He took a step closer, and Evelyn forced herself to let out a fearful squeak as she jumped closer to the table. As much as she wanted her fear to be completely an act, every second that passed, her heart beat faster and faster. All it would take was one flash of impatience and he’d pull that trigger and she’d be done.
She just needed time for one distraction and she could get him. And the distraction was just a few...more...inches...away...there! Evelyn hooked her foot under the chair and gave a quick yank.
The wooden chair clattered to the ground, and the man’s gaze jerked to follow the noise.
Evelyn jumped on her chance and ducked low as she rushed him. He must’ve seen her as he started to reposition the gun, but he wasn’t fast enough. Her shoulder slammed into his stomach and she kept going, pushing him back until she rammed his back into the door. As he tried to catch his breath, she grabbed his gun hand with both of hers and pushed up and back, jamming his wrist into the wooden doorframe with all her strength.
He grunted but didn’t let go. Shit. She brought her knee up hard into his groin. That got his attention. He moaned in pain, and his grip finally released on the gun enough for her to pry it out of his hands. She tried to turn it on him, but he retained his composure enough to push the gun down and on the floor.
Fine. They’d do this the old-fashioned way. Evelyn brought her elbow up and rammed it into the man’s throat. Take that, jackass...
Then she fisted her fingers in his hair, slamming his head into the door before she kneed him in the gut and tossed him farther into the kitchen.
While he was sprawled on the floor in front of her, Evelyn dove for his gun, but this guy was one step ahead of her. The second she brought it up to aim, a stream of burning liquid hit her eyes, blinding her and clouding her mind with pain. Evelyn screamed and fired off a shot in the direction he’d been in. She heard a grunt of pain and then the clash of breaking glass. She forced her burning eyes open for the briefest moment but didn’t see anyone.
“Fuck!” she screamed as she closed her eyes again. Her lids felt like sandpaper rubbing against her sensitive eyes. Her scream caused the spray that she’d inhaled to get in her lungs, and she coughed at the whole new irritation. “Ahh!” She’d had him!
At first, she’d had a horrifying thought that he’d thrown acid at her, but she’d been around enough pepper spray to know that she wasn’t in danger of losing her eyesight. But that didn’t take the pain away. Or the anger. Damn it, she’d had him outmatched and outgunned and he’d still gotten away. She had a feeling she hit him with the one shot, but she couldn’t be sure. And she wasn’t about to chase him down, waving a gun around when she could barely see two feet in front of her.
Luke... If they were at her place, they for sure knew about Luke. Evelyn dug out her phone but couldn’t keep her eyes open long enough to dial anything. She cursed under her breath as she pocketed the phone and pushed herself up, feeling her way to the sink.
As soon as she was there, she flipped on the cold water and splashed it in her face. She managed to get just enough washed out that she could keep her eyes open long enough to dial Luke’s number. She turned it on speaker as she splashed more water in her sore eyes and drank big gulps from her cupped hands. Ugh, even drinking hurt.
Luke answered midway through the second ring. “Evelyn, you need to get out of your apartment.”
Well, at least he was alive. That was a good sign. “I’m fine,” she said over the sound of the faucet. “Are you out of there? Longineu is dangerous. You need to get somewhere safe. I’m coming to you.”
“I’m going to be at your place any minute. What happened? Longineu said he was sending guys over there. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just stay away from here and don’t go back to your apartment. I’m going to get some backup and we’ll reevaluate then.” And try to pick up the pieces of her investigation. Damn it.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
Evelyn took another drink of the water that simultaneously burned and soothed. “Nothing’s wrong. My place has been compromised.”
“Well, my entire life has been compromised. I’m coming over.”
“Son of a— Don’t come over here!” But he’d already hung up. She spit out more curse words as she dialed 911, her boss, and then Gail, who didn’t answer.
By the time she put the phone down, someone was pounding on the door. From the intensity, she could tell it wasn’t the local police she was expecting. Which meant it was Luke. “Hold on!” She pulled some paper towels free and dabbed gently at her eyes. Before she could move, the door was pushed open and Luke was in the kitchen. Great, she’d forgotten to bolt or chain the door.
“Shit,” he muttered as he crossed to her. “What the hell did they do to you?”
She kept her eyes closed, which was probably a good thing so she didn’t have to come face-to-face with his look of pity. “It’s fine. Don’t touch anything. Police are on their way. They’re going to try to get some prints. There might be some blood by the window and I have his gun.”
“Come here.” He hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her out of the kitchen.
“What are you doing?”
She could tell from the number of steps that he was leading her to the small bathroom off the kitchen. “Was he in here?” asked Luke.
“I don’t think so. There was so little time...” Before she could finish, the shower was turned on and running.
“You need to flush your eyes,” he said. “This will work best.”
She frowned, but still didn’t open her eyes. “I know that. I’m too busy to shower.”
“Well, now you’re not.” With that, he started to push her into the warm stream of water.
Evelyn’s hands went up and gripped his biceps. “Hold on!” she shouted. He paused as she pulled off her jacket and shoulder holster. He took the jacket from her and gently set it on the sink as she kicked off her tennis shoes and set her gun on the windowsill. She still wore jeans and a white t-shirt, but she wasn’t going to wait any longer.
The police would be here any moment, so Luke was safe enough for now. She ducked under the water and threw her head back, letting the stream hit her closed eyes.
“You need to open them for this to work,” said Luke.
“You think I don’t know that?” she snapped. Just because it would make her feel better didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt.
He groaned and the next thing she knew, he was in the shower with her, tilting her head back.
“I’m going to kill you,” she muttered as she finally pried her eyes open.
“As long as you’re safe while you’re doing it,” he said softly as she moved to the other eye. After the quick flushing, she blinked a few times and looked down to give her eyes a break. Luke wasn’t standing in the stream of water, but he was getting splashed like crazy, and her floor was soaked from the water that bounced off the both of them.
“What are you doing in here? You’re getting soaked, you moron,” she said with a small laugh.
He stepped out and pulled her pink towel off the towel rack to wipe down his face. “Stay in there and keep rinsing,” he ordered.
“I’m trying.” She rubbed her eyes gently and gave another quick rinse in both her eyes. “What happened with Longineu?”
“Nothing. He knew we were on to him and didn’t start saying anything interesting until we were in a no-record zone. He said he had guys coming after you, and I got the hell over here as soon as possible. Obviously not soon enough. I was half convinced he was bluffing and I was going to lead them here.”
“Nope. They were well aware long before you got here.”
“How would they know that? Who knows your address? Was it on the fake HR paperwork you filled out?”
She shook her head. “That was a vacant place seized by the Bureau a few weeks ago.”
“So they followed you.”
Evelyn forced her sore eyes open and for the first time they d
idn’t cause agony to shoot through her. “No one followed me. Someone must’ve told them.”
“Shit.”
“My thoughts exactly.” It was as though she was right back in corruption. How the hell was she supposed to catch anyone when half her coworkers were being paid off? “I’ll book a hotel for the night under a different name and find somewhere else to go.”
“Screw that. You’re coming home with me.”
Evelyn turned off the water and looked up to Luke. “Excuse me?”
“My building is one of the safest in the city. No one gets up to my floor without express permission from me or a key. You should stay with me until this all blows over.”
“You keep me safe? You know there are a few people out there at the moment who want you dead?”
“Then come home with me and keep me safe.”
She stepped out of the shower and he wrapped her up in the towel, holding her in his arms as he gently wiped at her face and her eyes that she knew were probably as red as a beet. Between the soaking wet ponytail and discolored face, she probably looked like a hot mess at the moment, but for some reason Luke looked down at her as though she was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to come home with you,” she said softly.
“I think it’s the best idea I’ve had all month.”
She opened her mouth to keep fighting him, but a knocking sound carried from the main space of the apartment. “I should get that.”
He nodded and backed away. “Go talk to the police. And when we’re done here, I’m going to take you home.”
Evelyn stepped out of the car and looked up at the towering apartment building. Well, let’s call it what it was. It was a penthouse building. There wasn’t a single place in there that sold for less than a million dollars, and Evelyn was half convinced the doorman would take one look at her and ask her to vacate the premises.
But then Luke was at her side again, holding her overnight bag over his shoulder. “You ready?”
No. She wasn’t even slightly ready to go up to his apartment with him. “Sure,” she said. She’d fought this tooth and nail with her boss, but he’d insisted that keeping Luke safe was their number-one priority. Mainly because he had the money and lawyers available to sue the hell out of the FBI if he wanted to.
Of course, Hotchins didn’t understand exactly why Evelyn was so hesitant to go to Luke’s place and she wasn’t about to tell him the truth. Please don’t make me go, sir. I’m not sure I can resist him much longer and I feel that if I want to remain professional and not rip off all the asset’s clothes, I should be kept as far away from him as possible.
So here she was, hopping into a lavish elevator and climbing higher and higher with one of the most attractive men she’d ever met, who she kind of hated but for the life of her couldn’t remember why she hated him.
The elevator doors opened straight to Luke’s apartment and Evelyn let out a laugh. “You’re kidding me.”
Luke glanced over his shoulder as he led the way inside. “Is something wrong?”
No. Nothing was wrong. The entire place was perfect. Beautiful. White marble floors led into the two-story tall entryway and living room. The exterior was completely made out of windows, and the apartment was surrounded by a spacious terrace decorated with lounging chairs and a few potted plants and trees.
“You can make yourself comfortable.” Luke led her toward the kitchen. His place had an open floor plan, but that was about where the similarities between their places ended. The kitchen contained a massive island with a stainless-steel top that was large enough to fit six stools on the long side and two on the edge. Across from the island was a counter with dark oak cabinets that stretched to the ceiling, and an oversized apron sink that tied in with the stainless countertop.
She crossed around the cabinets and saw that the wall on the other side housed a television that had to be over a hundred inches. “Good grief, what do you need all that television for?” she breathed.
“Women seem to like it.” Luke gave a cocky grin as he set his jacket across one of the two recliners in the room. Between the two recliners was a large sofa that looked perfect for a long day of watching movies.
“I’m sure they do. But those are the one-night women. The lifetime women wouldn’t care about the big TV.”
“They can still like it.” Luke crossed to stand in front of her.
“Luckily you’re not looking for a lifetime girl, right?”
“Right.”
They were silent for a moment. Evelyn never should’ve brought up the idea of him bringing women over. It was dangerous territory for them and she knew better.
“I should shower,” she said abruptly. And then she realized that making him think of her all wet and soapy probably wasn’t any better. “I’m still all pepper spray-ey.” There. Pepper spray was decidedly unsexy.
“Let me show you the spare bathroom.” He crossed to the other side of the living area to the spiral staircase with a winding, clear railing.
“All the rooms are upstairs?” She had a feeling that was where the master suite was, and she’d rather sleep as far away as possible.
“There’s a room down here too, but that’s where Emma stays. The upstairs room is nicer anyway.”
She wasn’t sure she wanted to debate him on that or not. Because if she said she wanted to be as far from him as possible, she’d be forced to admit that the reason was because of how much he tempted her. And the last thing he needed was an ego boost.
He led her into a decent-sized room with gray walls, white trim and crown molding, and a blue comforter with a delicate floral pattern, the one feminine touch in the room.
“Will this work for you?” He set her bag on the bed.
She snorted. “Well, you saw where I was sleeping before. Trust me, this is more than enough.”
He nodded without saying anything too judgmental and then led her to the door on the left wall. “This is the bathroom. There’s a tub and a shower, so whatever you’re in the mood for, feel free. I don’t have any fancy girl shampoo.”
“Fancy girl shampoo? Really? I have a feeling the stuff you use is way more expensive than whatever fancy girl shampoo I use.”
“Whatever works.” He ran a hand through his hair.
Evelyn had to admit, he did have a great head of hair. It was jet black, betraying a bit of Italian ancestry. He looked practically perfect in his t-shirt and jeans, and she was a sloppy mess in the sweatpants and t-shirt she’d changed into after her impromptu shower.
Although her throat was back to normal, her eyes were still a bit sore and she’d practically rubbed her face raw. She’d gotten sprayed before during her training days, something all recruits had to go through, but that had been a quick mist. The son of a bitch who’d attacked her had dead-on aimed straight at her face.
“And where are you sleeping?” she asked. The question seemed strangely intimate. Knowing they were sleeping in the same place...
“In the room right next door. So if you need anything, don’t hesitate to come and get me.”
She let out a soft laugh. “You’d like me to wander into your bedroom in the middle of the night, wouldn’t you?”
Luke closed the distance between them and set a hand on each of her shoulders. “I want you. I’m not hiding that. But you had a rough day. You need to rest and relax and heal. And once you’re all better, then you can come into my bed any time you want, day or night.”
“Fat chance of that happening.” If by fat she meant pretty damn good odds. Hey, maybe taking a few minutes, or hours, to really enjoy her time alone with him wasn’t the worst idea. Lord knew that she needed some stress relief after the week she’d had.
“We’ll see,” said Luke confidently as he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “Michael and Lori are coming over first thing tomorrow morning. We can regroup then and figure out our next move.”
“Tomorrow is another day,” she
said as he moved away and left the bathroom. She followed him out and looked to the inviting bed. A wave of exhaustion swept over her. “Good night, Luke.”
He stopped in the doorway and gave her one more once-over. “Relax for tonight. Tomorrow, you’re mine though.”
Luke tossed some more cheese in the skillet and stirred up the eggs a bit more when he finally heard her.
“Oh my goodness,” said Evelyn from behind him. “The only thing that would make this better was if you were wearing one of those pretty flowery aprons.”
He shot her a sardonic grin over his shoulder and pointed the spatula to the island. “Have a seat.” He already had an empty plate and glass of orange juice waiting for her. “And don’t get too flattered. Eggs are the only thing I actually know how to cook.”
“I’ll take it.” She sat down. “Better than my normal protein bar.”
“I figure you deserve something after yesterday. You did put your life on the line for me and all.” Luke tried his best to remain cheerful, but every time he remembered how close she came to dying, he was taken over by a barely containable rage. Every bone in his body wanted to take Evelyn to some remote cabin out in the middle of nowhere where she could be safe and he could take care of Longineu.
But he had a feeling Evelyn wasn’t the type to sit idly by while he took care of everything. So the best he could hope for was distracting her long enough to keep her out of more trouble.
“You look refreshed,” he said as she pushed her damp hair to the side and sat down.
“Well, three showers in one day will to that to a girl.”
Luke frowned. “Are your eyes still bothering you?”
“No. I felt pretty much back to normal after the shower here last night.” She held up one of the drying ringlets of dark hair. “This, however, demands to be washed every morning. Curly hair problems.”
He smiled at the thick hair he’d become so fond of as the intercom buzzed. Luke switched the burner to low. “That should be Michael.”
“I love having official meetings in my pajamas,” she muttered before she took a sip of orange juice.
Devereaux Billionaires Complete Series: Books 1-4 Page 41