Lainey looked up at Eve. “They were here. Dr. Roman sent them away. You’re supposed to be resting.”
“I’m sure Detective Carter was happy about that,” Eve murmured.
Lainey’s brow creased in curiosity. “Why do you say that? Is there something about him that you’re not telling me? Because he accused you of murder tonight.”
“There’s a surprise,” Eve replied her voice edged with sarcasm.
“Why aren’t you surprised?”
Before Eve could answer her, Adam walked in, rolling a wheelchair in front of him.
“I’m not getting in that,” Eve told him defiantly.
“Doctor’s orders, baby,” Adam said with a shrug.
“And hospital rules,” Dr. Roman added from behind Adam. “I’m giving you what you want, Eve. You can give me this.”
“Fine,” she said sulkily. “But only as far as the front door.”
“Eve, what about all of the press? Is there a back way out of here, doctor?” Lainey asked.
“No. I want to go out the front,” Eve said. “I want to make a statement.”
“That’s really going to piss off Detective Carter,” Lainey told her.
Eve turned to Lainey and smiled radiantly. Exactly, she thought silently.
“Stop here,” Eve told Adam when they were near the exit. “I don’t want a photo of me in a wheelchair making the papers tomorrow.”
“Fine, no wheelchair,” Adam said. “I hope you don’t object to a photo of me carrying you to the car.”
“You wouldn’t dare...”
Before she could finish protesting, Adam was lifting Eve into his arms. “It’s one way or the other, baby. Your decision.”
“Well, if I only have these choices,” Eve began and playfully nipped Adam’s ear with her teeth. “Then I choose you.”
Eve’s quietly spoken words were not lost on Lainey. She heard them and took them for what they were meant to be. Smiling, she linked her arm through Jack’s.
Dozens of flashbulbs from photographer’s cameras went off when Adam stepped out of the exit with Eve in his arms. Reporters shouted questions from every angle, each of them wanting Eve’s account of what happened.
Eve searched the crowd until she spotted Dee, and motioned for her to join her.
“They wouldn’t let me up to see you,” Dee told her, breathless from pushing her way through the crowd. “It doesn’t always pay to be a part of the press. How are you?”
“I’m well, considering,” Eve replied. “If I had known you were down here, I would have had them send you up. I’m ready to make that statement.”
“Are you sure you’re up for it?” Dee glanced at Adam and saw that he was holding Eve as though she was his entire world. It would certainly make for great TV. Dee waved her cameraman over and held up her mike so that Eve could speak into it easily while all around her, members of the press pushed and shoved their way closer to Eve.
“Can you tell us what happened tonight, Ms. Sumptor?” Dee asked in a loud voice.
When Eve began to speak, the crowd of reporters hushed to take notes or record the story. “As I’m sure you know already, my father paid me a visit at my gallery,” she said in a clear, carrying voice. “Lainey, my assistant and dear friend was there, and he threatened her. Words were exchanged and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, the gun went off three times, wounding me and killing him.”
“Can you tell us what he said to you?” Dee asked, raising her voice again over the questions the others were shouting.
“All I can tell you is that he confessed to killing my mother,” Eve told her. “He also revealed to me who his accomplice was in the murder of Jackie Sawyer, and the disappearances of Meredith Lansky and Katherine Bushnell.”
The questions flew at Eve from every angle, and grew louder with fevered anticipation.
“Can you give us a name?” Dee asked, clearly excited.
Eve shook her head. She had set the bait. Now she would wait and see if the fish would bite. “That’s all for now,” she said. “I’m exhausted, and I’m sure Adam’s arms are getting tired from holding me.” Eve smiled into the lens of the camera. “I’m going home now to rest. Tomorrow, I’ll give my statement to the police.”
Adam pushed open Eve’s apartment door, Eve asleep in his arms. She looked so frail that he wanted to weep. Taking her straight up to her bedroom, he laid her gently down on the bed.
Eve stirred awake when she felt Adam kiss her softly on the lips. “You’re not leaving, are you?” she asked him.
“Of course not,” he said quietly. “I told you I would stay with you. I was just going to go in the sitting room so you could rest.”
“Lie with me.”
“Eve.” His body reacted to her words and he chastised himself for having these feelings about her when she was in such pain.
“Please? I want you here.” She saw how his body reacted, too. It felt amazing being with him again.
He sat gingerly on the bed next to her. “You really should be resting.”
Eve frowned. She had been petrified about how the night would turn out, and now it seemed as though he didn’t want to be there. “You’re right. I’ll probably sleep through the night, so you’re not obligated to stay.”
He heard the bite in her tone and turned to her. “Don’t do that. You know I want to be here. This is all so much for me to take in, Eve. I don’t know how to react. I never knew that any of this was going on in your life. You’ve always told me that there are things that I didn’t know, but I never expected anything like this. All of a sudden, you’re hurt and in the middle of something big. I still don’t even know exactly what’s going on. And then, to top it all off, I feel guilty.”
“Guilty? Why?”
“Because I want you,” he answered quietly. “I want you so much.”
Eve’s eyes fluttered closed. Looking at him again, she touched his face. “Why should you feel guilty about that?”
“Because you are hurting, Eve. You’ve been shot and all I can think about is making love to you.”
“Adam, do you have any idea how much I want that, too?” She wanted to just forget about everything else that he had said, but she knew she couldn’t. He needed answers, explanations about what was going on.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be able to make love to you tonight,” she said. “But, I can try and explain the most important things to you. I want you to know why I’ve had such a hard time letting you in, Adam. You asked me once who had hurt me.”
And, saying a little prayer, Eve settled in to tell Adam everything.
“How could you?” Adam was pacing in Eve’s bedroom, unable to sit. He had listened, intently, to everything Eve had to say, growing angrier with each moment that passed.
Eve’s heart dropped. Every fear that she had about telling Adam was becoming a reality for her. “I had to,” she said. “I didn’t know what else to do.” Her eyes pleaded with him to understand.
“No, Eve, I mean how could you keep this from me?” He walked back to her and knelt by the bed. He brushed a tear from Eve’s cheek. Did she have any idea how beautiful she was, he thought. “I would have killed your father for you,” he said in a low voice.
Eve’s laugh was soft and sad. Relief filled her, overwhelmed her. He wasn’t leaving. After everything she had told him, he wasn’t leaving her. “I believe you would have,” she told him.
“My God, baby, I would have been there for you. If you would have let me, I would have fought every ghost that ever haunted you. Because I’m in love with you.”
He kissed her gently on the lips, then kissed another tear that trickled down her cheek.
“I’ve been in love with you since the moment I met you, Eve. Maybe even before that. You’re the one I’ve been waiting for. What you’ve told me only makes me love you more. You are an extremely strong, courageous, beautiful woman. I’m honored that you have chosen me to be in your life.”
His eyes
drifted to her lips and he remembered how she had told him that he was the first, and only man to have kissed them.
“I will be here for you,” he told her. “Not to fight for you, but to fight with you. You proven you are strong enough to fight for yourself. But, I will be here beside you now. Forever.”
Adam bent his head and kissed Eve passionately, a kiss that rocked her to the core. Their love making, their kisses have always been extraordinary, but this was something more. These emotions were something she’s never felt before. “I love you,” she whispered, her lips a breath away from his.
Never had words sounded so beautiful to his ears. Never had he thought he could feel this kind of joy. “Say it again,” he pleaded.
Eve chuckled and touched his face with her fingertips. “I’m so in love with you,” she whispered again and brought his lips back to hers.
The phone rang, startling both of them.
“Let the machine get it, baby,” Adam’s voice was rough and full of desire.
Eve’s breath was ragged and need for him was driving her insane. The way he touched her body left her wanting more than she could have right now.
“I have to answer it,” she said apologetically. “It could be Lainey, and I don’t want her to worry about me. Besides, I think I need a little break to calm down,” she told him with a sly wink.
Adam handed the phone to Eve.
“Your friends out in the hall are disturbing me,” a familiar voice announced.
Eve frowned, bewildered. “Mrs. Jenkins?”
“It is very rude to have visitors this late at night. I should say, that woman friend of yours will not be happy either. They plan to visit her after their visit with you. From what they say, it’s going to be a surprise. I think this is something you should take care of, Ms. Sumptor.”
Eve sat there listening to the silence for a moment. You really are my watch dog, she thought silently. “Thank you,” she said aloud into the silence. “Bye.” Deliberately shielding the worry in her eyes, she handed the phone back to Adam.
“Mrs. Jenkins? Your next door neighbor?” he asked, amused. “What did she want?”
Eve wanted to tell him the truth. But she had just found this thing called love, had just let him in. She was not about to lose him. “She wanted to know if I was all right,” Eve lied. “Adam, I want to show you something.”
“What? Now? Baby, you’re still in pain.”
“Please. I want to do this now. I want you to know everything.” And, you will know everything, she promised silently, after this is all over.
Adam hesitated, and then sighed. “You really want this?”
As worried as she was about his safety and Lainey’s, it was difficult for Eve to flash a smile. But she did. Adam had a bad feeling about this. He had no idea why, but something just didn’t feel right. But, it was what Eve wanted.
“Wrap your arms around my neck,” he said.
“Hmm, I’d love to,” Eve purred. “But I want to walk. I’m all right, Adam.”
He followed her every move as she led him into the sitting room to press the remote and open the secret door.
Adam’s brow creased. “Has this always been here?”
“Just another one of my secrets,” Eve said dryly. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it before.”
“I’m just glad that you’re telling me about it now.” Adam replied, bending to kiss her on the cheek. And then he saw what was inside the studio, the paintings, the photographs and he brushed past her.
“Amazing!” he exclaimed.
Eve stood outside the door and watched him move from painting to painting. “I love you,” she whispered, and closed the door.
Once she was back downstairs, she used the remote to close the panel. At least now Adam would be safe, she thought silently, and then picked up the phone. “It’s time.”
Eve sat in a chair next to her bed, and waited. Her robe fell open over one leg exposing her silky thigh. Her perfect breasts were framed by the V of the robe that was tied loosely at the waist.
She knew what she looked like, knew that the image could bring a man to his knees. It worked for her before. She just prayed it would work this one last time. She could hear them outside the door, Carter’s voice a low grumble. When he opened the door stealthily and walked the length of the sitting room, she was waiting, smiling.
“What took you so long?” she asked when he came into the room, gun drawn. “Enjoying the view, Detective?” Eve sneered.
“You were expecting me!” If she knew he was coming, she would be ready for him with a gun of her own. He looked around frantically, as though waiting for someone else to appear.
“Look,” she said, reading his mind, holding her hands out in front of her. “No gun. No one is here but you and me.” She glanced at the other man in the dark suit. “And your friend there. I’m wounded. Really, Detective, what can I possibly do to you?”
She could see him begin to relax. “So, Tony really told you it was me?” he said. “He always was a sniveling piece of shit who was too scared to do his own dirty work.”
Eve smiled and nodded. “Yes that he was. Incidentally, why did you kill Jackie? She was innocent of any of this.”
Carter shrugged. “Tony was told that she was talking. He thought she was a threat after hearing she had been seen with you. It was too bad really. She was - nice.” Carter smiled cynically. “So innocent.”
Eve felt fury rise deep inside her.
“It’s going to be a better experience having you, I think,” Carter told her with an ugly smile.
“Don’t count on it,” she told him. “I’m not exactly at my best.”
“You’ll still fulfill a lot of my fantasies,” he replied and took a step towards her.
The man with him, who had remained quiet, placed a hand on his weapon, and poised himself.
“What about Katherine and Meredith?” Eve asked.
“I don’t know about Katherine,” he said pausing. “Meredith, on the other hand, will never be able to testify against me or anyone else.”
“You killed her,” Eve said quietly. Deep down she had known this, but the confirmation troubled her.
“Yeah,” Carter said proudly, puffing out his chest. “It was easy. She was messy but I made sure that if she was ever found, your name would be linked to her death. It pays to be a cop.”
“So I’ve noticed,” Eve said calmly.
It was becoming extremely difficult to remain composed, but she kept Adam and Lainey in her mind. Adam was upstairs, out of harm’s way. She had to keep telling herself that. Carter made no indication that he knew Adam was here, and Eve held on to that.
“You’ve been busy with all of the killing and trying to frame me,” she said. “The false juvenile records were a good touch.”
“That was good wasn’t it? It was my idea. You’ll have to tell me how you fixed that one.” He glanced down at her wound. “You always seem to come out of things with only scratches. You’ve been pretty lucky.” He stepped closer. “Too bad your luck has run out.”
“Are you sure about that?” Eve countered. “I think it’s your luck that has run out.”
Carter laughed. “You’ve lost too much blood. You’re not thinking clearly. If you haven’t noticed, I’m not alone.” He turned to see his companion pointing his gun directly at him. “What the fuck are you doing?” Carter said, laughing nervously, raising his own gun tentatively. “Hey, if this is about who’s going to take over for Tony, we can discuss it later. I’m sure we can work something out.”
The man smiled and took a badge out of his pocket. “That’s okay. I already have a job. Maurice Carter, you are under arrest for the murder of Jackie Sawyer and Meredith Lansky. I would run down the list of other violations, but I’m sure Ms. Sumptor is tired.”
Carter looked at Eve in shock, and then back at the man standing in front of him. “Is this some kind of fucking joke?”
“Not a joke. I’m Agent Monroe of the F
BI, and I have been watching you for some time now. It’s time for you to drop your weapon.”
“Fuck you!” Carter spat out. “Drop yours, asshole! I’m a fucking ace shooter!”
“Don’t make this any harder than it has to be, Maurice.” Detective Harris appeared in Eve’s doorway.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Carter was breathing heavily, sweat running down his face.
“It’s over Maurice. Put down the gun,” Harris said, hand on holster, his face full of anger and sadness.
“This has nothing to do with you, Harris. Get out of here now!”
“You’re surrounded, Maurice.” Agent Donovan stepped into the room, his gun already aimed. “There’s nowhere you can go. Put down your weapon, and let’s end this now before anyone else gets hurt.”
Carter began to shake. Pivoting, he pointed the gun at Eve.
“Maurice!” Harris called out. “Don’t! If you shoot her, you’re dead.” Drawing his weapon, he pointed it at his partner’s back.
Carter’s chest was heaving as he stared at Eve with hatred in his eyes. “You fucking bitch!” he growled. “I should have killed you a long time ago.”
“Yes, you should have,” Eve agreed with a mocking smile. “But, now, I win.”
“We’ll see about that you fucking bitch.”
The first shot made Eve’s ears ring. A searing pain shot through her and her eyes dimmed. Three more shots rang out, one after the other. Closing her eyes, her head fell back on the chair, and she prayed for the pain to go away.
Eve sat on the swing of her back porch, letting the breeze caress her face. The gardens surrounding the painted, white, wooden deck were colorful and so beautiful that she could sit out here forever and forget that the whole world existed. She would never forget though, no matter how much she tried to. The world had tried to come crashing down on top of her. Somehow, someway, she had made it out alive. But barely, she thought now as the porch swing’s creak kept her thoughts company.
She could still remember that night over a year ago when she woke up to find Maurice lying dead on her white carpet. She remembered how red the blood had been in contrast to the white. She remembered the smell of gun powder and death, the same smell she had encountered only hours before with her father. Chaos had ensued after the shooting, but somehow she had managed to make it back to Adam.
Something About Eve (An Eve Sumptor Book 1) Page 46