by Bethany-Kris
“I don’t want to lie to you, Eve.”
“Can we sleep now?” she asked.
He’d give her whatever she wanted. Or try, anyway.
Theo went back to tracing pathways on her naked shoulder. “Sleep, babe.”
“I don’t like this,” Theo muttered.
Two days being home in Chicago, and Theo had no idea what he was going to do yet about his problems.
Damian glanced up from the papers on his desk. The man never seemed to stop working. How he found time to keep an eye on his wife, run his crew, and handle all his other business, Theo didn’t know.
“What are you going on about?” his friend asked.
“Eve. I don’t like it.”
Damian cocked a brow. “She has to keep up appearances, Theo. That means going with Tommas for dinners when her father demands their presence. Especially now that Riley is trying to strengthen the ally he has in Tommas while planning to take out Joel. And just the fact that we all know he’s pissed off and doesn’t trust Tommas, yet he’s willing to attempt to play nice with him shows just how desperate Riley really is. Then, there’s the little issue about you, too.”
Theo rolled his eyes. “I know, I’m supposed to be dead.”
“That isn’t going to fly forever. The M.E. is backed up to their eyeballs and your body is still chilling somewhere on a slab.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, but the moment they try to make a positive ID with dental records, it won’t fly.”
“Three weeks seems a bit long for them to be waiting to do that, D.”
Damian smirked. “Tommas called in a favor or two.”
Theo lifted a brow. “Seriously?”
“You’d be surprised who Tommas has rubbed elbows with. I know you don’t trust him a whole lot right now, but give him some credit. He is helping us however he can.”
“You’re right, I don’t trust him.”
“I get it,” Damian said.
“And I don’t like Evelina being out with him.”
“The green monster on your shoulder is roaring, Theo.”
Theo glared. “Go to hell.”
“He has no interest in Eve.”
“I am aware of where Tommas’ interests are, asshole,” Theo spat.
Damian sighed heavily. “What is your fucking problem?”
“It’s not him, D. It’s her father and the fact we both know that Riley is unstable on his best days. He hides it well, but that man is insane when pushed the right way. I don’t like her being around him right now.”
“Tommas will watch out for Eve. He wants her to have whatever will make her happy. He decided on that the moment he knew you cared for her, Theo. Give the man a chance.”
Theo glanced away. “You’re asking for a lot.”
“I know.”
Damian went back to his papers without another word. Theo walked over to the window that overlooked the large driveway leading down to the gates.
“Does it feel weird for you to live here?” Theo asked.
The chair squeaked from across the room, letting Theo know his old friend was watching him.
“No,” Damian said. “Despite how heartbroken Lily was at first, she’s really come to love this house. She wants to change some things, and she’s already redecorated a few rooms to her own taste. She’s made it home for us, which keeps me from thinking about it as Dino’s home.”
“I guess.”
“What, Theo?”
“Dino bought this house three years ago. I remember when he bought it because at the time, it seemed like a ridiculous expense for him to go out and purchase a house this size with all the land and everything.”
“It is if you consider he was a bachelor with no family.”
Theo frowned at his reflection in the glass. “But he wasn’t. And if I think about the dates when he purchased this house, it was right around the time when his son was born. Maybe he wanted to raise that boy, but someone kept him from being a hands-on father. Someone like Ben. Dino would have made a good father, I think.”
“He would have,” Damian agreed. “On another topic, Riley is throwing a party at his bar for Courtney in a week.”
“Oh?”
“When Tommas was here earlier, he mentioned that it might be time to start feeding the snakes.”
Theo chewed over those words. “How so?”
“Maybe we should let the ID go through that it wasn’t you in that car. Get Riley nervous and see how it goes. Plus, Lily would really be appreciative if she could quit acting like she’s grieving over you. She’s had to plan a fake funeral, or do the best she can, and it’s not good for her, not right now.”
“I get that,” Theo said. “What does that have to do with this upcoming party for his wife?”
“For once, maybe I don’t have to be the ghost, you can.”
Theo chuckled dryly. “What, like rising from the fucking dead?”
“It would certainly be a shocker. And another thing, doesn’t it interest you at all to think that maybe Joel had planted Chloe Belli in Riley’s bed as a way to get info?”
“I’ve considered it.”
“Have you considered that Riley’s new wife used to be good friends with Chloe?” Damian asked quietly.
Theo turned fast on his heel. “Was she?”
“They were. Women like those tend to stick together. From what I gathered, Courtney plays a good show, but she’s not to be trusted at all. She’s not as innocent as she looks.”
“Are you saying his wife is playing him, too?” Theo asked.
Damian shrugged. “I think we should be careful where Courtney is concerned if she’s close to anyone who is close to Joel.”
“But Chloe’s brother and Riley … Tommas said Riley was going after me that night.”
“He was. Maybe Chloe got her brother close to Riley to keep her place looking less suspicious. Who knows? That’s not important.”
Damian was right. Theo dropped it.
Turning back to the window, Theo’s eye caught Damian’s blue Porsche. The windows were tinted so dark, it was impossible to see inside even through the front windshield.
“Your car is illegal with that tint.”
“I know,” Damian said, a smile in his voice.
“And safe for me to drive. I want to borrow your car.”
“Why?”
“I owe Eve a date.”
Theo leaned against the hood of the Porsche as Evelina was shoved out the door by Lily. Just as fast, the front door slammed. He couldn’t help the grin forming when he watched Evelina stomp her booted heeled foot like she was pissed.
He always had a thing for angry women in heels. Evelina wore the look well.
“What the—” Evelina’s words cut off the moment her stare landed on Theo. “Oh.”
Fixing the leather jacket he wore, Theo asked, “Oh, is that all you’ve got for me?”
“Well …”
“Hmm?”
Evelina smiled widely. “Lily wouldn’t tell me why I had to wear this,” Evelina said, waving at the tight, black dress under her beige trench coat. “She wouldn’t tell me where you were or what was going on. What is going on, Theo?”
“A date. Wasn’t that what you wanted?”
“Yes.”
Theo pushed off the car. “You need the dress because we’re attending a show inside a venue that has a suit and dress policy for their patrons.”
Evelina smiled. “That sounds nice.”
“And after, there’s a little place over on Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park that I think you might like. I’ve been going there for years but never with someone. It’s a favorite spot of mine.”
She took the steps carefully and slowly in her heels. The slushy, slippery snow could be dangerous with those boots she had on.
“And it’s okay for you to be out on the town tonight?” Evelina asked.
Theo held out his hand and she took it instantly. “We’ll be careful.”
“You
don’t know how to be careful, Theo.”
“I do know how, thank you,” he said with a wink. “But tonight isn’t about me, anyway. It’s about you, Eve. Stop your worrying and have some fun with me.”
“What kind of show?” Evelina asked.
Theo tugged her into his side. “That one is actually for me, sort of.”
“Is that so?”
“A private booth, ballet, the dark, and you? Oh, yeah, that’s all for me.”
Evelina cocked a brow and poked him in the chest. “Isn’t that the date I cancelled on you months ago?”
“New ballet,” he said. “Swan Lake is being performed this month. I hear it’s quite a production.”
“I’ve never seen it.”
“I have and it was amazing.”
Evelina eyed him curiously. “Do you have a thing for ballet?”
“And opera,” Theo admitted.
“I wouldn’t take you for the type.”
“What, cultured and gentlemanly? Mostly, I just want to get you in a private booth, and get you liquored up on cocktails. We’ll see where it goes from there.”
“You are awful.”
Theo laughed as he pulled Evelina toward the passenger side of the car. “I’m aware.”
“I’ve seen this place before, just driving by,” Evelina said. “It’s a bar, right?”
“It’s more than just a bar, it’s an experience, Eve.”
Her laughter coated him like sweet honey.
“Show me, then.”
“Gladly.”
Theo intertwined their fingers together as he pushed open the front doors of the Barrelhouse Flat. Instantly, the atmosphere of the bar and restaurant surrounded Theo with comfort. The place had an old fashioned feel with a modern sentiment lingering around the edges. Leather chairs lined the walls with small tables in between. The placement forced the patrons to be close while sitting and drinking, or to lean over when people wanted to talk. Artwork lined the walls and pool tables with gorgeous woodwork rested along the right wing of the place.
“Pick a spot,” Theo told Evelina. “What do you want to drink?”
“Surprise me.”
Theo could have waited for a server to come to them, but he went straight to the bar. Once his drink orders were filled and in hand, he found Evelina in the far back corner, sitting in one of the butternut-colored leather chairs. She’d slung her coat around the arm of the chair and he had to admit, she looked at home and comfortable in the place.
Legs crossed, a smile playing on her lips, and with curious eyes watching him as he handed over her drink, Evelina seemed happy.
It wasn’t much.
It wasn’t a big thing.
Theo had needed to be terribly careful about where they went and what they did on this night out of theirs. He’d hated that he couldn’t take her to a dozen other spots that would have shown her off more, or that he couldn’t take her out and let her dance, but this was just as good.
Private. Intimate.
Sexy, given the way Evelina looked in her black dress and high boots. The flash of her thighs as she fixed her crossed legs made his mouth go dry.
Evelina took a sip of the drink, a curiosity lighting up her green eyes. “What is this?”
“Madness Most Discreet,” Theo said.
“It’s … different.”
“It is.”
Evelina took another drink. “I like it.”
“I thought you would.”
“And the name,” she added with a wink. “I like that, too.”
Theo chuckled and lifted his own glass. “I always thought the name of a drink could sum up someone far better than anything else ever could.”
Evelina leaned over in her seat and reached out to hook a finger into the collar of Theo’s shirt. She pulled lightly, silently asking him to come closer. When he did, she pressed her painted red lips to his in a soft kiss. The slowness of their lips moving together soothed Theo as her thumb swept his jawline.
“You’re drawing attention,” Theo murmured against her lips.
“So?”
“Please, continue. I don’t mind people knowing that you’re happy right where you are … with me.”
“Thank you for bringing me here,” Evelina said softly.
“You deserve some quiet, peaceful time, babe.”
“The calm before the storm, huh?”
Theo forced back his frown. “Something like that.”
Evelina glanced over at the pool tables. “Will you teach me how to play?”
“I’m not sure you want to learn from a hustler, Eve. I may know how to play the game, but that doesn’t mean I’ll teach you anything worth learning except how to be a damned shark.”
“I’m good with that.”
Theo laughed. “Of course you are.”
He tipped his drink up for a sip.
“What is that called?” she asked.
Theo extended the glass. “Take a taste.”
Evelina reached over and dipped the tip of her pinky into his drink before sticking it into her mouth. Theo was pretty sure she did that on purpose, because he loved to watch her suck on things, especially his cock. But just the way her face screwed up said she didn’t like the taste.
“Meh,” Evelina muttered before she lifted her own glass and downed a good gulp. “It’s okay.”
“I like it.”
“What it is?” she asked again.
Theo grinned. “A Kingslayer.”
The next week passed Theo by slowly. It wasn’t any wonder, considering he couldn’t do a goddamn thing without taking the risk of someone seeing him. The last thing he wanted to do was bring any attention or danger to his sister and Damian. Having Evelina at the DeLuca home to keep Theo’s attention occupied helped a great deal.
Leaning his back to the cold brick wall, Theo ignored the chill of the early February cold. The ground, covered in a light dusting of crusty snow, crunched under his leather shoes as he shifted to a more comfortable position.
He’d been waiting for a call for an hour. Theo was starting to think Damian had either forgotten about him being out back, or the Ghost had decided to call it quits on their plans before they could even get started.
Taking a long drag off his cigarette to finish it, Theo exhaled the thick cloud of smoke, and then tossed the butt to the ground before stubbing it. He should be nervous about what he was going to do, but he didn’t really feel a thing.
Nothing.
Theo figured that, in a way, he was just finishing out the business Dino hadn’t been able to do himself. Clearing out the snakes.
It was a little more than that for Theo, too. Evelina, for one. But he decided to keep those thoughts and feelings to himself until it was safer and she was free to do what she wished, with whom she wished. The only way to make that happen was to remove the man who kept her from being happy.
Riley.
Revenge was supposed to feel cold and low. Theo only felt high.
The click of the exit door just feet away had Theo moving fast. He was nearly around the side of the building when a soft, sweet voice stopped him.
“Damian said I would find you out here,” Evelina said.
Theo glanced over his shoulder, finding his lover peeking her head out the back door. “He’s supposed to call me.”
“He can’t, I guess. There’s too many people and he doesn’t want to take the risk of someone overhearing the conversation. So, he got Lily to pass along a message to me. I excused myself to the little girl’s room and here I am to let you in.”
Made sense, Theo thought.
He spun on his heel to face Evelina. She stepped out of the bar and let the door close, but still held the edge so it wouldn’t lock them out.
“You do know why I’m here, right?”
Theo had tried not to hide his plans from Evelina, but he didn’t go into great detail. Nonetheless, he figured the outcome of the night was obvious.
“You’re here to end some unfin
ished business,” Evelina replied quietly.
“Is that what you want to call this?”
“The Outfit is full of scars and secrets, Theo.”
“It is,” he agreed.
“I’m starting to wonder how much of that my father did.” Before Theo could say a thing, Evelina added, “Not just with this war between the families, but even before that. To my mother, to his own kids, to you … sometimes a king just has to fall.”
“He’s still your father.”
“I would rather have the memory of a good man than the delusion of a living one.”
“I didn’t expect you to say something like that,” Theo said.
“You’re that guy and I’m that girl, remember?”
Theo did.
He was the guy who used her to get what he wanted. She was the girl who let him do it to get what she wanted.
It was kind of perfect, really. Once this was all over, Theo was pretty damned sure he would be that guy who gave that girl whatever she wanted for the rest of her life, as long as he got to see her smile.
She had a beautiful smile.
“Is Courtney having a good birthday party in there?” he asked.
Evelina smirked. “Soaking up the attention, like usual.”
“And your father?”
“He seems off.”
“He should be off his game. Didn’t you hear?” Theo winked. “The DeLuca principe wasn’t the one dead and burned beyond recognition in the Stingray, or so the news reports say. No one knows where he is, though.”
“I do.”
Evelina opened up the back door wide for Theo to enter. He kissed her on the way by. The gun at his back, resting in the waistband of his slacks, wouldn’t let him forget what he was there to do. The door clicked shut behind them, shrouding the couple in the darkness of the back hallway.
“Were you checked at the door for weapons?” Theo asked.
“Riley had everyone checked except him and Courtney.”
“Did he have a gun on him?”
“He has no jacket on and I didn’t see one when I talked to him.”
“What about his enforcers?” he asked.
Evelina frowned. “I don’t know.”
It was a risk Theo would have to take.
“There was something else that Damian wanted you to know,” Evelina added.