Eva went right into the bastard’s waiting arms to accept an overly familiar embrace that had Paynne’s hard body meshing with her softness from chest to thigh. Gabriel forced himself to turn away under the pretense of adjusting his gun to a more secure position in the waistband of his jeans. When what he really wanted to do was go back a few minutes and actually pull the trigger on the fucker.
Guess she’d forgiven the biker for his part in the deception.
Eva’s quiet sniffle had him looking back, and he just about popped a vein when he had to stand there and watch the biker cup her cheeks and brush away her tears with his thumbs.
Quan nudged his ribs, a disapproving expression on his face. “Take a breath, man. They’ve been friends for years.”
“Hey,” Paynne said quietly to Eva. “What’s all this?”
She sniffled again. “Even though I’m not speaking to you because you’re a liar, I’m happy to see you.” The biker’s hands moved from her face, which was good, but then loosely clasped her upper arms. Not good.
“Finally clued in, huh? Took you long enough,” Paynne chuckled.
“It’s not funny, Caleb. How could you lie to me?” The tips of her fingers brushed over the guy’s shiner. “What happened?”
Paynne dropped his arms to his sides and glanced over to Gabriel. “Grim Reaper came in for a kiss.”
Gabriel frowned. Vincente had gifted the guy with a right hook? Good.
“Well, he saved me the trouble,” Eva said dryly. “Jerk.”
Gabriel watched, as if in slow motion, her lift a hand to playfully run it down the length of Paynne’s face. That soft palm touched his broad forehead, closed eyes, a fairly straight nose, and then…another man’s lips. Concern remained in her eyes over the well-deserved shiner.
“Wasn’t my story to tell, Priss.” Paynne smiled and copied the infuriating face brush.
Gabriel turned away before he puked and addressed Nika. “Sorry for scaring you earlier. We thought you were someone else.”
“Caleb told me a little about what’s been going on, so I get it. Thank you, for all you’ve done for her.” She reached up and gave him a hug, her body going rigid when he put an arm around her back to return it. He released her quickly. Girl clearly didn’t like being touched.
“You don’t have to thank me. It’s been my pleasure.”
“Hers, too,” Quan murmured from where he was peering out the kitchen window, his back to them.
Eva then filled the Paynnes in on her newfound family; her cousin received the majority of the attention because he was actually in the room.
“This is crazy,” Nika breathed, clearly taken aback. “I just saw you the day before yesterday and you knew none of this then?”
“I found out last night,” Eva said.
“Holy shit.”
“Who broke the front window?” Paynne asked.
Gabriel took that one. “Furio.”
“Who’s he?” Nika was curious, and paying attention.
“Listen.” Gabriel spoke to the both of them. “Now isn’t the time to get into it. Come by the hotel. You girls can have a drink and discuss it. I have some guys coming by here any minute to”—he glanced at the door—“do repairs and start packing some of Eva’s things. When they arrive, we’re gone.”
Alek clapped Paynne on the shoulder. “My uncle appreciates all you did for his daughter while she was in New York. We all do,” he added with a meaningful look in Gabriel’s direction.
The biker’s lips curled up, giving him an arrogant expression. “Yeah. Like it was a hardship. I’ve been covering these two since they had pigtails and braces.”
A pure, innocent affection rang true in the biker’s voice, making Gabriel feel dirty for what he’d been thinking. It was clear the man saw Eva as another little sister.
Eva felt that same platonic love.
Right?
Needing confirmation on that, he gripped his woman’s wrist and pulled her out of the kitchen and down the hall, not stopping until they were at the foot of the stairs. He lifted her by the waist and thumped her onto the first step so that they were standing face-to-face.
“Anything ever happened between you and Paynne?”
She frowned. “Anything…oh. God, no. He’s like my brother.”
The knots in his back unraveled.
“Why would you ask that? You, of all people, know firsthand I’ve only ever been with you.”
“There’s a lot two people can do without actually fucking, Eva.”
Her face screwed up. “True. I guess you can consider yourself blessed then, because aside from some pretty tame kissing, I’ve only ever done the good stuff with you.”
She was joking, but that did make him feel blessed.
“Another good answer. Maybe do me a favor though,” he said, coming in close to her ear. “Don’t touch his face again. There’s no good reason for it, and I’m pretty sure I felt an artery rupture from having to watch that shit.”
Her hands gently sifted into the hair at his nape. “It’s just something we’ve always done to bug each other. It doesn’t mean anything.” She trailed her lips across his jaw until she reached his mouth but didn’t kiss him. Instead, she put him at ease. “What Caleb said was true. He’s been watching over me and Nika forever. But I do understand where you’re coming from. I’m pretty sure I’d feel the same way if the tables were turned.”
Reeeally. “Would you.”
She didn’t meet his eyes as she trailed her fingertips up and down the front of his throat. “Yes. Already, I don’t like knowing you’ve been with so many other women. It’s…” The warmth left her eyes and she pulled back, figuratively and physically. “Let’s just say I’d rather not think about it. Come on. It’s rude of us to leave our guests on their own.”
A smile slowly formed on his face as he watched her walk away. And why wouldn’t he feel pretty fuckin’ smug right then? She’d just admitted to sharing his possessive feelings, on top of reminding him that she’d never before let any other man touch what now belonged to him.
Her.
Tucking his satisfaction away, he was about to join “their guests” in the kitchen when Paynne came out.
“Your fuckin’ brother came by my place yesterday waving Nika’s pic under my nose.”
Aaand the shit just kept piling.
SEVENTEEN
When they arrived at the Crown Jewel, it didn’t escape Eva’s notice that they used the front entrance rather than the underground garage. Quan handed the Escalade off to a valet while Gabriel and Alek ushered her through the revolving doors.
“G.”
Jak meshed with their group from out of nowhere, and like it was routine, his appearance had Quan giving them all a two-fingered wave before heading off. Changing of the guard.
“Furio?” Gabriel asked.
“Nothing yet.” Jak, no doubt accustomed to stressful situations, appeared much more relaxed than the rest of them as they aimed for the elevator, though his eyes were watchful. “Reaper showed about half hour ago. He’s upstairs.”
A boyish smile lit Gabriel’s face. “Did you know he was coming?” he asked Alek.
“Would V let anyone know he was coming?”
When they entered the elevator and started their ascent, Eva moved a little closer to Gabriel to make room for a French-speaking couple chatting away beside her.
His hand landed on her waist to pull her in until she was pressed to his side. The couple hadn’t needed that much room, but whatever. She happily accepted the security his big body offered.
“It’s Vincente,” he said, against her hair. “Did I mention he shares the house with me, Alek and Maks?”
“You all live together? Isn’t it crowded?” She looked inquiringly at Alek.
“It’s a big place. Sharing saves us from having to keep places of our own. Maks—who you’ll have to learn to ignore if you want any peace—is a self-proclaimed genius. He does a good job of keeping out who we don
’t want in. V’s a great cook, when our housekeeper allows him to be. And your man does the financial thing for us. Made us all rich,” he added with a crooked grin as the doors slid open on the top floor to reveal two guards.
Her man.
Before she could stop it, Eva’s imagination ran with that, bringing about images of what dating Gabriel might be like if his brother wasn’t in the picture. Waking to his beautiful face on the mornings he stayed over at her place, lingering in his bed on those lazy weekends she spent at his. Them lounging on the couch in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn between them, arguing about what to watch, her giving in to the football game just to make him happy, then receiving a foot massage because she’d been so generous…
Him, being a mobster and all, telling stories about killing an enemy.
Her…following in her mom’s footsteps.
She landed back in reality with a thump.
“Don’t worry, Eva,” Alek added good-naturedly as they moved down the corridor. “The place is big enough that if you don’t want to see our ugly mugs, you won’t have to.”
She forced a smile as they passed two more guards stationed in the corridor. They came upon two others outside their door. It was like they were on a movie set, she thought as they entered the suite.
Having been waved to go in first, she embarrassingly jerked to a halt when she entered the main room and saw Vincente turn from where he’d been looking out the window.
He wore a black leather duster that fell from his broad shoulders to his ankles—had to be custom-made to fit that big body so perfectly. Underneath, he had on a black tee and a pair of distressed jeans. He wore the same kind of heavy motorcycle boots Caleb wore, and with all that thick black hair and those dark, menacing eyes staring at them…yeah. His nickname made sense.
Alek moved around her and Gabriel to meet Vincente in the middle of the room, the two of them banging fists before man-hugging one another.
She was in a world of giants, it seemed.
“Is it a prerequisite that your friends be so large?” she asked over her shoulder.
“Hard to intimidate someone when you have to look up at them,” Gabriel said with a wink and half smile that melted her bones.
God, she was in so much trouble here.
And it had nothing to do with his stupid brother.
† † †
Gabriel gave Eva’s waist a squeeze as he passed by without capturing that mouth and playing for a while. Fuck, he needed to get her alone.
“Didn’t think your leash reached this far,” Alek drawled, taunting their friend with a wry grin.
“Tether snapped,” V said as his fist met Alek’s left pec with a love tap that had to hurt. He then clasped Gabriel’s hand.
“How you doin’, brother? Look at you,” Gabriel murmured as the close connection they’d always shared nailed him in the chest. “You’d make the devil himself shit his pants.”
They hugged hard then separated so V could give Eva a respectful nod. “How you holding up, squirt?”
She was toying with the ends of her hair where it lay just at her ribs. “Better now that I know what’s going on.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that. Couldn’t do much more than I did to let you know things would work out.”
“Of course not,” she said, offering one of her smiles. “As confusing as it was, thanks for trying.”
The scent of well-kept leather wafted around them as Vincente reached out and tipped her chin up, turning her face left then right. “Fuuuck. You’re your old man, only prettier.” He let go and it was Gabriel’s turn to take a hard one on the pec before the guy went over to join Alek who’d settled on one end of the sofa.
Now why didn’t Vincente’s one-on-one interaction with Eva bother him the way Paynne’s had? All about trust, he supposed as a tap sounded on the door.
V looked at his watch. “That was quick.”
Gabriel’s brow went up in inquiry.
“Won’t be Maks yet. Probably Paynne. Not that Kirov would knock.”
“Why is Maks coming?” Gabriel demanded. “And how do you know I told Paynne to come over?”
“Because, and I just do.”
Gabriel’s lips tightened. Guy still loved his toddler-like answers. Worse than a fuckin’ three-year-old.
Nodding to Jak, who motioned he’d get the door, Gabriel nudged Eva in the direction of the chair next to the fireplace. He took up sentry next to her as Jak came back with the biker.
He then invited V to get the ball rolling. “Fill us in.”
But instead of giving up the deets, the idiot got to his feet. “Paynne, glad you could make it.”
“Yeah. This is what I live for, pleasing you, asshole. Like my makeup?”
The room stilled, the air thickened as Gabriel slowly swiveled his head to give the biker an are-you-fucked? look before righting himself so he’d have a good view when the action started.
But Vincente was grinning. “Sorry, brother,” he said, actually sounding as if he meant it. “Keeping up appearances, you know?”
Feeling let down, Gabriel asked Paynne, “What happened? Stefano came by and waved a photo of Nika under your nose?”
“That’s what he left behind?” V cut in, his tone taking a nosedive. “Photos of your sister? I was curious about that.”
“You were with him?” Gabriel said in surprise.
V nodded once.
“Asshole said he’d go there if he had to.”
Caleb’s comment caused Eva’s nails to come together.
“I thought he dropped that plan after I talked to him.” Gabriel reached out and put a halt to the nervous gesture. “I’m sorry he involved her, Paynne. Where is she, by the way?” He thought the girls would hang out while he and the boys talked.
“She texted and said she had to get home,” Eva answered with clear disappointment.
Paynne crossed the room and squatted in front of her, his knees cracking like cap guns. He spoke quietly, his words meant for her alone.
“The asshole made a stink about her leaving this morning, so she went home to keep the peace. She felt like shit. Said to say sorry.” He grinned. “Actually, she said, ‘Tell her I’m really, really sorry, Caleb. Really sorry.’”
Eva smiled and covered his fist where it rested on her leg. She began plucking at a worn leather strap he wore on his wrist. “What a dummy. And, listen, it should be me apologizing to you guys. You should never have been dragged into this.”
“Hey.” He waited until he had her full attention. “You have no control over what’s going down here, so there’s nothing for you to apologize for. This isn’t on you.”
She nodded after an extended moment, and the biker thumped his fist on her knee before he straightened.
Gabriel was grateful for their earlier conversation. Had they not had it, he’d have punted the asshole into the hallway after watching that show of intimacy.
Turning his attention to Jak, he said, “Send a few guys to Nika’s place.”
“We have a couple of our boys there already,” Paynne informed him, obviously referring to the MC.
“So do I,” V added as he tapped something into his phone. “I sent a deuce in when Stefano first mentioned her.”
Of course he had. Good man. “Extras won’t hurt. Address?” When Paynne supplied it, Gabriel turned back to Jak. “A pair will do since there are others. I want Tox leading, though. Let him know he has free rein on whatever methods he wants to use to keep her safe. And, not that you should have to, but tell him to stay hidden. Stefano’s people aren’t stupid. You two might want to let your boys know to expect them,” he told V and Caleb.
Jak moved to Gabriel’s side. “Free rein?” he questioned under his breath. “No offense, but this is Toxic were talking about.”
As if Gabriel needed the reminder that their most recently acquired—a nephew of one of the family’s veterans—was a chemist at heart and liked to experiment with the shit he cooked up in his backroo
m laboratory. The guy was fucking brilliant, holding a Master of Science in chemistry from the University of Toronto, where, according to his proud uncle, Tox had studied his ass off in the Molecular Genetics Department. It wouldn’t surprise Gabriel in the least if he popped in at Tox’s place one day and was greeted at the door by the Incredible Hulk himself.
“Free rein,” he repeated.
“Shit just got real,” Jak muttered as he wandered off with his phone to his ear.
“Are we making plans today?” Paynne was asking V, “Or can I head back to Nika’s? I’d feel better being there to watch over her myself.”
Curiosity was soup de jour on the Reaper’s face. “Something other than Stefano worrying you when it comes to her?”
Paynne swiped a hand over his short hair, and after a brief eye-meet with Eva, he said gruffly, “We’re looking into it. I’ll know soon enough.”
Okay. That piqued Gabriel’s interest.
“You need any help with whatever you find, let me know,” Vincente offered, which, coming from him, wasn’t a surprise considering how he’d lost his own little sister.
“Thanks,” the biker said with a brisk nod, “but I won’t be sharing this one if anything turns up.”
Gabriel yanked out his phone and shot Maks a text with Nika’s info, asking for a full rundown—criminal record, if any, bank records, hospital visits, credit check. It was amazing what one could piece together with a little information. If the redhead was in some sort of trouble, there was no sense in her going it alone.
He got a response within seconds.
On it
Check Kevin Nollan too. Same addy
Got it. See you in a few
V bumped his shoulder. “You have a private room downstairs where we can meet up for an early lunch tomorrow?”
Gabriel glanced at Eva and noted how pale she was. She was understandably scared. This whole scene might be nothing new to them, but to her it was completely foreign, and even though she was doing the best she could to keep up, it was taking a toll. She’d had enough for one day.
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