by Katie Reus
Her gaze flicked over to Ricardo, then back at Evan, her eyebrows raised.
“About selling the company,” he continued. His assistant was a vault, and would not repeat anything he said.
At his words, her shoulders relaxed as she stepped farther into the room and sat down at the conference table, stretching her lean legs out. “I just need all this behind me.”
“I didn’t realize you were going to actually sell it.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do. I know I don’t want the responsibility of all of this. It’s not my dream, not even close to it. And if I had to work like this, live like this, it would kill me. But I also don’t want a bunch of really incredible people screwed over either, so I’m still mulling over my options. If I sell, it’s got to be to the right buyer.”
“Sell it to me. Or we can just merge and I’ll take over. I can make sure you’re completely compensated and you can hold shares. You and your mother.”
She blinked, straightening in her chair. “Seriously?”
“Why not? It’s a good move.”
She watched him for a long moment and he could practically see the wheels turning behind those beautiful green eyes. “Let’s talk about it later.”
“I’m not going to change my mind. No matter what happens between us,” he murmured for her ears only. After last night they hadn’t discussed their future or…anything. Though they had made love a few hours ago. He’d wanted to push her, to see where she stood on the subject of them, but he hadn’t. Because he hadn’t been sure he could deal with her answer if it wasn’t what he wanted to hear.
Her cheeks tinged pink and she cleared her throat, glancing down the table at Ricardo, who was quietly talking into his Bluetooth. Evan knew the man well enough that he was definitely not paying attention to them right now. When he was focused on a task, nothing could distract him.
“Okay…I think we can figure something—” She turned at the sound of a knock on the door.
Evan glanced over as the door opened and Logan stepped in.
The head of security smiled warmly at Isla, then politely at him. “Some of the security team is throwing a going-away party for Ollie tonight. I know you’re the boss, but I also know he would like it if you were there and he’d never ask himself. I can send you the details of the restaurant if you’re interested,” he said. “It’ll be at seven o’clock. We’ve reserved a private room in the back, so it’ll just be work people.”
“I’ll be there,” she said.
“You’re welcome too,” Logan said to Evan.
Like there was any chance Evan was letting her go anywhere without him.
After the door had shut behind Logan, Isla turned to face Evan. “Don’t even start,” she said. “We’re going. We’ll make an appearance, I’ll buy some drinks for everyone, and then we’ll leave. He’s been with the company a while and it wouldn’t feel right to miss this.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t have to. You’ve got that look on your face.”
“It’s my resting bitchface,” he said dryly.
She blinked before letting out a startled laugh. “I can’t believe you just said that. I can’t believe you actually know what that means.”
His lips kicked up at the smile on her face. God, he loved seeing it. “I only know it because of Evie. She told me I have an RBF—and then explained to me what it was right before she punched me in the shoulder for some random offense.”
Isla snickered. “I seriously love your sister.”
Yeah, well, the feeling was mutual. His entire family loved Isla—even Ellis who was still on the run and in hiding—though not as much as Evan did. He just wanted her to be his again.
Chapter 20
“See? This place is totally secure.” Isla nudged Evan gently in the side as they made their way through the dimly lit restaurant where people in business suits and skirts sat around tables, talking and drinking.
She’d already talked to Detective Duarte, and while he hadn’t been thrilled that she was going out tonight, he’d assured her that Rodney was at his house under surveillance—and that they were about to make an arrest. Duarte was just getting his “ducks in a row” first.
She also knew that Evan had sent one of his own security guys from work over to the restaurant to do actual recon of this place before they arrived. She shouldn’t be surprised but…she was touched. The last couple days with Evan—especially last night and this morning—had been sort of incredible. She was trying really hard not to think about their future or anything to do with them, relationship-wise. She was also failing, because it was pretty much all she could focus on. But it was too much pressure to worry about their future at the moment.
“I still don’t have to like it.” He kept his arm around her shoulders as they approached the hostess stand at the back room.
Isla loved the feel of him holding her close, even as it scared her that soon this would all be over. They’d go back to… She wasn’t actually sure at this point. And she didn’t want to think about it.
“Evan!” A female voice drew their attention to the left.
Isla kept her neutral smile in place as Rochelle Langer approached, wearing a skintight black dress and four-inch heels. And she wasn’t wearing a bra either, Isla could clearly see. Classy.
The woman went in for air kisses, which Evan artfully dodged, and ended up giving her a weird, awkward hug.
Isla stifled a snort as Rochelle turned those green eyes on her, her expression calculating. Rochelle’s mother had competed in pageants against Isla’s mom, and Rochelle had always been weirdly competitive with her. The competition was one-sided though.
At that thought, she realized that her mother really was an artist for navigating the Miami social scene for so many decades. Isla simply couldn’t do it. She’d never immersed herself in all the functions like her mother because she couldn’t paste on a fake smile all the time and deal with the backstabbing.
“Isla, it’s good to see you.” Rochelle’s gaze swept over her quickly, and clearly found her wanting.
Isla made a humming sound and smiled politely. That was all she could manage right now. She was still sore from falling down the stairs, emotionally dealing with being attacked, and even if she was with Evan right now, she was very aware that they weren’t actually a couple.
“So is it true that you two are back together, or is that just gossip?” There was a definite glint in the woman’s eyes as she teasingly skated her fingernails down Evan’s forearm.
Isla blinked. Damn, she was bold tonight. And definitely drunk, if the glassy eyes were any indication.
“Yes, Isla took me back, thankfully.” Evan kissed the top of Isla’s head and pulled her even closer.
“Well, that’s great,” Rochelle said, though her body language screamed the exact opposite.
They made small talk for another sixty seconds—and yes, Isla was counting down in her head—before they were able to extricate themselves.
She was quiet as Evan spoke to the hostess and they made their way into the private room. All the faces were familiar, mostly men and women from the security division.
“What’s wrong?” Evan asked quietly, keeping his arm snug around her.
Balloons had been strung up and a couple tables were decorated with signs wishing Ollie farewell. “What could be wrong?”
He squeezed her shoulder once, still not letting go of her as they headed up to one of the mini bars. “Come on.”
“I don’t want to talk about anything right now.” Not here, surrounded by people she worked with—people who worked for her.
“Well too bad, we’re going to talk about it.” There was no give in his voice before he turned to the bartender and ordered two drinks for them.
She glanced around and saw that most people were in clusters talking and they wouldn’t be overheard. “Fine. I just didn’t like the way she was pawing at you, okay? It annoyed me. She annoyed me.”<
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After taking the two glasses—champagne for her, she noticed in surprise, and a beer for him—he turned back to her.
“Champagne because you closed the deal today.”
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“Now,” he said as they stepped away from the bar, “you can’t seriously be bothered by Rochelle?”
She shrugged and took a sip. “I don’t like her and I never have.”
“Neither do I. Something you know. And you’ve never been jealous in the past.”
“I’ve never been jealous, and I always thought it was because I was so evolved. But it turns out that I was never jealous because I never had a reason to be. Like I said last night, you and I,” she said, lowering her voice even more, “we’re not actually together. So that intangible thing that anchored me in our relationship before, that simple ‘knowing’ that you were mine and I was yours, well, it’s gone. So I guess it just bothered me, seeing the way she was with you and knowing that as soon as this whole mess is over, and I go back to my normal life, you could start dating someone else. Her, for all I know.”
The thought made her chest constrict. She was putting it all out there, building on some of her words last night and being honest and vulnerable. Though self-preservation told her to keep this stuff to herself, she simply couldn’t play games. She had to be honest, to tell the truth. She wasn’t going to tell him she was fine then stew all night.
He stared at her in surprise, his expression softening. “First of all, even if you and I had never met, I wouldn’t be with that woman. Second, I don’t want any other woman but you. After last night I thought that was clear. But obviously I need to be clearer. What I said about just being friends? I was lying to myself. I want you back more than anything, Isla. I’d sell my soul to turn back the clock. I know I don’t deserve it and I understand if you can’t give me a second chance. But I’m putting it all out there. I don’t want a fake relationship. I want you and me for real. I’m sorry for what I did. More sorry than you can know. When I was lying in that hospital bed all I could think about was how you’d look at me with loathing over getting your father killed. I know that’s not true now, but I was in a dark mental place and I’m still coming out of it. I’ve been trying to show you with action, not just words, that I’m here for good. But I will not walk away or push you away ever again. Not unless you tell me to go.”
She stared up at him in shock, his words everything she’d wanted to hear. “What?”
“I’m sorry I’m dumping all this on you right now, but I don’t ever want you to be jealous or feel insecure or even think about me with someone else. I just…I only want you. You’re it for me. That’s how I feel.”
Her heart pounded a staccato rhythm. “I don’t know what to say.” He’d pretty much just laid out everything she’d needed to hear from him.
“Don’t say anything. Just think about what I said. I know I can’t expect things to go back to where they were, but I’d like to start fresh with you.”
She stared at him, trying to find the right words—something, anything—but they were interrupted.
“Thank you guys for coming tonight,” Ollie said as he approached her and Evan, a big smile on his face.
She forced a smile of her own, wishing he hadn’t just interrupted the most important moment of her life. “Of course. We’re going to miss you.”
“Thanks. Listen, if you have a second, can I talk to you in private?”
Evan’s grip around her shoulders tightened ever so slightly, but she subtly nudged him. “Of course. I see a free corner over there.” She’d already given him a great reference and he’d been hired on to a new company, so she wondered what this could be about. And the sooner they were done, the sooner she could get back to Evan and finish their discussion.
Aware of Evan’s eyes on her back as she headed over to a semi-quiet corner with Ollie, she tuned him out as much as she could. Which wasn’t easy to do after what he’d just said. Could she and Evan really start over and make a new life together? She was afraid to even hope for that.
“So what’s up?”
“Look, I know it’s not my last day, but I’m only going to be here for the rest of the week and… It’s probably nothing, but I think Logan might have a gambling problem. I don’t know if it’s serious or what, but I’ve noticed a few things on his computer, and I’ve seen him gambling online—not during work hours or anything, but in our line of work I know that can leave us susceptible to certain things. Especially with how much access we have to security. I feel weird telling you since he’s my superior, but…” He lifted his shoulders.
“Thank you for telling me.” Because he was right. Any sort of addiction left anyone open to blackmail or exploitation, and considering the kind of access Logan had, that wasn’t a good thing. “This stays between us.”
The tension in his shoulders eased. “Good. And sorry to bring up work here, I just needed to get it off my chest. And now I’m going to get back to the party. I hope you guys can stay for a while.”
She simply smiled as he headed back to talk to some of his security buddies, and before she’d taken two steps Evan was at her side. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. I’m ready to get out of here though. Let’s say a quick hello to a few more people and then sneak out?” She’d talked to the guy the party was being thrown for, so she’d done her duty. She and Evan had important, unfinished business that needed her immediate attention. Though…she wasn’t sure what she was going to say to him, how to respond.
“Sounds good to me. And look, I paid off the first tab. So if they run up anything after we leave, it’s on whoever else is here.”
She looked up at him in surprise. “You’re very sneaky.”
“I gave one of the servers my card when you were talking to Ollie, and he already ran it.”
“That’s very sweet, Evan. Especially since none of these people work with you.”
He grinned at her. “If you sell me the company, maybe that will change.”
He’d definitely given her something to think about with his offer. But she had other things on her mind now.
After talking to a couple more people, they discreetly left.
Once they were in the warmth of Evan’s luxury vehicle, she settled against the leather seat, suddenly nervous about being alone after everything he’d admitted. She wasn’t ready to give him an answer yet, and scrambled for something else to say. “Ollie said he thinks Logan might have a gambling problem,” she said into the quiet.
Evan glanced at her in surprise. “Seriously?”
“Yep. I have a feeling the only reason he’s telling me is because he’s leaving, so it doesn’t feel disloyal. Lizzy already got back to me and said she could start working on our system Friday.” Lizzy with Red Stone had incredible qualifications, and Isla was having outside people do an audit no matter what. “I want to ask her to look into all of our employees, but especially anyone in security.”
“Good.”
“It just feels weird to me. Invasive.” And she didn’t like this aspect of her job.
“It’s part of running a company this size. You’ve got to keep things secure. For everyone’s sake.”
Yeah, well, she’d feel better once she was no longer running the company, once all the responsibility was out of her hands. This kind of job, of life, was perfect for some people. But not for her.
She didn’t even want to think about anything work related now, not when she kept turning over Evan’s words in her mind. He’d told her everything she’d wanted to hear from him, and now? She was scared to trust him again.
Chapter 21
As he approached the back of the one-story ranch-style house, he tugged his gloves on. There’d been a police car doing surveillance across the street earlier, but they’d been called away for something—he’d hacked into their scanners. He’d planned to call in a distraction himself, but a real call was even better for his purposes. Nothing could get tra
ced back to him.
Now everything was ready. He had a problem he needed to take care of and he couldn’t wait any longer. Once he eliminated this threat, he had to toss down a few breadcrumb trails before he made his move to take what he wanted. What he deserved.
Isla.
Careful to stick to the shadows of the yard, he quickly disabled the security lights on the back porch with an expertly thrown rock taken from the yard. Picking the lock was a little more difficult and took more time than he would like, but he’d been practicing. His target didn’t have a security system, but if the man had, he’d have taken care of that as well.
He was quiet as he stepped into the kitchen, listening for movement. Moonlight streamed in from the small window above a sink filled to the brim with dishes. There were enough outside lights and nightlights that he had a perfect visual of the interior.
He’d never been inside the house before but he had the layout memorized thanks to architectural plans he’d stolen. There were two bedrooms on the right side of the house, and he was fairly certain the bigger one was the master. It only made sense. So he knew which way he was going.
At three in the morning, there was no movement or noise. No television going, no one working on their computer, nothing.
His rubber-soled shoes were silent as he quietly stepped from the kitchen into a hallway. Another nightlight was plugged into the wall, giving him a little illumination, but most of the house was dark.
His heart raced as he peered around the end of the hallway. Empty. And still quiet.
His prey would be sleeping.
As he hurried down the next hallway, his heart rate kicked into high gear. He’d killed before, but only ever women. And he hadn’t tried to disguise the kills as suicide. Tonight would be different, so he had to be smart about this.
It had to look good. This whole scene had to be convincing.
He glanced into what he assumed was a guest room and found out it was an office—empty.
Next he eased open the already cracked bedroom door and found who he was looking for.