by Raven Scott
“Got it,” repeated Tony. “I’ll update the team. When will you leave for Virginia?”
“Sandra had booked us on a commercial flight for tomorrow evening. But I’ll have her change it to a private charter earlier in the day. I’m anxious to get her out of Boston until we know what we’re dealing with and how big this thing is.”
The call ended soon after, yet Evan stood outside Nia’s front door for a few minutes longer. The rationale he’d provided Tony for why he needed to keep his cover was very real and valid. But there was more to his motives than he was willing to admit, even to himself.
All of the feelings and desires he had been fighting since he met Nia James were now slowly bubbling to the surface. They were raw and intense, filling him with a mix of excitement and apprehension, entwined with his need to protect her from any further threats. It was a potent combination that left Evan more unbalanced that he’d ever felt before. He didn’t know what it meant or what to do with it, but there was one thing he was clear about. Nia James was his responsibility, and no one would ever harm her again under his watch.
Chapter 15
“This is crazy, Nia. You barely know this guy and he’s moved you into his house,” Lianne summarized over the phone. “In another state, no less.”
Nia bit the inside of her cheek. She could hardly argue since it all seemed bizarre to her as well. The last two days were a complete blur of rushed decisions, and here she was.
“He hasn’t moved me in,” she clarified. “I’m working on his account.”
“In his bedroom? That’s some account,” Lianne quipped.
Nia smiled.
“You know what I mean. I was already scheduled to spend a few days here to go through his collection, Lee. So it’s not really a big deal.”
“Yeah, well, you should be at home recuperating. I didn’t even get to see you before you left.”
“I know. But honestly, it’s nothing. The bruising looks worse than it really is. It hardly hurts anymore,” Nia explained. “I’d be ready to go back to work on Monday anyway.”
“When will you be back in Boston?”
“I’m not sure. Tuesday? Maybe Wednesday? Evan refuses to let me do anything other than walk to the bathroom so far, so we won’t get to his mother’s house to start the work until Sunday.”
“Okay. I want you to call me the minute you arrive home.”
“I will, I promise.”
They spoke for a little while longer. After they hung up, Nia sat back on the couch in Evan’s living room and looked around. It was hard to believe she was here. Everything since Tuesday evening was difficult to comprehend. Those last few moments crossing the street were still hazy, except for the image of Evan running toward her, and the sound of a revving engine. Nia could only assume that instinct had kicked in causing her to dive away from the accelerating vehicle at the last second. Otherwise, there was no telling what kind of injuries she could have sustained, if she survived at all.
What Nia hadn’t told anyone, was that she had a nagging feeling that it wasn’t a random accident. Her talk with Nigel that afternoon was just too coincidental. Then, there was the heated conversation Chris had outside the warehouse. Had he seen her walking away? There was the very real possibly that someone at Worthington knew she was asking questions and wanted to stop her. They might want to shut her up, if they thought she knew something. Just like they had shut up Matt Flannigan. Once you’ve stolen jewelry worth thirty million dollars, what are two murders instead of just one?
Suddenly, Evan’s suggestion that she take advantage of their planned trip to Virginia so she could recuperate for a few days seemed like a really good idea. It would give her time to think things through and decide what she would do next. If Evan thought her acceptance was out of character, he didn’t say.
When she spoke with Edward after being released from the hospital on Wednesday morning, he was already aware of her accident. So it was no surprise to him that she needed to be off for a few days. He was supportive of her opportunity to leave for Virginia, but insisted she do client work only once she was fully recovered.
Originally, Adam was to accompany Nia on the business trip to provide administrative support. But with Nia out of the office for a week or so, they agreed it would be best if he stayed in Boston to help keep their other projects on track. She could bring in a local consultant for a few hours if needed.
With a sigh Nia stood up and walked across Evan’s apartment in Alexandria to look outside at the tranquil view of the Potomac River, separating Virginia from the District of Columbia. Other than the impressive view, a two-bedroom condominium was not at all what she had expected.
After the lavish hotel room and mansion-like beach house on the Vineyard, Nia had imagined much of the same for his home. Particularly after the experience flying there from Boston in a private Cessna jet. Instead, his apartment was normal. It was beautifully done inside, with top-of-the-line appliances and finishes. The location and view were stunning, with a large patio and plenty of building amenities from what she could see. But it was hardly the extravagant home of a very wealthy trust-fund kid turned CEO of the international family business.
Interim CEO, anyway.
Remembering their plans for the evening, Nia checked her watch. It was time to get in the shower. After two days of coddling, Evan finally agreed to let her out of the house. They were meeting a couple of his friends for dinner. She went into the bedroom to decide what to wear.
From the moment they had arrived at the apartment on Thursday afternoon, Evan had put her things in his room. Nia hadn’t objected. She wanted to be there. After their weekend together, it seemed silly to pretend otherwise. Right now, he made her feel safe and secure, and she appreciated it. Even sleeping in his arms felt good, though he padded a thick blanket around her to ensure she wasn’t bruised further through the night.
Not ready to wear anything fitted against her hip, Nia laid out a long sundress made of soft, brushed linen. In the bathroom, she peeled off the yoga pants and T-shirt to look at the right side of her body in the large vanity mirror. Her skin was still marred with rough abrasions on the hip and along her upper arm near the shoulder. The large bruises were now an angry dark-blue, but definitely starting to fade. She poked the largest running down the side of her bum. It was still a little tender to the touch, but it no longer hurt to sit or walk.
Nia relaxed her arms and looked at her full body naked, still uncertain of how the hell she had gotten herself into the current situation, or what she could do to get out of it. The one thing she knew for sure was that she was not going be someone’s victim or scapegoat. Never again.
Evan returned home from work a short time later to pick her up, driving his sleek, white Aston Martin sports car. He gently helped her get seated before they got back on the road.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Pretty good, almost human,” she described honestly.
“Have you been taking the painkillers?”
It was the same question he’d asked every few hours since she got out of the hospital, even though she stopped taking medication after Wednesday.
“I’m fine, Evan. Really.”
He looked skeptical, but left it alone.
“Is everything okay at work?” she asked.
Today was the first time he’d left her side since the incident, and only for a few hours in the afternoon. She wondered at his ability to run a company while playing babysitter to his . . . What? Girlfriend? Lover?
“It was fine, just a couple of meetings I needed to attend. Though I could have joined them from home by video conference,” he reminded her.
She rolled her eyes, having had this conversation a few hours ago. He had argued that it was too soon for her to be alone; she had won.
“So, tell me about your friends?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Lucas and Sam? They work together running a security company,” he explained. “Luc and I met year
s ago when he did some work for DaCosta. I met Sam through him a while back.”
“Are they single, married?”
“Dating, sort of,” he replied with a sly smile.
“Sort of? What does that mean?” Nia asked, laughing.
He shrugged.
“It means I can’t really keep track of who they’re seeing, so I don’t try.”
“Ahhh, I see. They’re playboys.”
“Lucas, definitely. He’s way too pretty for his own good.”
“Prettier than you?” she teased.
Evan laughed, giving her a humble glance. She caught a glimpse of his dimples.
“Much prettier! But Sam’s too ornery to be a player. He just has odd taste in women.”
Nia was intrigued.
“In what way?”
“I don’t know. I’ve only met a couple of his dates, and both struck me as not very bright. I think he prefers them that way so he doesn’t have to take them too seriously. But you’ll see for yourself soon enough.”
She shrugged, thinking it was going to be an interesting evening.
“What about you, what’s your usual type, Evan?” she asked, suddenly wondering if she would be like the other women he’d introduced to his friends.
He gave her an assessing look.
“That’s not a fair question, Nia.”
“Why? I won’t be offended. I met your ex-fiancée, remember. And we had nothing in common, looks-wise anyway.”
Evan paused in thought before answering in a quiet voice.
“I’d say I’m attracted to many types of women, physically. But I’ve mostly dated the more understated, causal types. Low maintenance.”
Classy, demure like Mikayla Stone-Clement, the woman he loved and wanted to marry. Nia refused to look away or feel hurt by his words. She’d asked the question and he was being honest.
“But I think that’s because I was gone a lot, always traveling overseas. I thought that I was being smart to date that type of woman. Low maintenance, so she’d be content to wait for me, put up with my long absences. Which is ridiculous. And probably why my engagement to Mikayla would never have worked. Every woman wants her boyfriend or husband to be there for her.”
She didn’t know exactly what he was trying to say.
“In my head, women like you, Nia, were not in my best interest.”
“What?” she scoffed. “What’s that’s supposed to mean?”
“Seriously. It may be primitive and chauvinistic but what can I say? Women that look like you have men chasing after you left, right, and center. Why on earth would you settle for a man who was never around? Seemed like a dumb choice and a recipe for disaster.”
Nia just looked at him, speechless. Did he really believe that?
“You’re basically saying that a woman’s ability to be committed and faithful is dependent on how she looks or dresses?” Nia demanded, incredulously.
“Those weren’t exactly my words. But, look, I’m just explaining to you what my type used to be and why,” he added, obviously aware of how it sounded. “Clearly, I’ve evolved a little since then.”
“Oh great. All the way from Neanderthal to early Homo sapiens. Good to know.” He just laughed in response. “Explain to me your evolved thinking?”
“It’s simple. I decided to go after what I want, not what I think I need.”
“Are you saying you dated women you didn’t want before because it was safe?”
“Of course I was attracted to them on some level. I loved Mikayla. I still do and probably always will. But now I realize that the things I love about her make a great friend, not necessarily a girlfriend or a wife,” he said, and glanced at her sheepishly, with a shrug. “Perhaps it was a little safe.”
“And the part about women who look like me?” Nia probed.
“You know what I mean.”
They pulled up to the valet area of a casual steak restaurant.
“Not really, but I assume you mean not understated.” she mumbled, trying really hard not to feel insulted. “High maintenance?”
Evan handed over the keys to an attendant and then helped her out of the car.
“No, Nia, you are definitely not understated,” he finally replied, pulling her into a gentle embrace. “You’re bold, way too sexy for my sanity, and so stunningly gorgeous that it hurts my eyes.”
He kissed her, slow and deep.
“And not at all high maintenance. Now, stop asking silly questions,” he added before taking her hand to walk into the restaurant.
His friends were already at the table when they arrived. And as Evan suggested, there were two women with them. Lucas Johnson and Sam Mackenzie stood to meet her, then introduced their dates, Cierra and Angel respectively, both very beautiful girls, if not a little young. Nia resolved to sit back and listen to the conversation and observe Evan in his regular environment.
The first thing she noticed was that all three men were built like warriors. Lucas was the smallest, yet still an inch or so north of six feet with lean, hard muscles clearly visible through his golf shirt. Nia had thought Evan was big, but Sam was just massive. He was at least a couple of inches taller, with hulking shoulders and arms the size of tree trunks. All together, they were an impressive group, if not a little scary.
Evan’s description of Lucas was very accurate. With his rich brown skin and a trimmed goatee, he was very handsome in a boyish, fun way that suggested he preferred naughty over nice. He was also charming and funny, constantly teasing both his friends. Nia could see that he and Evan were very close.
Sam was an odd one. With his sun-bronzed pale skin, sky blue eyes, and golden brown hair, he was also quite attractive, but in a fierce, bad-ass way. While he certainly wasn’t as easygoing as Lucas, Nia picked up on his sarcastic, dry humor right away, accentuated by his deep Scottish accent. That was mostly because she could relate to it. And something about him also reminded her of Evan. Maybe the serious intensity that seemed at the core of his personality?
“How are you feeling, Nia? Evan mentioned you had an accident recently?” Sam asked her as the others were deciding which dessert to order after their main course.
“I’m doing okay. Not quite one hundred percent, but close.”
“Good. I hope he’s taking care of you?”
She looked over at Evan who was debating something with Lucas.
“Yeah, he’s been great.”
Sam nodded, and the conversation swung in another direction while the group ordered and enjoyed a collection of cakes.
“We’re going to the bathroom, Nia,” stated Cierra, Lucas’s date sometime later. “Come along.”
Nia smiled at Evan and joined the other women. Though she had no need to use the facilities other than to refresh her lip gloss, it would have been rude not to go. On the way back, she was stopped by a light hand on her shoulder.
“Nia James?”
She turned around to find the last person she expected to see outside of Bloomfield, Michigan. The medium-height blonde looked very much the same as she did eleven years ago when they were both sophomores in high school.
“Hailey,” Nia stated flatly.
“Oh my God, Nia! What are you doing here, in Alexandria of all places! I can’t believe it’s you!”
Nia allowed a hug, only because she wasn’t sure how to avoid it.
“How are you, Nia? Last I heard, you had moved to Boston,” stated Hailey.
“I did. I’m just staying with a friend here for a few days. How about you? Do you live around here?” she replied.
“Yeah for about six years now. Daddy transferred to one of the military bases nearby.”
Nia nodded. While the two women had been close friends at one point as teenagers, they had little in common now. And even less that Nia wanted to get caught up on.
“Well . . .” started Nia, intending to politely end the conversation, but the other woman cut her off.
“You look so good, Nia. You always did, but I’m so gl
ad you’re doing well,” Hailey added, her smile fading a little. “I know it wasn’t possible after what had happened, but I wish we could have stayed in touch. I really missed you when you left school.”
Nia didn’t know what to say.
“To this day, I still wish I had known enough to say something sooner. You were my best friend and . . .” Her eyes got misty forcing Nia to look down. “Anyway, it’s old history now. But I want you to know that I never once believed the accusations. I just didn’t know what to do about it.”
Nia shrugged.
“We were young, Hailey. You weren’t responsible—”
“Sweetheart, is everything okay?” interrupted Evan as he approached the two women and slid a protective arm across Nia’s lower back.
“It’s fine, Evan. This is Hailey Stamford. We went to school together back in Michigan,” Nia introduced. “Hailey, this is Evan DaCosta.”
The two shook hands.
“It was good to see you, Hailey,” Nia finally stated, turning way.
“You too, Nia.”
She and Evan walked back to the table where his friends were getting their things ready to leave.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you all waiting,” Nia explained.
“No worries, you didn’t. Is everything okay?” Evan replied.
She nodded and gave him a reassuring smile. When it came to her life in Bloomfield, Michigan, it was all years behind her, and better left in the past.
Chapter 16
Evan looked over at Nia. They were driving back to his apartment, and she was laughing about something Lucas had said over dinner. Smiling back, he was listening to her comments, but his mind was elsewhere.
It was humbling to admit to Nia that his thinking and decisions about women had been so misguided and juvenile. After the breakup with Mikayla over three years ago, he had continued that pattern. He’d date women whom he liked, respected, and had fun with, but could easily walk away from for the next assignment. Now, after some soul searching, Evan realized that he had been looking for the same arrangement his parents had; what he had seen as a reliable union that would allow him to do his job without distraction. Unfortunately, it was also devoid of true passion.