The Naughty Nine: Where Danger and Passion Collide

by Nina Bruhns

  What seemed to her like hours later, Carter's face appeared on the other side of the glass door. He tried the handle and she rushed forward to unlock the deadbolt. When she threw open the door, she threw herself at him, fireplace poker and all.

  It took half an hour for the local police to come out and remove the flower petals as evidence. They checked the trees around the house, and upon finding nothing but some muddy footprints that could belong to anyone, they left.

  Carter sat across from her at the table as they ate cold turkey sandwiches. She could have sworn he was mad, but when she asked, he would mumble that he was deep in thought. That night they slept on the couch, falling asleep to Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, one of Carter’s favorite movies. She just couldn't bring herself to sleep on the bed knowing that someone had touched it, had been in that room. At least not yet, anyway.

  The next day, Sandi and Mitch arrived and upon seeing them, her headache disappeared completely. She hugged Mitch like she meant it this time, instead of as if he was a stranger. She'd seen the pictures, and after meeting her parents, knew that pictures and her life couldn't lie. Mitch had been like her brother and she needed to treat him like family.

  He hugged her back and kissed her forehead. She felt warm and knew she was loved. Sandi cried a little when she saw her.

  “I'm so happy that you're doing better. We've been wanting to come up sooner.” She looked over at Carter.

  Eve turned to Carter. “Carter?”

  “I thought you needed the rest.” He smiled and put an arm around her.

  “It's okay, really. We've been so busy with work and planning the wedding.” Sandi took her arm and walked her into the living room.

  Eve remembered Carter telling her that Sandi and Mitch had stayed here last year. Sandi looked comfortable in the house.

  “Oh, you got a new couch?” Sandi frowned a little.

  “No,” Eve looked across the room. “We had it reupholstered. Same couch, new look.”

  “Oh, good. I've never sat or slept on a more comfortable couch.” Sandi walked over and sighed as she sat on the large cushions. “Yes, same couch.” She patted the cushion next to her. “Come, I'll tell you everything you've missed while you've been away.”

  That night, Eve and Carter slept in his room down the hall and gave Sandi and Mitch the master bedroom. Carter had made lasagna for dinner and Sandi had helped by making an Indian side dish that was hot and spicy. Eve found she not only like it, she knew without a doubt that she loved Indian food. Sandi promised to show her how to cook when she came back to the city.

  “I like Sandi,” Eve said against Carter's chest as they lay in the bed looking up at the ceiling. “Were we friends before?”

  “Hmm,” Carter said. “Yes, actually, she was a client to you before. You knew her as Samantha Rain, the pseudonym she used to hide from her family.”

  Something flashed in Eve's mind. This time there was no pain, no blacking out. She saw with clarity Sandi, with longer hair, sitting across from her at a table, laughing. She was showing her a painting of red flowers with white circles behind them. Then the memory was gone.

  Eve sat up and looked down at Carter. “I just had a memory.”

  He sat up quickly, grabbing hold of her. “How's your head? Do you feel dizzy?” He started to hold her.

  “No, I'm fine. No sharp pain, no blurry vision, nothing.” She smiled. “I remembered Sandi when you mentioned the name Samantha Rain.” She blinked a few times. “I remember meeting her at a cafe. I think it was called Hell’s Kitchen Cafe. Oh my God! I remember something else. A couple months ago I swore off eating meat.” She glared at him. “I told you this. I told you I was becoming a vegetarian and you’ve fed me meat this whole time.” She slapped his shoulder as he laughed and she thought about how she'd get back at him later.

  “We never thought you'd stick to it. It did last a couple months, though.” He pulled her back into his arms. “I'm happy you're starting to remember. I think having your family near you is helping.”

  She was still steaming about him breaking her diet, but his arms felt too wonderful to be mad for long. She melted back into his arms and enjoyed the rest of the night.

  Secret Identity: Chapter Thirteen

  Mitch and Sandi’s stay helped keep Eve entertained, and small pieces of her memory were coming back without her blacking out. Each time she remembered more, Carter got nervous thinking she'd realize they hadn't been a couple like he'd hinted at.

  So far he was still safe. Sandi and Eve had talked wedding while he and Mitch had finished working on painting all the rooms upstairs. Carter told Mitch about everything that had happened since they'd arrived—her parents visit, the break-in, how Eve had been passing out.

  “I don't like it.” Mitch stopped painting and frowned. “We still don't know if she was attacked on purpose or it was a random thing. Carter, there could be someone after her.”

  He stopped and looked at his friend. “Like a stalker?”

  “Yeah, just like a stalker. Sandi has been helping out while Eve is gone. She was using her office and she noticed a pile of letters in Eve's desk. At first Sandi thought they were from Steve, but shortly after she started helping out, she received another one. Sandi opened the mail thinking it was from a client. Carter, there were threats and some scary shit in there.” Mitch looked towards the door, no doubt not wanting Sandi to hear him cussing or for Eve to hear about the threatening letters. Either way, Mitch's voice got lower and he walked closer to Carter. “Well, I found the stack of letters and after reading them, turned a copy of them over to the Chicago police. They assured me it had nothing to do with her attack. They claimed it was a bum that frequented that alleyway, stealing clothing so he could keep warm. They told me that he most likely wanted her coat. Anyway, after what you've just told me, I'm inclined to think that this creep knows she's here.”

  “Who knows I'm here?” Eve stood just inside the door, her face a little pale.

  Carter dropped his paintbrush in the bucket and walked over to her. “No one. Mitch and I were just chatting about a client.”

  She yanked her arm out of his. “You're lying.” She looked at Mitch. “It's written all over his face. I don't know how I know it, but I know you're lying to me.”

  Carter glared at Mitch. “You never could lie to her, bro.”

  “Sorry.” Mitch grumbled and set his paintbrush down. “Maybe we should tell her.”

  “Why? What good would it do?” Carter asked. Mitch shrugged his shoulders.

  Eve stood, her arms crossed over her chest. They both knew that look. She wasn't going to budge until she heard it all.

  “Fine!” He threw up his hands and they proceeded to tell her what they knew.

  After they were done, Eve walked from the room without a word. Carter tracked her down in their room. She was packing her clothes up.

  “What do you think you're doing?” He started removing her clothes from her bag.

  “I'm going to return to the city with Mitch and Sandi. I think it's time I stopped hiding out. Besides, I'm having more memories and no fainting spells.” She stopped and glared at him as he tossed her clothes back into the drawers.

  “You're not better. Just two days ago you could barely see.” He closed her empty suitcase.

  She stood there with her arms crossed and glared at him. “Are you telling me I can't go back to the city?”

  “Yes. No! I mean…” He knew he'd stuck his foot in it now. “You can do whatever you want. I'm not forcing you to stay. I'm just concerned, that's all.” He walked up to her and rubbed her arms with his hands, then watched her slowly relax under his touch. “Give it a few more days. Then we'll head back together.” She thought about it for a while.

  “Well, I guess a few more days here with you won't be so bad.” She smiled. He didn't know if it was the shock of actually winning his first argument with her, or the fact that Mitch was standing in the doorway laughing, but he was slow to react when she pu
nched him in the gut. She'd never hit very hard; Mitch and he had always said she fought like a girl. He was thankful for it at the moment.

  “What was that for?” He winced and rubbed his stomach.

  “Just a friendly reminder. Don't think for a moment that you can ever tell me what I can and can't do.” She smiled and patted his cheek as she turned to walk out. She stopped by Mitch then balled her fist and punched him in the shoulder.

  “Ouch, what was that for?” Mitch asked as he rubbed his shoulder.

  “That was for letting this jackass”—she pointed back towards Carter—“talk you into staying away so long.” Then she punched him again on the other shoulder.

  “Stop it.” Mitch frowned and rubbed his other shoulder. “What was that one for?”

  “That was for keeping secrets from me.” She leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek. “That was for being my friend.” She turned and walked out of the room.

  “Hey, I didn't get a kiss!” Carter raced after her as Mitch laughed.

  * * *

  That evening they all sat around the fireplace chatting about the good old days. Mitch had some funny stories about when they were kids. Sandi said something about wishing she could have seen it, when Eve thought of the picture album. Jumping up, she raced up to their room and looked around.

  She hadn't seen the photo album since the first week they'd been there. Finally, she found it under Carter's travel bag. When she pulled the photo book out, his bag dumped out and she bent down to pick up everything that had fallen out. In the pile was a folder. There was yellow sticky note attached to it with her name on it, and written beside it was a large amount of money.

  She stopped what she was doing and started to read. Fifteen minutes later she walked downstairs. The photo book in her hands was almost forgotten. She handed the book to Sandi who immediately started looking through the old photos.

  Carter stood and took her shoulders. She jerked back and walked into the kitchen, knowing he would follow her.

  “What? What is it? Did you have another spell?” He asked, trying to hold her still.

  She turned on him. “What's this?” She held up the paperwork.

  He looked at it like it was a snake she was holding. “Nothing.” He tried to reach for it.

  “No.” She pulled it out of his reach. “Too late. Tell me why I was buying into a company I thought I was already a partner of. Better yet, tell me why I'd have to buy into a company owned by people I deemed were my family, at all?” Her voice was slightly raised.

  “Eve, listen. I can explain.” He started to walk towards her.

  “Stop!” She tossed the paperwork towards him. “From where I'm standing, you're no better than my parents. You've lied to me. You made me believe you had my best interest at heart, that you cared.” Her voice hitched. “That I was more to you than numbers.” She glared at him.

  “Eve, you've got it all wrong.” He was trying to walk towards her again.

  “Really? From where I'm standing, I see a man who told me we were getting married, yet when I talked to Sandi, she knew nothing about our engagement. I brushed it off as maybe we hadn't told anyone yet. You told me I was partner in your business, now I find these”—she pointed to the paperwork on the floor—“that say I was paying my two best friends, whom I've been told were my family, to become partners. In my book, family doesn't do that. Family doesn't exploit family, Carter. So tell me why I was having to pay. Then maybe you can tell me why one amount, the lower of the two, was crossed out and a higher one was put in its place. Did you find out I had more money? Did you want to take every cent from me?” Her head was throbbing now and all she wanted to do was retreat to a quiet room and cry.

  “Eve, I can explain,” he said for the third time. When she looked into his eyes, she knew he was about to lie to her. Tossing up her hands, she stormed from the room.

  “Save it. I don't want to hear anything,” she said over her shoulder as she marched to her room to pack. She hadn't seen this coming. Her mind just refused to believe anything other than she was being used. Had Mitch known about this as well? She was at the base of the stairs and decided to find out, but when she walked to the doorway, Mitch and Sandi were in a warm embrace and she lost the heart. Instead, she went up the stairs to finish packing. Mitch and Sandi were leaving to drive back to New York after breakfast; she'd just make sure she was going with them.

  * * *

  Two days later, Mitch and Sandi walked her up to her apartment. When she opened the door, she was shocked. The sheer size of the place was something she wasn’t prepared for. The fact that it was extremely well decorated and that she immediately felt a warmth spread through her when she walked in made her realize she'd made the right choice in coming back to the city.

  It wasn’t that she'd broken things off with Carter; she'd tried to talk to him the evening before she left and had explained that she needed some space. He'd just looked at her like she'd kicked him and nodded.

  When Mitch and Sandi left, Eve walked around her apartment looking at everything. Here there were newer pictures of her with Carter and Mitch, some even with Sandi. She noticed there wasn't one picture of her parents.

  The hardwood floors looked new throughout the place. The light-colored furniture was very appealing, but when she sat down on the leather couch, she instantly missed the big soft one in Maine.

  The view out her large windows was breathtaking. The evening sky sparkled with a million lights as the snow gently fell. Her apartment was on the twenty-second floor and she knew that the view in daylight would be just as breathtaking.

  Walking towards her bedroom, she stopped at a small office filled with fabric. Walking in, she realized they were clothes that she must have made. She took her time and assessed every item. She also had sketches of designs. She walked over to a large rack full of finished items. They were very good. Smiling, she realized she had a hidden talent that even Mitch and Carter hadn't known about. Then she started wondering if she still had the talent, or if it was lost with all her other memories.

  Straightening her shoulders, she was determined to find out more about herself now, and she knew just where to start: with her job. Even though Mitch had tried to convince her that she didn't need to rush it, she was determined to make it into the office in the morning.

  Walking into her bedroom, she started unpacking her clothes from her suitcases. In her huge walk-in closet, she found a mixture of clothing she'd made and some she'd purchased. There was everything from formal to very casual, all of which she found very appealing and to her taste.

  Sitting on the edge of her bed, she looked in each drawer of her nightstand. She found a diary and decided to get comfortable by sitting back and started reading to learn about herself. When she was sure she was nice and comfortable, she opened the small book and read the first line and felt like crying.

  “I think I'm in love with Carter.”

  Secret Identity: Chapter Fourteen

  Carter watched Eve walk into the office that next morning. The tight black skirt clung to every curve, and the bright blouse called for every man to look at her chest, which was presented beautifully. The gold earrings matched the bracelets and necklace she wore; they'd been a gift from him and Mitch when they'd still been in college.

  Eve hadn't known it, but Carter had followed them all the way back to New York. He’d tried to stay out of sight the entire trip, but Mitch had shown up at his place shortly after he'd gotten home.

  Eve looked a little intimidated. He could tell she was trying to hide it, but just the way she held her shoulders told him she felt uncomfortable. Lesley, Eve's secretary, greeted her at the elevators with a cup of coffee. Everyone in the office had been warned about Eve's condition and told they should treat her the same, with a few minor adjustments.

  “Good morning Eve, I'm Lesley, your personal assistant. I've got your morning messages and meetings all lined up for you. Just let me know if you're not feeling up to something, and w
e can always reschedule.” Lesley was in her early twenties, short and very blonde. She was a whirlwind of efficiency, just like Eve wanted. Now, however, Eve was looking at her like she was too much to handle. Carter chose that moment to step out of his office door and wave off Lesley.

  “Eve? Would you mind coming into my office for a few minutes?” He turned and waited for her to follow him in. He noticed her chin went up slightly as she walked towards him. He also saw heat come into her eyes.

  Shutting the door behind him, he motioned for her to sit. When she did, he walked around and sat on the edge of his desk, looking down at her.

  “How are you feeling?” He'd been dying to know if she'd missed him as much as he'd missed her last night. His apartment felt empty, even though Mitch had stayed for an hour, watching a ball game and drinking beer. He knew his friend was just trying to keep him company during his heartbreak. Mitch had claimed Sandi had kicked him out when she'd felt inspired to paint, but he knew his friend too well to believe it. Eve was right; Mitch couldn't lie.

  “I'm fine. I'm here and I don't expect any special treatment. I'd like to get back to work. I need to get back to work.” He noticed how tense she was sitting in the chair. Her back was straight, her shoulders back, and her eyes were full of determination.

  “I have no problem with you going back to work, provided you take it easy.” He looked at her a little longer. She was wearing one of his favorite shirts. The red brought out the deepness of her skin and the richness of her hair. He'd always like her best in red. Her eyes looked clear and he could see that she was telling the truth—she looked like she was ready to get back to work. He started to stand back up.

  “I found a diary,” she said, looking down at her hands.

  He leaned back on the table and crossed his arms. “Yes, we figured you would. So? Anything I should know about?” He'd dreaded this moment. Why wasn't she yelling at him yet?