“Come on, you said there would be food and I’m fucking starving,” the girl who is dressed like a rock ‘n’ roll chick whines.
“Hey guys,” Paisley greets, ignoring the girl. “Evie, this here is Charlotte, Landon’s cousin.” She points to the woman with red hair. I smile, giving her a small wave. “This is Landon’s sister and a pain in my arse, Hayden.” Hayden blows Paisley a kiss before grinning at me. “This is Hope, their other cousin.” She gestures to the nurse, and I wave again, feeling so lame I want to duck and hide somewhere.
“Hey,” I greet, smiling.
“Hey girl, you’re going to have to tell me where you got those shoes because I want a pair,” Hayden states, eyeing them with envy.
I look down at my ankle boots, smiling. They were a bargain at thirty quid, reduced from ninety. They aren’t something I normally wear to work, but after breaking my last pair of high heels on the steps leading into the office, I gave up on stilettos. And they look hot with my black, cotton skirt that clings to my curves.
“Thank you. If you add me on Facebook, I’ll send you the link. You can only order online,” I explain, inwardly groaning at the invitation I freely gave her into my life. Not that I go on Facebook much. I pretty much post memes. But it still gives her a slight insight into my life, and that is something I cannot afford to let her have.
“Thank you.”
Paisley pushes the door open and a spicy aroma wafts through the air. At the delicious scent, my stomach rumbles, reminding me I haven’t eaten yet.
“That smells amazing,” Hayden groans, pulling out her phone when it starts to ring. “Hello, hot stuff. Miss me already? Yeah, I did come without you. You ate the meal I left in the fridge at work yesterday. It was mine. I know I ate your lunch the other day. I was hungry. Would you really let your girlfriend starve?” Her expression softens somewhat, a lazy smile pulling at her lips. “See. I’ll be back in an hour or so. I guess I love you too.”
“Look at you being all coupley,” Hope gushes, which has Hayden rolling her eyes.
My attention is pulled to Charlotte when she tenses, seeming lost in thought.
“Hey, are you okay?” I ask, cringing at my mouth running off again. I’m not supposed to care, to get close, yet here I am, doing just that. They’re making it so difficult though—to curb my natural instincts.
She shakes her head as if to clear her thoughts, before giving me a beaming smile that could light up a room. “I’m good.” She looks around the room like she’s searching for someone. “Is Landon not here?”
“He went to see Maddox,” Paisley explains, handing out bowls of chilli and rice before pointing to the largest table in the dining room.
The tables are covered with white lining tablecloths, and all have a vase filled with fresh, vibrant flowers set in the middle. The table designated for us is already set up with jugs of orange juice and pots of tea. She has literally thought of everything, making sure we have what we need at hand.
“This place is beautiful,” I whisper, taking in the large doors that lead to an outdoor patio. “Where is everyone though?”
“They’re at the zoo today. It sponsors my company, and in return I advertise their zoo and offer discounted tickets on certain dates.”
“That’s amazing,” I praise.
The bed and breakfast is cosy. It feels more like a large home than a bed and breakfast. It holds warmth only someone who is family orientated could bring. For someone as young as Paisley to achieve something like this is nothing short of incredible. I’m in awe.
“So, Evie, tell us about you. Are you single, married? Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Hayden asks, already digging into her food.
Clenching the fork in my hand, I take in a breath. I prepared myself this morning, knowing someone would ask me personal questions. Not saying anything, or not revealing something about myself, would only make them suspicious. I can’t have that, so instead I answer as honestly as I can. “I’m single. I don’t have any brothers or sisters.”
“You don’t?” Paisley asks, eyeing me closely.
I shake my head before glancing down at my bowl. “No.”
“But you have cousins, right?” Charlotte asks, her lips twisting when I glance at her.
“Nope. I don’t have any cousins either.”
Her eyes widen. “That must have been lonely.”
She has no idea.
I shrug, ducking my face so she can’t see the pain her words have caused to my heart. It was incredibly lonely. I was raised by my mum, who was an only child. Her parents died when she was young, and she had no other relatives; none that she knew about anyway. I love her, but at times, it was so incredibly lonely. I wanted what my friends had at school. Someone I could tease or who would have my back. Someone I could talk to about everything, knowing I could trust them one-hundred-percent. But after everything that happened with my dad, Mum never moved on to have any more kids before she fell sick.
“It was okay.”
“What about your parents? What do they do?” Hayden asks, not looking up from her food.
Paisley sees my sharp intake of breath and shoots daggers at Hayden. “Stop being nosey. What’s with the interrogation?”
“I’m not interrogating her. Am I, Evie? And she isn’t scared.”
“It’s fine. Um, my mum was a nurse before she had to retire. She hasn’t been well,” I explain, missing out the other parts.
“I’m sorry. Is she doing okay?” Hope asks, reaching for a glass of orange juice.
“She’s doing okay,” I lie, purposely taking a bite of food so I don’t have to go into detail.
“And your dad?” Hayden asks, watching me closely.
Paisley gives her a sharp look. “Hayden!”
I suck in another breath, feeling my hands shake. “He’s, um—he’s dead.”
“Fuck, I’m so sorry,” Hayden rushes out, frowning. “I didn’t… I didn’t know.”
I wave her off. “It’s okay. It happened when I was a baby.”
“Still, I’m sorry.”
The front door clicks open, letting in a light breeze before two male voices echo through the foyer. Landon and a guy I haven’t met yet stroll into the dining room.
The stranger is very good looking; muscled, cut jaw and dark chocolate eyes that girls melt for. And as his gaze rakes over me, he doesn’t make my heart race in the same way it does with a single glance from Wyatt.
From the very first moment I met the handsome man, something inside me awoke. It’s no unknown fact that the Hayes brothers are hot, but there is something about Wyatt that I feel connected to or drawn to. It could be because I haven’t had sex in over a year and I’m just hot for him. However, it doesn’t feel like that when he drawls my name, even though he knows I hate being called by my full name, Evelyn. Sometimes it feels like he does it to get me riled up.
Life is cruel though, because there is no way on earth I could ever give in to his advances. I have a feeling he would not only break me but destroy me. It can only end in pain. And not only because I can’t give him all of me.
The man in front of me reminds me of that very reason. Neither can be trusted and are clearly only after one thing. I’ve met plenty of guys just like them. I’m not a girl who could do that, though I don’t judge those who do. When I sleep with someone, I give them a part of me, and something tells me both Wyatt and Maddox would take it all if given the chance. The only difference between the two men is that one would have the power to hurt me.
The newcomer’s lips spread into a flirtatious grin as he winks at me, confirming my suspicions. He’d happily fuck me until I didn’t know my name, then forget my name the next morning and whistle as he left.
Yes, definitely trouble.
“Well, hello gorgeous, want to come sit on my lap and say hi?”
“Leave her alone, you man whore,” Paisley snaps. “Evie isn’t interested.”
Placing his hand over his heart, his draws in a breath.
“It must hurt being in denial, Paisley. I’m sorry we can’t be together, but alas, my heart wants another,” he tells her, his gaze running over my body.
“Shut the fuck up,” Landon barks.
“I thought you were interested in—” Hope starts, before Maddox cuts her off.
He pats her on the head. “Maybe you should stop thinking so much.”
“Landon,” Charlotte gushes, and I watch as a change comes over her. She sits up straighter, her posture, however, less tense, and a genuine smile spreads across her beautiful face. Even her eyes light up at the sight of Landon.
My brows scrunch together because I could have sworn Paisley said they were cousins.
“You okay?” he asks, watching her closely.
“I’m—”
Maddox’s phone rings, interrupting her. “Hello, dickhead. Just the person we wanted to speak to. What?” He stands, the light-hearted personality gone. In its place is a man ready to tear down walls. “Why is she there? Get her out!”
“What’s wrong?” Landon asks, stepping closer to his cousin.
The others stop eating, paying close attention to what’s being said.
“It’s in my truck. Hold on,” he barks, his face paling as he runs out the door. Everyone chases after him, and not knowing what else to do, I follow at a slower pace.
The wind picks up as he lifts the tarp off the back of his truck before pulling out a tube. He rips the lid off, pulling out a large piece of rolled-up paper before throwing the tube to the floor. He rushes around to the front of the car, rolling out the paper over the top of the bonnet, using his keys and phone to keep the edges from curling in. I peek over Charlotte’s shoulder, looking at a set of blueprints for a large house.
“What’s going on?” Landon barks, slamming his fist down on the car.
“They’re stuck in the house they’re working in and it’s on fire. A group of fucking lads have petrol bombed it. Now shut the fuck up and let me help,” Maddox snaps, his wild eyes running over the prints. “Where are you, Jaxon?”
“Oh God,” Paisley whispers. “All my brothers are there.”
Landon reaches for her, pulling her into his arms. “Maddox will help. They’ll be fine. I promise.”
My stomach tightens and I clutch it as a wave of pain shoots through me when it hits me who is there.
And it’s not just Wyatt I’m scared for.
“Lily’s there,” I whisper.
“What?” Landon asks, his hardened eyes coming to me.
“No,” Hayden whispers, reaching for Hope’s hand and squeezing when she whimpers. “They’ll be okay, Hope.”
“I’ll call Maverick and Teagan,” Charlotte murmurs, pulling her phone out with trembling hands.
“She came to the office earlier to see where Jaxon was working, remember. I gave her the address.”
“Fuck!” Landon growls, gritting his teeth. “Can we not catch a fucking break?”
Paisley hiccups, ducking her head into Landon’s chest. “My brothers.”
I have to believe Wyatt is okay, that they all are.
“Okay, the library on the first floor?” Maddox asks. “Okay, I found the tunnels. No, it doesn’t go down that much from the bunker. The tunnel is low, so it will be cramped if these calculations are correct. There will be a few steps down before it leads to the tunnel. Follow that and it will lead you to a manhole at the back of the garden. But, mate, these prints are years old. I’ve got the originals on me, but I left the recent copy at work. There’s no telling if the manhole was covered up over the years. Right. We are on our way.”
He ends the call and Landon steps forward, Paisley crying in his arms. “What’s going on?”
“Some kids have set the house on fire,” he explains, rolling the blueprints back up. “Jaxon, Wyatt, Reid and Lily are surrounded, so even if they could get down safely, they’ve got a group of young lads outside waiting with bats. And if their only escape is covered, we need to be there to dig them out.”
Hearing Wyatt’s name has my stomach turning, and my knees lock to stop myself from collapsing. I rub at my chest, feeling tears burn the back of my eyes. I don’t understand why I’m having such a strong reaction. I know I like him, but this feels different. I barely know him.
This is all my fault.
“We need to go,” Landon rushes out. “Paisley, stay here.”
“No! I’m coming.”
“The police have been called, so she’ll be safe there. Come on,” Maddox barks, pulling open the car door. “I want to get my hands on one of them and wring their fucking necks.”
“We’re coming,” Hayden rushes out.
“Stay here,” Landon snaps, when his sister takes a step forward.
“Yeah, fuck that. I’m coming. Lily is going to need us. And Hope’s a nurse. She can help if she’s hurt. So stop wasting our fucking time.”
“Come on.”
“I’ll get in touch with the others. See where they are,” I inform them, my throat tightening.
Charlotte squeezes my hand before jumping into the back of Hope’s car.
I close my eyes, praying that they all get out safely and unharmed.
CHAPTER FOUR
WYATT
Thick black clouds of smoke choke the air as the fire begins to devour the walls of the library. We needed to move, and quick, before the fire turns us, along with the house, into ash.
Reid shrugs off his jacket, soaking it with the remains of water he has left in the forgotten bottle of water on the table.
“Cover your face,” he orders Lily.
She nods, placing it over her mouth and nose, and Reid helps secure it to the back of her head as Jaxon gets off the phone.
“Let’s go. Maddox said it leads to a manhole at the back of the garden. Once we have Lily somewhere safe, we can go sort them dickheads out ourselves.”
“You don’t think it’s—you know…” I start, coughing over the thick smoke.
“Black? Yes, I do,” he grinds out, his jaw clenched. “Let’s go.”
When Jaxon goes to take a step into the secret passageway, I step forward, placing a hand to his chest, stopping him. “I’ll go first. It’s dark down there,” I explain, getting my phone out to turn on the torch.
A worried expression mars his face as he gives me a sharp nod. “Be quick.”
Although the lights are still on from earlier, it’s hard to see with the smoke. I lift up my phone light higher, using it to guide me down as best as it can.
Smoke begins to follow us as we descend into the darkness on the stairs. “How sure is he about the manhole?”
“He isn’t, but it’s the best shot we have at getting out of here,” Jaxon snaps. “He said the stairs don’t go down much deeper into the ground, just enough to lead to a low tunnel that leads to the manhole. It could be covered though; he isn’t sure. He only has the blueprints that were made from the original layout.”
The lights beside us begin to explode one by one, causing my heart to stutter and glass to rain down on us. Lily screams, and I turn, helping Jaxon when her legs give out.
“It’s okay. It’s okay, babe,” he soothes, helping her stand.
She draws in a breath, opening her eyes. “It will be okay,” she whispers, her bottom lip trembling.
With a firm nod from Jaxon, I keep going down the stairs, struggling to catch my breath when the smoke thickens. My throat becomes raw. It’s like a wave, following us, surrounding us, like it was called to do it. And it won’t stop until it suffocates us.
“I can’t get any fucking signal,” Reid snaps from the back of the line.
“Now is not the time to be calling one of your booty calls,” I snap back, coming to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. I shine the light to the floor, making it safe for the others.
“Yes, because that’s exactly what I’m doing when I’m about to die. Call someone for a fuck,” he mutters dryly.
“What else would you need a signal for?” I ask, arching
an eyebrow—not that he can see.
“I’m trying to reach Eli. He should be arriving back soon.”
“Shit,” I growl, running a hand through my hair.
We can’t even warn him about what he’s coming back to. They could ambush him, and he’s alone, since we let the others go for their break.
“Yeah, shit,” he bites out.
“I’m not even going to ask how you two found this tunnel,” Jaxon mutters as we head down the corridor.
“Oh God, is it a dungeon?” Lily asks, her body jerking forward as she reaches for Jaxon’s phone. “Don’t move the light away from you. I need to see you.”
I stop at the sound of fear in her voice. She’s keeping it together, more than I thought she would, but as the light from my phone shines over her face, it’s only half true. Silent tears stream down her cheeks. The jacket Reid wrapped around her slips down, showing her pale complexion. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone look so pale, and seeing her utterly petrified has me stepping forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. She’s become a sister to us all, and we love her like one too. We understand now why the Carter’s were so protective of her.
“Lily, it’s going to be okay,” I promise her.
I grimace at the sound of something crashing above us, dust falling in sheets around us.
“Move,” Jaxon urges, pushing through the next door.
Reid slams it shut behind him, before I lead them in the direction of the next set of stairs. Even with our phones on, darkness swallows us. The only light in the pit of darkness is coming from the little streams shining from the torches on our phones, but even they are struggling.
I begin to choke as I take the first step down, dust and smoke clogging my throat. Webs and roots line the walls and pathway, and I try to brush away as many as I can.
“Come on,” I yell when I reach the bottom, before covering my face with the sleeve of my top.
Jaxon was right. It doesn’t go down far, not as far as it seemed when Reid and I looked down there. It only looked like a bottomless pit of darkness.
Eye for an Eye (Take a Chance Book 2) Page 4