Our Broken Love

by Terri Anne Browning

  “Yes. He’s been a teller for a few months now, and I stop by that branch at least once a week. He’s waited on me several times in the past.”

  The special agent asked several more questions about how things had transpired. Had she seen these men before? Did she recognize their voices? She told him that the teller had addressed one by name, Frank, but otherwise, she knew nothing else about them. After telling the agent everything she could remember about the events from the day before, and answering more questions along the way, more than an hour had passed.

  Agent Walsh finally put away his notebook and pen. “Thank you for talking with me. You have been more informative than any of the others who were there. If this guy doesn’t take a plea, you will probably be called on to testify.”

  She stilled. “I will?” The thought of having to be in the same room with that man, telling everyone what had happened—the death and carnage—made her feel cold inside. Numbly, she followed him to the door.

  He reached out and squeezed her ice-cold hand briefly before releasing her. “It will be all right. If it comes down to a trial, I will make sure you’re safe.”

  Later, Eve sat alone, worrying about the possibility of going to trial. What if, even though she testified, Zach got acquitted? Stranger things had happened. Then would she be safe…? Or would this man want her dead? After what she had witnessed yesterday, she didn’t think he would second-guess killing her. Or even having someone else do the job for him!

  Before long, she had worked herself into a state of sickness worrying about it so much. When Quinn came down hours later, she found a very pale, glassy-eyed Eve curled up on the sofa in the family room.

  “Sweetie, what’s wrong?” she questioned, dropping down beside her.

  Eve was shivering even though the room was slightly over-warm. “An FBI agent stopped by to talk to me. He said I will have to testify if the guy doesn’t take a plea.”

  Quinn pulled Eve’s head onto her lap and covered her stepsister with the afghan from the back of the sofa. The younger woman was chilled through, and Quinn began stroking her fingers soothingly through Eve’s long, red hair. “Hun, don’t worry about something that may not even happen. And even if it does, you know we won’t let anything happen to you. Everything will be all right, love. I promise.”

  Eve continued to lie there for a while. Slowly she pushed the stress away and let Quinn’s fingers combing through her hair soothe her. Her body temperature returned to normal, and thankfully, the shivering stopped.

  She must have dozed off because the next time she opened her eyes, Sebastian was carrying her up the stairs. She blinked up at him. “What time is it?” she asked around a yawn.

  “Late. Close to midnight.” He gave her a grim smile as he continued to walk. “You must have been exhausted to have slept through us getting home.”

  They reached the top of the stairs, and he turned toward her bedroom. “Quinn told us about your visitor. Sorry I wasn’t here.”

  “You can’t hold my hand through everything,” she murmured. Even though I wish you could.

  “I still wish I had been here, E.”

  He opened her bedroom door without dropping her, and he shut the door with a kick of his foot as he started for the king-sized bed. There he carefully placed her in the middle, and when he stood, he wasn’t so much as breathing hard. “Get some sleep, baby,” he murmured. “Things will be better in the morning.”

  Eve sat up. “Wait. Don’t go!” she called when he turned for the door.

  Sebastian turned to face her. “What’s wrong?”

  She bit her lip, unsure what she was doing. “I-I don’t want to be alone,” she answered honestly. “Would you stay with me for a little while? Please?”

  He frowned, but he returned to the bed and sat down on the edge facing her. “Quinn said you were upset when she came down earlier. Surely you know that we would never let anyone hurt you, E. I would never let anyone hurt you.”

  “It just scared me thinking about having to face that man again.” She sighed as she pushed the hair back from her face.

  “Sweetheart, it might not have to happen. But if it does, I will be right there with you. You aren’t alone in this, Eve. This isn’t something you have to face on your own.” He reached for her hand and casually entwined their fingers.

  “Promise?” she whispered, blinking back tears.

  “I promise.” With his free hand, he wiped away a tear that had slipped down her right cheek. “Don’t cry.” He groaned and pulled her into his arms. “It tears me apart to see you cry.”

  She pressed her forehead into his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist. In his arms like this, she felt safer than ever. But it also caused her heart to start racing, and the very scent of him had her melting in a way no man ever had before. Unconsciously, she snuggled closer and let her lips brush over his chest through his shirt, then lifted her head and did the same to his neck.

  Sebastian tensed at the feel of her rose-petal-soft lips brushing across the sensitive skin of his neck. Skin that had not ever been sensitive before now. That innocent little kiss had him rock hard and aching. He pulled back a little to look down into her beautiful face. “Don’t do that, Eve.”

  “I’m sorry,” she breathed, embarrassment filling her. “I… You don’t like it?”

  “Liking it isn’t the problem,” he muttered so low it was almost as if he was talking to himself. “It isn’t safe or smart.” He cupped her cheeks in his long-fingered hands, his gaze caressing every inch of her face. “So beautiful,” he murmured, his dark voice turning husky and rough.

  Eve leaned into his touch, wishing his hands were all over her body. The palms of his hands were rough from hard work. He might wear expensive suits, but he wasn’t afraid of physically demanding work or getting dirty. She wanted those callused hands to caress her body, rub across her aching breasts. She wanted them between her legs, sliding across her—

  With a curse, he jerked away from her and got to his feet. “Eve…” He raked both hands through his blond hair that was in serious need of a cut. “I…” He gave her a long, hungry look that made her tremble with her own need for him. But then he shook his head. “Go back to sleep, E.” And he left, striding away so fast, he was practically sprinting.

  Fighting tears of anger, the throbbing between her legs, and the sudden humiliation that came with his rejection, she stood and went to lock her door. Finally, she gave up and let the tears fall as she climbed into a steaming shower.

  four

  Eve went to church the next morning. As always, she went alone. The driver, who had been with Garth for years, dropped her off then left with the promise of fetching her in a few hours. After the service, she didn’t stay as she normally would have for confession. She wouldn’t even know where to start with the poor priest that morning.

  When the driver picked her up, she asked him not to take her home. Normally, when the family was home, no one did anything on Sundays, just sat around catching up. After her embarrassing episode with Sebastian the night before, she didn’t feel like chatting with the family. No, it would make her feel way too exposed, and everyone would know something was upsetting her.

  So instead, she had a late lunch at a small Italian restaurant and took her time over dessert. By the time she was ready to go home, it was nearly twilight. She made her way into the house and up to her room without bumping into anyone.

  With a tired sigh, she locked her bedroom door and dropped down onto her bed. Reaching for the remote to the flat screen hanging on the opposite wall, she switched it on and flipped through the many channels. She wasn’t a big fan of television; give her a good book any day. But she was a bored and on the verge of feeling depressed, and she definitely wasn’t up to facing her family.

  There was a detective show on, one that she liked, so she kicked off her boots and changed into a tank top and with matching pajama shorts before snuggling under the covers to watch. A mini-marathon of the show
was on because she watched the rest of one episode and two more. She was halfway through the last when there was a small knock on her door.

  “Eve?” Quinn called through the closed door.

  She climbed out of bed and crossed to open her door. Stepping back, she motioned for the beautiful giant to come in. The taller woman sat down on the small sofa near the window while Eve returned to her bed and cuddled a pillow close.

  “How was church?”

  “The usual. It wouldn’t hurt you to come with me sometime.”

  Quinn wrinkled her perfect nose. “No thank you. My mother used to force us to go to five o’clock mass every morning. When she ran off with her gigolo, we vowed never to step foot in a church again.”

  “How were things here? Did Cameron eat us out of the house yet?”

  Quinn grunted. “It is getting close. Daddy called the grocery store earlier. The truck will be here tomorrow with a delivery.”

  They both giggled at that. Cameron loved to eat so much that food had to be delivered by the truckload. And the crazy—totally unfair—part of it was that he could eat and eat, never seem to get full, and still not gain any weight. There were girls out there, Quinn and Eve among them, who would have loved having that special trait.

  “I’m a little restless,” Quinn said after about twenty minutes of small talk. “Let’s get the guys and go dancing.”

  “Oh, all right.” Eve stood and went over to her walk-in closet. “Go tell them while I shower. Then come back and do my hair.”

  “You got it, hun.” Quinn grinned. “Although, it looks great as it is.”

  “It needs to be washed.” She lifted a long lock. “I’m thinking of cutting it.”

  Quinn shook her head. “You always say that, but you can’t bring yourself to do it. And if I had hair that gorgeous, I wouldn’t be able to either.”

  ***

  It was more than an hour later before they left the house for a club that Quinn had bought an interest in a few years earlier. Garth hadn’t come, saying he would leave the nightlife to the younger generation. They piled into the back of the limo with Sebastian and Quinn taking up one side of the car, while Cameron and Eve took the other.

  Cameron kept up the flow of conversation the whole ride by talking about his latest project. In a month, he would have an exhibit at one of New York’s hottest art galleries. Eve was glad for his conversation because it kept her from having to make small talk, and she was able to keep her attention on Cameron rather than the one person she didn’t want it on.

  At the club, she was the only one to get a stamp on the back of her hand, telling anyone and everyone that she was under the legal drinking age. She had a fake ID, but she knew her stepsiblings would have burst a few gaskets if she had pulled it out. Their coats were checked in at the door, and they found a quiet—as quiet as a nightclub could be anyway—corner table to relax at for a little while.

  The music was pumping thanks to the talented DJ on the platform at the rear of the club. A waitress decked out in a leather miniskirt and a white tank top took their drink orders: three beers and a diet soda. Eve was pushed into a chair between Cameron and Sebastian, and she found herself singing along to a popular song that had been remixed with techno which people were jumping to on the dance floor.

  Their drinks arrived promptly, and the waitress, a leggy platinum blonde with a chest to impress, turned her attention and powers of flirtation on Cameron. When he didn’t even attempt to flirt back, completely ignoring her, Eve knew something was really wrong with her stepbrother. Undeterred, the waitress shifted gears and targets. Sebastian was subjected to the woman’s full assault.

  Trying to fight the green monster of jealousy eating at her when Sebastian gave the blonde one of his signature smiles, Eve asked Cameron to dance with her.

  “I didn’t come to dance, angel.” He took a look swallow of his beer. “Came for the booze.”

  “You suck.” She stood and took his hand, pulling him with her.

  He moaned and groaned the whole time, but she got him to loosen up, and soon they were moving to the music. She easily admitted that she was an above-average dancer, having taken ballet for years in school. Eve loved getting lost in the beat, and she let herself drift into the song that was currently rocking the club.

  After a few songs, Quinn joined them. Eve hugged her, and they fell into the rhythm of the song. The three of them danced together, ignoring everyone else as the dance floor began to fill up. With Cameron close to keep them from getting crowded, and to keep the wolves at bay when guys tried to approach, Eve was really starting to enjoy herself.

  Finally, out of breath and thirsty, they returned to their table where Sebastian sat. He had finished two beers, if the empty bottles in front of him were anything to go by, and was halfway through a whiskey on the rocks. Eve fell into her chair, still laughing, and reached for her now watered-down soda.

  “Phew! This is a great night.” Quinn took a drink of her beer, fanning her flushed face with her free hand. After a few minutes of cooling down, she turned her attention to her eldest brother. “Why aren’t you dancing? Did you tell the skank whore to get lost?”

  Sebastian shrugged. “I was enjoying watching you three tear up the dance floor. And yes, I did get rid of her.” He grimaced. “So don’t get any more drinks unless you go to the bar for them personally. No telling what might happen to them if she brings them.”

  Eve rolled her eyes but laughed. She took one more swallow of her Diet Coke and stood. “Come on. Let’s dance.”

  “I’m sitting this round out, love.” Cameron held up his hands and offered her a small but warm smile. “You wore me out dancing and keeping guys away.”

  “Quinn?”

  “I’ve got to go talk with my friend up in his office. I have been meaning to check in around here, but work has gotten crazy recently. Now I have to play catch-up.”

  “You guys suck.” She turned her green eyes on Sebastian. “Please?”

  She could see that he wanted to say no, could actually see the wheels turning in his mind to find a good enough excuse. But he didn’t have one and reluctantly got to his feet. “Cam, get me another beer,” he told the younger man as he took Eve’s hand and led her toward the dance floor.

  She was still embarrassed for having practically begged him to stay with her the night before. And yes, she could admit she was a little angry too. But she pushed both emotions away in favor of letting the music invade her senses.

  Like most things Sebastian did, he danced perfectly. Unlike some men, he was secure in his masculinity and not afraid to keep up with her. The dance floor was even more packed now since a crowd had started coming in, so they were pressed closer than they probably should have been. A group of tipsy girls bumped into her, and she fell against his chest.

  Strong hands shot out, catching her around the waist to steady her. She glanced up and met his blazing blue gaze. Her breath caught in her chest, and she forgot how to breathe. Her heart was beating her to death, and it had nothing to do with dancing. With a groan, Sebastian jerked her against him, molding Eve to his body from chest to thigh. There was no way she could mistake the evidence of his aching erection. Not when it strained against his pants zipper and pulsed against her lower stomach.

  One hand left her waist to tangle in her long hair, forcing her to hold his gaze. He groaned again when her delicate pink tongue slipped out to dampen her full bottom lip. “You are just begging for trouble, babe,” he muttered. “I am two seconds away from pushing you into a dark corner.”

  “Oh, yeah?” she breathed.

  “Yeah.” He ground his hips against her, just barely swaying to the music now to keep people from bumping into them.

  Her eyes closed from the pleasure of him so close. He was rubbing in just the right spot. “Then do it,” she commanded, opening her big eyes and meeting his blue gaze boldly. “Because if you don’t, I’m going to come right here on the dance floor.”

  five

/>   “Eve,” he bit out her name, aching to the point of pain. Slowly he backed her through the other dancers. Reaching the back of the dance floor, he glanced first left, then right. There was no place to go, and he was tired of fighting what he was feeling for her. He needed to kiss her, taste her ripe, pink lips.

  But not in a club full of onlookers!

  “The limo,” she told him, sounding breathless. “The others will never even miss us.”

  He nodded, unable to speak just then. Sebastian pulled her out a side exit, and with an arm around her waist, rushed her toward the limo. Dave, the driver, was sitting inside with the car on, keeping warm. Sebastian tapped on the driver’s window, and the man stepped out with a frown.

  “Everything all right, Mr. Savage?”

  “Fine, just fine.” He pulled a few bills out of his wallet. “Eve was getting a little claustrophobic inside and needed some air. We thought we would sit in the car for a while. You go get yourself some coffee and dessert down on the corner.” He thrust the cash into the man’s hands. “Take your time.”

  Dave nodded. “Hope you feel better, Miss Eve.” He tipped his hat at her and started down the sidewalk to where an all-night diner sat.

  Sebastian opened the back door and pushed her inside before climbing in after her. Once seated, he flipped a switch that locked every door and then turned on the overhead light. The light gave a soft glow that let them see without any possible passersby being able to see inside.

  Finally, he looked over at Eve seated beside him. She was trembling, and no wonder. It was freezing out, and all she wore was a thin black sweater with a matching skirt and knee-high boots. “Come here. Let me warm you up.” He pulled her onto his lap. “You aren’t scared?”

  “Of you?” She shook her head, causing her red hair to fall around her shoulders. “I would never be scared of you, Sebastian.” She raised her hand to brush his hair back from his forehead.