manage to contact the mainland about a medical professional before I fainted. They’re sending someone qualified first thing in the morning.”
“Good,” River says gruffly.
For a moment I think he’s going to say something else, but he doesn’t.
“All right then.” I take Evangeline’s arm and help her stand and walk into her bedroom. “You need anything else?”
She shakes her head.
“I’ll send a staff member to look after you anyway. That way if anything happens, we’ll be alerted.”
“That’s not nec—”
I hold up a hand to stop her. “No arguments.”
She sighs and nods. “All right.”
I join the other three back in the sitting area.
“Did you get his name out of her?” Alex asks.
“I didn’t ask.” No way was I going to interrogate her further. Damn. She threw up that first night I confronted her. I wish I had taken her situation more seriously then.
“For fuck’s sake, Seb.” Alex shakes his head.
“It’s her secret, but there’s someone else who knows,” I say. “So Brett”— I turn to River—“or you, Riv, need to charm it out of Misty.”
River meets Brett’s gaze. “It’s on you. I can’t do it.”
Brett nods. “I can. And I will.” He heads out of Evangeline’s suite, and the rest of us follow.
“I need to get a staffer to look after her,” I say. “I promised her I would.”
“Fine,” Brett says. “Let’s go downstairs. You’ll find someone and send him or her up, and then the four of us are talking. I have a lot to tell you.”
I nod, a sense of unease settling in my gut as I follow Brett down the stairs. I find a female staffer and instruct her to stay in Evangeline’s suite with her. With that task completed, I join the others in the foyer.